Campus Diversity Gala
Join us for an evening of celebration, recognition, and community at the 2025 Diversity Gala!
Launched under the vision of Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens, Vice President of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, this annual event marks the perfect close to the academic year. It brings together individuals committed to CMU’s mission of fostering inclusion, equity, and belonging, honoring both campus and regional changemakers for their outstanding contributions to social justice and meaningful change.
This elegant evening will feature a dinner, dance, and more, providing a vibrant space to connect, reflect, and celebrate the progress made toward a more inclusive community.
A highlight of the night is the Dr. Diane E. Newby Award for Inclusive Excellence in Education, recognizing a faculty member whose work embodies CMU’s diversity principles. Named in honor of the late Diane E. Newby, professor emeritus in Teacher Education, this award celebrates a legacy of dedication to fostering inclusive education.
Additionally, several prestigious awards will be presented, including:
- Stan L. Shingles Award for Distinction in Mentorship – Recognizing individuals who create nurturing learning environments centered on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
- Provost's Award for Exemplary Research and Scholarship – Honoring research that goes beyond normative explorations to elevate scholarship focused on equity, belonging and social justice.
- Innovation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award – Acknowledging creative contributions to CMU’s Inclusive Excellence initiatives through curriculum, programming, or co-curricular efforts.
- Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service Award (Individual & Group) – Recognizing individuals and organizations committed to civic engagement and societal impact through social justice initiatives.
The 2025 Diversity Gala will take place on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 6595 East Airport Road, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m.
Join us for an unforgettable night of recognition, connection, and celebration!
The 2024 CMU Diversity Gala presents the following awards to candidates who have done outstanding work in the area of social justice and change.
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.
Provost's Award for Exemplary 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.
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.
Stan L. Shingles Award for Distinction 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.
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.
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.
The 2023 CMU Diversity Gala presents the following awards to candidates who have done outstanding work in the area of social justice and change.
2023 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.
2023 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.
2023 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.
2023 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.
2023 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.
2023 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.