Matthew Chagares is being recognized for his leadership contributions to many communities on Columbia’s campus. Matthew is the President of the Columbia Society for Baseball Research, President of the Political Science Students Association, a Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of History, and the Young Alumni Director for the Columbia College Student Ambassadors. During his time as President of the Society for Baseball Research, for instance, he led the Society to be published in the nation’s premier baseball research journal and helped grow the club four-fold. Matthew has also planned initiatives to increase student knowledge about government, edited and published numerous historical papers, and created valuable connections between Columbia alumni and students. In the classroom, Matthew has focused his studies on history and politics. He recently completed his senior history thesis on the American Biological Warfare Program during World War II.