May 15, 2024: “Inclusive Excellence Awards and Recognition”
By Dr. John Johnson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
The Inclusive Excellence awards were established to highlight achievements in leadership, service and teaching and to recognize the numerous folks in our community who, in large and small ways, work to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism and accessibility. Last week, the 2nd Annual Inclusive Excellence Awards and Recognition Ceremony was held in the Reid Campus Center ballroom. A number of organizations and individuals were publicly recognized for their contributions to inclusive excellence in the last year. Award categories included recognition for inclusive excellence in leadership - awarded to a student organization, student and staff member; inclusive excellence in service—awarded to a student, staff and faculty member; and inclusive excellence in teaching—awarded to a faculty member. During the ceremony on May 9, we also announced the recipients of this year’s Class of 1986 Award, the Mohammed Nasir Khan Award and the David Nord Award.
Individual awards for inclusive excellence recognize those who move in ways that reflect our principles of inclusive excellence—diversity without dominance, equity without benevolence, inclusion without othering, belonging without assimilation, cultural humility, cultural wealth, and cultural pluralism. For individuals, this means someone who understands their role in amplifying the needs, concerns and voices of those most impacted. Someone who displays cultural humility and is actively engaged in their own learning journey. A person who is attentive and responsive to the campus climate for inclusion and allocates or marshals resources to advance inclusive excellence—including their own time and energy. For organizations, it involves service and/or creating opportunities for belonging and affirmation. Detailed information about each of the awards can be found here.
This year’s Inclusive Excellence Award recipients included:
Inclusive Excellence in Leadership - Individual
- Banyan Moss ’24 (student)
- Silivan Munguarakarama ’24 (student)
- Jeanine Gordon, Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach (staff)
Inclusive Excellence in Leadership - Organization
- Whitman Unidos
- FG/WC (First-Generation/Working Class) Club
Inclusive Excellence in Service
- Cleopatra Nabyonga ’26 (student)
- Nadine Stecklein,Assistant Director for Internship Programs (staff)
- John Hein, Head Women's Tennis Coach & Lecturer of Sport Studies (faculty)
Inclusive Excellence in Teaching
- Meiver De la Cruz, Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies (faculty)
In addition to the Inclusive Excellence Awards, the following awards were also announced last week:
Nasir Khan Award
- Baasil Pasha ’25 (student)
Class of 1986 Award
- Brandon A. Martinez-Serrano ’24 (student)
David Nord Award
- Nikki Brueggeman, Assistant Director for Career Readiness & Employer Engagement (staff)
Final Note: Staff in the Division of Inclusive Excellence, by rule, are not eligible for Inclusive Excellence Awards, but they make a meaningful and critical contribution to advancing inclusive excellence at the college. So special shout out and a thank you to Natasha, Cassandre, Tebraie, Adam and to the entire Inclusive Excellence Council!