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Campus Life

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú recognizes faculty, staff, and students who promote inclusive excellence

The annual awards ceremony celebrates day-to-day work to support ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s commitment to advancing a more inclusive ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

Recipients of the University Diversity and Inclusion Awards
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University faculty, staff, and students who embrace diversity and inclusion in their positions and across campus were honored with University Inclusive Excellence Awards. From left to right, the recipients are Patti Liberatore, Joyce Fernandes, Wilnelly Ventura-Valentin, Carolyn Craig, Brian Kirkmeyer, Keisha Norris, Ande Durojaiye, Payton Smith, Seth Seward, Gwenmarie Ewing, and Cristina Alcalde. (Photo by Scott Kissell)
Campus Life

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú recognizes faculty, staff, and students who promote inclusive excellence

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University faculty, staff, and students who embrace diversity and inclusion in their positions and across campus were honored with University Inclusive Excellence Awards. From left to right, the recipients are Patti Liberatore, Joyce Fernandes, Wilnelly Ventura-Valentin, Carolyn Craig, Brian Kirkmeyer, Keisha Norris, Ande Durojaiye, Payton Smith, Seth Seward, Gwenmarie Ewing, and Cristina Alcalde. (Photo by Scott Kissell)

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University faculty, staff, and students who embrace diversity and inclusion in their positions and across campus were honored Friday with University Inclusive Excellence Awards.

Cristina Alcalde, vice president of the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence, said this work is “critical for all of us to thrive” at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.

“It’s important to recognize and celebrate work done to advance diversity and inclusion because these efforts contribute to a stronger ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and a stronger society by increasing knowledge and contributing to belonging and to understanding across experiences and differences,” she said.

Ray of Light Award

This award recognizes members of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community who have demonstrated, advanced, or promoted activities, programs, or actions supporting campus efforts to help enrich the experiences for faculty, staff, and students.

Seth Seward, assistant director of Alumni Relations

Keisha Norris, assistant director of Advising and Student Initiatives, College of Engineering and Computing

Undergraduate Student and Graduate Student Advocate Awards

This award recognizes a current student who has worked tirelessly on campus and/or the local community to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. This could have been accomplished through programming, policy, community building, and/or other initiatives to support ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s commitment to an inclusive campus community.

Payton Smith, a senior majoring in Business Economics

Wilnelly Ventura-Valentín, a Ph.D. candidate in Geology

Distinguished Service Award

This award recognizes the creative/academic contributions of a unit steeped in a consistent record of service that has highlighted or supported diversity and inclusion or directly shaped and positively affected the meaning and understanding of diversity and inclusion on campus.

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Advisory Board

Event of the Year

This award recognizes an individual or group who hosted an event or series that engaged the campus community in a meaningful diversity and inclusion experience. The event was a collaborative effort with various campus stakeholders to extend the scope and impact of the event on campus.

Electric Root Festival

will be held May 4 in uptown Oxford.

Institutional Inclusive Excellence

This award recognizes trailblazers on campus who have led or impacted a policy shift, innovative programming, or demonstrated scholarly opportunities for the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community to engage in diversity and inclusion activities directly on campus.

Ande Durojaiye, vice president and dean of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Regionals, College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences

Patti Liberatore, assistant dean of external relations for the College of Creative Arts and executive director of the Performing Arts Series