Yashwant Prakash Vyas, assistant director of Diversity Resources in the University of Iowa Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, was awarded the 2020 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region IV-East Outstanding New Professional Award. This award is given for exemplary performance, active involvement in NASPA, and significant promise for future leadership roles in the student affairs profession. Vyas also received the NASPA NOW Professional Award for inclusion in 2019, which is the association level early career achievement award.   

Vyas serves on the UI Staff Council; coordinates various campuswide programs (Diversity Catalyst Seed Grant, Women’s Leadership Initiative, International Students Affinity Graduation, Alpha Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, Alliant Energy Scholarships); and serves on several university committees. He has presented peer-reviewed educational programs at the annual meetings of national and international scholarly professional associations such as the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE). He has developed and facilitated various leadership and diversity trainings/talks at national and international leadership events.

Vyas is a member of numerous honor societies including the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society. In May, he was awarded the 2020 Edward S. Blankenship Outstanding Staff Award from Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. 

NASPA is the largest association in student affairs with a diverse network of 15,000 professionals and 1,200 institutions around the world. NASPA Region IV-East encompasses the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota; and the Canadian province of Ontario.