Awards
UMass Chan Medical School Mission-Aligned Community Impact Recognition Award
(Department/Group Award)
UMass Chan Medical School’s Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO) is proud to announce the Mission-Aligned Community Impact Recognition Award, honoring clinical, academic, and administrative departments and groups whose work exemplifies and advances our school’s mission and values. This recognition will be presented during our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event, celebrating those who drive meaningful change and inspire our community.
Our Mission
Our mission is to advance the health and wellness of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery, and public service.
About the Award
The Mission-Aligned Community Impact Recognition Award celebrates departments and groups whose exceptional initiatives and sustained efforts have made a significant contribution to our mission. Nominees should demonstrate impact that goes above and beyond formal responsibilities, showing a deep commitment to UMass Chan’s core values:
- Health Equity: We strive to eliminate health disparities and promote equitable access to high-quality care, research, and education for all communities we serve.
- Humility: We approach this work with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from others, recognizing that advancing healthcare equity is a continuous journey.
- Compassion: We engage with empathy and respect, seeking to understand and support the lived experiences of all members of our community.
- Belonging: We foster an environment where everyone feels valued, welcomed, and empowered to contribute fully to our mission.
- Accountability: We hold ourselves and each other responsible for making measurable progress toward our inclusive excellence goals and for aligning our actions with our values.
- Innovation: We embrace new ideas and approaches to address complex challenges and promote inclusive excellence in education, research, and clinical care.
- Service: We honor our commitment to the public by working in partnership with communities to advance health and educational equity.
- Collaboration: We recognize that advancing inclusive excellence requires shared responsibility, partnership, and dialogue across disciplines, roles, and communities.
Eligibility
Nominations are open to all UMass Chan academic, clinical, and administrative departments, as well as groups. Units who have gone above and beyond to advance our institutional mission and values.
Nomination Process
Any current member of the UMass Chan community (faculty, staff, or student) may submit a nomination by completing the nomination form.
Departments and groups can also self-nominate. Required materials include:
- Name of the department or group and primary contact
- A brief (no more than 500-words) nomination narrative addressing the following points to help the selection committee evaluate your department’s or group’s impact:
- Mission-Alignment: Describe how your group’s work advances the UMass Chan Medical School mission.
- Demonstration of UMass Chan Values: Explain how your department/group exemplifies one or more of the following values in your work. Provide specific examples or anecdotes that show how these values are reflected in your department/group’s actions and culture.
- Health Equity
- Humility
- Compassion
- Belonging
- Accountability
- Innovation
- Service
- Collaboration
- Efforts Beyond Formal Responsibilities: Highlight how your departments or group’s initiatives and impact go above and beyond your usual or expected scope of work.
- Measurable Outcomes and Impact: Describe the results or changes resulting from your department’s or group’s initiatives. Include any relevant data, testimonials, stories, or other evidence demonstrating positive change (for example, improvements in access, experience, satisfaction, or institutional practices).
- Sustainability and Lasting Change: Explain how your efforts have led to ongoing, sustainable improvements, or how they have contributed to lasting cultural or systemic change at UMass Chan or in the broader community.
Selection and Award
A department or group will be recognized at the Annual Rev. Dr. Marting Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 26, 2026. Nominations will be reviewed by the service subcommittee members of the Committee on Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
Deadline: Nominations must be received by Thursday, January 8, 2026.
UMass Chan Medical School Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Service Recognition Awards
UMass Chan Medical School proudly announces the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Service Recognition Awards, honoring students whose service reflects the spirit and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These awards celebrate UMass Chan students who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to community engagement and advancing health equity during their time at UMass Chan. Students from the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences are eligible for nomination.
Please Note: These awards are different from the MLK Jr. Student Semester of Service Awards offered in previous years. These awards focus on celebrating and recognizing students for service work they have already completed or are currently engaged in during their time at UMass Chan. There is no requirement to propose a future project, and these awards do not include a financial component.
Nomination Process
Nomination for the 2026 awards are due by midnight on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Award recipients will be announced during the 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martion Luther King, Jr. Celebration of Service and recognized by the Chancellor and Dean on January 26, 2026. Members of the CEOD Service Subcommittee will review nominations and select recipients.
Selection Criteria
Priority will be given to students or student groups whose service:
- Strengthens relationships with the Worcester community
- Demonstrates leadership in addressing community-identified needs
- Engages other UMass Chan community members in meaningful service and collaboration
- Reflects thoughtful engagement and commitment to health equity
- Advances our mission by engaging in efforts to eliminate health disparities by addressing social determinants of health
How to Nominate
Please complete nomination form to submit your nomination:
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Nominator Information: Name, email, and relationship to the nominee(s)
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Nominee Information: Student name(s), school, class year, and contact information
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Nomination Statement (no more than two pages) describing:
- The nominee’s service activities and community partnerships.
- The impact of their work on the community and/or UMass Chan, including how they centered community voices in identifying needs, and how they engaged the UMass Chan community in meaningful service and collaboration.
- How their efforts embody the values and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- How they advance UMass Chan’s mission by engaging in community efforts to eliminate health disparities through work addressing social determinants of health.
Self-nominations are welcome.
Recognition
Awardees will be honored during the 38th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on January 26, 2026.