Five Graduate Students Honored with K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award

Washington, DC—The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced today the 2025 recipients of the annual K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. The award recognizes graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education and are committed to academic innovation in equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning. The award honors the legacy of distinguished university administrator, researcher, and teacher K. Patricia Cross.

The 2025 recipients are:

• Summer Blanco, Plant Biology (University of Georgia)
• Red D. Douglas, Educational Leadership (Oakland University)
• Victoria Fields, Communication (University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign)
• Ava Polzin, Astronomy & Astrophysics (The University of Chicago)
• Nishi Ravi, Counseling Psychology (Marquette University)

The recipients were chosen in a rigorous process from a pool of nominees who have demonstrated the potential for leadership and innovation in the areas of equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning. The K. Patricia Cross Award is open to all doctoral-level graduate students planning a career in higher education, regardless of academic department, and have been nominated by a faculty member or administrator. Graduate students in fields where the master’s degree is the terminal degree are also eligible.

“This year’s recipients truly embody the commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, leadership, and civic engagement that Pat Cross championed throughout her distinguished career,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We are thrilled to honor their achievements, and we look forward to the many ways in which they will shape the future of higher education.”

The 2025 K. Patricia Cross Award recipients will be recognized and honored during the opening plenary session of the AAC&U Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The recipients will participate in sessions throughout the meeting.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.