The University of Pennsylvania’s James Brister Society, a diverse group of Penn alumni who support and promote the University’s efforts to attract, encourage and maintain a culturally diverse community of faculty, students, administrators, staff and volunteers, recently hosted its annual Student and Faculty Leadership Awards ceremony.

The following awardees were honored:

Antonia M. Villarruel, professor and Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing; Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics: Dr. Gloria Twine Chisum Award for Distinguished Faculty.

Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, vice provost for university life: Staff Leadership Award

Meghana Nallajerla, C’18: Student Leadership Award

Maya Thompson, D’18 GR’18: Graduate Student Leadership Award

Ramón Garcia Gomez, C’18: Association of Latino Alumni’s Student Leadership Award

Keturah N. Peters, NU’18: Association of Native Alumni’s Student Leadership Award

Samiza Palmer, C’18: Black Alumni Society’s Student Leadership Award

David Thai, C’18: Asian Alumni Network’s Student Leadership Award

Sean Collins, C’18: Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alumni Association’s Student Leadership Award