Vanderbilt Awards for Leadership Excellence (VALE)

Recognizes a junior whose academic achievement and extracurricular involvement have enhanced a sense of belonging among the Vanderbilt student body. The award carries a scholarship applied toward the recipient's final year at Vanderbilt.

Established in 2010 in memory of Casey Carter Bonar ('85), a dedicated and selfless leader whose warmth, enthusiasm, and passion for campus involvement energized Vanderbilt life and strengthened the ties that bind its community. This award honors a graduating senior who embodies Casey's legacy of leadership, broad collaboration, selfless service, and dedication to positive change.

Established in 1989 in memory of Vanderbilt alumni Glenn Carlisle ('77) and Elizabeth Norris Bogitsh ('82), this award recognizes a student whose commitment to campus recreational programs has inspired participation and sportsmanlike conduct through example and leadership. The recipient's name is engraved on a plaque displayed in the Student Recreation Center.

Named for Rev. James Lawson, a faithful leader of the Civil Rights Movement and longtime Vanderbilt teacher, and taking its name from the Swahili word for "faith," this award is funded by the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. It honors a graduating senior who has been an integral part of campus life and demonstrated outstanding leadership and devotion to Vanderbilt.

Presented through the generosity of the McGill family in honor of Dr. John T. (Class of 1879) and Lizzie Allen McGill, who offered students hospitality and guidance throughout their years at Vanderbilt.

The John T. & Lizzie Allen McGill First Year Awards (Two First Year Students)

Presented through the generosity of the McGill family in honor of Dr. John T. (Class of 1879) and Lizzie Allen McGill, who offered students hospitality and guidance throughout their years at Vanderbilt.

John T. McGill Award (1 McGill Residential Project Member)

Established in 1960 by Lizzie Allen McGill in memory of her husband, this $2,000 award honors a McGill Hall resident whose academic excellence, gentle bearing, and leadership have helped build a more welcoming campus.

The John T. and Lizzie Allen Upper-class McGill Award (A student from either McTyeire or Mayfield)

Established in 1994, this $1,500 award recognizes an upper-class student from McTyeire or Mayfield whose academic accomplishment and leadership have fostered open, honest dialogue about complex issues.

The John T. and Lizzie Allen Upper-class McGill Award (Any upper-class student)

Established in 1994, this $1,500 award honors an upper-class student whose academic accomplishment and leadership have sparked open dialogue about complex and controversial issues, creating a more civil campus.

Established in 1956 by the Women's Student Government Association in appreciation of the former Dean of Women's twenty years of service to Vanderbilt women students. The scholarship honors juniors whose contributions to student government, religious life, literary pursuits, and the arts reflect Dean Chaffin's legacy of service to the University.

Named for Rev. Beverly A. Asbury, who served Vanderbilt for nearly 30 years as chaplain and Director of Religious Affairs, founding the Vanderbilt Holocaust Lectures, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Series, and Project Dialogue, and helping build All Faith Chapel as a space for diverse worship. This award honors a student whose work in interfaith dialogue reflects Rev. Asbury's spirit of humanitarian leadership and bridge-building.

Inspired by Meredith Strong ('03), whose life was saved in 2001 when two friends responded to her severe case of bacterial meningitis with watchfulness and action beyond sympathy. This award honors a student whose singular act of caring has made a lasting impact on the Vanderbilt community, a "ripple" that acknowledges shared humanity and strengthens the bonds between people.

Established in 1991 to honor Robert Peter Pratt (1954–1991), Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and a longtime champion of diversity within the Vanderbilt student body. This award recognizes a Chancellor's Scholar whose accomplishments reflect Pratt's commitment to diversity and unity, leadership and cooperation, and unselfish service to others, and carries a modest stipend.

Established in 1979 to honor Senior Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Rob Roy Purdy, a Chaucerian scholar and longtime leader in student affairs known for his compassionate commitment to holistic education and his embodiment of Vanderbilt's values. This award recognizes a student whose leadership demonstrates the humaneness, dedication, loyalty, and unselfish service that Rob Roy Purdy exemplified.

Presented by the Asian American Student Association (AASA) and South Asian Cultural Exchange (SACE), this award honors a student who has shown outstanding commitment and passion to Vanderbilt through cultural and political education. It celebrates the vision of Susan Jung ('88), who founded AASA in 1986 on the principle of unity through diversity.

Established in 1989 in memory of Thomas M. Weser, a German exchange student who was killed while attending Vanderbilt. The award recognizes an international student whose intellectual life, cross-cultural appreciation, and personal integrity reflect Weser's spirit and legacy.

Named in recognition of William Aaron ('89), whose own path-finding work contributed to and expanded Vanderbilt's extraordinary history of community service. This award honors a student whose uncommon service efforts and leadership demonstrate vision, creativity, and innovation.