Ohio University student Ava Wood receives statewide Charles J. Ping Student Service Award

The Community Campus Coalition has named Ohio University student Ava Wood as a recipient of the 2026 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award.

This statewide honor recognizes outstanding undergraduate leadership in community service and civic engagement.

The award is presented annually to one student from each Community Campus Coalition member institution who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community engagement both on campus and in the broader community.

Wood is a third-year student in the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College pursuing a degree in environmental studies, with minors in political science and English, and a Law, Justice, and Culture certificate. Her work reflects an ongoing focus on connecting student organizations with community-identified needs and expanding access to service opportunities.

In leadership roles within Ohio University Sorority and Fraternity Life, including Panhellenic vice president of philanthropy and service and Sigma Kappa vice president of philanthropy and service, Wood has coordinated initiatives that support both community partners and student engagement. These efforts include organizing “Sisterhood of the Traveling Dresses,” which provided more than 100 prom dresses and suits to local students, and leading fundraising initiatives that generated more than $13,500 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Additional projects have included collecting more than 500 school supplies for local schools and coordinating volunteer activities with regional partners.

Wood has also contributed to campus sustainability efforts through her role as an environmental affairs commissioner in Student Senate. During Homecoming Week, she organized a Greek Life recycling initiative that introduced permanent recycling infrastructure in chapter facilities and resulted in more than 60 pounds of materials diverted from landfills. The project focused on increasing access to recycling systems across participating organizations.

Her work has involved collaboration with campus and community partners, including the Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, the Ohio University Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio, and local schools across Athens County. Through these partnerships, she has supported program coordination, volunteer engagement and resource distribution efforts.

In addition to her community-engaged work, Wood serves as a presidential ambassador, a member of the Council of Student Leaders, and a student representative on the Ohio University Board of Trustees.

“Ava embodies the very spirit of Ohio University. She is a principled leader, a thoughtful collaborator and a student whose commitment to service reflects both personal conviction and deep institutional understanding,” said Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. “She leads with integrity, listens first and builds from the strengths already present in a community.”

The award is named in honor of Charles J. Ping, who served as president of Ohio University from 1975 to 1994 and was an advocate for campus-community partnerships and civic engagement in higher education.

Recipients of the Charles J. Ping Student Service Award are also eligible to compete for a $250 Legacy Award mini grant to support a nonprofit organization of their choice.

About the Community Campus Coalition

The Community Campus Coalition is a statewide nonprofit network of colleges and universities working collaboratively to advance the civic purposes of higher education through community engagement, service and partnership.