Alfred University students Sofia Pizarro Lobos and Lily Janik have been selected to receive the 2026 Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award. The pair was chosen from among 31 exceptional nominees for the prestigious honor.
Winners of the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award are chosen based on scholarship, extracurricular achievement, personal character and conduct, and nominations by faculty, students, staff, or alumni. The award was established to honor Alfred University alumnus Marlin Miller ’54, H ’89, H ’19 one of Alfred University’s most generous supporters. Miller was a member of Alfred University’s Board of Trustees for 50 years, from 1972-22, and is Board Chair emeritus.
Lobos, from Santiago, Chile, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and Culture Studies, with a minor in Political Science. She has been on the Dean’s List at Alfred University and is proficient in three languages—Spanish, English, and French—and is working on a fourth: Italian.
“This place became home away from home four years ago and offered me the opportunity of a new beginning,” Lobos said. “I feel honored to be awarded such recognition and humbled by the love I have received from the Alfred community.”
As a member of the Alfred University Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA) Lobos’ capstone created a summit set to start at Alfred University and continue to be co-hosted with Keuka College the following year. Lobos said this project “explores the ongoing relevance of contemporary gender equity and the intersectionality conversation for better access to justice.” The summit “aims to create conversations in the academic community and awareness of gender equity and how to achieve it in areas such as politics, mass media, and daily life.”
Lobos has been deeply involved in Alfred University during her time as a student here. In addition to enrolling in the WLA, she has been active in numerous activities and organizations. Most significant, perhaps, is the UNICEF Club, which she founded at Alfred University last August—with the aim of raising awareness of children’s rights—and for which she serves as president.
Serving as a Young Professionals Network Program apprentice for UNICEF USA, her work reflects her interest in the humanitarian sector by creating an analysis to better target youth participation in philanthropy. In 2024, while studying at the University of Lille, in Lille, France, she became involved in Linkee, a non-profit organization that supports students facing economic hardships by providing weekly food distributions.
While studying abroad, Lobos also volunteered for UNICEF and learned through the UNICEF Academy how to better advocate for children’s rights, and when she returned to Alfred, she worked with Angie Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer, to start the UNICEF Club on campus. Under her leadership, the club has grown to more than 60 student volunteers, raised more than $1,200 for children’s initiatives, and coordinated donations of toys and essential items to hospitals in Rochester and Buffalo.
She has also served as a Student Ambassador and Welcome Week guide for the Office of Admissions and the Center for Student Involvement; is a member of the International Student Association and the Student Activities Board; is a member of the Debate and Speech clubs; and has served as a social media intern for the Inamori School of Engineering and the Division of Performing Arts.
“Sofi is an incredibly bright young woman, and I feel she has taken full advantage of all that Alfred University has to offer. She has challenged herself academically, intellectually, and emotionally here at AU. She is one of the seniors in the Women’s Leadership Academy and is one of the brightest students I have had the pleasure of working with,” Abby Hurley, coordinator of Alfred University’s Judson Leadership Center, said in nominating Lobos for the award.
“Students like Sofi are what makes this work so special and meaningful. She is kind, ambitious, laser-focused, and so smart. She has spent her entire time thus far in the Women’s Leadership Academy program focused on how to make our community and our world a better place for her peers, for future generations, and is always thinking of others.”
“Sofi is a true global citizen, leader, advocate, and scholar. She is articulately outspoken in the best possible way about preserving and upholding the dignity of all humans by passionately advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, anti-fascism, geopolitical issues, climate change, and international relations,” Sarah Cote, clinical professor of English, said in her nomination. “Sofi is a dynamic leader. She is a charismatic representative of AU in her role at the Office of Admissions. She is an officer in several clubs and is often tabling at Powell Campus Center to solicit more participation and inclusion among her peers. She is a fantastic student who is never afraid to share her stories, give her opinion, and stand up for what is right. She does it all. She represents the light that AU shines and absolutely deserves this accolade.”
Janik, from Angola, NY, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree with four majors—communication studies, political science, global studies, and history—with minors in economics, international business, and Chinese language and culture. Janik contributed to the founding of Chinese Language and Culture minor last spring.
“Alfred University made me realize my potential as a student and a leader,” Janik commented. “My mentors and peers who believed in me gave me the courage to do things outside of the ordinary. This award is going to be the culmination of my college experience.”
An Alfred University Honors student, Janik is a Fulbright award semifinalist, awaiting a final acceptance decision; a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta, and Phi Sigma Lota honor societies; a recipient of the Robert Myers Global Studies Award, Social Science; and is a distinguished military graduate.
She is involved in a number of activities that demonstrate her extracurricular involvement on campus, including two clubs she founded: the Chinese Language and Culture Club (former president, current vice president), which she founded in 2025, and the Alfred SCUBA and Snorkeling Club, which she founded in 2024 and for which she serves as president. A member of the Saxon women’s lacrosse team in 2023, Janik is president of the Poker Club, treasurer for Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, and volunteered for the Hornell Humane Society.
Janik was a resident assistant for the 2022-23 school year and is a former writer for the Fiat Lux student newspaper. As a First Year Experience peer leader for Global Studies (August 2024-December 2025), she mentored and advised first-year students on course content and college life and managed student-made portfolios. In December 2024 and January 2025, she took part in a study abroad trip to Germany arranged through the College of Business that focused on the German automotive industry.
An Army ROTC cadet since January 2024, Janik served as cadet battalion commander of Golden Griffen Battalion in the fall of 2025 and currently serves as cadet executive officer for the battalion. She graduated Air Assault School in 2025 and upon graduation from Alfred in May will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, specializing in military intelligence.
“Lily demonstrates a rare synthesis of intellectual rigor, self-discipline, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Her journey in the Chinese program—progressing through six intensive stages of study—is a testament to her exceptional aptitude for mastering complex systems of knowledge,” Daisy Wu, clinical associate professor of music and language, said in her nomination of Janik for the Marling Miller award.
“Her achievement in passing the Chinese HSK 3 exam (which assesses Chinese learners’ abilities to use Chinese as a second language) and subsequently securing the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to Taiwan is more than a linguistic milestone; it reflects her ability to apply her intellectual talents toward challenging, long-term goals. While balancing the grueling demands of military training and leadership roles, she maintained a flawless attendance record and consistently delivered high-quality work. Lily does not just meet academic standards; she exceeds them through sheer intellectual grit, demonstrating the maturity to turn academic curiosity into a globally recognized achievement.”
“Lily’s growth at Alfred has been remarkable. I first met Lily as a prospective high school student and had her in my FYE (First Year Experience) class. It took about a year to find her path but once she did, around the summer of 2023, she became one of the most curious, productive, dedicated students I have met,” Andrew Kless, associate professor of history and global studies, said in his nomination, noting Janik’s decision to join ROTC, which added an extra year to her time graduation requirement, and saw her declare four majors and three minors.
“Lily is also a member of Alfred University’s Honors Program and is writing a senior thesis on UNESCO heritage sites and the economics of tourism in China, which combines the skillsets she’s picked up in her many majors and minors,” Kless continued, calling her status as a U.S. State Department Fulbright Fellowship English Teaching Assistant semi-finalist for Taiwan, “an enormous honor for Lily and Alfred University” which “will likely see her utilizing all that she has learned at Alfred to make a meaningful impact in Taiwan next year. Her open-mindedness, empathy, and drive to make connections will endear her to whichever Taiwanese community she lives and teaches in.”
Lobos and Janik will be honored during Commencement ceremonies on May 16, when they will offer comments to their classmates and others in attendance.
