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Launched under the vision of Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, the Annual Diversity Gala is the perfect end to the academic year, where all who share in the CMU mission can come together to celebrate achievements toward inclusion, equity and belonging. Individuals who are formally affiliated with CMU as well as change-makers within the region are recognized for their outstanding work in the area of social justice and change.
One of the night's greatest honors is the presentation of the Dr. Diane E. Newby Award for Inclusive Excellence in Education, which recognizes a nominated faculty member whose work reflects CMU's diversity principles. The award is named for the late Diane E. Newby, professor emeritus in Teacher Education, a longtime educator within Teacher Education and Professional Development.
The 2023 CMU Diversity Gala presents the following awards to candidates who have done outstanding work in the area of social justice and change.
Award Recipient | Dr. Georgina Wilson
Dr. Diane E. Newby Award for Inclusive Excellence in Education
Dr. Diane E Newby was a stalwart for inclusive excellence across myriad rungs of the educational sector throughout her lifetime. Similarly, nominees for the Award for Inclusive Excellence in Education have demonstrated diligence and consistency in working towards the systematic development and inculcation of inclusive, equitable, and just praxis, pedagogy, and/or policy in educational environments. Nominees will have aptly established their capabilities through teaching, administration, research, and acts of service.
Award Recipient | Dr. Kechi Iheduru-AndersonExemplary Research and Scholarship
Creating new knowledge and ways of knowing is a fundamental function of academe, particularly as different societies rely upon research and scholarship to espouse solutions to global needs and social issues. Nominees for the Exemplary Research and Scholarship award have demonstrated their capacity for grounding their works in diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in a manner that supersedes normative explorations of research questions.
Award Recipient | Dr. Wiline Pangle
Innovation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Award
Central Michigan University seeks to advance its inclusive excellence across various threads of the institution. As this endeavor is the work and responsibility of the collective, it is important to engage and support the efforts of those who actively seek to participate in pluralistic learning environments throughout the University. The Innovation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice award acknowledges the contributions of campus constituents who have been creative in designing and implementing curricular, co-curricular, and/or program opportunities geared towards contributing to CMU's overarching DEIJ priorities.
Award Recipient | Jenna MuellerDistinction in Mentorship
Research continues to suggest that sustained and carefully cultivated mentoring relationships improve the likelihood of the matriculation and graduation of college students. Further, mentorship increases the likelihood of attaining career development and advancement among faculty and staff. Mentors contribute to the holistic growth and well-being of individuals with whom they share a relationship. Acknowledging the tremendous contributions mentors make to the academy--and to Central Michigan University specifically--nominees for the Distinction in Mentorship award have exhibited their ability to create a nurturing learning environment that centers diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
Award Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service Award (Group)
Civic responsibility is a reciprocal process, where genuine understanding and an ethic of care coalesces with the salience of supporting and uplifting communities. An in-depth acknowledgement of--and engagement with--community is essential for those seeking to be in service within the context of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Nominees for the Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service award are individuals or entities whose ethos embraces and expounds upon a civic duty that aims to attend to societal needs alongside communities and ecologies.
Award Recipient | Lucas Sherman
Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service Award (Individual)
Civic responsibility is a reciprocal process, where genuine understanding and an ethic of care coalesces with the salience of supporting and uplifting communities. An in-depth acknowledgement of--and engagement with--community is essential for those seeking to be in service within the context of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Nominees for the Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service award are individuals or entities whose ethos embraces and expounds upon a civic duty that aims to attend to societal needs alongside communities and ecologies.