Leaders honored at annual awards event

October 14, 2025 (Volume 49, Number 4)

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Students, faculty and staff were honored October 8 at the annual Celebrating Women Awards, a collaborative event sponsored by multiple campus departments and affinity groups.

Keynote speaker Erica Hamilton, vice provost for Distributed Learning and dean of the Graduate School, wove a story about five women in her life who were impactful and gave audience members an exercise to recall someone in their own lives. President Philomena V. Mantella provided welcome remarks.

The Women's Commission presented four awards.

• DL McKinney, director of the Milton Ford LGBT Resource Center, received the Maxine Swanson Award, presented to an individual who has provided leadership in support of the rights of women at Grand Valley.
• Hannah Scholten, program advisor for TRIO Teacher Prep Student Support Services, received the Jennifer Palm Community Impact Award. The award was renamed in memory of Jenn Palm, former Women's Commission member who worked for GVSU for 18 years and died in 2024. Palm's family has endowed a scholarship in her name.
• Keigh Cee Bell, director of tutoring, CLAS Tutoring, received the Unsung Hero Award, presented to an individual who goes above and beyond to improve the lives of campus members.
• Bailey Pudlowski, community director for Housing and Residence Life, received the Emerging Professional Award.

Positive Black Women presented scholarships to Amani Hurt and Maisha Marriott.

The Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies presented the Jean Enright Scholarship to Kennedy Bentancourt.

The Center for Women and Gender Equity honored two student employees: Mounika Pentukar and Lilah Wolfer.

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