The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has announced Nishi Ravi, a PhD candidate in Counseling Psychology at Marquette University, as one of the five recipients of the 2025 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. This annual award honors graduate students who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential in higher education and are dedicated to fostering equity, community engagement, and innovative teaching.
Named after K. Patricia Cross, a renowned professor and researcher in higher education at the University of California–Berkeley, the award highlights emerging scholars committed to academic transformation.
Before pursuing her doctorate at Marquette, Ravi studied at the University of Edinburgh and gained experience in both public and private sectors in the UK. She later established her own private practice in India. Beyond her academic work, she has a keen interest in psychoanalysis, travel, and literature.
The recipients of the 2025 award were officially honored at the AAC&U Annual Meeting’s opening plenary session in Washington, DC. Ravi is also actively engaged in multiple professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, the Wisconsin Psychoanalytic Association, the Counsellor Council of India, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.
The K. Patricia Cross Award is open to doctoral-level graduate students aspiring to careers in higher education. Students in fields where a master’s degree is considered the final academic qualification are also eligible, provided they receive a faculty or administrative nomination.
AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella commended the winners, saying, “This year’s honorees exemplify the dedication to excellence in teaching, scholarship, leadership, and civic engagement that Pat Cross upheld throughout her remarkable career.”
AAC&U is a global membership organization focused on advancing the democratic mission of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education.
