
Social Justice Awards is an event held annually by the office of Diversity & Social Justice Education within Student Affairs to honor and celebrate the work and dedication of our community members seeking to create a more inclusive and equitable campus. Please save the date and join us this spring at the Illini Union!
Save the Date for 2026!
The 15th Annual Social Justice Awards Ceremony will be held:
- Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
- Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM
- Location: Illini Union Rooms B & C, 1401 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801
More information about our keynote speaker and performances will be announced closer to the date.
View the full 2025 Program Here:
Keynote Speaker & Performances

Keynote Speaker: Kamau Grantham, PhD
Dr. Kamau Grantham is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical counselor at the Counseling Center here at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He earned both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University, an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany, and a B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York, at Fredonia. Dr. Grantham has been working in the field of mental health for over 30 years, and has been on staff at the Counseling Center since 2014. Several highlights of Dr. Grantham’s work with U of I students over the years at the Counseling Center include: co-founding the Black men’s therapy group; longstanding member, and past co-chair, of Sankofa (the Black student outreach team); former Assistant Director of Clinical Services; and current liaison to the Graduate College.
In his free time, Dr. Grantham finds solace through music and art. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, & spending most of his adult life in New York City, he grew-up watching his mother draw with colored chalk, and play the piano, as well as listening to his father play soul and jazz records. In 1988, during his freshman year of college, Dr. Grantham began DJing when his friend gave him a spare DJ mixer. In 1995, he moved to New York City for graduate school, where he submerged himself in the burgeoning Black creative movement to manage the stress of his graduate studies. While in New York, Dr. Grantham had the opportunity to DJ in various spaces including: the Brooklyn Tea Party; Ray Hand’s Loft; Frank’s Place, and Baby Jupiter to name a few, and was also the resident DJ for the Brooklyn artist collective, the Crash House.
After arriving in Champaign-Urbana with his family in 2014, Dr. Grantham continued his passion for creating art and music. In 2016 he co-founded Dance Music Therapy with Terrance Stevenson and Dr. Mikki Johnson, as a safe space for folks to dance and express themselves. In 2019 Dr. Grantham partnered with University of Illinois Professor, Stacey Robinson, to form BLACKMAU, whose art seeks to imagine Black life in the future as a means of posing visions of liberation and shedding light on the present. BLACKMAU’s art is currently on display in Urbana on both an electrical box on Main Street and in a mural at the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office. Their art has also been featured in a number of galleries across Illinois and New York State. In 2024 BLACKMAU collaborated with the Mass Transit District (MTD), and the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, to design a bus for the year’s Juneteenth celebration. Currently Dr. Grantham can be found DJing with the Darker Than Blue DJ collective at the Gallery Art Bar, in Urbana, where they host monthly parties merging art and music to create safe spaces for community expression.

INNER VOICES Social Issues Theatre
INNER VOICES Social Issues Theatre addresses complex, timely and often difficult social issues that connect deeply to university community(ies) and beyond. Through performances followed by post-performance audience dialogues, we commit ourselves to the cultivation of this social space for rich civic dialogue that is vital to the wellness of community. With an eye on civic engagement and social justice, we concern ourselves with where and how change can be made. Understanding performance as inherently dialogic, we engage live theatre as a catalyst for conversation. Audience members are presented with the opportunity to engage in dialogue with one another as they consider how subtle and not-so-subtle actions and behaviors in everyday situations affect thoughts, attitudes, mindsets, and, ultimately, the health and social relations of a community and its members.

Nawal Assougdam
Senior, Dance & Kinesiology
Nawal Assougdam is a dancer, performer, choreographer and student. Originally from Aurora, Colorado, Nawal is a current senior pursuing a dual degree in Dance and Kinesiology. In her time at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, she has performed in main stage productions by Dance at Illinois (DAI) in works by Roxane D’Orleans Juste, Laura Chiaramonte, Gabriel Eng Gonzalez, Tessa Olson, Adanya Gilmore, John Toenjes, and Jakki Kalogridis as well as a number of student works. Nawal is a member of DAI’s student board and an undergraduate student representative in the Bachelor of Arts planning committee. In addition, she is one of the founding members of the makesmewanna art collective and currently serves as the treasurer. In the fall of 2023, Nawal Assougdam made her mainstage choreography debut when she premiered her work titled “Atay?” in October Dance.
2025 Social Justice Award Winners

Bridge Builder Award - Undergraduate
Lily Rybka, Junior in Information + Data Science
Lily Rybka (she/her) is a junior studying Information Science+ Data Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign iSchool with a minor in Global Studies. She is the current President of the student organizations Interfaith in Action and the Student Board of the University YMCA. In her free time, Lily enjoys traveling to cultural or natural landmarks and playing tennis and badminton.

Bridge Builder Award - Graduate
Mehrdad Mohammadi, Ph.D. Candidate in Statistics
Mehrdad Mohammadi is a Ph.D. candidate in Statistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), specializing in reinforcement learning, statistical machine learning, and their applications. He holds dual master’s degrees in Mathematics and Statistics from UIUC, an MA in Economics from Penn State, an MS in Economics from the University of Bologna, and a B.Sc. in Finance and Accounting from the Petroleum University of Technology in Iran. His academic journey has been recognized with several honors, including the Block Grant Fellowship, the Department of Statistics Doctoral Student Leadership and Service Award, and the Illinois International Graduate Achievement Award.

Collaboration Award
Gabriela Ramos-Avila, Senior in Architectural Studies, Minor in Latina/Latino Studies
Gabriela Ramos-Avila is a Senior in Architectural Studies with a minor in Latina/Latino Studies. She is a first-generation Mexican-American student who is passionate about learning and helping others succeed. She works as a Student Program Coordinator and Lead Ambassador for La Casa Cultural Latina and is the current president of the Hispanic Organization of Urban Studies and the Environment (HOUSE). In the future, she hopes to become a licensed architect and design community, civic, or educational buildings for communities of low income. In her free time, she enjoys model making, reading, and embroidery.

Peer Educator Award
Alina Stetsuk, Ph.D. Candidate in East Asian Languages and Cultures
Alina Stetsuk is a fourth-year PhD student with the East Asian Languages and Cultures Department. Originally from Ukraine, she specializes in career coaching and advising for East Asian international students. As a dedicated researcher, educator, and mentor, she focuses on the challenges international students face in career development and how university career services can better support them. In addition to her research, Alina serves as a Graduate Assistant with the Illinois Career Center and Teaching Assistant with her department teaching Chinese Language, bringing a deep commitment to student success both in and out of the classroom. Her work bridges academic inquiry with practical impact, helping students navigate their professional journeys with confidence.

Research & Advocacy Award
Gladys Kemboi, Ph.D. Candidate in Information Science
Gladys Kemboi is a Knowledge Management Strategist and PhD candidate in Information Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kemboi focuses on the decolonization of knowledge, epistemic justice, advancing local and Indigenous knowledge in development, and collaborating with leaders and partners across sectors and around the globe to build dynamic and equitable knowledge ecosystems.

Community Impact Award
Jae’da Thompson, Senior in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Jaeda Thompson is a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. She has special interest in working to make healthcare more equitable and promoting mental health within marginalized communities. Her time on campus has been very fulfilling and she's had the opportunity to serve in many roles including her role as the Community Service Chair of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., President of the Mannie Lee Jackson Academic Enrichment Program, Outreach and Recruitment Intern for the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center and more! Through all of her involvement, her love for community service and volunteerism has a priority and she's so grateful to be recognized for the significant impact she's made in the community!

Community Impact Award
Gregory Ridgel, Third-Year Student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Gregory Ridgel is a third-year medical student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CIMED) from Birmingham, AL. He has a Bachelor of Engineering in biomedical engineering and Spanish from Vanderbilt University. In his future medical career, he aspires to synthesize skills learned from his clinical, pharmaceutical, and engineering backgrounds in order to translate research into health equity to be a changemaker within marginalized communities.

Outstanding Staff Award
Kasey Umland, Director of the Women’s Resources Center
Kasey joined the Women's Resources Center in Fall 2021 as the Interim Director before assuming the role full-time in January 2023. In this role, she oversees the Center's gender equity initiatives and provides administrative support to the amazing WRC team leading the WRC's prevention and advocacy work. A University of Illinois alum, Kasey moved to Champaign in 2001 to study Economics and Political Science (and never left). She developed a passion for social justice and human rights through her involvement in Amnesty International and an interest in college student leadership development while working as a graduate assistant at the Illinois Leadership Center and the Illini Union. Those experiences led her to the University YMCA where she worked for over a decade. While at the Y, Kasey spearheaded innovative scholarship programs, the Bailey International Service Travel Scholarship and the Bailey Unpaid Internship scholarship to support unmet student needs and foster new energy and engagement and expanded financial support for undocumented students. However, her true passion lies in fostering student leadership and development for social and environmental justice. She brings over a decade of experience in both formal and informal student advising to her new role at the WRC. When she isn't at the WRC, Kasey is actively engaged in the C-U community where she serves on the board of FirstFollowers Reentry Program and previously served in the boards of the YWCA - UIUC, Channing-Murray Foundation and Homestead Corporation.

Outstanding Program Award
Native American House Ambassador Program
Created in the Fall of 2022, the Native American House (NAH) Ambassador Program is pivotal in supporting Native student life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Under the administration and mentorship of the NAH director, Dr. Charlotte Davidson, Ambassadors aid in the cultural center's daily operations and work in cooperation and consultation with student affairs staff to design, implement, and assess programming that promotes student success, inclusion, and belonging.
Program led by Charlotte Davidson (Director of the Native American House, Diné and citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes)
Current Student Ambassadors include Will Bartee (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Justin Bean (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), David Eby (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Muscogee Creek), and Yanaba Schroeder (Navajo Nation)
2025 Social Justice Award Honorable Mentions

Iranian Heritage Foundation, Registered Student Organization (Collaboration Award)
Building on the legacy of the first Iranian student organization established in 1961 at the University of Illinois, the Iranian Heritage Foundation (IHF) has emerged as its most vibrant and thriving successor, dedicated to celebrating and promoting Iranian culture and heritage. IHF fosters cultural exchange and unity through art, music, and community engagement. Through dynamic and inclusive events, it empowers individuals to honor their heritage while contributing to a more culturally enriched and inclusive campus community.

Dr. Pankaj Desai, Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion Initiatives at The Career Center (Outstanding Staff Award)
Dr. Pankaj Desai is a passionate advocate for career development with a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) with over 12 years of experience in higher education. Dr. Pankaj Desai currently serves The Career Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as the Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion Initiatives. In this role, he leads departmental efforts to empower career choice and action for students from diverse backgrounds including international students, first-generation students, and those from historically underrepresented groups. Dr. Desai is an experienced higher education leader with a proven track record in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through strategic program development and institutional partnerships. He currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council of the Asian American Cultural Center and is an invited member of the Advisory Circle of the Native American House here at Illinois.

Illinois Hip Hop Camp (Outstanding Program Award)
Illinois Hip Hop Camp brings K-12 students and teachers, hip-hop artists, camp alumni, and University of Illinois music education professors and students together for a one-week camp focused on creating original hip-hop music. In its seven-year history, the camp has welcomed dozens of middle and high school students to the University of Illinois for an immersive, culturally relevant hip-hop educational experience.
Program led by Lamont Holden (Assistant Professor of Audio and Recording Technologies), Adam Kruse (Associate Professor of Music Education), and Peter Shungu (Teaching Assistant Professor in Music Education)