Apply for 2026 Presidential Medal Awards

President Neville Pinto invites graduating students to apply for top awards

UC President Neville Pinto invites eligible students to apply for two of our university’s top awards — the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence (for undergraduate students) and the Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence (for graduate and professional students).

Accessories,  Accessory,  Apparel,  Clothing,  Coat,  Human,  Overcoat,  Person,  Suit,  Tie
Office of the President staff and student employee portraits

UC President Neville Pinto

These awards are bestowed upon those students who best exemplify scholarship, leadership, character, service and the ideals of the University of Cincinnati. Awardees are invited to a special Spring dinner and recognition ceremony hosted by President Pinto. Winners will also be recognized during Spring or Summer 2026 Commencement ceremonies.

Recent or soon-to-graduate UC students, are encouraged to review the detailed qualifications and consider applying for this prestigious honor.

Application Details

Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence (undergraduate)

Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence 

The application period is now through November 3 for the undergraduate award. The applicatoin period for the graduate and professional students award opens in November.

Featured image at top: President Pinto stands with the 2024 awardees of the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and the Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence.

Impact Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

Related Stories

1

UC launches Bearcats Affordability Grant

January 7, 2026

The University of Cincinnati is making college more attainable for students across Ohio with the creation of the Bearcats Affordability Grant. The new grant will provide a pathway to tuition-free college for students of families who make less than $75,000 per year. Beginning in fall 2026, the Bearcats Affordability Grant will cover the remaining cost of tuition for Ohio residents who are Pell eligible.

2

Lindner graduate students shine in international simulation competition

November 10, 2025

Five master’s of information systems (MS IS) students took home fifth place out of 23 universities at the International ERPsim Competition hosted by HEC Montreal during the recent spring semester. The competition tests students’ knowledge of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and their ability to adapt to challenging business problems.

3

Sugar overload killing hearts

November 10, 2025

Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.