Since 1995, MIT has awarded annual MLK Leadership Awards to students, alumni, staff, groups and faculty who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s work. “Service to the community” is defined in the broadest sense and includes academic, research, religious, and secular contributions in which integrity, leadership, creativity, and positive outcome are apparent.
2025 MLK Leadership Award Recipients
Alumni
Cordelia Price SB ‘78, SM ‘80
Faculty
Pouya Alimagham, Lecturer, History
Graduate Student
Ciarra Ortiz
Undergraduate Student
Sahal Ahmed ‘26
Staff
William Gibbs, LL – IT/IS Manager, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Maxine Samuel, Human Resources Coordinator, Research Laboratory of Electronics HQ
2024 MLK Leadership Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award
Shirley Ann Jackson ‘68, PhD ‘73
President Emerita – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Alumni Award
Yamilée Toussaint ‘08
Founder & CEO of STEM From Dance
Faculty Award
Hernandez Moura-Silva
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
Graduate Student Award
Alvin Harvey
Doctoral Student, Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Undergraduate Student Award
Isa Liggans ’25
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Staff Award
Tracie Jones-Barrett
Deputy Institute Community and Equity Officer (Interim), Office of the Provost