Every year, Michigan State University recognizes individuals, teams and organizations for their contributions to inclusive excellence in teaching, research, programming, service, community outreach and organizational change. The 2025–26 Inclusive Excellence Awards recipients will be recognized at the Celebrating Inclusive Excellence Recognition Program and Reception held on Friday, April 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.
The Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes students, staff and faculty who lead inclusive excellence across campus by advancing knowledge and scholarly activity; fostering engagement, collaboration and partnerships; advocating for justice and equity; promoting learning and educational inclusivity; and creating transformative organizational change.
Individual Award
Diana Bello-DeOcampo
College of Natural Science
Diana Bello-DeOcampo is an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology. She joined the faculty in 2004 from the Mayo Clinic, where her work focused on tumor biology and prostate carcinogenesis. That scholarly foundation continues to shape her courses. Bello-DeOcampo has also provided sustained leadership in advancing inclusive excellence within the College of Natural Science, or NatSci, through organizational development, academic governance and curricular design.
Bello-DeOcampo played a central role in formalizing the college’s inclusive excellence infrastructure. As a founding member and inaugural chair of the NatSci Council for Access, Community and Excellence, she helped establish bylaws, operating procedures and college-level goals that continue to guide policy and practice. Within her department, she founded and led the Culture and Community Committee, transitioning it from an ad hoc group to a standing committee with defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes. Her efforts include developing educational initiatives, launching departmental resource platforms and strengthening inclusive teaching standards.
As a bilingual faculty member fluent in English and Spanish, she is committed to mentoring students from various backgrounds and to supporting students in pursuing STEM fields.
Her work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing structural change that enhances access, belonging and academic success across NatSci and the broader university community.
Eddie Boucher
College of Social Science
Eddie Boucher is the associate director of the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University and a core faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Studies and Global and International Studies programs. His work advances innovative, community-engaged and globally focused learning experiences that expand pathways for student success.
Boucher’s teaching integrates interdisciplinary inquiry with public-facing scholarship, using documentary filmmaking and storytelling to help students engage complex topics around culture, inequality and globalization. Extending beyond traditional classroom instruction, his work emphasizes applied learning, collaboration and meaningful community impact.
Boucher has designed and led high-impact education abroad programs across the United States and established a collaborative program in Rajasthan, India. Through this initiative, MSU students partner with local students and artisans to document craft traditions while examining the global forces shaping cultural production. These sustained efforts have had a measurable influence on fostering cross-cultural understanding, expanding student access to experiential learning and creating lasting partnerships that benefit both students and communities.
Laura Freidhoff
College of Human Medicine
Laura Freidhoff, M.D., has called Michigan State University her academic home for more than 30 years. She currently serves as a faculty member in the Office of Medical Education Research and Development, where she supports curricular development, teaches early clinical skills to future physicians, and designs and maintains the College of Human Medicine’s curriculum metadata system. Earlier in her career, as a faculty member in the College of Nursing, she explored active pedagogies in large science classrooms and presented her work nationally. Her work is grounded in the belief that shared human experiences ultimately shape meaningful learning and care.
She began her academic journey at MSU as an undergraduate affiliated with the Honors College, the College of Social Science and the College of Music, studying people, perspectives and the human experience. She continued at MSU’s College of Human Medicine through the Rural Physician Program.
Freidhoff’s transdisciplinary background informs her leadership in inclusive medical education. Her work includes applied theatre collaborations on inclusive clinical care, curriculum development on DEI and medical ethics, and advocacy efforts that led to a Board of Trustees–approved policy expanding access to course benefits. She is also engaged in community work through the Kinawa Community Garden.
Alex Guo
College of Arts and Letters
Alex Guo is a fourth-year student at Michigan State University pursuing a dual major in humanities pre-law and experience architecture, with double minors in business and leadership in integrated learning. She is distinguished by a deep commitment to leadership, advocacy and service. From April 2024 to May 2025, she served as the first transgender chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the Associated Students of MSU, representing more than 40,000 students and advancing initiatives that strengthened inclusion across campus. Since her first-year, Guo has worked as an undergraduate learning assistant for the MSU College of Social Science, supporting student success in the classroom. She served as an outreach assistant for the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, where she connected students with resources and built affirming community spaces. Throughout her time at MSU, Guo has held more than 20 leadership and service roles actively contributing to over five committees, demonstrating a consistent dedication to institutional change and student empowerment. A true trailblazer in student advocacy, Guo continues to use her voice, scholarship and leadership to create a more equitable future for all.
Team Award
Inclusive Campus Initiative
The Inclusive Campus Initiative, or ICI, is an innovative and strategic ground-up approach that organically unites campus partners who dedicate time beyond their formal roles or departmental affiliations to advance the work within an inclusive campus ecosystem. Through educational programming, communication platforms and the creation of spaces that encourage connection and belonging, this work invites all participants to play a vital role in building a more inclusive campus at MSU.
Formally, the ICI grew out of the vision of Executive Vice President for Administration Vennie Gore and was brought to life under the leadership of ICI Project Director Meaghan Kozar in 2021. Over the years, its structure has evolved to include a Leadership Advisory Team, intentionally curated to represent major units across the institution and ensure that diverse voices, narratives and experiences are represented at the table. This team embodies the spirit of servant leadership: When the community identifies a need, they mobilize networks and craft meaningful solutions.
The ICI Leadership Advisory Team has been instrumental in providing strategic guidance for many in-person and virtual community-building spaces, including 13 Virtual Community Learning Forums, nine Virtual Community Engagements, three student summits, three campus partner summits, 13 Campus Community Breakfasts, several working task forces and two large conferences.
The ICI is housed within the Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration and sponsored by Residential and Hospitality Services.
North American Indigenous Student Organization Powwow Committee
Registered Student Organization
“Aanii,” the MSU North American Indigenous Student Organization Powwow Committee says “miigwech,” or thank you, for the honor of being selected for the Inclusive Excellence Award. The NAISO Powwow Committee deeply appreciates the acknowledgment of their hard work and dedication toward ensuring Indigenous culture is celebrated on MSU’s campus.
The Powwow of Love is the largest student-run event held on MSU’s campus, with over 1,000 people in attendance. As this year marked the 40th anniversary of the event, the committee set a goal of exceeding the expected annual attendance and reached nearly 2,000 attendees. The annual program is a highly anticipated event drawing community members across the Midwest and Canada. The Powwow of Love is a space to celebrate and display North American Indigenous cultures, promote interaction with NAISO on campus, and make students feel at home and find community while attending.
The committee met weekly for 10 months leading up to the powwow, discussing all the logistical details. They also faced unprecedented circumstances head-on to ensure the continuation of this vibrant event, which benefits and reaches the entire student body. The committee thanks President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., Jabbar R. Bennett, Ph.D., and Jim Hintz, Ph.D., for their kindness and support; Kevin Leonard for his invaluable contributions; the Division of Student Affairs for its generosity and aid; the Office of Multicultural Enrichment and Advocacy; and Educating Anishinaabe Giving Learning and Empowering.
“Miigwech” for this honor.
