Jack Leff

To be esteemed among one’s friends and peers is an honor. Jack Leff’s nominators – both fellow students – point to their friend’s courageous leadership with pride.

During his term as Graduate and Professional Student Senate president, Jack led many student group efforts, such as environmental work, diversity concerns, and the graduate student living wage campaign.

In his senate work, he created student governance efforts, student organization projects, and interdisciplinary networks of students which continue to generate new research projects. He continues to host departmental student movie nights, acts as a mentor to new graduate students in the department, and advocates for international student support to departmental faculty.

“He brings students together and provides a foundation upon which they can build their own groups based on interests and needs,” said one of his nominators. “He is courageous in how he advocates for students to staff, faculty, and administration, even when his own position is precarious and when speaking in front of highly influential people."

As a longstanding member of the Energy and Sustainability Committee, Climate Action Committee, and the department of Science and Technology Studies' curriculum redevelopment committee, Jack often uses his personal time to care for the student body in service to committee goals. 

A Ph.D. Candidate in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences focused on his dissertation, Jack said, “I am happiest when I'm able to help others. I love picking my friends up from the airport, listening to break up stories, and making changes that benefit everyone.”

"I'm most proud of the living wage campaign,” said Jack. “The impact it has made on thousands of graduate students is so empowering. Not just the policy shift, but the people around who passionately continue the work. We talk about cultural shifts and how we can change how students behave, but this was the first time I've seen it, and there is nothing more special.”

Jack would advise his fellow students above all else to take inspiration from other people. “Audre Lorde's ‘Your silence will not protect you’ is a powerful reminder to speak up even when you're putting yourself at dire risk,” said Jack, “and Michel Foucault's ‘Where there is power, there is resistance’ is a universal reminder that there are always people struggling to create change, a community to seek out, no matter how repressive an institution.”

“My grandfather was a radical advocate for elderly affairs and is a source of inspiration for impassioned speeches against powerful people,” Jack said. “As a grad student who wants to work in the university, I also think about my academic heritage and what kind of scholar I want to be. I've settled on someone like Howard Zinn, who was unafraid to speak truth to power.”

As recognized by his peers for unwavering advocacy for fellow students, I am pleased to present the Aspire! Award for PREPARE FOR A LIFE OF COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP to Jack Leff.