The League for Innovation in the Community College is pleased to announce the selection of the 2024-2025 Terry O’Banion Student Technology Award winners. The awards are presented to students pursuing their education and a career in technology, and given annually in honor of Terry O’Banion, Senior League Fellow and President Emeritus of the League.

Award winners are designated as Student Technology Champion or Student Developer Champion. Student Technology Champion awards are presented to students with a career interest in a technology field. Student Developer Champion awards are presented to students with a career focus specifically in software development. Each winner will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to be used toward their educational expenses and a plaque commemorating their achievement. Award winners will be announced at the Innovations Conference in March 2025.

These outstanding students demonstrate a passion for technology, a commitment to their education and community, and financial need.

Student Developer Champion: Dhruv Sethi, Middlesex College

Dhruv Sethi plans to pursue a career in software development and engineering, with a focus on leveraging his skills in artificial intelligence. His goal is to contribute to innovative projects that combine advanced machine learning techniques with practical application development to solve real-world problems. Sethi excels in solving complex problems with efficient solutions. As president of the Computer Science Club, he organized workshops on Google Cloud, Python, Docker, Linux, and web development, benefiting over 120 members. He also founded the GitHub Club, teaching and guiding 60+ members to GitHub certification. According to Dhruv Chunawala, Faculty, Business and Computer Science, Sethi’s “leadership, dedication to empowering others, and technical prowess make him a true champion in the student developer community.” He has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, reflecting his commitment to excellence.

Student Technology Champion: Chris Wise, Cuyahoga Community College

Chris Wise’s goal is to become a cybersecurity engineer. He supplements his formal education with self-study in programming languages, development environments, cybersecurity tools, and industry certifications, and proactively works with college faculty to design honors projects as part of his degree. His latest honors project—developing a Python-based cybersecurity application that will detect and secure sensitive information—exemplifies his drive. In addition, he successfully completed an internship, where he developed solutions for the college ITS department’s user support services. Wise is known among his peers for his collaborative attitude and eagerness to assist colleagues with challenging tasks. Wise was on the Dean’s List in 2023 and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. According to Karen Miller, Provost and Executive Vice President, Wise “embodies the qualities of a Student Technology Champion through his resilience, dedication, and commitment.”

Learn more about the Terry O'Banion Student Technology Awards here.