Graduate students recognized for their commitment to strengthening the MIT experience
Zoë Wright
From peer mentorship to activism and service, graduate students play a critical role in shaping the culture of MIT. The Graduate Students of Excellence (GSE) program honors individuals who improve the graduate student experience with support and advocacy for one another. These students exemplify values of collaboration, care, and shared responsibility in graduate life at the Institute.
The GSE program relies on nominations from across MIT, with a particular emphasis on peer-to-peer recognition. In addition to serving the MIT community to improve the graduate student experience, selection criteria included providing thoughtful and constructive feedback when asked for advice, and being a catalyst for change when challenges arise. Formerly more limited in scope, the process was recently expanded to encompass all students. Each biennial nomination cycle, students, faculty, and staff are invited to celebrate the often-invisible labor that sustains graduate life.
The 2026 cohort of GSE recipients join the ranks of over 200 students before them, and includes:
- Ayat Abodayeh, Media Arts and Sciences
- Laurentiu Anton, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Hannah Aronson, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
- Russel Bradley, Mechanical Engineering
- Miguel Calvo Carrera, Physics
- Ceili Peng, Biology
- Catherine Della Santina, Biological Engineering
- Daniella DiPaola, Media Arts and Sciences
- Megan Finnigan, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
- Layla Ghalayini, Chemical Engineering
- Amanda Hornick, Health Sciences and Technology
- Clement Jambon, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Velina Kozareva, Computational and Systems Biology
- Kimaya Lecamwasam, Media Arts and Sciences
- Abigail Lee, Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Carissma McGee, Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Omar Rutledge, Brain and Cognitive Sciences
- Audrey Sarin, Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
- Tara Thakurta, Biology
- Julia Van Goor, Biology
- Alexander Yelland, Physics
Listening, leadership, and lasting change
Nominators describe this year’s Graduate Students of Excellence honorees as trusted peers whose leadership is grounded in thoughtful listening and sustained action. These individuals took the time to carefully hear the concerns of their peers, with one nominator noting that their honoree “guided [fellow students] toward understanding, rather than simply giving away answers.” Through research troubleshooting, exam preparation, informal advising and more, honorees fostered confidence, critical thinking, and a stronger sense of belonging.
In addition to their strong commitment to mentorship, this year’s cohort placed a particular emphasis on advocacy, both for their fellow students and the Institute as a whole. Honorees not only identified challenges, but worked collaboratively to improve them–bridging gaps between graduate students, faculty, and administrators.
“Rather than dwelling on problems,” noted one nominator, the honoree “mobilize[d] others toward collaborative solutions,” working to address areas for improvement head-on.
As a nominator noted of another Graduate Student of Excellence, “when voicing a concern or giving feedback… [they are] always ready with solutions.” For this honoree and others, actions were marked by calm facilitation, thoughtful dialogue, and a focus on resolutions that balanced student needs with institutional realities.
In this way, nomination letters revealed a consistent pattern: whether navigating interpersonal challenges or confronting systemic barriers, students persistently transformed obstacles into opportunities for meaningful change.
Empathy in action
For all twenty-one selected students, empathy served as a driving force. Honorees were consistently described as approachable, generous with their time, and deeply invested in the well-being of others. From encouraging peers to pursue interests beyond the lab, to engaging in difficult conversations about balancing priorities within graduate life, these students never ceased to model care as a form of leadership.
Nominators describe honorees who “provided oceans of support,” reflecting a broader pattern of graduate students who ensured that others felt “seen, heard, and valued.” Together, these themes underscore a cohort defined not only by excellence, but by a shared commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and action.
The Graduate Students of Excellence cohort will be formally recognized at a ‘Leading with Care’ reception this spring, which will celebrate both the 2026 Graduate Students of Excellence and MIT faculty honored through the Committed to Caring program.
Selection for the program is competitive. Nominees are reviewed by a committee drawn from across the Institute, including Jessica Bonitatibus (OGE), Margaret Brown (G), Amanda Cornwall (CAPD), Layla Ghalayini (G), Lizzie Gower (G), Leila Hudson (G), Adrienne Kashay (G), Heather Konar (OGE), Elsie Otero (CAPD), Alejandra Ramos (G), Nouran Soliman (G), Samantha Stettner (OGE), Tara Thakurta (G), and Zoë Wright (OGE).
Committee members were struck by the impacts reflected in this year’s nominations–in both the scale of initiatives students undertook, and in the smaller ways they shaped the graduate experience. It is this combination of thoughtful guidance and advocacy that “turn[s] empathy into systemic impact,” as one nominator so aptly described.
The influence of this year’s GSE cohort is far reaching: these students work to strengthen peer support within their labs, mentor fellow students across academic stages, and provide thoughtful feedback within their respective roles. Together, they demonstrate graduate leadership that is collaborative, innovative, and deeply rooted in care for the MIT community.
