Exceptional students recognized for leadership, scholarship and spirit

Twenty-three students and two student clubs were recognized last week for stand-out leadership, service and scholarship at the 2025 Outstanding Student Life Awards.

For nearly 30 years, the annual ceremony has recognized Panthers who excel academically and in the areas of distinguished service to others, citizenship, innovation, leadership, civic engagement and promotion of the Panther spirit.

Among these remarkable students, two especially outstanding Panthers stood apart from the crowd, earning special recognition with the FIU Presidential Award and the Larry W. Lunsford Leadership Award.

The President Award is given to one student each year who has gone above and beyond any one award category to demonstrate leadership, dedication and action, thereby significantly enhancing life on campus and advancing the university’s prestige.

This year’s Presidential Award was received by Yashas Hariprasad, a computer science doctoral candidate whose groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence addresses one of the most urgent technological crises of the 21st century: the global proliferation of deepfake scams. Expecting to graduate this month, Yashas already has three U.S. patents pending and has published 18 peer-reviewed research papers, book chapters and conference papers as well as having co-authored two books.

Beyond the lab, Yashas is dedicated to helping fellow Panthers, having mentored more than a dozen students and supervised ten student laboratory projects. His nominator, Distinguished University Professor S.S. Iyengar, is quoted saying, “Mr. Hariprasad’s extraordinary academic accomplishments, pioneering research, and commitment to solving global challenges unequivocally distinguish him as a truly deserving recipient of this prestigious honor. 

The Larry W. Lunsford Leadership Award recognizes one student who rises above any one category of leadership and has proven their dedication to enhancing the quality of student life on campus.

This year’s award was received by Anayre Martinez, an international business and marketing major on a pre-law track. Among many achievements, Martinez is currently President of Delta Phi Epsilon as well as Order of Omega. As a participant in the Academy of Leaders, Martinez has honed her leadership skills as LEAD Team captain; and as a Peer Mentor, she has helped guide and support fellow students, making their transition to college life smoother and more successful. Through SGA, she advocates for the voices of the student body at FIU, and as a tutor in her spare time, she helps children and teens succeed in school.

Martinez’s nominator, Lyanne Rodriguez, believes she consistently goes above and beyond in her involvement at FIU, always striving to create positive change and foster a sense of community. “Whether leading events, mentoring peers, or volunteering her time, Anayre demonstrates exceptional leadership, initiative, and passion in everything she does,” Rodriguez said.

The following students and student clubs were also selected as recipients from a pool of more than 350 nominations:

Outstanding Service Award – Individual
Lisbeth Caballero, chemistry and biological sciences

Outstanding Service Award – Group
FIU Homeless Outreach for Medical Equity

Outstanding Spirit Award – Individual
Tatiana Paz Bedolla, political science

Outstanding Spirit Award – Group
Residence Hall Association

Outstanding Innovation Award
Sai Amrutha Roy Natla MS ’24, business analytics
Yonacary Wingard, civil engineering

Civic Leadership Award – Individual
Ron Wolfart, organizational psychology doctoral program 

Civic Leadership Award – Group
Healthy Work Lab at FIU

Outstanding Scholar Award – Undergraduate
Daniela Alvarado, biological sciences
Arya Bhadrakumar Nair, mechanical engineering
Sophia Hemsi, marine sciences

Outstanding Scholar Award – Graduate
Daniel Martinez-Perez, environmental health sciences doctoral program
Dayanne Sampaio Antonio, teaching and learning doctoral program

Outstanding Leadership Awards – Undergraduate
First-Year
Paula Toledo, biological sciences

Sophomore
Christopher Marimon, biological sciences

Junior
Alexandra Barriga, biological sciences
Gabriela Carcache, crime science

Senior
Jeiselli Archer, biological sciences
Francesca Casanova, civil engineering
Andressa Lourenco, psychology and criminal justice
Isabel Trespalacios, biochemistry and biological sciences

Outstanding Leadership Awards – Graduate
Derrick Boakye Boadu, public affairs doctoral program
Francisca Kasubi, transportation engineering doctoral program