We are proud to announce that Audrey Gabriel '23, a recent iCons graduate who double-majored in Microbiology and Public Health Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the UMass Amherst 21st Century Leader Award. This prestigious award recognizes graduating seniors at UMass Amherst who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, academic excellence, and a commitment to making a positive impact on their communities.
Since their freshman year, Audrey has been an active member in the UMass iCons Program. Committed to advocating for public health and social justice, Audrey possesses a unique combination of brilliance and political savvy that distinguishes them from their fellow undergraduates.
“Audrey Gabriel’s leadership at UMass Amherst has substantially enhanced its reputation as a leader in social justice,” said Dr. Scott Auerbach, Mahoney Family Sponsored Executive Director of UMass' iCons Program. “It was a unique privilege for me to nominate Audrey Gabriel for the 21st Century Leader Award at UMass Amherst.”
As the outgoing Student Government Association’s (SGA) Secretary of Health and Wellbeing, Audrey Gabriel has demonstrated a deep commitment to advocating for the health and well-being of UMass Amherst students. In September 2021, after hearing protestors explain the prevalence of sexual violence and the lack of safety on campus to high-ranking UMass officials, Audrey recognized the campus’s need for a Survivor’s Bill of Rights.
The UMass Amherst’s Survivor’s Bill of Rights for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence has existed since 2014. Until Audrey’s efforts in the SGA, however, the measures had not been ratified by the UMass administration. Working tirelessly to make sure all voices were heard, Audrey facilitated conversations to expand the Survivor’s Bill of Rights. On December 5, 2021, because of Audrey’s leadership, UMass Amherst ratified its own Survivor’s Bill of Rights.
“With today’s climate, it was important for us to establish a list of tangible protections in an official document that was centered around survivors,” said Audrey. “The Survivor’s Bill of Rights was created as something for UMass students to lean on.”
At about the same time that Audrey was working to ratify the Survivor’s Bill of Rights, they were leaving their mark on campus in a totally different arena. As a first-generation Filipino-American who is fluent in the Filipino language of Tagalog, Audrey, along with their classmates, felt strongly that they needed a Filipino-focused registered student organization (RSO). After developing a mission statement (to share the cultural history and heritage of the Philippines and to create a space for Filipino-American students to feel a sense of belonging and community) and guiding the proposal through a year-long process, Audrey ensured the birth of a full-fledged Filipino Student Association.
More recently, Audrey has been focusing on combining their passions for public health and maternal health to produce cutting-edge science through her research with Dr. Martin Hunter of the Biomedical Engineering Department. Carrying out experiments motivated by real-world problems, Audrey led a team that was able to identify a suitable source of breast milk in the Veterinary & Animal Sciences Department. After receiving a Commonwealth Honors College research grant, they were able to run samples and collect data that presented results above what is considered healthy for nursing mothers. Although tools were not always accessible to them, Audrey’s persistence and tenacity in research provide a message of hope by expanding the intellectual climate of UMass Amherst.
“To hear Audrey tell their story is to listen to greatness in the making,” said Dr. Auerbach. “Making a safer and more just campus through the Survivor’s Bill of Rights; welcoming the Filipino diaspora to campus via the Filipino Student Association; and producing new understanding of breast milk safety through cutting-edge research are just some of their accomplishments.”
“To me, leadership is about service,” said Audrey. “To be a leader you must be responsible and hold yourself accountable to the community that you're serving. Leadership has always been about leaving something behind and giving something back. You have to push forward for the people you are working with and I hope I’ve been there for a lot of people.”
We are delighted to recognize Audrey Gabriel as a 21st Century Leader at UMass Amherst. Their achievements and contributions are an inspiration to us all, and we look forward to seeing the positive impacts they will continue to make in the years ahead.
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