Duke Kunshan University’s Office of Student Experience and Office of Academic Services held an annual awards ceremony on April 24 to honor students, faculty, staff and student organizations for their contributions to student life and academic support.
The ceremony recognized achievements in several categories, including community service, student leadership, diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, academic achievement, peer mentoring and teaching.
More than 300 nominations were received, and 75 individuals and groups were named finalists or recipients. More than 150 community members attended the event.
Scenes from the annual awards ceremony (click the arrows for more photos)
Anna Galvin, a Class of 2027 undergraduate, received the Community Service Effort of the Year Award. Galvin has served as a resident assistant, founded and led the Ceramics Club, and participated in the first cohort of the Student Leaders Board. Her work has included volunteer teaching programs and cultural projects connecting DKU students with the local Kunshan community.
Humans of DKU received the Diversity and Inclusion Effort of the Year Award for building a storytelling project that has featured 25 community voices, drawn more than 21,000 views and created both an exhibition and a physical archive.
Sustainable DKU was recognized for community service through projects such as food waste tracking and thrift events. DKU Running Club was honored for promoting health and wellness through regular activities open to students, faculty and staff.
The Animating Principles Awards recognize students who demonstrate values central to DKU’s undergraduate education, including purposeful living, collaboration, creativity, communication, research, global engagement and leadership.
Scenes from the annual awards ceremony (click the arrows for more photos)
The ceremony included remarks from Christopher Van Velzer, dean of student experience; Lingling Wang, registrar and dean of academic services; and Scott MacEachern, vice chancellor for academic affairs.
2026 DKU Annual Awards recipients
Community Service Effort of the Year — Anna Galvin
Diversity and Inclusion Effort of the Year — Humans of DKU
Event/Program of the Year — Sino-Foreign Model United Nations 2025
Health and Wellness Effort of the Year — DKU Running Club
Student Leader of the Year — Sean Wan
Emerging Student Leader of the Year — Zoey Chan
Student Club/Organization of the Year, Professional and Academic — DKU Medic Mindset
Student Club/Organization of the Year, Community Service — Sustainable DKU
Student Club/Organization of the Year, Arts and Performance — DKU Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Club
Student Club/Organization of the Year, General Interest — DKU Hand x Hand Club
Student Club/Organization of the Year, Cultural — DKU South Asian Organization
Impact through Sport of the Year — DKU Ultimate Frisbee
Student Experience Staff Member of the Year — Jiawen Cai
Animating Principles Award: A Purposeful Life — Hanyang Zhou
Animating Principles Award: Collaborative Problem-Solving — Xinhe “Celina” Li
Animating Principles Award: Independence and Creativity — Leah Wildemann
Animating Principles Award: Lucid Communication — Yujia Zhou
Animating Principles Award: Research and Practice — Wai Yan Min Htike
Animating Principles Award: Rooted Globalism — Yueqi Dou
Animating Principles Award: Wise Leadership — Shehr Naz Ashraf
Division of Arts and Humanities Award — Yifei “Erine” Xu
Division of Natural and Applied Sciences Award: Mathematics — Zidi Gao
Division of Natural and Applied Sciences Award: Integrated Science — Mingqian Huo
Social Sciences Division Award — Birkley Grunewald
Chinese as a Second Language Award — Bilol Abdilxayev
English for Academic Purposes Award — Xiyan Zhang
Outstanding Peer Tutor Award — Yiwen Hu and Byerikbol Yerbol
Outstanding Peer Mentor Award — Sevara Kazimova and Guangzhi Su
Undergraduate Teaching Award — Xin Zhang
