The Cornell Engineering Office of Inclusive Excellence recognized outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, student organizations, faculty and staff at their Annual Awards Banquet on April 28.

Credit: Bridget Fetsko

The banquet was co-emceed by Chimdi Anude ’25 and Jeremiah “JD” James, a Ph.D. candidate, and featured remarks by Jakobi S. Davis ’25, who discussed the positive impact the Office of Inclusive Excellence had on his undergraduate experience.

Each year, the office bestows student of the year awards to honor those who made a significant effort to advancing Cornell Engineering’s core values and promote an inclusive environment. The following students were recognized this year.

• Freshman of the Year: Yodahe Maaza ’28
• Undergraduate Student of the Year: Gabriella Elcsics ’25
• Graduate Student of the Year: Ayomide Oloyede, Ph.D. candidate

The Inclusive Excellence Partner of the Year Award honors a partner who has made significant strides in promoting an inclusive environment within Cornell Engineering, aligning with the college’s vision of centering inclusion and excellence. The 2025 recipient was the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems, often referred to as CROPPS.  The center, which develops groundbreaking tools to listen and talk to plants and the associated organisms that make up their microbiomes, has been proactive in engaging with and providing opportunities to students in programs run by the Office of Inclusive Excellence.

The banquet, which is the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s signature annual event, also presented awards for mentoring, leadership and service. The following students received awards.

• Cornell Empower Outstanding Peer Mentee: Naijei Jiang ’28
• Cornell Empower Outstanding Peer Mentor Awards: Paige Yun ’27
• Ephrahim Garcia Graduate Excellence in Mentoring Awards: Joshua Umansky-Castro, Ph.D. candidate
• Undergraduate Distinguished Service Award: Maguette Diop ’26
• The Robert Mozia Graduate Distinguished Service Award: Theshani Nuradha Piliththuwasam Gallage, Ph.D. candidate
• Undergraduate Excellence in Leadership Award: Temi Adebowale ’27
• Graduate Excellence in Leadership Award: Aspen K.B. Omapang, Ph.D. candidate

This year marked the first time the awards banquet also recognized peer educators. The new awards recognize members of the student educator community who exemplify inclusive and effective teaching practices that emphasize a culture of belonging and collaboration, contributing to a more equitable and enriching educational experience for all. The following students were the first to receive the office’s new peer educator awards.

• Inclusive Peer Educator of the Year: Rafael Dilone ’25
• Inclusive Peer Educator of the Year:  Shohum Finkelstein ’25
• Inclusive Graduate Educator of the Year: Doris Xu, Ph.D. student 

This year’s recipients of scholarships from the Society of American Military Engineering – Amida Akpan ’25, Rafael Dilone ’25 and Vanessa Morales ’26 – were also recognized and celebrated at the event.