Northeastern Illinois University held its second annual President’s Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Awards on April 26 in Alumni Hall on the University’s Main Campus. It was also live streamed at El Centro and the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS).
The ceremony honored eight members of the Northeastern community who are significantly advancing the University’s goals in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion. Professor of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas at Austin Dr. Michael Hames-Garcia delivered the keynote address.
“The President's Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Awards offers the Northeastern community a moment to pause and recognize the different ways we collectively challenge legacies of inequity and injustice,” Executive Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Shireen Roshanravan said. “When we pause to recognize that we are not alone in our shared mission to change things for the better, we entice ever-expanding circles of solidarity and amplify our capacities to keep pushing for transformations we all deserve. I congratulate this year’s outstanding awardees and their respective communities whose support are integral to their success.
The 2023 awardees were:
- DeMara Campbell (B.A. ’17 Psychology; M.A. ’20 Educational Leadership: Higher Education), admissions and records associate and interim chair of the University Planning and Budget Council
- Troy Davenport, assistant manager, Human Resources
- Jessie Fuentes (B.A. '13 Justice Studies, M.A. '18 Community and Teacher Leaders), director of policy and youth advocacy for the Humboldt Park-based Puerto Rican Cultural Center, co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago and alderperson-elect for the 26th Ward of Chicago
- Laurie Fuller, professor and program advisor, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Nicole Holland, professor, Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies with a core faculty appointment in African and African American Studies
- Manish Kumar, Vice President, Finance and Administration
- Saul Manon-Arellano (current student, Justice Studies, B.A.)
- Brooke Mullins (current student, Linguistics, M.A.)
The Spring 2023 Award Selection Committee members were:
- Akua Cason (Interim Director, CCICS)
- Chrissy Cogswell (Instructor, NEIU Libraries; Chair, University Advisory Council)
- Rob Cook (Assistant Professor, Department of Management and Marketing)
- Mimi Crespo (Coordinator, El Centro)
- Stacey Goguen (Faculty, Department of Philosophy)
- Edwin Medina (President, NEIU Student Government Association)
- Irma Ortiz (Senior Director, Center for College Access and Success)
- Anthony Rodriguez (President, NEIU Alumni Advisory Board)
- Shireen Roshanravan (Executive Director, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
- Toni Scott (Office Administrator, Department of Social Work Department)
- Sharon Song (Assistant Professor, Department of Counselor Education)
Top photo (from left): DeMara Campbell, Manish Kumar, Nicole Holland, Saul Manon-Arellano, Gloria J. Gibson, Jessie Fuentes, Laurie Fuller, Brooke Mullins and Shireen Roshanravan pose for a photo at the second annual President’s Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Awards.
