The North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Awards are given to students, student organizations, staff, and faculty in North Campus schools and colleges at the University of Michigan who exemplify the leadership and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through their commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, including within the context of the pandemic and our reignited sense of urgency to address root causes of social injustice.
The annual awards are hosted by the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning; College of Engineering; Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design; and School of Music, Theatre & Dance, in collaboration with ArtsEngine and the Duderstadt Center as part of U-M’s MLK Symposium to honor and commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King.
Congratulations 2025 Nominees and Award Recipients!
Nominees
Student Nominees
- Jardin Allen, Michigan Engineering
- Allison King, Michigan Engineering
- Evelyn Cho, Michigan Engineering
- Aaron Comstock, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Michaela Nichelle ‘Mike’ Martin, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Panagiota Kitsopoulos, Michigan Engineering
- Eda Bozkurt, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Tsedeniya Amare, Michigan Engineering
- Dan Fecteau, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Henry Westphal, Michigan Engineering
- Arin-Ranee Francis, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Sasha Hill, Michigan Engineering
- Madinabonu Nosirva, Michigan Engineering
- Norah Murphy, Michigan Engineering
- Danah Owaida, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Carter Van Erp, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Ryan Lofland, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Emily Becker, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Abraham Alzoubi, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Daiyo Zhong, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Diego Monroy, Michigan Engineering
- Grace Townley, Michigan Engineering
- Mason Wu, Michigan Engineering
- Abhishek Singh, Michigan Engineering
- Ronak Samal, Michigan Engineering
- Drake Clemons, Michigan Engineering
- Aditree Dutt Sahu, Michigan Engineering
- Hsuan-Po Liu, Michigan Engineering
Organization / Team Nominees
- Change It Up! Workshop Team, Michigan Engineering
- ColorCoded, Interdisciplinary Org/Team
- ME DEI Alliance, Michigan Engineering
Faculty Nominees
- Karen Fournier, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Quinn Hunter, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Fatima Albrehi, Michigan Engineering
- John Ellis, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Kuukuwa O Manful, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- antonio c cuyler, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Chase L. Cantrell, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Raed Al Kontar, Michigan Engineering
- Emily Becker, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Karin Jensen, Michigan Engineering
- James (Jamie) Cutler, Michigan Engineering
Staff Nominees
- Caroline Lowe, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Stephanie Gary, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Naira Tumanyan, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Tershia Pinder-Grover, Michigan Engineering
- Saroya Cicero, Michigan Engineering
- Joseph Ballard II, Michigan Engineering
Learning & Scholarship Award Recipients
- Abraham Alzoubi, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Diego Monroy, Michigan Engineering
- Grace Townley, Michigan Engineering
- John Ellis, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Kuukuwa Manful, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Chase L. Cantrell, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
Institutional Change & Advocacy Award Recipients
- Danah Owaida, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Carter Van Erp, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Abhishek Singh, Michigan Engineering
- Tershia Pinder-Grover, Michigan Engineering
Activism, Awareness & Organization Award Recipients
- Jardine Allen, Michigan Engineering
- Allison King, Michigan Engineering
- Change It Up! Workshop Team, Michigan Engineering
Community Building & Impact Award Recipients
- Panagiota Kitsopoulos, Michigan Engineering
- Daniel Fecteau, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Arin-Ranee Francis, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Sasha Hill, Michigan Engineering
- Caroline Lowe, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Stephanie Gary, Stamps School of Art & Design
- Naira Tumayan, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Karen Fournier, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Quinn Alexandria Hunter, Stamps School of Art & Design
- ColorCoded, Michigan Engineering
- ME DEI Alliance, Michigan Engineering
Mentoring and Inspiration Award Recipients
- Drake Clemons, Michigan Engineering
- Eda Bozkurt, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning
- Karen Jensen, Michigan Engineering
- James W. Cutler, Michigan Engineering
- Saroya Cicero, Michigan Engineering
- Joseph Ballard II, Michigan Engineering
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
- antonio c cuyler, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
2025 North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Awards Committee
Committee Chairs
- Stephanie Gary, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
- Deb Mexicotte, ArtsEngine
Committee Members
- Nyanatee Bailey, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
- Shandell Bru, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Emily Dickman, Michigan Engineering
- Juan Florencia, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Stephen Gonzalez, Michigan Engineering
- Sian Olson Dowis, Duderstadt Center
- Kathi Reister, Duderstadt Center
- Gabrielle Sarpy, Michigan Engineering
- Jessica St. George, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
- Caitlin Taylor, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Dakayla Whitten, Michigan Engineering
Thank you to the North Campus Deans!
- Karen Thole, Dean of Michigan Engineering
- David Gier, Dean of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Carlos Jackson, Dean of the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
- Jonathan Massey, Dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning