Each year, Miami University honors senior students whose service to Miami and our surrounding community embodies Love + Honor with the President’s Distinguished Service Award. Their service through campus life, community service, intellectual and cultural leadership or student employment demonstrates the spirit of being a citizen leader of uncommon quality.

The 2021 President’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding students who graduated in December 2020 or January 2021, or are set to graduate in May or August 2021.

This year’s recipients and their majors are:

• Alexandra “Lexie” Adams, chemical engineering
• LeeAnn Burczynski, strategic communication, interactive media studies co-major
• Grace Chaney, kinesiology, pre-medical studies co-major
• Allison “Al” Combs, health communication
• Mary Culp, special education
• Sophia Dent, chemical engineering
• Julian Johnson, psychology
• Priyana Kalita, sport leadership & management (coaching) and women’s, gender & sexuality studies
• Jannie Kamara, Black world studies and individualized studies: diversity in leadership
• Charles Lynch, Jr., kinesiology, pre-medical studies co-major
• Molly McNamara, marketing and English professional writing
• Michaela Mitchell, electrical engineering
• Sarah Moss, political science
• Keresa Murray, education studies
• Nicole Newsome, media & culture and women’s, gender & sexuality studies
• Danielle Pate, applied social research and psychological science
• Brandon Small, English literature and political science
• Allison South, political science, energy and sustainability co-majors
• Jessica von Zastrow, economics and political science

Recipients were selected from a pool of over 50 nominees. At a socially-distanced ceremony on April 11, they received a medallion from President Crawford, to be worn with their commencement regalia. The ceremony was livestreamed and the recording is available on the Student Life Facebook page.

Nominations for the annual award are submitted by faculty and staff across all Miami campuses as part of the Student Service Leadership Award program. The President’s Distinguished Service Award program began in 1985.

Information about the accomplishments and contributions of each recipient will be released on social media over the next several weeks. Add your congratulations to recipients using #MiamiOHPDSA.