Two College of Creative Arts students are among 19 ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University seniors honored for their service work with the 2025 President’s Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented in a ceremony held at Kumler Chapel on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Studio Art and Art Education double major River Kirby has made an impact on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and the broader community through his tireless advocacy, artistic leadership, and commitment to inclusion. As the co-president of Spectrum, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's largest LGBTQ+ organization, River created affirming spaces for students while organizing community events to foster belonging and connection.
River's dedication to service extends beyond campus to the Lane Library, where he developed and led arts programming for queer and trans youth in Southwest Ohio. This initiative has been so successful that the library requested its continuation as an ongoing program. His commitment to LGBTQ+ youth is further demonstrated through his role as coordinator for QT-Con, a two-day conference sponsored by the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
As an Art Education major, River has excelled as a student teacher. His thoughtful curriculum development for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's Saturday Art program showcases his exceptional teaching abilities and socio-emotional literacy. He has presented his comprehensive guide for supporting LGBTQ+ youth through art education at the Ohio Art Education Association Conference. His leadership, compassion, and dedication to creating inclusive spaces make him truly deserving of this recognition.
Art Education major Reilly Powers is an exceptional leader who promotes diversity, inclusion, and social justice through arts education. As president of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's National Art Education Association student chapter, she secured funding that enabled numerous students to attend state and national conferences, while also creating regular extracurricular arts programming for her peers.
Reilly's leadership extends beyond campus, having been elected to prestigious national positions in the National Art Education Association, including Western Region Pre-service Representative, Advocacy Committee Representative, and most recently, Pre-service Division Director Elect—the highest national leadership role for pre-service art education.
Reilly presented at multiple state and national conferences on the concept of "Radical Education" and “radical hospitality” in arts education. Her research project, "Radical Learning Transforms," earned her recognition as one of 15 students to receive a Provost Student Academic Achievement Award.
As an instructor in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's Saturday Art program, Reilly designed innovative, materially complex lessons introducing middle school students to diverse artists while exploring themes of sustainability, identity, and socioemotional literacy.
The President’s Distinguished Service Awards are made available to undergraduate students through a grant from the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Family Fund.