This year’s Urvashi Vaid Award for Social Change recognized two outstanding Mixner Fellows: Shivani Ramsaran and Annabel Savarese. The award recognizes emerging advocates for LGBTQ+ causes, and it is given in honor of Urvashi Vaid, a trailblazing leader for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, who passed away in 2022.
Shivani Ramsaran is a senior in the Powell School’s Psychology BA/MA program with a minor in Public Policy. She is a Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellow, passionate about advocacy and local community outreach. Ramsaran also serves as the Co-President of the Macaulay Queer Alliance, where she has helped organize fundraising initiatives for organizations such as The Trevor Project and the Ali Forney Center. This summer, she will intern at SAGE to support and strengthen their volunteer efforts in service of LGBTQ+ elders.
Also honored is Annabel Savarese, Annabel Savarese is a third-year Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College majoring in Public Health and Psychology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She is interested in the intersections of society, psychology, and health, particularly surrounding underserved populations. As a Mixner LGBTQ rights fellow and the vice-president of Hunter’s Queer student union, she is dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ+ populations both through community work and through her research. Annabel is on track to graduate in Spring 2026 and plans to pursue an MPH or Ph.D. post-graduation. She hopes to use the skills learned through her fellowship and coursework to serve her community and promote impactful change. This summer, she will be participating in The Trevor Project’s Summer Practicum Program, which will train her to work with LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.
