Ellia La has been awarded the 2022 Graduate Associate Leadership Award (GALA). The GALA is Ohio State’s recognition of the exceptional leadership provided by graduate students as leaders (on and off campus) while being an OSU graduate (master’s or doctoral) student. Ellia is advised by Dr. Monica Giusti and is currently a PhD student in the Department of Food Science and Technology and is also pursuing a minor in rural sociology.
As her advisor, Monica Giusti praises Ellia for her commitment to societal issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion in addition to her dedication to science. Giusti also credits Ellia’s leadership in helping to create a new committee in the department to advance issues related to equal opportunity in addition to creating a space to bring awareness and to have discussions about them.
Ellia and her advisor will be recognized during the Graduate School’s Annual Award Ceremony in April 2022.
About the GALA Award: Recipients will be selected and awarded $1000 each. Students (master’s or doctoral level) must be nominated by a graduate faculty member to be eligible for this award. Any Ohio State graduate student who is identified as active/enrolled may be nominated.
OSU graduate student nominees are notified by the Graduate School. Those who wish to compete must prepare a GALA application form for review by the GALA selection committee.
The selection committee for this 2nd round of the GALA is comprised of four representatives of the Graduate School Leadership Team and one Council of Graduate Students representative (non-voting member). The committee reviews all submissions and selects up to 5 GALA winners.