Honoring Excellence in Equity and Diversity

November 11, 2019

Four CBS undergraduates receive University Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) awards for academic achievement and equity work on campus.

2019 SEED Award Winners

CBS undergraduates (from left to right) Destiny Weaver, Issraa Hussein, Xianyi Xiong and Meredith Song were all named SEED recipients. 

Each fall, the University of Minnesota recognizes students from diverse backgrounds exemplifying excellence in their work in the classroom and on campus with Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) awards at the annual Equity and Diversity Breakfast. This year, four CBS undergraduates came away with the honors, demonstrating their efforts in their studies and their impact on the campus and local community. The 2019-20 SEED Award recipients from CBS include Meredith Song, Issraa Hussein, Destiny Weaver and Xianyi Xiong. 

President’s SEED Award for Academic Achievement

Meredith Song 
(Junior, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development; Gender, Women and Sexuality)

Meredith Song received the SEED award for her work on food security and activism, as well as representation in the sciences. She currently serves in leadership positions with numerous student groups on campus focused on food insecurity. She also had an art exhibit on underrepresented groups in biology on display at the Appleby Hall Art Gallery last academic year.

Sue W. Hancock SEEDs of Change Awards

Issraa Hussein
(Senior, Biology; Spanish)

Issraa Hussein received the SEED award for her work with the Students for Justice in Palestine group, as well as a teacher at a weekend school. As a Palestinian student herself, she hopes to help educate fellow students on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ways she and classmates can make an impact on pushing for a more just society in that region.

Destiny Weaver
(Senior, Neuroscience)

The University recognized Destiny Weaver with the SEED award for her work encouraging fellow students to pursue a future in the sciences. She worked with underrepresented students through the Northstar STEM Alliance, was a mentor in the CBS Dean’s Scholars program for first-year students, and has conducted research in psychology and neurology labs on campus.

Xianyi Xiong
(Senior, Biochemistry; Microbiology)

Xianyi Xiong received the SEED award for his work supporting fellow international students on campus. He worked at the University’s Center for Writing consulting in English and Mandarin, helped redesign lab projects as a teaching assistant in a biology course to help students focus on understand different backgrounds and cultures. He aims to eventually work as an entrepreneurial ecologist as a means to improve ecosystem functioning and better understand human interactions