Three CU community members honored with Thomas Jefferson Awards
The University of Colorado has announced three recipients of the 2026 Thomas Jefferson Awards, one of the university’s highest honors. The award recognizes members of the CU community who exemplify the ideals of Thomas Jefferson, including a commitment to educational excellence, broad interests, civic responsibility and the welfare of individuals.
This year’s honorees are:
Lilia Cervantes, M.D., Director of Immigrant Research and Professor in the Department of Medicine at CU Anschutz
Art Figel, Director of Student IT Services at CU system administration
Hei-Yong Lo, Physician in the CU Medical Scientist Training Program at CU Anschutz
The 2026 Thomas Jefferson Award recipients were celebrated at two receptions recognizing their extraordinary contributions to CU and the broader community. Figel was honored April 29 at 1800 Grant St., where colleagues and university leaders gathered to recognize his decades of service and civic leadership. Cervantes and Lo were honored May 1 at CU Anschutz, celebrating their transformative work in advancing health equity, scholarship and compassionate care.
Learn more about the honorees:
Lilia Cervantes
Lilia “Lily” Cervantes, M.D., is a nationally recognized physician-scientist, educator and advocate whose work has transformed health care policy and access for some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. A tenured professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at CU Anschutz, she has dedicated her career to reducing health disparities through rigorous research, compassionate clinical care and bold civic leadership. Her work exemplifies the highest ideals of the Thomas Jefferson Award – uniting intellectual excellence with a profound commitment to the welfare and dignity of individuals.
Driven by firsthand experiences caring for undocumented patients facing life-threatening barriers to care, Cervantes launched a groundbreaking body of research that documented the human and systemic consequences of unjust health policies. Her work directly led to a landmark change in Colorado Medicaid policy, expanding access to life-sustaining dialysis for undocumented immigrants – a reform that has saved lives, reduced suffering and lowered costs. This model has since influenced policy changes in multiple states and informed national conversations on access to care for undocumented immigrants. Beyond kidney care, she has led efforts to expand access to peritoneal dialysis, treatment of chronic conditions and other essential services, consistently translating evidence into meaningful, large-scale policy change.
Equally consequential is Cervantes’ commitment to education, mentorship and community partnership. She has founded and led innovative pipeline programs to increase diversity in the health professions, mentored a generation of physician-advocates and elevated the voices of marginalized communities in shaping research and policy. Her leadership bridges medicine, public health and civic engagement, demonstrating how scholarship can drive systemic change while remaining grounded in compassion and human dignity.
Through her visionary leadership, unwavering moral clarity and sustained dedication to justice, Cervantes has reshaped systems of care and expanded opportunities for countless individuals and families. Her work stands as a powerful example of how one individual, guided by purpose and principle, can advance the public good and transform lives.
Art Figel
For more than three decades, Art Figel has exemplified the ideals of the Thomas Jefferson Award through his leadership in higher education, sustained civic engagement and deep commitment to the welfare and rights of individuals. As Director of Student IT Services for the CU system, Figel has played a key role in strengthening student-facing technology across the university, helping ensure that more than 67,000 students across CU’s four campuses benefit from accessible, reliable and student-centered systems. His leadership has strengthened systemwide student IT services, modernized enterprise student systems and advanced equitable access to educational resources in direct support of student success.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Figel has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to public service and community leadership. He has been actively involved in initiatives that foster cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, including service with community-based organizations and advisory bodies focused on equity, inclusion and opportunity, such as the Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance, the Center for Diverse Communities, Boulder County Community Action Programs and the city of Boulder’s Human Relations Commission. He currently serves as chair of the board of Motus Theater, where he supports community dialogue, civic engagement and systems-level change through storytelling, arts-based collaboration and advocacy. Through his civic and nonprofit work, he has helped elevate underrepresented voices, strengthen community connections and support meaningful participation in public life.
Figel’s work reflects an integration of intellectual rigor, compassion and principled leadership. Whether supporting students through institutional systems, contributing to community organizations or advancing inclusive practices, his efforts consistently reflect a commitment to the public good. His lifelong dedication to higher education, civic engagement and human dignity embodies the Jeffersonian ideals this award honors.
Hei-Yong Lo
Hei-Yong (Grant) Lo is an exceptional physician-scientist in training whose work bridges scientific discovery, humanistic medicine and community leadership. As a CU Anschutz student in the School of Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program, he has distinguished himself through academic excellence, innovative research and a deeply reflective approach to patient care. His unique integration of the arts and sciences exemplifies the Jeffersonian ideal of intellectual breadth in service to humanity.
Lo’s scholarly contributions span biomedical research and the humanities. A prolific researcher with multiple high-impact publications, he has developed novel techniques to study RNA localization while also mentoring students and contributing to graduate education. He also is an accomplished writer and poet, using narrative and reflection to explore the emotional and ethical dimensions of medicine. His work – including his poetry collection “My patients raised me” – has helped faculty and peers better understand the lived experiences of patients and the formation of compassionate physicians.
His leadership and service have had a lasting impact on the university community. Lo founded and led efforts to integrate the M.D./Ph.D. curriculum with the School of Medicine’s Trek Curriculum, mentored numerous trainees and organized collaborative academic forums that strengthened interdisciplinary learning. He also has advanced initiatives to foster inclusion and support within academic environments, reflecting a strong commitment to civic responsibility and the advancement of higher education.
Equally notable is Lo’s profound dedication to the welfare and dignity of individuals. In clinical settings, he is recognized for his compassion, respect for patient autonomy and ability to connect deeply with patients and families. His work co-founding the “Connecting Our Patient Experiences” initiative further demonstrates his commitment to addressing the emotional needs of patients facing serious diagnoses. Through his scholarship, service and humanistic care, Lo embodies the values of empathy, curiosity and public purpose that define the Thomas Jefferson Award.
The Thomas Jefferson Award is presented annually across the CU system to faculty, staff and/or students whose achievements embody Jefferson’s ideals and contribute to the advancement of higher education and society. Award winners – who are selected by a committee of CU faculty, staff and students – receive an engraved plaque and a $2,000 honorarium.
The next deadline for nomination submissions is Jan. 15, 2027. Please visit https://www.cu.edu/oaa/recognitions/thomas-jefferson-award for award details.
Questions? Please contact academicaffairs@cu.edu.