The MLK Jr. Leadership Awards are given annually to students, alumni, staff, groups and faculty who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s work. “Service to the community” is defined in the broadest sense and includes academic, research, religious, and secular contributions in which integrity, leadership, creativity, and positive outcome are apparent. President Reif has asked the MIT community to nominate those leaders who lift us up.
Please submit your nomination by the deadline of 11:59pm on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. You will need valid MIT certificates to access this form.
Please review our guidelines for writing an effective nomination.
Problems or comments? Contact Acia Adams-Heath.
MLK Leadership recipients
2022
Faculty – Nilma N. Dominique, Global Studies and Languages
Staff – Austin A. Ashe, Sloan School of Management and Chiamaka Agbasi-Porter, Lincoln Laboratory
UG Student – Lina Ahmed, Chemical Engineering
Grad Student – Bianca Lepe, Biological Engineering
2021
Faculty – Helen Elaine Lee, Director of Women's and Gender Studies, Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Staff – Natalie Petit, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Education, MIT Sloan
UG Student – Dayme Delgado, Mechanical Engineering
Grad Student – Marisa Gaetz, Mathematics
Group – MIT PRIMES
2020
Faculty – Sandy Alexandre, Associate Professor in Literature
Staff – Gloria Anglon, Assistant Dean Grad Education HQ, and Dayna Cunningham, Executive Director CoLab, Urban Studies and Planning
UG Student – Meghan Davis, Biological Engineering
Grad Student – Stephen Barr, Sloan Management
Group – Delta Phi Epsilon
2019
Helena Ma ’19, Chemistry and Biology
Andrew Mairena ‘G, Sloan School of Management
Ramona Allen, Assistant Dean for Human Resources, MIT School of Architecture and Planning
Shauna Bush-Fenty, Administrative Assistant II, MIT Office of the Provost
MIT CASE (Class Awareness Support and Equality)
2018
Tsehai Grell
Daniel Jackson
Josue Lopez
Lee Perlman
Joshua Woodard
Assoc. of Puerto Rican Students (APR) : Caribbean Initiative
2017
Kristala L. Jones Prather
Michael Beautyman
Catherine Gamon
Maryanne Kirkbride
Tremaan A. Robbins
Reginald (Reggie) Van Lee ’79, SM ’80
Muslim Student Association
2016
Ethan Zuckerman
Barbara A. Johnson
Rasheed Auguste ’17
George Chao ‘G
La-Tarri M. Canty
Fossil Free MIT
MIT Black Graduate Student Union
2015
Michel DeGraff
Adriane Brown SM ’91
Abigail Francis
Kelvin Frazier
Alyssa Napier
Judith Stein
2014
Sally Haslanger
Atif Javed
Michael Owu
The Hispanic/Latino Network at Lincoln Laboratories
Wesley Harris (lifetime achievement award)
2013
Colin “Topper” Carew
Bomy Lee Chung
Priscilla Gray
Jocelyn O. Joseph, M.D.
Uddhav Sharma
WMBR
2012
Edmund Bertschinger
Arnold Henderson
Julia Jaskolska
Alyce Johnson
Cato Laurencin The MIT-Wellesley Upward Bound Program
2011
Cheryl Charles
Weslee Glenn
Deborah Hodges-Pabon The MITES Program
2010
Melvin King
Michael Johnson
Benjamin Mensah
Aisha Naima Walcott
2009
2008
2007
Isaac M. Colbert
S. Michelle Harton ‘G
Austin V. Harton
La Tonya Green ‘G
Nathaniel Gerald
2006
Acia Adams-Heath
Oluwamuyiwa Olubuyide ‘G
Charles M. Vest, President of MIT, 1990-2004
2005
James S. Banks ’76
Russell E. (Erich) Caulfield ‘G
James L. Sherley
2004
LaRuth McAfee ‘G
Salvatore Molica ’75
Blanche Staton
J. Phillip Thompson
2003
Jonathan A. King
Hector Hernandez ‘G
Chiquita White ’85
2002
Paul E. Gray ’54, SM ’55, ScD ’60
President of MIT, 1980-90
Cheryl Vossmer
Randal D. Pinkett SM ’98, MBA ’98, PhD’02
CEO, Building Community with Technology
Tamara S. Williams SM ’00, PhD ’06
2001
Harvey Gantt ’70
Wesley Harris
Desiree Ramirez ’02
2000
1999
Alexander H. Slocum
Adriana L. Holguin
1998
Lynda M. Jordan PhD ’85
MIT MLK Visiting Professor
Associate Professor of Chemistry, North Carolina A&T State University
Eto Otitigbe ’99
Senior Co-chair, Chocolate City
MIT List Foundation Fellow
Tobie F. Weiner
Undergraduate Administrator
Department of Political Science
Instuctor, IAP Design Seminar
1997
Sylvester James Gates, Jr. ’73, PhD ’77
Professor of Physics, University of Maryland
Myra Rodrigues
Retired Social Worker, MIT Medical Department
MIT Committee on Campus Race Relations
1996
Matthew J. Turner ’96
Architecture and Mechanical Engineering
Leon Trilling
Professor Emeritus, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Shirley A. Jackson ’68, PhD ’73
Physicist
