Graduate Student Association

Graduate Student Make a Difference Award

The Graduate Student Association Make a Difference Award 2019 is here!

The Association's Make a Difference Award is a peer to peer award that recognizes outstanding graduate students who make a difference in the lives of others at Western Michigan University. This year, you can nominate graduate students who have excelled in at least one of the following categories:

1) Academic Support: this category is meant to recognize graduate students who have demonstrated academic support for their fellow students (both graduate and undergraduate) through activities such as instruction, tutoring, study groups, and others.

2) Human Affairs: this category is meant to recognize graduate students who have demonstrated support for their fellow students (both graduate and undergraduate) in personal, non-academic areas through actions that display persistent care for their well-being. This category includes a broad range of actions, but some examples in this category include providing food, emotional support, guidance, transportation, and others.

3) Social Justice and Advocacy: this category is meant to recognize graduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to justice, fairness, diversity, or inclusion. This could include actions such as defending students’ rights in and out of the classroom, political advocacy, progress toward a more inclusive community by educating others on issues of diversity, and others.

4) Community Service: this category is meant to recognize graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding service to the WMU and/or Kalamazoo community. This could include actions such as community service hours, partnering with a local organization, fundraising for charities, and organizing events that benefit the community.

Eligibility requirements:

The following are requirements for students to be nominated.

1. Currently enrolled in a graduate program at Western Michigan University.

2. Have completed at least one semester of their study here at Western.

3. Have satisfactory progress toward degree completion.

Submit nominations here

Submission deadline:

Nominations were due on Monday, March 11, 2019, at 5 p.m. Each awardee will be invited to attend the Association's evening of excellence and award ceremony as honorary guests and will be allowed to bring up to three guests. The event will take place on Friday, April 5, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. in the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center, 2747 S 11th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009.

Our keynote speaker is our new WMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Jennifer Bott

Dr. Jennifer Bott joined Western Michigan University in 2018 as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Bott earned a bachelor's degree from DePauw University and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Akron. She also has earned certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. Her research interests include methodology and statistics, the intersection of new media and human resources, and organizational and generational diversity. Bott comes to the post from Ball State University, where she was Bryan Dean of the Miller College of Business and professor of management. Prior to becoming business dean in 2016, she spent five years as the assistant and then associate provost for learning initiatives. Her responsibilities included student success efforts as well as administrative, student, faculty and research services for Ball State's online and blended education enterprise. An American Council on Education Fellow in 2013-14, she has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also led several immersive learning projects, one of which involved partnering with former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning to develop a curriculum aimed at reducing childhood obesity taught in 400 schools across Indiana. She has also published widely on such topics as instructional advances, research methods, and applied business topics.

This year, the ceremony's theme is "A Night at the Movies." Be prepared for a fun night full of color, entertaining performances, music, and dance.