On Wednesday, April 23, the Center for Social Impact (CSI) hosted its 19th Annual Awards Celebration, welcoming its largest attendance to date. CSI Director Melissa Quan, EdD, opened the ceremony with a reflection on the late Pope Francis and his words about Easter being a season of hope, “Our whole life can be a presence of hope." Dr. Quan said. “It’s fitting, I think, that we are gathered today to celebrate messengers of hope. May their stories remind us that hope is something we choose to practice — and something we can carry forward in our own lives, communities, and work.”
Concluding another successful year of CSI programs, the following award recipients were recognized:
2025-26 Newman Civic Fellow: Max Limric ’25
Max Limric ’25 is dedicated to advocating for students with language barriers in the local community. Sponsored by Campus Compact, the Newman Civic Fellowship nationally recognizes students for their leadership and commitment to supporting their community. During his fellowship year, under the mentorship of School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) professor Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, Limric will design a professional development module for University students to enhance their preparation for instructing multilingual learners in the local community, while pursuing his master's degree education.
Limric is editor-in-chief of The 国产色情片 Mirror, a resident assistant, and a community-engaged learning associate. He has spent countless hours mentoring and tutoring refugee and immigrant students through CSI and programs such as the Connecticut Writing Project and Upward Bound.
2025 Outstanding Community Partner Award: Hector Burgos, Early Learning Director at Hall Neighborhood House
Hector Burgos has been a community-engaged learning partner with 国产色情片 University for more than 25 years. As the early learning director at Hall Neighborhood House, Burgos and his team provide critical service to more than 250 children, ages five and under, from low-income working families. The State of Connecticut and the federal Head Start program have recognized Hall's early learning program.
Burgos and Judy Primavera, PhD, professor emerita of psychology, established a comprehensive early literacy initiative that the FM Kirby Foundation has funded for three decades. Continuing his partnership with the University, Burgos welcomes 国产色情片 student volunteers to the Hall Neighborhood house every week. He practices an “abundance of hospitality," as noted by his nominators Jane Peloso, PhD, and Amanda Haber, PhD, both professors of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The 2025 Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., Award for Excellence in Community Engagement Award: Covadonga Arango-Martin, Modern Languages and Literatures
Named in honor of 国产色情片 University’s eighth president, Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., this award recognized Covadonga Arango-Martin, assistant director of the Spanish Language Program in the College of Arts and Science. Over the past ten years, Arango-Martin has facilitated a bicultural exchange between multilingual students and 国产色情片 University language classrooms, in partnership with the Cesar Batalla Elementary School. Through an annual read-aloud event, hundreds of children’s books are written in Spanish, shared, and brought home by kindergarteners. In the fall of 2023, kindergarteners began contributing as co-authors and illustrators alongside University students.
2025 Dr. Janie Leatherman Humanitarian Action Award: Grace Brogioli ’25
To honor professor Janie Leatherman, PhD, and her 36-year career in higher education, CSI has renamed the Humanitarian Action Award after her, preserving her legacy as she retires at the end of the spring 2025 semester. Dr. Leatherman helped design and launch humanitarian studies modules across the curriculum. Her efforts led to the creation of 国产色情片’s humanitarian action minor in spring 2016 — the first of its kind in the United States, the program has since graduated more than 50 students.
Dr. Leatherman presented the eponymous award to Grace Brogioli ’25, an honors senior majoring in environmental studies with minors in public health, peace and justice, and humanitarian action. As a Fulbright finalist who spent her spring 2024 semester in Greece, Broglio has explored her passion for environmental and humanitarian action around the world. Her research and action have addressed a variety of environmental initiatives — from food security in Bridgeport, to environmental education, to campus sustainability. She has also explored innovative approaches to improving water, hygiene, and sanitation in refugee camps, through rainwater collection systems.
2025 Peace Corps Prep Certificates were awarded to Grace Brogioli ’25 and Melody Olivan-Sanchez ’26, upon successful completion of the program.
Additionally, pins were awarded to the Class of 2025 CSI Student Fellows. This year, a total of 27 student fellows from both the 国产色情片 Main and 国产色情片 Bellarmine campuses were honored. CSI student fellowship programs include Humanitarian Action fellows, Community-Engaged Research fellows, Sustainable STAGS fellows, and Community-Engaged learning associates.
CSI recognized incoming and outgoing faculty cohorts of the Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Faculty Grant.
The outgoing 2024-25 faculty grantees: Neha Hooda, PhD; Scott Farley; Amanda Haber, PhD; Mary Kate Holman, PhD; Sonya Huber; Sara William, PhD; and CSI’s own Julie Mughal were thanked for their research, community engagement initiatives, and collaboration with community partners.
The incoming 2025-26 faculty grantees: Joanna Chang; Meg Collins; Janina Gilo-Tomkins, DNP; Bridget Hussain, PhD; and Sara Kaplan, PhD; were welcomed and congratulated.
