Ainoo Earns Two Awards at ACPA Annual Conference

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Festus Cobena Ainoo, a second-year master of education candidate in higher education at the UMass Amherst College of Education, received two awards at the 2026 ACPA–College Student Educators International conference in Baltimore in early April. 

Ainoo was recognized with the Outstanding Master's Student Award from the Graduate Students and New Professionals Community of Practice, which honors graduate students who have made meaningful contributions to the student affairs profession through research, leadership, and service. He also received the Graduate Student Excellence Award from the Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development, which recognizes commitment to international education and advocacy for global student populations. 

At the conference, Ainoo presented a research poster titled "AI & Linguistic Justice," examining how artificial intelligence can be used to address linguistic inequities faced by international students in U.S. higher education. The project was featured as an endorsed program by the ACPA’s Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development and Pan African Network. 

Ainoo's research focuses on belonging, linguistic bias and systemic inequity in higher education. In addition to his studies in the Higher Education program, he serves as an assistant residence director for UMass Amherst. Ainoo is also director of the Ubuntu Rising Scholars Program, which has assisted thousands of students from Africa to advance their studies in the United States. He received his bachelor’s in education, history, and religion and human values from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana in 2021.