Your 2025 Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Award Winners (T–W)

Kate Hevner Mueller served Indiana University from 1937 to 1969 as Dean of Women, Senior Counselor for Women, and Professor of Education. Dr. Mueller was a national pioneer for women professionals and developed the Master’s Program in College Student Personnel (Higher Education and Student Affairs) at Indiana University in the early 1950s. The Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Awards were established in 2013 to honor IU seniors who have proven leadership on campus both inside and outside of the classroom and who have improved the IU community through their presence. 

This year, Indiana University selected 26 outstanding recipients for the Kate Hevner Mueller Outstanding Senior Award. In this article, we’re congratulating Allison Taube, Aaron Columna Toland, Lucia Walker, and Hannah Warren for their ability to represent Dr. Mueller’s essential goals of the university: to promote intellect, develop personality, and inspire citizenship and leadership to all students.

Allison Taube

Allison Taube, a Hudson and Holland Scholar, is completing a major in Community Health with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies in the School of Public Health. She has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Carolyn Ford Award, Jeremy Witkemper Memorial Award, Student Employee of the Year, and the Outstanding Diversity and Inclusion Award. 

As President of the Filipino American Association (FAA) at IU, Allison led efforts to promote Filipino culture through campus-wide cultural and social programming. Under her leadership, the FAA achieved a “Gold Status” partnership with the Asian Culture Center, and she successfully advocated for the creation of a for-credit Tagalog course at IU. Allison also served as a peer educator for harm reduction, conducting outreach to educate students on health and safety practices. Through her involvement in the Intensive First-Year Seminar program, she coordinated events to support and engage incoming students as they transitioned into university life. She further expanded her global health perspective by participating in the Public Health and Healthcare Delivery Systems in Iceland program led by Dr. Priscilla Barnes. 

Acknowledgements: “I’ve been fortunate to have many supporters throughout my time at IU, but I’d like to especially thank staff members Sarah Robertson, Sam Reitz, Daniel Sullivan, and Melanie Castillo-Cullather for their unwavering support and guidance. Their encouragement played a pivotal role in my success, and I am deeply grateful for the impact they’ve had on my journey.” 

Aaron Columna Toland

Aaron Columna Toland, a Hudson and Holland Scholar, is majoring in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in International Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. His academic achievements have earned him the Cox Research Scholarship, Howard W. Fieber Scholarship, Shreve Scholarship, and Irene W. Meister Scholarship. 

Aaron has been deeply engaged in academic and civic life at IU. He served as President of the Undergraduate Education Student Advisory Board and as Director of Academic Affairs for Indiana University Student Government. He also volunteered as a Portuguese teacher at a local elementary school and worked as a calculus tutor. Over the course of four years, Aaron contributed to university research as a research assistant and gained hands-on political experience as the deputy field director for a local campaign. He expanded his global perspective through the ASPIRE Exchange program in Ecuador and completed internships at both the White House and the Indiana Statehouse. 

Acknowledgements: “I want to thank all the professors, friends, and staff who have supported me throughout my academic career. I also want to thank my family for putting me in a position to succeed.” 

Lucia Walker

Lucia Walker came to Indiana University as a recipient of the Provost’s Scholarship, Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, and IU Herbert Presidential Scholarship. She is majoring in Arts Management in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and has also received the Hutton International Experiences Grant, the Browning Scholarship, and the Bayh Family Scholarship. 

Lucia performs with and serves as Student Manager for the Singing Hoosiers, a Grammy-nominated ensemble of the Jacobs School of Music. She is President of the IU Lilly Scholars Network, a statewide scholar organization dedicated to leadership and service. A member of the O’Neill Honors Program, she also serves as a Student Leadership Coordinator for the O’Neill Leadership Program and the Arts Administration Practicum course. Lucia works as an Assistant House Manager for the IU Theatre Department and has gained extensive experience in arts administration through internships with the Indiana Arts Commission, Center for Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, and Spoleto Festival USA. 

Acknowledgements: “Thank you to all of those who have mentored and supported me throughout my time at Indiana University—especially Dr. Chris Albanese, Megan Starnes, Julia Driscoll, Dr. Ursula Kuhar, and Professor Karen Gahl-Mills. Thank you also to the Lilly Endowment and to the Office of Scholarships for making this life-changing educational experience possible. Lastly, thank you to my family for your continuous support!” 

Hannah Warren

Hannah Warren, a Hudson and Holland Scholar, is majoring in Secondary Social Studies Education in the School of Education, with minors in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Her academic excellence and leadership have been recognized with the Elder Watson Diggs Endowed Scholarship Award, the Frederick R. and Patricia Barry Smith Scholarship Award, the Joe Russell Leadership Award, and the AAADS Dean’s List Award. 

Hannah served as President of the AAADS Undergraduate Student Association for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years. She also held the role of Secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Tau Chapter, and served as Vice President of the School of Education’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Beyond campus, Hannah works in the nonprofit sector with Future Black Leaders, Inc., where she serves as the Chief College Ambassador Coordinator, further demonstrating her commitment to mentorship, service, and community empowerment. 

Acknowledgements: “Thank you to my loved ones, mentors, and peers for the consistent support throughout my time at Indiana University. To God be the glory!”