CESR Impact Awards

Winners of the 2024 Impact Business Buff Awards pose with their awards


These student-driven awards recognize members of the Leeds community who inspire students to pursue sustainability and social impact.

We are currently accepting nominations for the 2025 CESR Impact Awards. CESR staff select the winners based on the following criteria, as well as feedback from relevant stakeholders at Leeds. Winners are announced at CESR's End-of-Year Celebration.

Graduating Student Award Criteria

  • Has demonstrated a commitment to making a positive social and environmental impact through their career.
  • Has been a leader, whether formally or informally, in encouraging other students to pursue sustainability.
  • Meaningful engagement with CESR during their time at Leeds.
  • Graduating in spring, summer or fall 2025

Rising Star Student Award Criteria

  • Has demonstrated a commitment to making a positive social and environmental impact through their career.
  • Has been a leader, whether formally or informally, in encouraging other students to pursue sustainability.
  • Meaningful engagement with CESR during their time at Leeds.
  • Shows great potential to continue inspiring others and encouraging more Leeds students to learn about sustainability.

Faculty Award Criteria

  • Incorporates sustainability and social impact into their teaching, helping students understand how these topics intersect with business.
  • Inspires students to pursue a career with positive social and environmental impact.

Nominees must be either degree-seeking Leeds students or full-time Leeds faculty members from any division. Faculty members may not win the award two years in a row, and previous "rising star" award winners are not eligible to win again.

The winners of the 2024 award are:

  • Faculty: Joshua Nunziato, Undergraduate,Dejun “Tony” Kong, Graduate
  • Graduating Student: Gabriel Cervantes, Undergraduate,Steven Winterbach,Undergraduate,Mary Boling,Graduate
  • "RisingStar" Student: Natalie Bovie, Undergraduate, Emma Ritson,Graduate

Read more about the 2024 winners here.

golden bar


“Receiving the CESR Impact Award is a tremendous honor for me, symbolizing the culmination of two years’ worth of dedicated effort in helping to enhance CESR and its associated initiatives. Throughout my journey, I've been privileged to collaborate closely with CESR's exceptional staff and fellow students, absorbing invaluable lessons along the way.”

– Emma Ritson (MBA, '25)

The winners of the 2023 award are:

The winners of the 2022 award are:

  • Faculty: Stacey Edgar,Undergraduate, Heather Kennedy,Graduate

  • Graduating Student: Caitlin O’Neill,Undergraduate, Cate Griffin,Graduate