The University of Colorado has named Hannah Wilks and Wesley Marshall as recipients of the 2025 Thomas Jefferson Award, an honor given to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to educational excellence, civic responsibility, and the welfare of others.
Hannah Wilks serves as assistant dean of students at CU Boulder. Over her 17-year tenure, she has held various roles focused on advancing equity and providing essential resources to the university community. Wilks founded and directed CU Boulder’s Basic Needs Center, which was the first office of its kind on campus. The center operates programs such as the Buff Pantry and Mobile Food Pantry, providing meals and addressing food insecurity for thousands in the university community. She has also established more than 150 partnerships with organizations at local, national, and international levels.
Wilks’ involvement extends beyond CU Boulder through her board membership on the Colorado Agricultural Development Authority and co-founding the Colorado Higher Education Basic Needs Coalition. Her work has included appointments by Gov. Polis and former Gov. Hickenlooper.
“Hannah Wilks’ work reflects the Jeffersonian ideal of civic responsibility, combining leadership, public service and a commitment to the welfare of individuals.” Wilks will be recognized at a reception scheduled for September 26 in Boulder.
Wesley Marshall is a professor in Civil Engineering and Urban and Regional Planning at CU Denver. Since joining CU Denver in 2009, he has served as associate chair of his department and directs both the Transportation Research Center and Human-Centered Transportation program. His research focuses on how community design impacts safety, sustainability, and health. Marshall’s work includes over 100 peer-reviewed publications and more than $6 million in funding for transportation research projects.
His scholarship has been featured by several media outlets including The Atlantic, NPR’s Science Friday, and The Washington Post. In 2024 he published “Killed by a Traffic Engineer,” a book that addresses transportation policy for general audiences.
Marshall is also recognized for his teaching efforts; he has received multiple awards from CU Denver for research and teaching excellence. He works to promote diversity within engineering through federal Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) funding that supports graduate students from underrepresented groups.
“He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia, founded by Jefferson. Marshall learned and witnessed Jeffersonian ideals daily during his four years of study there, an experience he carries with him throughout his work today.” Marshall will be honored at an event on October 2 in Denver.
The Thomas Jefferson Award is presented annually across all campuses within the University of Colorado system to faculty, staff or students whose achievements reflect Jefferson’s values while contributing to higher education or society as a whole. Recipients are selected by a committee made up of faculty, staff, and students from across CU campuses; each winner receives an engraved plaque along with a $2,000 honorarium.
Nominations for next year’s award are open until December 8; additional information can be found at https://www.cu.edu/oaa/recognitions/thomas-jefferson-award.
