Nominations are now being accepted for the AAC&U 2026 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards. The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards recognizes graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education and who are committed to academic innovation in the areas of equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning. Eligibility All doctoral-seeking graduate students who are planning a career in higher education are eligible to be nominated, regardless of academic discipline. Graduate students in fields where the master’s degree is the terminal degree (such as the MFA in art) are also eligible. Students must be nominated by a faculty member or administrator and must hold student status in January 2026. Nominations must demonstrate the students’ exemplary promise as future leaders and their current commitments to equity, innovations in teaching and learning, and community engagement as integrated components of their graduate work. In general, nominees who are already senior-level leaders in higher education are not strong candidates for this award, as it is designed to recognize future leadership potential. All nomination materials must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on October 3, 2025. For more information, contact Kathryn Enke at 202-888-4647 or kenke@aacu.org. Learn more about this award. | 