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Hall of Fame

The Huy D. Huynh Hall of Fame

Many APID (Asian Pacific Islander Desi) Gators have shown great dedication, service, and achievement with the APID community at the University of Florida. By honoring these individuals, we remind the larger UF community of the continuing growth, diversity, and strength of our community as well as the increasing impact of the APID community at UF.

The Huy D. Huynh Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding leaders who have devoted themselves to serving others within the APID community and UF community. Three recipients will be recognized and inducted into the Hall of Fame per academic year.

1 undergraduate student
1 graduate/professional student
1 faculty/staff member

Recipients will have their names engraved on a plaque housed in the Office of Asian Pacific Islander Student Engagement suite.

The Huy D. Huynh Hall of Fame is named in memory and honor of Dr. Huy D. Huynh. During his time at the University, Huy was a trailblazing leader who was heavily involved with every facet of student life. He held high office in Student Government, served as a Presidential Host with the Florida Cicerones, was inducted into Florida’s Hall of Fame, was the first Vietnamese American tapped into Florida Blue Key, served in various roles within the Asian American Student Union as well as the Filipino Student Association, and was a founding brother of the Sigma Chapter of Pi Delta Psi Fraternity, Inc. – the first Asian American Fraternity in the State of Florida.

Dr. Huy D. Huynh passed away in 2017 after living with brain cancer for 24 months. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition (‘07), a Master’s degree in Food Science (‘09), and a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree (‘13).

Application Timeline

Applications open Friday, February 23rd and must be submitted by 11:59pm on Friday, March 22nd, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements for Undergraduate and Graduate / Professional Students

This award recognizes an undergraduate and a graduate/professional student who has excelled in serving and leading others within the APID community. These students exemplify leadership through their efforts to advance inclusivity, build engagement, raise awareness for, and/or advocate the diverse interests of the APID community at the University of Florida.

Eligibility

-Applicants must be in one of the graduation classes: Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024.

GPA requirements:

-All undergraduate applicants must have a minimum GPA of a 3.0.

-All students in the College of Law, Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine must have a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA.

-All graduate students must have a minimum graduate cumulative 3.25 GPA.

-All applicants must be free of conduct probation or pending conduct hearing.

Submission Requirements

-Resume (2-page maximum) detailing campus involvement, leadership experiences, service and accomplishments related to serving the Asian Pacific Islander Desi community at UF.

-Personal statement (3-page maximum, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point font, Times New Roman).

-Unofficial UF transcript.

-A letter of recommendation. The letter must be from an individual directly related to the accomplishments and/or service the applicant highlights in the personal statement. Please ask your recommender to email a letter of recommendation in PDF format to Flora Wang via ruoyunwang@ufl.edu.

-Completed application form.

Applications that are incomplete, late, or non-compliant with the requirements above, will not be forwarded to the selection committee for review.

Selection Process & Criteria

-Your application will undergo thorough review by a selection committee comprised of UF faculty, staff, and student representatives.

-We will assess applications based on applicants' demonstrated leadership in several key areas, including advocacy, community engagement, and academic/professional development.

-It's important to note that applicants are NOT expected to have extensive involvement in all three criteria to be considered for the recognition. We firmly believe that leadership extends beyond formal leadership roles and encompasses a multitude of experiences and contributions.

-We encourage you to share your unique leadership journey and the diverse ways in which you have made an impact on the APID (Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi) community at UF.

How to Apply

Please use the student application portal below to apply.

Eligibility Requirements for Faculty / Staff Members

This award recognizes a University of Florida faculty or staff member that has provided outstanding leadership to enrich the intellectual vitality of our campus and the broader community. Previous inductees of this category have collaborated with the APID student community in providing mentoring, advising, programming, counseling, teaching, and/or research opportunities that develop students’ self-awareness and promote understanding of APID-relevant issues.

Eligibility

-Nominees for this category must have a minimum of one-year employment at UF. 

-Nominees should have engaged in volunteer service activities that impacted students in the APID community at UF, including but not limited to scholarship, community engagement and/or student mentorship.

-Service activities can be at the program, department/unit, college, or university level.

Selection Process & Criteria

-Nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of Flora Wang, Program Director of the Office of Asian Pacific Islander Desi Student Engagement Office, as well as student representatives.

-Nominations will be reviewed against the eligibility requirements.

How to Apply

Please use the Faculty/Staff Nomination Portal below.

2023

Undergraduate Student - Michael Orense

Graduate/Professional - Sarah Liu

Faculty/Staff - Dr. Shu-Yi Wang

2021

Undergraduate Student - Anisha Patel

Graduate/Professional - Dr. Shivani Hanchate

Faculty/Staff - Dr. John M. Allen

2020

Undergraduate Student - Samantha Sun

Graduate/Professional - Vivian Nguyen

Faculty/Staff - Dr. Erin Lin

2019

Undergraduate Student - Cheyenne Elisa Chang

Graduate/Professional - Mohiuddin Ifaz

Faculty/Staff - Dr. Anita Anantharam

2018

Undergraduate Student - Madihaa Ali

Graduate/Professional - Rubaiyat Zinat

Faculty/Staff - Kim Mie Kitagawa Pace

Student Application

Faculty/Staff Nomination

The Hispanic-Latinx Hall of Fame

The Hispanic-Latinx Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding leaders who have devoted themselves to representing and advancing the Hispanic-Latino community* at the University of Florida. Their contributions in the area of Leadership, Service, and Advocacy are seen across campus and are felt even after they graduate. They reflect a sense of permanence and positive change. The Hall of Fame highlights these individuals’ efforts at the University.

For the purpose of this award the values have been defined as:

Leadership: Demonstrated commitment to working with others in creating positive, sustainable change within the Hispanic-Latinx community, while investing in the mentorship and development of Hispanic-Latinx students.

Service: Demonstrated history of dedicating time and effort to selflessly working collaboratively to improve the lives of those within the Hispanic-Latinx community.

Advocacy: Demonstrated exceptional efforts in using power and privilege to promote equity and equality for, as well as advance the needs of, the Hispanic-Latinx community.

*The Hispanic-Latinx Community has been defined as those who identify as Hispanic-Latinx within UF, Gainesville, and the world.

To apply applicants must meet the following qualifications:

-Applicants must be in one of the graduation classes: Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024.
-Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 for Undergrads and 3.25 for Graduate students.
-Must have earned at least 60 credits at the University of Florida and completed at least one full academic year at the University of Florida prior to the application deadline.
-All applicants must be free of conduct probation or pending conduct hearing.
-Must submit a completed application packet including self-nomination and letter of recommendation by the application deadline.

A complete application must contain:

-A self-nomination letter which communicates how you have impacted the Hispanic Latinx community in the areas of leadership, service, and advocacy. This letter must be typed, double spaced with 1-inch margins, Times New Roman Font and must not to exceed 2 pages. When writing your letter, please consider how you have created positive change within the HLx community including impact at UF and in the Gainesville community.
-A resume highlighting your leadership, advocacy, and/or service experiences.
-A letter of recommendation from anyone who can speak to your leadership, service or advocacy. The letter cannot be from anyone who works within CIME, a student at the University of Florida, or someone who is a part of your family. Only one letter of recommendation will be accepted.
-An unofficial transcript which will be used to confirm credit hours completed and GPA.

All application materials must be submitted by March 28th at 11:59PM for consideration. Late applications will NOT be considered.

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