Honoring the 2026 President’s Community Engagement Awardees

MCW 12th Annual President's Community Engagement Awards honorees and presenters from left to right: Dr. Brian Jackson, Joshua Liston-Zawadi, Dr. Staci A. Young, Darryl Davidson, Dr. Jean Mallett, Dr. John R. Raymond, and Crystal Jushka. Honorees not pictured: Ricardo Aguilar, Zandra Clevert, and Adileen Sii.

On Friday, May 8, Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) faculty, staff, learners, and community partners who embody the institution's commitment to community engagement were recognized at the 12th annual President's Community Engagement Awards.

The awards ceremony is coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement (OCE), whose mission is to bolster community engagement as a core pillar of MCW. Community engagement – mutually beneficial partnerships between institutions and communities – helps ensure research, patient care, and advocacy efforts are not disconnected from the groups they impact.

Thanks to OCE’s work, MCW recently was awarded a continuation of its Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a distinction awarded to institutions demonstrating high levels of community engagement. MCW is one of only seven medical schools across the country to receive this recognition.

“The President’s Community Engagement Awards were created to recognize and elevate individuals and partners who exemplify excellence in community-engaged work,” says Staci A. Young, PhD, director of the OCE. “Their work has strengthened communities, informed policies, and improved health outcomes, all while building lasting, trust-based partnerships.”

Milwaukee-Based Community Engagement

During the ceremony, four awards were presented: Community Partner and Program, MCW Faculty, MCW Staff, and MCW Student.

This year, there were two recipients of the Community Partner and Program award. The first went to Joshua Liston-Zawadi, co-founder and executive director of Life Redefined MKE, and founder of Dad Doula University. Liston-Zawadi’s work advances fatherhood resources and Black maternal health outcomes through culturally responsive programming and accessible education on social media.

The second Community Partner and Program awardee was Darryl Davidson, MS, director of the City of Milwaukee’s Community Engagement and Achievement Collaboration. Davidson’s work spans multiple domains and includes developing fatherhood resources, promoting men’s colorectal cancer education, and serving as a community advisor for injury prevention initiatives.

“None of us are going to get better until all of us are better,” says Davidson. “The most meaningful work happens when we work across communities and across languages. We need to remember we’re one humanity.”

Beginning next year, the Community Partner and Program award will be renamed in honor of John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, president and CEO of MCW, who has championed community engagement as a core goal of MCW.

“This year’s honorees exemplify the spirit of community engagement that we seek here at MCW,” says Dr. Raymond. “They have engaged in meaningful collaboration and demonstrated a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of people and communities throughout our region. Their strong, bi-directional partnerships have exchanged knowledge, skills, experience, and resources.”

Community Engagement Rooted at MCW

The Staff Award went to four staff members from the Office of Academic Pathways: Jean Mallett, DrPH, MBA, program director; Zandra Clevert, program coordinator; Crystal Jushka, MEd, program manager; and Ricardo Aguilar, MSEd, program coordinator. They spearhead MCW’s Health Science and Medical Career Pathway Programs, initiatives that introduce students to healthcare and science careers through hands-on experiences and mentorship.

“It brings me great joy to watch students achieve their dreams,” says Dr. Mallett, who also recognized the pathway program alumni who are now current MCW students in attendance. “We get to pour into young people and see the vision they have for themselves. I am forever grateful they trust us to do that.”

Adileen Sii, third-year medical student at MCW-Milwaukee, received the MCW Student Award. Si was the co-president of MCW’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association and serves on the organization’s national advocacy committee. She organized community health clinic screenings, created an Asian American faculty and alumni database to support mentorship and representation, and led MCW’s first Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Cultural Celebration Week.

The MCW Faculty award went to Brian Jackson, MS, EdD, assistant professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity and a member of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Dr. Jackson works to strengthen trust between Tribal Nations and academic institutions, crafting culturally relevant Indigenous curriculum, developing mentorship pipelines for Indigenous students, and leading community-based research initiatives.

After accepting his award, Dr. Jackson shared an anecdote about his son’s friend asking what he did for work and how he could follow the same path.

“That’s the whole meaning of community engagement, right?” says Dr. Jackson. “We want to have a reflection of ourselves in our communities so others can envision the same path. If I can help play that small role and advocate for that, the bridges will be built deeper.”