Yashwant Prakash Vyas, director of UNH’s Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Justice, and Freedom, was honored with two awards from the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) – College Student Educators International at its 2025 annual convention in Long Beach, California.
Vyas was the recipient of both the Outstanding Leading Professional Award and the Exceptional Mid-Level Professional Award at the conference.
ACPA – College Student Educators International is a major international comprehensive student affairs association that advances student affairs and engages students for a lifetime of learning and discovery. It is a leading U.S.-based scholarly professional association headquartered in Washington D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education.
The Outstanding Leading Professional Award is sponsored by the Commission for Student Involvement and seeks to recognize a “seasoned professional” in the field of higher education who has made a significant impact upon students, their department and campus through student leadership development and community and civic engagement initiatives, has demonstrated commitment to the profession through work both at their institution and through professional organizations, is viewed by colleagues as an educator and displays genuine support and regard for students.
The Exceptional Mid-Level Professional Award is sponsored by the Mid-Level Community of Practice. This award recognizes contributions made by a mid-level professional to the field of student affairs or higher education.
Vyas facilitated a pre-convention session on designing and implementing an extended inclusive leadership development certificate program for students. He also facilitated a session on designing and institutionalizing employee recruitment and retention practices. In a short span of eight years, Vyas has facilitated 34 peer-reviewed educational sessions including eight pre-conference sessions, at several prominent higher education administration national and international conferences.
Vyas is a nationally recognized practitioner-scholar in the field of higher education administration who continues to be invited by colleges and universities to facilitate leadership development for students, staff and faculty, with the most recent invite from the University of Pittsburgh to serve as mentor for the Hesselbein Global Academy for Leadership.
Vyas was awarded the Presidential Award of Excellence by UNH last year for demonstrated excellence, outstanding performance and distinguished service to the University of New Hampshire.
