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The Quinlan School of Business celebrates Black leaders on our campus and in the community through our annual Black Excellence Awards. First presented in April 2023, the Black Excellence Awards honor students, alumni, and members of the business community who embody the values of inclusion, equity, and leadership.

Submit your nomination

You are invited to submit nominations now for the 2025 awards. The full awards criteria are listed on the submission form and are summarized below:

  • Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award: The alumni award is presented to a Quinlan graduate who has made a positive difference in and outstanding contributions to the Black community.
  • Student Leadership Awards: Quinlan presents two student awards: one to a Quinlan undergraduate student and one to a Quinlan graduate student. Recipients are well-rounded leaders in the Loyola or business community. We encourage nominations of students who are actively involved in a Loyola organization or activity or in a professional business organization.
  • Community Leadership Award: The community award is given to a friend of Quinlan who has made outstanding contributions to the Black/African diaspora community of the Chicago area.

Submit nominations by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sunday, November 3. Honorees will be notified in mid-December, and on February 18, 2025, Quinlan will host the third annual Black Excellence Awards and Dinner.

2024 honorees

The second annual Black Excellence Awards Dinner honored Emmanuel Ezeocha (BBA ’25), Amber Townsend (MBA ’24), Jonathan McGee (MBA ’22), and Marquis Miller, the Obama Foundation’s vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Read the 2024 awards news article.

2023 honorees

The first annual Black Excellence Awards Dinner honored four difference makers: Sanaa Hill (BBA '23), LaShawn Holloway (MBA '23), Ahmed “Flex” Omar (BBA '05), and Jahmal Cole, founder and CEO of My Block My Hood My City. Read the 2023 awards news article.

Questions

For questions, please contact the Black Excellence Awards Committee at BEACommittee@LUC.edu.