Ana Mari Cauce, who recently concluded a decade as president of the University of Washington (UW), has been awarded the 2026 Charles E. Odegaard Award, the university's highest honor for leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Cauce's journey began in Havana, Cuba, where her father served as minister of education before the family fled to Miami during the Cuban Revolution. This experience instilled in her a belief that education is an invaluable possession. Following the tragic loss of her brother, a community organizer killed during an anti-Ku Klux Klan rally, Cauce was motivated to bridge her academic pursuits in psychology with activism. At UW, she launched the Race & Equity Initiative in 2015, urging the university community to confront biases and commit to change. Her initiatives, such as the Husky Promise, enabled low-income students to attend UW tuition-free. Cauce's leadership is characterized by empathy and authenticity, advocating for inclusive hiring and creating supportive spaces for marginalized students. As discussions around diversity and inclusion intensify, Cauce emphasizes that true excellence cannot exist without equity. The award will be celebrated at the Annual Celebration Gala on May 20 at the HUB.