University Commendations for Leadership and Service Recipient

Christopher Ortega Saavedra is a first‑generation student and Marine Corps veteran graduating with a degree in biology. He founded the Pre‑Health Student Alliance, uniting 10 student groups to promote collaboration among future healthcare providers, and the Pre‑Pharmacy Student Association, where he helped secure an Early Assurance Program partnership with the UNC Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Saavedra is a member of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and has conducted research on SNARE proteins and uncharacterized ORF genes as an honors undergraduate researcher in the Chi Lab.