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Juli Dajci Honored with Belle K. Ribicoff Prize

May 05, 2021
Submitted By: Office of Marketing and Communication
photo of Juli Dajci

Juli Dajci '21, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and current SGA president, is the 2021 recipient of the Belle K. Ribicoff Prize.

It is awarded annually to an exemplary graduating senior who has demonstrated academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, originality of thought, and a commitment to extracurricular activities and community service.

Pursuing a double major in political science and psychology, Dajci has distinguished himself as a young scholar committed to intellectual thought, academic and personal integrity, community life, and social justice.

The University has recognized his exceptional academic pursuits with numerous awards and scholarships. A University Honors student who has been on the President's and Dean's lists every semester, he was named the Herbert P. Schoen scholar in his second year for his academic excellence and a commitment to humanities and social sciences. He was the Humphrey Tonkin Emeriti Association Award recipient for two consecutive years for his intellectual curiosity and contributions to the community. In his junior year, he was a recipient of the Junior Regents Award for the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his outstanding GPA.

As a fellow in the PAYCE (Palestinian American Youth Civic Engagement) program in his first year, he traveled to Iowa to receive civic engagement training, working with Politics and Government Associate Professor Katharine Owens. This past fall, Dajci was the recipient of the University's John G. Martin and Marion A. Bills Scholarship to study at Oxford University, where he applied for the MPhil Politics (Political Theory) program.

Dajci has offered much to the University and the larger community in his time here, notes Mala L. Matacin, associate professor of psychology. Dajci has been a preceptor and a teaching assistant, served as a peer tutor at the Center for Reading and Writing and the Center for Student Success, and as a resident assistant. He was voted president of the Student Government Association for the 2020–21 academic year, becoming the first international student to serve in the role.

 “I predict that this young man will be one of the University's most prominent alumni,” Matacin says. “He has an upbeat personality, keen intelligence, quick wit, is a promising young scholar, and a leader in our community.”