About
Annually, the deans for each of the eleven colleges at the University of Iowa are asked to select outstanding underrepresented students for this award who have exemplified, promoted, or contributed to diversity at the University of Iowa. Students receive a certificate designating them as a Dean’s Achievement Award recipient.
College of Education: Dellyssa Edinboro
Dellyssa Edinboro is a doctoral candidate in the Schools, Culture, and Society Program. She researches the history of Black women's educational experiences outside of the United States. Dellyssa has received the Obermann Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies' Fellowship and Humanities for the Public Good internship, the Adele Kimm Scholarship, and the American College Testing (ACT) Fellowship. As a community advocate, she works with the Center for Afrofuturist Studies, an Iowa City-based artist residency program that champions artists of color. After graduation, Dellyssa plans to continue to advance education and diversity and inclusion initiatives in academia and community organizations.
College of Law: Emani Marshall-Loving
Emani Marshall-Loving is a J.D. Candidate in the College of Law from Omaha, NE. She was a member of the Black Law Students Association, Graduate & Professional Student Government, and Iowa Student Bar Association, served as a Student Ambassador, and interned with the Department of Justice. She competed on Iowa Law’s Jessup International Moot Court Team and served as a Note & Comment Editor on the Journal of Corporation Law. After graduation, Emani will work as a law clerk at the Iowa Supreme Court and then move to Minneapolis, where she will be an associate at Fredrikson & Byron.
College of Engineering: Gabriela “Gaby” Moya
Gaby Moya is a chemical engineering BSE candidate from Davenport, Iowa. Gaby participated in the CIMBA Italy study abroad program, is president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and served as a mentor in the Society of Women Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Gaby worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant and is an undergraduate research assistant in the Forbes Research Group through the UI LSAMP program. Her volunteer work with Hawkeye Service Breaks has addressed food insecurity in Iowa City. After graduation, Gaby will be completing a co-op at Emerson within their Intelligent Automation Team.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: Maria Fernanda Carriel
Maria Fernanda Carriel, an international student from Ecuador, is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Philosophy on the pre-medicine track, with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. Her dream goal is to become a psychiatrist. She feels passionate about how the human mind functions, how our cognitive differences come about, and the diverse approaches scientists employ to determine the “why” behind distinct human behaviors. A curious individual since birth, her life revolves around learning
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: Jocelyn Roof
Jocelyn Roof (she/her) is a fourth-year student from Waterloo, IA, studying political science and sociology with a social science analytics certificate. Jocelyn has been an education policy intern at the UI Public Policy Center since 2018 and served as executive director and founder of Hawk the Vote, the UI's nonpartisan initiative to get students registered, educated, and turned out to vote. She currently serves as co-chair of the University Lecture Committee and is a student representative on Path Forward. In the past, she was a resident assistant, orientation leader, and governmental relations chair in the undergraduate student government.
Carver College of Medicine: Destinee Soubannarath Gwee
Destinee is a graduating medical student from the Carver College of Medicine with her Medical Doctorate degree. She attended both high school and college in Iowa City, Iowa. She has contributed greatly to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at UI Healthcare, including giving workshops against antiracism and doing research looking at identity-related harassment of trainees. She will be going into Emergency Medicine with a desire to serve underserved populations and making medicine more equitable for patients and providers alike.
College of Nursing: Orlando Hammond
A first-generation student from Aurora, Illinois, Orlando Hammond earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in December 2020 from the University of Iowa College of Nursing. At the UI, Orlando held several leadership roles: president of the Multicultural Nursing Association; and marketing director with Men In Nursing. He represented UI nursing students at the Iowa Board of Nursing, addressing issues impacting health sciences. Orlando participated in C.O.N.N.E.C.T.S. (College Of Nursing Networks & Engagement in Communities Through Service), visiting secondary schools promoting nursing, science courses, study skills, and diversity. Post-graduation, Orlando is applying to nurse residency programs in the Chicago area.
College of Pharmacy: Guadalupe Chavez
Guadalupe Chavez will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Lupe is a first-generation student from Davenport, Iowa, whose parents immigrated from Mexico over 25 years ago. Lupe served as a clinical pharmacy intern providing telehealth chronic care management in Spanish and English to patients in underserved and under-resourced clinics across the country. As a student, she presented six research posters and served in numerous leadership roles in local and state pharmacy organizations. Following graduation, Lupe will start her career as a pharmacist at The University of Utah Health Pharmacy Residency Program!
Graduate College: Diana Marcela Galvez Bohorquez
Diana Marcela Galvez Bohorquez is from Bogotá, Colombia, and will be graduating with her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She was awarded the Graduate Diversity Fellowship at the University of Iowa. She has served in leadership for the Latinx Graduate Student Association, mentoring and supporting other graduate and undergraduate students. She has dedicated her research career to promote educational opportunity, college access, and social justice for historically disadvantaged populations. She is affiliated with the Latina Researchers Network & Conference and advocates for a better representation of Latino and Black scholars in advanced research, academic, and leadership positions.
Graduate College: Ruben Reyes Jr.
Ruben Reyes Jr. is from Diamond Bar, California. He is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants and an MFA candidate in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He is a graduate of Harvard College, where he studied History and Literature and Latinx Studies. His writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Florida Review Online, Business Insider, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications. Ruben serves as co-chair for LGSA and teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Iowa. He is working on finishing a novel and a collection of short stories.