As co-president (with Alexis Jackson) of the African American Student Union (AASU), Adebo and Jackson partnered with administration to make HBS a better place for people of color and created a tight-knit AASU community during a difficult year. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, they and Aaron Hancock (the third co-president who deferred this year and will be considered for the Dean’s Award when he returns) led the School in how best to respond. The initial structure of what became the Dean’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (DART) was a direct outgrowth of the set of actions these student leaders identified over the summer. Throughout this academic year, they have continued to act as partners to the administration on matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Whenever the School has come across anything to do with racial equity, they have been approached for input and have responded thoughtfully. Simultaneously, they were able to keep everything rolling with AASU (including a spectacular iteration of the annual conference and many social events) and made sure the community stayed close this year despite limited in-person interactions. They piloted new ways to strengthen community and fellowship, including AASU pods and several initiatives with a group of MBA Class of 19883 alumni.

As SA chief community officer, Burcham has been a ubiquitous, tireless, and level-headed influence in working to support the entire community, and has served as a strong advocate for partners and families. Together with SA head senator Ryan Flamerich, Burcham stands out for managing the challenges of a pandemic-constrained graduation, and in their graduation planning roles, they have advocated for equity, anticipated and addressed student concerns and complaints, and pushed the School to stretch the boundaries of what is possible.

As SA head senator, Flamerich is a trusted partner to his peers and to the MBA program, and has provided leadership on the SA endowment, socioeconomic inclusion, and the decision to refund SA dues due to COVID interruptions. Flamerich has been a stalwart in all conversations about managing through COVID and on community values issues. On top of his individual leadership roles, Flamerich and chief community officer Abby Burcham stand out for the way they are managing the challenges of a pandemic-constrained graduation and in honoring the trust the student body has placed in them as advocates and representatives. In their graduation planning roles, they have advocated for equity, anticipated and addressed student concerns and complaints, and pushed the School to stretch the boundaries of what is possible.

As co-president (with Bukie Adebo) of the African American Student Union (AASU), Jackson and Adebo went above and beyond their club leadership role in partnering with administration to make HBS a better place for people of color and creating a tight-knit AASU community during a difficult year. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, they and Aaron Hancock (the third co-president who deferred this year and will be considered for the Dean’s Award when he returns) led the School in how best to respond. The initial structure of what became the Dean’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (DART) was a direct outgrowth of the set of actions these student leaders identified over the summer. Throughout this academic year, they have continued to act as partners to the administration on matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Whenever the School has come across anything to do with racial equity, they have been approached for input and have responded thoughtfully. Simultaneously, they were able to keep everything rolling with AASU (including a spectacular iteration of the annual conference and many social events) and made sure the community stayed close this year despite limited in-person interactions. They piloted new ways to strengthen community and fellowship, including AASU pods and several initiatives with a group of MBA Class of 19883 alumni.

As Student Association (SA) co-chief DEI officer (with Ronnie Wimberly), Rodriguez helped others understand why DEI is an important priority for HBS and how the SA can be part of the conversation. Most notably, Rodriguez and Wimberly were primary drivers in the creation and execution of the section DEI representative position, which has been a game-changer for section leadership and positively affected the entire Required Curriculum (RC) class. They structured the position thoughtfully and have served as tireless supporters of those pioneering the role. Additionally, they were instrumental in helping faculty prepare for the Tulsa Reparations case. Both Rodriguez and Wimberly are deeply passionate about DEI and have been thoughtful and graceful in educating others.

Lumumba Seegar’s research explores the reproductions and the contestation of intergroup inequality, particularly around race, gender, and class--how organizations reproduce intergroup inequality around those issues, and the stages at which people can contest them. In his doctoral dissertation, Seegar studied employee research groups; what it means to organize through such authorized groups and how the organizational structures that are hierarchically above them are often very similar to the dynamics that the authorized groups are working to contest. During his time here as a doctoral student in Organizational Behavior, Seegars found time to mentor and encourage his fellow students, to ensure that all of the program’s students felt welcome and valued, and actively worked to help increase diversity within the doctoral program.

As Student Association (SA) co-chief DEI officer (with Elina Rodriguez), Wimberly helped others understand why DEI is an important priority for HBS and how the SA can be part of the conversation. Most notably, Wimberly and Rodriguez were primary drivers in the creation and execution of the section DEI representative position, which has been a game-changer for section leadership and positively affected the entire Required Curriculum (RC) class. They structured the position thoughtfully and have served as tireless supporters of those pioneering the role. Additionally, they were instrumental in helping faculty prepare for the Tulsa Reparations case. Both Rodriguez and Wimberly are deeply passionate about DEI and have been thoughtful and graceful in educating others--among them Wimberly’s notable work moderating a conversation on political differences prior to the 2020 presidential election.