Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards
Each year, we gather as a community to honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and acknowledge his extraordinary contributions to society. A committee of MIT community members will plan the Institute’s 52nd MLK celebration in 2026.
Make nominations for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award
This award honors students, alumni, staff or faculty who, in the spirit of Dr. King, lift us up and bring us together. Typically, five or six individuals or groups are recognized each year. Nominations will open in late fall 2025.
Suggest a staff and a student voice for the celebration
As the members of the MLK Celebration Committee develop the speaking program, they seek nominations for MIT staff, undergraduate and graduate student speakers. Please nominate a community member who embodies the integrity, values and vision of Dr. King. Nominations will open in late fall 2025.
2025 MLK Leadership Award Winners
Undergraduate Student Award: Sahal Ahmed
Graduate Student Award: Ciarra Ortiz
Staff Award: Will Gibbs
Staff Award: Maxine Samuels
Faculty Award: Pouya Alimagham
Alumni Award: Cordelia Price
Undergraduate Student Award: Sahal Ahmed
The recipient of our MLK Leadership Award in the undergraduate student category is Sahal Ahmed, a junior majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Sahal is the treasurer of the MIT Muslim Students Association (MSA), a role that he imbued with inclusive leadership, empathy, and proactive service.
To quote a nominator: “Sahal’s tenure as MSA treasurer was marked by his drive to make a tangible impact. He helped organize multiple fundraising events that mobilized students and community members, successfully raising thousands of dollars for orphans and displaced people worldwide. Through these efforts, Sahal fostered a spirit of solidarity within the community and motivated others to participate in the movement for global justice.”
Graduate Student Award: Ciarra Ortiz
Ciarra Ortiz is a PhD candidate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, with a focus in Human-System Collaboration.
In her first year of graduate school, Ciarra became an acting board member of MIT’s Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), member of AeroAfro, and traveled to HBCUs to help recruit students for MIT. By the second year, she expanded her resume to also include being a Graduate Resident Advisor (GRA), putting herself in a position to support a different part of the MIT community. These positions have placed her in roles where she provides guidance to multiple community members, with emphasis on MIT’s underrepresented populations.
In the words of one nominator, “like Dr. King, Ciarra takes an approach to supporting and uplifting others by exhibiting a quiet, but clear strength. She is true to her ethical code and speaks her mind clearly and eloquently, demonstrating her courage and confidence when tackling issues within the community.”
Staff Award: Will Gibbs
William Gibbs is Senior Manager of the Cybersecurity Office of Standards, Technology, and Training at Lincoln Lab.
He serves as co-chair for the Lincoln Employees African American Network (LEAN) Employee Resource Group (ERG), and is an advisor to the entire Laboratory. In particular, Will advises the Security Services Department leadership team with respect to department Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Will provides insight and recommendations that result in improved employee relations and growth opportunities.
Will has a focus on team development, hosting a monthly podcast, and holding mentoring and coaching sessions with up and coming personnel. In everything he does, Will is mindful and vocal about injustices, particularly those that affect the most marginalized and underrepresented people.
Staff Award: Maxine Samuels
Maxine Samuels is a Human Resources Coordinator in the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE).
In her 40 years at the Institute, Maxine has been and continues to be a role model for compassion, a role model for joyfulness in fulfilling the mission, and a role model demonstrating commitment and common-sense fairness. Each day, Maxine steadfastly demonstrates how much she cares for the MIT community, and it’s clear how much she is respected both professionally and personally.
She is a guiding star for a multitude of past and present MIT community members, never veering from her commitment to inclusion, always actively engaged and generously advocating for her peers.
Faculty Award: Pouya Alimagham
Pouya Alimagham is a lecturer in the History Section in SHASS.
He is a historian of the modern Middle East, specializing in themes such as revolutionary movements, US foreign policy, Orientalism, “Political Islam” and post-Islamism, women and gender, and the intersections therein.
Pouya’s students have called him “a true leader in showing students how our past shapes our future.” He has demonstrated unwavering commitment to historical accuracy and intellectual honesty, particularly in addressing the misinformed xenophobia faced by the Iranian community and other marginalized groups. His dedication to educating students about the complexities of Middle Eastern history, including the crucial role of the past in shaping the present, has been invaluable.
Beyond his scholarly contributions, Pouya has shown remarkable courage and integrity in advocating for open discourse on critical issues. To quote a nominator, “he has shown so many of us integral parts of Middle Eastern history, and perhaps more importantly, has been a consistent and vocal advocate against anti-Arab racism and dehumanization. In the current climate we are facing right now, this is what is needed of a leader.”
Alumni Award: Cordelia Price
Cordelia Price graduated from MIT with a Bachelor’s degree in 1978 and a Master’s degree in 1982 both from Course 10, Chemical Engineering.
Since 2021, Cordelia has been serving as the Community Service Chair for the MIT Club of South Texas, and in this capacity, she launched the Club’s Community Service Matching Donation Program, an initiative that exemplifies her dedication to service and community engagement. The program matches volunteer hours with donations to local organizations, encouraging MIT alumni to contribute toward meaningful causes, from an urban farming program for refugees to medical care for the uninsured.
Cordelia has an unwavering commitment to service and a creative and inspiring leadership style, with an eye towards supporting the most marginalized in her own community.
Previous MLK Leadership Award recipients
For a complete list of all previous MLK Leadership Award recipients, by year, visit the MLK Celebrations website.