Nomination Deadline: June 30, 2026
The Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Awards celebrate the achievements of faculty, academic professionals and civic service employees who made significant contributions in creating and sustaining an inclusive living, learning and working community at Illinois.
Named in honor of the past Assistant Chancellor and Director of what the Office for Equity, Opportunity, and Access, the Larine Y. Cowan Awards were created to reflect the commitment to human rights advocacy, social justice, and diversity that defined her leadership for nearly 20 years at Illinois.
The Cowan Awards are presented each year during the Annual Celebration of Diversity hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Access, Civil Rights & Community.
How to Nominate
Nominations may be submitted by any member of the University community (co-worker, supervisor, adviser, dean or department head, student) in one of four categories: Advocacy for LGBTQ Affairs; Excellence in Accessibility and Accommodations; Academic Inclusive Excellence in Teaching & Mentoring; Leadership in Building Inclusive Communities Award.
Please submit a nomination letter of one to three pages describing how the nominee most closely fits the criteria, including references to goals, description of the activity or activities, outcome(s), and the impact locally, nationally, or internationally. Include two (2) letters of support written by colleagues who have worked with and or benefited from the efforts of the nominee.
For specific information, please see the nomination form for each category.
Nomination Forms
Advocacy for LGBTQ Affairs Award
Honors students, staff, or faculty who have demonstrated their commitment to supporting and promoting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) affairs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Excellence in Accessibility & Accommodations Award
Honors individuals or campus units for their efforts to expand and improve the utilization of programs and structures by persons with disabilities.
Excellence in Accessibility & Accommodations Nomination Form
Academic Inclusive Excellence in Teaching & Mentoring Award
Honors faculty, instructors, or lecturers who have consistently contributed to the promotion of understanding of critical issues related to diversity and equity in teaching and/or the mentoring of diverse students. The nominee must have taught at the Urbana-Champaign campus for at least four years.
Academic Inclusive Excellence in Teaching & Mentoring Award Nomination Form
Leadership in Building Inclusive Communities Award
Consistent with its history in human rights, advocacy, social justice, and inclusion, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Access, Civil Rights & Community seeks to identify, recognize, and honor nominees who demonstrate dedication to the success of promoting inclusion via research, hiring practices, course programs, and events.
Leadership in Building Inclusive Communities Award Nomination Form
Past Recipients
Advocacy for LGBTQ Affairs
2025 – Carle School of Medicine, Pride
2024 – Elise Lanker
2023 – Toby Beauchamp and Mimi Thi Nguyen
2022 – Ky Merkley
2021 – Leslie K. Morrow
2020 – Robin Fretwell Wilson
2019 – Amy L. Powell
2018 – Keiko Price
2017 – Johnell Bentz
2016 – Andrea Cailles
2015 – Manuel Colón
2014 – Alejandro Gómez
2013 – Louis Bergonzi
2012 – Michael Parrish
Excellence in Access and Accommodations
2025 – Mika Vafaie-Janbahan
2024 – Chanda Hott
2023 – Liam Moran
2022 – M. Nicholas Hoyt
2021 – JJ Pionke
2020 – Meghan Burke and Ann Fredricksen
2019 – M.T. Hudson
2018 – Christy Blew
2017 – Stacy Dymond
2016 – Elevator Control Team
2015 – Joseph D. Minarik
2014 – Reggie Alston
2013 – University Housing
2012 – Timothy Offenstein
Leadership in Diversity
2025 – Mehrdad Mohammadi
2024 – Brian Fulton
2023 – The Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, College of Education
2022 – Kevin Jackson
2021 – Shardé McNeil Smith
2020 – Kimberly J. Shinew
2019 – Ruby Mendenhall
2018 – Harley Johnson
2017 – Tony Franklin and Brenda Wilson
2016 – Lynford Goddard and Toni Pitts
2015 – Jonathan Inda, Ronald Bailey, and Assata Zerai
2014 – Melvin Boatner
2013 – D. Lynette O’Neal
2012 – Avé Alvarado
Teaching and Mentoring in Diversity
2025 – Carrie Wilson-Brown
2024 – Dr. Irfan Ahmad
2023 – Trina J. Wright-Dixon
2022 – Deanna Hence
2021 – Avital Livny
2020 – Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher
2019 – Monika Stodolska
2018 – Isabel Molina-Guzman
2017 – Mikhail Lyubansky
2016 – Nicole Cooke
2015 – Janet Carter-Black and Stephen Zimmerman
2014 – Stacy Harwood, Jan Eckert and Andrew Alleyne
2013 – Adrian Burgos, Jr.
2012 – Menah Pratt-Clarke
General Award
2011 (no specific categories)
Kimberly Alexander-Brown
Chris Benson
Elyne Cole
Jesse Thompson, Jr.
2010
James Anderson
Wendy Heller
Sheri Shaw
2009
East Saint Louis Action Research Project
Susan Linnemeyer
Alejandro Lugo
Anna Tsai
2008
College of Education
Facilities and Services
2007
Helen Neville
Feniosky A. Pena-Mora