Beacon of Hope
Mental Health Champion Award

Oregon State University is dedicated to strengthening mental health and well-being by recognizing and celebrating efforts that help create a welcoming, safe, and supportive campus environment. The Beacon of Hope Mental Health Champion Award honors individuals and groups whose primary roles are not centered in mental health, yet who intentionally weave care, awareness, and advocacy into their everyday work or relationships. 

Each year, one Beacon of Hope Mental Health Champion Award will be presented.

Pillars of the Award: Recipients typically demonstrate one or more of the following qualities, which also serve as award criteria:

• They go above and beyond to contribute to mental well-being.
• They contribute to shifting campus culture by reducing stigma around mental health.
• They help increase awareness of and access to mental health resources.
• Although their primary position is not centered around mental health, they have made meaningful contributions to mental health awareness, advocacy, or support.

Additional eligibility requirements:

• Faculty & Staff: All OSU Cascades–affiliated faculty, staff, and other professionals are eligible if they are employed at a minimum of 0.5 FTE or at least 20 hours per week.
• Students: All OSU Cascades students and student-led groups (clubs, non-profits organizations, campus departments, etc.), including undergraduates, graduates, post-docs, professional students, clubs, non-profit organizations, and campus departments are eligible if they are enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.

Group, individual, and self-nominations are all welcome and nominations are encouraged from all OSU campuses and affiliated locations.

Important: Please do not nominate individuals or groups whose primary occupation is directly affiliated with mental health initiatives. This award is intended to recognize those who promote mental well-being outside of their formal professional responsibilities.

Nominations for the 2026 awards are closed.

Please notify any potential nominees before submitting a nomination to ensure informed consent.

To be considered, nomination submissions must:

• Meet eligibility criteria listed in the section above.

• Include specific examples of tangible impact — interpersonal or large-scale (all levels of impact are valued).

• Be submitted by the deadline.

All nominations will be thoughtfully and transparently reviewed by the selection committee. Nominations may be submitted by others or as self-nominations.

The 2026 awards will be presented during the Data Walk on June 1, 2026 in Ray Hall. Time TBD. 

Each award includes:

• An engraved crystal plaque.

• A $250 monetary award (to be shared among group recipients).

• A digital Beacon of Hope Mental Health Champion badge (as seen at the top of this webpage).

Award recipients will be featured in a dedicated spotlight on the Beacon of Hope Award web page.

A transparent selection process is conducted by the OSU Cascades Beacon of Hope Awards Committee.

OSU Cascades Student Health & Wellness is committed to fostering a campus culture rooted in understanding, care, respect, and mental well-being. Inquiries about student-led programs or volunteer opportunities may be directed to Student.Wellness@osucascades.edu.