2007 Recipients

Outstanding Program/Event

Colleges Against Cancer: Their "Relay for Life" event touched the lives of thousands and raised over $120,000. The event also brought together approximately 1,400 University of Minnesota students, staff, and faculty in an effort to raise vital funds for cancer research.

Small World Coffee Hour: "The Small World Coffee Hour Event Series" reached more than 220 participants from 30 different countries. These events presented and promoted cultural diversity at the University through themed evenings such as Asian New Year Celebrations and Middle Eastern Festivals.

Compassionate Action for Animals: "Veg Week" was a week-long event dedicated to building community, introducing students to different food options, and growing support for animal issues on campus. Over 600 students participated throughout the week by attending speakers, films, potlucks, and a cooking class.

Outstanding Co-sponsored Program or Event

Minority Association of Pre-Health Students and Colleges Against Cancer: The groups organized the "Saving Second Base" event that raised awareness and united student organizations in the fight against cancer through awareness, advocacy, and education. The event included discussion, lawn bowling, trivia games, and booths by several student organizations to address the plethora of issues involved in the fight against breast cancer.

Student Network for Abuse Prevention and the U of M Student Legal Service Board: The groups worked with countless University departments and staff to create an opportunity for students to connect and build a sense of school spirit through "GopherGating", an alcohol-free alternative to tailgating before two home football games. "GopherGarting" included food, games, music, and student group tabling.

Outstanding Service/Philanthropic Project

Sigma Chi Fraternity: "Derby Days" raised $7,000 which they donated to three charitable organizations and whose week-long event was attended by nearly 800 students and 100 alumni. Throughout the week, Sigma Chi hosted a series of events such as an American Idol contest, a concert, a date auction, a barbeque, and volunteer opportunities. While giving students and community members a chance to enjoy themselves through these entertaining events, this group also gave three charitable organizations funding necessary to help them continue their missions.

Engineers Without Borders: This organization sent six students and a professional mentor to Ghana to create and build a solar-powered sanitary water distribution system for an elementary school. The system is now an inexpensive, safe, self-sufficient, and reliable source of sanitary drinking water for the students and staff at the school, as well as the surrounding community.

Innovation Award

Minnesota International Student Association: MISA partnered with an outside organization to complete a 90 page guidebook that showed students how to get around in the Twin Cities and included everything from entertainment, to shopping, to getting around campus. They showed innovation through examining an alternative solution to a common problem. By providing the free guidebooks, new international students have an additional resource to help them get connected and feel welcome in our campus community.

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Group Advisor

Dave Dorman: He served as the advisor for SHADE and SNAP for more than 16 years. His dedication to the groups was evident through his assistance with key partnerships, event planning, coordinator meetings, and officer training. He also created a weekly news digest for group members. This outstanding advisor helped to foster an environment where students had fun, worked hard, and grew as a result of their time in the organizations.

Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student Group Advisor

Mary Tate: She goes above and beyond her daily duties to ensure that the Student National Medical Association and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students are successful. She attends nearly every meeting and event for both groups, gives advice, assists in program implementation, and nurtures group members through her kind and unrelenting support of them on both a student and personal level. She has worked with both groups since their inception and provides student members with a holistic experience, developing them both as future medical professionals and as people.

Rookie Registered Student Organization of the Year

Veteran's Transition Center: The group was created to serve a growing population and their needs on campus. The organization and its center provide a non-threatening, non-partisan, relaxed environment to serve our student veterans and their unique needs upon re-entry into the college environment. In their first two years, they recruited more than 100 members, created a mentorship program and speakers series, and hosted a Student Veteran's Appreciation Day in which more than 1500 students and community members participated.

Rookie Campus Life Program of the Year

Biology Without Borders: The group already has 30 members, raised nearly $3,000 to supplement student volunteer trips, and saw its first community service trip to Tanzania come to reality in August 2007. The group also works in the local community at organizations like Campus Kitchens, Mano a Mano, and Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly.

Outstanding Undergraduate Registered Student Organization of the Year

Disabled Student Cultural Center: The group's primary mission is to create a safe place to meet, to develop a community, and to remove the social isolation often felt by students with disabilities. The group is open to students of all backgrounds and abilities and focuses on outreach and education, as well as providing important services for their student population.

Outstanding Undergraduate Campus Life Program of the Year

Sexual Health Awareness and Disease Education: The group offers programming, presentations at residence halls and Greek chapter houses, and partners with student groups throughout campus to promote their mission of promoting a campus environment that supports skills and behaviors that foster healthy sexuality. Members actively participate in a multitude of campus activities, such as tabling at fairs, hosting a week of awareness events, and working with community businesses to raise a greater understanding. As a result of all their efforts, the University of Minnesota was named the Most Sexually Healthy School last year.

Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student Organizations of the Year

Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars: The organization promotes cultural diversity, greater contact and friendships among its membership, and serves to help their community members with their living arrangements. They are made up of over 1,500 members throughout the campus community and helped to find housing for 113 new students in the summer of 2007.

American Medical Student Association: The group educates the campus community through speakers, panels, community service projects, social activities, conferences and leadership retreats. This year the group revamped its website, instituted monthly health policy activities, worked on a large lobbying effort, built relationships with community groups, and co-hosted the Regional conference.