The 2024 Outstanding Student Life Award recipients

Next generation of thought leaders, innovators recognized at 2024 Outstanding Student Life Awards

April 18, 2024 at 1:00pm

Nearly 30 students were recognized earlier this month for outstanding contributions to the university community through service, scholarship and promotion of the Panther spirit.

The annual Outstanding Student Life Awards has been held at FIU since 1989 and has honored hundreds of Panthers and student-led organizations. This year’s 28 honorees were selected from a peer- and faculty-nominated pool of nearly 200, representing every college and school within the university.

Two students in particular rose above and beyond the traditional college life experience to take on roles of leadership, contribute to groundbreaking research, and make a difference in the community. These students were recognized with the Presidential Award and Larry W. Lunsford Leadership Award (honoring students who exemplify the service and leadership traits of retired Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Lunsford, whose dedication to the university community led to numerous advances in the areas of student life and scholarship):

The 2024 Presidential Awardee is Seyed Saman Khedmatgozar Dolati, a doctoral candidate and researcher in the FIU Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center. Among an impressive curriculum vitae, Dolati has authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles; he holds four U.S. patents with two additional pending review; he has presented at over 15 research conferences; and he has served as teaching assistant in over a dozen engineering classes. He is also recognized for outstanding mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Engineering & Computing.

Seyed Saman Khedmatgozar Dolati

The 2024 Larry W. Lunsford Leadership Award was presented to Francesca Casanova, a junior majoring in civil engineering who has dedicated her time at FIU to uplifting fellow Panthers as a member of Student Government Association and Alpha Xi Delta. She was recently elected the next president of SGA, and she currently leads FIU’s Panhellenic Council as president, where she oversees recruitment, philanthropy and educational programming for its seven member sororities. Casanova also served on the Tech Fee committee, tasked with allocating millions to much needed areas on campus to improve Panthers’ educational experience.

“We are incredibly proud of all our Outstanding Student Life Awardees,” said Charlie Andrews, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. “These students truly embody the Panther spirit and epitomize the goal of our institution to empower the next generation of thought leaders and innovators.”

The 2024 Outstanding Student Life Awardees are as follows:

Outstanding Service Award
Jose Cabas, chemistry
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College

Nicholas Dore, international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

MedSWISH (Medical Students Working to Improve Health and Society)
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Student Faculty Collaborative Clinic
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Outstanding Spirit Award
Marc Gideon, biology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Michelle Gonzalez, digital and interactive media
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts

Outstanding Innovation Award
Lorena Stanford, Spanish-language journalism
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts

Medical School Mindfulness Initiative
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Award
Chelsey Ameda, medicine
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Kaily LaChapelle, international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award
Arya B. Nair, mechanical engineering
College of Engineering & Computing

Thomas Silva, biological sciences and natural and applied sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Isabel Trespalacios, biochemistry and biological sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College

Outstanding Graduate Scholar Award
Alvi Ataur Khalil, doctoral candidate, computer engineering
College of Engineering & Computing

Ahmed Soliman, doctoral candidate, electrical and computer engineering
College of Engineering & Computing

Outstanding Undergraduate Leadership Award
First-Year:
Eva Senande, biology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College

Sophomore:
Hua Hui Vogel, biomedical engineering
College of Engineering & Computing, Honors College

Junior:
Asheley Gelin, economics
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

Yasmine Tesone, hospitality management
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Senior:
Tiara Campbell, biological sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College

Natalie Concepcion, political science and international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Honors College

Lia Goodman, political science
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Honors College

Amanda Sarmientos, psychology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College

Outstanding Graduate Leadership Award
Sela Andrews, higher education administration
College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Shivanna Birbal, doctoral candidate, teaching and learning
College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Francesca Casanova