WACO, Texas — Baylor University will honor eight students with four prestigious awards recognizing exceptional scholarship, citizenship, and leadership at this year’s Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) Banquet. For the first time, each of the four awards is being presented to two students — double the honorees of previous years — reflecting the extraordinary depth of engagement found within the graduating class of 2026. The eight recipients — Lucas Walther, Aliyah Ogden, Alizay Mohamed, Julianna Canas, Sahil Billakanti, Eliza Denley, and Mason Gregory — embody the values and legacy of the award namesakes through their work on campus, in Waco, and around the world.

Robin Wall Kimmerer Award for Scholarship

The Robin Wall Kimmerer Award for Scholarship honors undergraduate research that reflects the spirit of Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer — botanist, author, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Kimmerer’s celebrated work, Braiding Sweetgrass, weaves together Indigenous wisdom and Western science to illuminate humanity’s relationship with the natural world. This award recognizes students whose scholarly pursuits reflect the same integration of rigorous inquiry, humility, and care for the world.

This year’s recipients are Lucas Walther and Aliyah Ogden.

Lucas Walther

Provost’s Scholar Lucas (Luke) Walther is a biology major, minoring in biochemistry with a focus on global health. Throughout his time at Baylor, he has pursued research across multiple settings, including the SEA-PHAGES program, the National Wastewater Surveillance Program, and Dr. Shannon Ronca’s laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine. These experiences have equipped him with wet lab and bioinformatics skills applied to research on bacteriophages, SARS-CoV-2, and Chikungunya Virus. Beyond research, Walther has served as a Pre-Health Ambassador, recruiting and educating prospective students about healthcare career pathways at Baylor. He has also provided leadership to the freshman PHP-2105 course for pre-health students, joining the Pre-Health TA Council, and running the Baylor Global Health Fellows program. A Fulbright semi-finalists, he still awaits final results about his application to the UK to study One Health before attending medical school.

Aliyah Ogden

Aliyah Ogden is a Science Research Fellow with concentrations in neuroscience and biology and a minor in religion. A member of the Honors Program, Ogden has received an Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement (URSA) Grant to support her honors thesis research. As an undergraduate research assistant in the Neuroscience of Addiction Lab, she studies the neuroplastic mechanisms underlying opioid and nicotine abuse. During summer 2024, she participated in the Baylor Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Experience (BTRUE), conducting independent research on the neurobiology of repeated nicotine exposure. She also pursued research while studying abroad at University College Dublin. In spring 2025, Ogden received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious national awards for undergraduate STEM researchers. In addition to being a Provost’s Scholar, she serves as president of the Neuroscience Student Association and is a William Carey Crane Scholar, exploring the intersection of faith and science. Beginning in the fall, she will pursue a PhD in Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience with a plan to pursue a career in academic neuroscience research.

Fannie Lou Hamer Award for Citizenship

The Fannie Lou Hamer Award for Citizenship honors students who demonstrate a deep and courageous commitment to the common good, drawing inspiration from the life of Fannie Lou Hamer — sharecropper, civil rights leader, and fierce advocate for the dignity and voting rights of all people. Hamer’s life embodied sacrificial service to her community and the belief that ordinary people can transform society through sustained courage and engagement. This award recognizes students whose citizenship reflects that same conviction.

This year’s recipients are Nicole Day and Alizay Mohamed.

Nicole Day

Nicole Day is a senior Baylor Business Fellow with majors in economics and finance and a minor in Spanish. As a Provost’s Scholar, she demonstrates a strong commitment to citizenship through meaningful engagement with communities both locally and internationally. She has interned with the Alamance Dream Center, where she wrote grants to secure program funding and provided bilingual business development training for new immigrants. Additionally, she served as an intern with the Executive Office of the Waco Foundation, conducting research to expand the visibility and representation of the Hispanic community in McLennan County. In her role as an ambassador for the Philanthropy Lab, she developed and evaluated strategies for distributing funds to nationwide nonprofit organizations. In fall 2024, Day studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, teaching ESL to adults from diverse backgrounds while engaging with the local community. These experiences have deepened her commitment to community-focused economic development and to bridging the gap between underserved populations and access to business resources. 

Alizay Mohamed

Alizay Mohamed is a medical humanities major with minors in business administration and biochemistry. An officer for the Global Health Student Network and a student worker for the Medical Humanities Office, Mohamed has developed a deep commitment to global health equity and service. In summer 2024, she participated in the Summer Institute Program through Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, where she developed an interest in tropical medicine and global health. She also served as Marketing Chair for Gateway to India, expanding community engagement and awareness of the event. A Provost’s Scholar, Mohamed plans to continue her studies through a medical degree and a graduate degree in public health, bringing a community-centered approach to her future practice as a physician.

Myles Horton Award for Leadership

The Myles Horton Award for Leadership honors students who demonstrate transformative leadership in service of others. Myles Horton was the founder of the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, a legendary training ground for labor organizers and civil rights leaders that helped shape American democratic movements throughout the twentieth century. Horton believed that ordinary people hold the wisdom needed to solve the problems they face, and that education should empower communities. This award recognizes students who embody that vision of education as a force for the common good.

This year’s recipients are Julianna Canas and Sahil Billakanti.

Julianna Canas

Julianna Canas is a senior biology major with a minor in leadership studies. As an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Cheolho Sims’ medical entomology lab, she investigates foundational genetics in mosquitoes — particularly genes linked to fertility — to inform future approaches to disease and vector control. In addition to her leadership as a Provost’s Scholar, Canas serves as president of the Baylor chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM (SACNAS), where she works to help students pursue their career goals while growing in their culturally unique identities. Under her leadership, the chapter received its first national award for promoting cultural celebration and belonging in fall 2024. Beyond campus, she mentors young students from underserved communities through Mission Waco, serves as co-alumni chair with the La Salle Fire Foundation, and participates in community events including Waco ScienceFest and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraisers.

Sahil Billakanti

Provost’s Scholar Sahil Billakanti is a senior neuroscience major with a minor in biochemistry. He serves as Vice President of Membership for Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health honor society, and as Director of External Partnerships for the Pre-Health Mentors. As an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Vichaya’s psychoneuroimmunology lab, he studies the long-term effects of chemotherapy on brain structure and cognitive function. Beyond the lab, Billakanti volunteers at the Salvation Army thrift store and works with ESL students through La Puerta. His commitment to community extends through every facet of his undergraduate career, and he looks forward to attending medical school and continuing to serve others as a physician. A Fulbright semi-finalist, he still awaits final results on his bid to become an English Teaching Assistant in Kosovo next year.

Madeleine Albright Award for Ambassadorship

The Madeleine Albright Award for Ambassadorship honors students whose global engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and diplomatic sensibility reflect the legacy of Madeleine Albright — the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State and a lifelong champion of democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. This award recognizes students who bring Baylor’s mission for worldwide leadership and service to life through their engagement beyond national and cultural borders.

This year’s recipients are Eliza Denley and Mason Gregory.

Eliza Denley

Eliza Denley is a University Scholar pursuing a secondary BA in English, where she studies professional writing and environmental humanities. Denley was selected and served as teaching assistant in the OEL’s inaugural Baylor in St. Andrews program in fall 2025, immersing herself in the study of global migration and the plight of refugees at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Her engagement during this transformative experience exemplified the ambassadorial spirit of the award, as she brought her Baylor education into contact with some of the most pressing humanitarian questions of our time. In summer 2023, she was selected for a competitive internship through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, preparing and leading educational activities for 50 at-risk youth in downtown Louisville, KY, as a member of The Cabbage Patch Settlement House staff. A Fulbright semi-finalist, she still awaits final results on her bid to serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Spain next year.

Mason Gregory

Provost’s Scholar Mason Gregory is a senior Public Health major at Baylor University whose work focuses on health equity, health law and policy, and cross-cultural education. In Baylor's Center for Global Engagement, he serves as a Study Abroad Peer Advisor and Global Ambassador, supporting students in accessing international opportunities and helping international students transition to campus life. His research explores vaccine hesitancy and the social determinants of health. Gregory also serves as a Senator in the Baylor Student Government where he chairs the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In these roles, he has led initiatives to expand public transportation access and support multicultural student organizations. Mason plans to pursue a Juris Doctorate, leading to a career as a healthcare compliance attorney, working at the intersection of law, policy, and public health to advance equitable healthcare systems.

The Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) at Baylor University is a central hub of programs through which faculty and staff help form students for “worldwide leadership and service” by helping them apply their learning to local and global challenges. Through undergraduate research, civic and global learning, professional and leadership development, and the pursuit of nationally and internationally competitive fellowships and awards, the OEL abides by principles of Fair Trade Learning as it helps students bridge their education from the classroom to the world beyond.

For more information, contact the Office of Engaged Learning at engagedlearning@baylor.edu or visit engagedlearning.web.baylor.edu.