University News
Excellence in Diversity Reception; Award Winners Announced
May 5, 2009
MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University's 20th annual Excellence in Diversity Awards Reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, May 14 in the University Union Lamoine Room on the WIU-Macomb campus. Select groups and individuals will be recognized for Excellence in Diversity and Multicultural Leadership, and one individual will receive the 2009 Equal Opportunity and Access Director's Award.
The reception is open to all members of the University's Macomb and Quad Cities communities. Eric Mansfield, educational and interdisciplinary studies professor, will be this year's featured speaker.
The awards, which are presented by President Al Goldfarb, are designed to celebrate diversity and multicultural leadership efforts that have advanced Western's Strategic Plan "Higher Values in Higher Education," increased diversity and created a campus climate that welcomes and supports all individuals. Awards are given based on the individual or unit's diverse multicultural activities, initiatives or goals and their implementation; how these activities increased awareness of, or sensitivity to, diversity and multiculturalism; and the results or benefits of and how this activity, program or service goes above and beyond everyday job responsibilities.
University faculty, staff and administrators receiving 2009 awards include:
Excellence in Leadership Award: Assistant Director of Student Activities Joan Maze was cited for planning many of the diversity activities for the Office of Student Activities (OSA). She is an active member of the University's Diversity Council and she is the co-coordinator of Minority Health Month activities. Within her work in OSA, Maze developed C.R.A.S.H. (Creating Relationships and Advocating Social Humanity), a diversity training student organization, and she is also the director of Western's Learning to Lead program. During her years at WIU, Maze has coordinated the Students of Color graduation banquet, worked with the Dealing with Difference Institute, made diversity presentations to classes and organizations and she has become an advocate for Western's community of minority students. She also advises the traditionally Black fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, as well as the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority.
Excellence in Service Award: Jo-Ann Morgan, associate professor of African American studies and art, was praised for actively promoting diversity within her classroom and the community. She developed and hosts the University Television Channel 3 show, "15 Minutes," and as part of the show, she finds guests from the WIU and Macomb communities who have diverse backgrounds with whom she discusses topics with multicultural themes. Morgan also created the "African American Studies Today" lecture series at WIU and was instrumental in designing the African-American studies department flat sheet flier for potential undergraduate students, as well as for the graduate program in African Diaspora Studies. She has served as a presenter for the WIU journalism department's "The Past, Present and Future of Minority Media" discussion, and she has given African-American history presentation to local elementary school children.
Excellence in Education Award: Rachel Smith, an instructor in recreation, park and tourism administration, was recognized for her work with Western's Disability Awareness Day (DAD), as well as other disability awareness activities on the WIU campus. Smith assists with the implementation of DAD activities and also requires her classes to create an activity as a class project. As part of DAD, Smith also organizes the wheelchair basketball tournament in her role as adviser to the student organization, Student Therapeutic Recreation Society (STRS). She has also served as a discussion facilitator for the annual student, faculty and staff panel on disabilities, and has held a viewing of "Murderball" and follow-up discussion on the documentary, which focuses on wheelchair rugby. Smith is a member of the ADA Advisory Council, and was a key force in the purchase of the accessible golf cart at WIU's Harry Mussatto Golf Course.
Excellence in Service Community Involvement Award: John Cooper, professor in the School of Music, was cited for his involvement in the Peoria, IL-based Heritage Ensemble, a chorale ensemble whose mission is to celebrate African American history and culture through music. Cooper has played an integral role in the development and implementation of the ensemble's mission by serving as a musician at concerts. Cooper ensures successful performances of rarely performed works, and conducts multiple solo performances with the ensemble. In addition, Cooper also facilitates the involvement of the Hooper Faculty Jazztet and Jazz Studio Orchestra with the Heritage Ensemble, and serves as the contractor for musicians for major concerts. His collaboration has provided the tri-county area of Peoria, Tazewell and McDonough counties to experience musical art that otherwise would not be available.
WIU students receiving 2009 awards include:
Excellence in Service Student Award: Jamar Orr, a college student personnel graduate student from Chicago, was recognized for his work as an outstanding social justice advocate. He has served as the adviser of C.R.A.S.H. and also coordinated the Campus Dialogue on Multicultural Issues Day, a weeklong collaborative campuswide program. He assisted with Minority Health Month planning and also advised the Bayliss-Henninger halls spring Diversity CREW program that focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered awareness. Orr also planned and facilitated Minority Student Orientation.
Excellence in Education Student Award: Laura Glowacki, a senior social work major from Harvard IL), was recognized for her participation as a student member of the University's Web Accessibility Committee, and for conducting web accessibility demonstrations at the faculty/staff disability awareness seminar. Glowacki has also participated as a volunteer for the annual Disability Awareness Day.
University students and employees receiving 2009 Special Recognition for Diversity Efforts include:
Venson Curington II for serving as a campus tour guide for multicultural group visits.
David Downing for developing diversity education programs and services in Thompson Hall through his role as an assistant complex director and for serving as adviser to UNITY, Western's bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgendered student organization.
Susan Stewart, assistant professor of management, WIU-Quad Cities, for her work on the Program Committee of the Gender and Diversity Division of the Academy of Management, and for integrating multicultural, diversity and equity issues into her coursework.
Kristi Mindrup, director of instructional and administrative services, WIU-QC, for conducting a study for a comprehensive diversity plan for Western's Quad Cities campus.
Gloria Delaney-Barrman and Carla Paciotto, educational and interdisciplinary studies, professors for their work in meeting the needs of multilingual students and their families by facilitating English Language Learner programming to the Beardstown (IL) School District and other Illinois communities.
For more information or to RSVP, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at
(309) 298-1977.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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