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Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award

Due to the pandemic and its financial repercussions, the DDLA program and current funding of the award recipients is on hold. A decision on when the program will be reinstated is expected after the FY22 budget is approved. Once a decision has been made, recipients will have one year to request their financial awards.

Congratulations to all 2019 Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award recipients!

Read more about the awardees in the University Record.

Individual Recipients

Erica Ackerman - Information Technology Services

Marybeth Bauer - STEM Success Communities

Julie Catanzarite - LSA Psychology

Jenny Crawford - Health Behavior and Health Education

Ebony Ellis - Center for Global and Intercultural Study

Carmen Quinonez - Erb Institute - Ross School of Business

Taryn Petryk - Ross School of Business

Will Sherry - Spectrum Center

Javier Solorzano - Multi Ethinic Student Affairs

Kate Zheng - International Center

Team Recipients

Asian Pacific Islander Desi/American Staff Association (APID/A) Core Leadership Team

Academic Services Office - U-M Mechanical Engineering

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce - Shared Services Center

Michigan Dining

Student IDEA Board - Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Office of the Provost

Questions?

Contact Jennifer Wade at the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office: 763-0235.

Nominations for 2020 can be made anytime.

A nomination announcement will be made in the fall with the deadline in early October 2020. To recognize faculty who champion diversity, please see the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award.

Nomination Criteria and Past Award Recipients

Do you know a member of the staff or an entire work team that stands out by demonstrating extraordinary commitment and dedication to diversity at the University of Michigan? Share your story by making a nomination for the Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award. The Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award was established to shine a light on those staff members who work toward achieving a welcoming, supportive and inclusive working environment. It is intended to celebrate those who embrace the value of diversity and recognize how it helps set the university apart. As many as ten awards for individuals and five awards for teams will be made each year. Award winners will receive written recognition and money to use for professional development activities and/or training ($1,000 for individual recipients, $2,500 for team recipients to share). Award recipients are honored at a breakfast ceremony held in December. Nominators of award recipients are invited to submit brief videos of congratulations to be shown at the presentation ceremony (see an example here). This award is made possible by the Office of the Provost and University Human Resources to celebrate progress toward creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

2018 Award Recipients
Congratulations to 2018 Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award Recipients

Recipients of the 10th annual Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award for University of Michigan staff were celebrated Monday, December 10, 2018, at an afternoon ceremony at the Michigan League.
The 10 individual winners received $1,000 each. Five teams also received $2,500 each. The prizes are to be used toward professional development activities.

Highlights of the award presentation included the retrospective video consisting of interviews with key sponsors of the award, including Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources.

Additionally, short videos provided by nominators were shown, which added a personal touch to each award presentation.

Individual winners

Kadesha Baker, University Human Resources, U-M Children's Center

LaTonya Berryhill, Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research

Blake Bonkowski, Office for Student Engagement, UM-Dearborn

Hector Galvan, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives

Jeanne Murabito, College of Engineering, Office of Student Affairs

Diana Parrish, University Health Service

Ingrid Racine, Center for World Performance Studies, Residential College

Darlene Ray-Johnson, Rackham Graduate School Dean's Office

Janice Reuben, Center for the Education of Women

Michael Turner, Center for Educational Outreach

Row 1: Ingrid Racine, LaTonya Berryhill, Jeanne Murabito, Kadesha Baker
Row 2: Diana Parrish, Michael Turner, Hector Galvan, Darlene Ray-Johnson, Blake Bonkowski, Janice Reuben

Team winners

Comprehensive Gender Services Program Team

Stephen Rassi, Sara Wiener, Liz Rooney
(Absent: Paul Cederna, Scherlyna Comer, Robert Gilman, Jennifer Gostlin, Miriam Hadj-Mousse, Anita Hernandez, William Kuzon Jr, Bahaa Malaeb, Erika Mayans, Molly Moravek, Christina Murphy, Dana Ohl, Carissa Orizondo, Jeffrey Ohrringen, Julie Prussack, John Randolph Jr, Phillip Rodgers, Daniel Schumer, Greg Schumer, Daphna Stroumsa, Edwin Wilkins, Joy Williams, Justine Wu, Erica Marsh)

College of Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Student Support Group, UM-Dearborn

Sherry Boyd, Amanda Donovan, Rebekah Atwood, Deidra Berry
(Absent: Joey Woods, Michael Hicks)

WeListen Staff Planning Committee

Erin Byrnes, Jessica McCuaig, Sarah Wagner, Tina Griffith
(Absent: Shelly Anzalone, Ariel Mallett)

UM-Flint Women's Commission

Greg Laurence, Jessica Tischler, Sandra Alberto, Theresa Landis
(Absent: Jennifer Alvey, Erin Kingsley, Patrice Hatcher, Seung-Jin Lee, Mary Linton, Amanda Magnuson, Beth Manning, Vanessa Rygoski, Charlotte Tang, Tracy Wacker)

IDEA Committee of the Career Services Network

Row 1: Joelle Fundaro Randall, Chelsea Moore, Shelagh Saénz, Joanna Kroll
Row 2: Michelle Woods, Amy Fredell, Laura Mayers, Kelly Wagner, Emma Frazier
(Absent: Valerie Adams and Lou Ecken Kidd)
2017 Award Recipients
Congratulations to 2017 Distinguished Diversity Leaders!

Read more in the University Record.

Team Winners:

UM Dearborn: Office of Student Success

Front: Traci Ballard, Amy Finky, Aryka Rice
Back: Tyler Guenette, Perry Boyd, Sharon Lobdell

Psychology Student Academic Affairs Office

Front: Kaydee Fry, Julie Catanzarite, Saroya Cicero, Tina Griffith, Sheri Circele
Back: Brian Wallace, Sarah Wagner, Megan Wolgast, Chloe Davenport

School for Environment & Sustainability (SEAS) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office

M'Lis Bartlett, Kafi Laramore-Josey, Dorceta Taylor, Molly Lutton, Sonia Joshi

CRLT Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team

Front:Tazin Daniels, Motoko Maegawa, Whitney Peoples, Theresa Braunschneider
Back:Grant Jackson, Stephanie Moody, Sara Armstrong, Tershia Pinder-Grover
Absent: Victoria Genetin, Karishma Collette

Michigan Medicine Disability Council

Front: Michelle Meade, Anna Schnitzer, Clarissa Love
Back: Bonnie Dede, Christa Moran, Patricia Anderson
Absent: Daniel Ellman

Individual Winners:

Front: Jamie Saville, Marjorie Horton, Sarah Watson, Cherie Dotson, Denise Guillot, Deborah Willis
Back: Amanda Dudley, Harold Waters, Doni Walker, Ryan Henyard

Cherie Dotson – Student Affairs, College of Pharmacy

Amanda Dudley - Epidemiology

Denise Guillot – Honors Program, LSA Student Academic Affairs

Ryan Henyard – Health Information Technology & Services

Marjorie Horton – LS&A Dean’s Office – Undergraduate Education

Jamie Saville – Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) Program

Doni Walker – Student Life, Michigan Dining

Harold Waters – Comprehensive Studies Program

Sarah Watson – Student Life, Auxiliary Capital Projects

Deborah Willis – Rackham Graduate School
2016 Award Recipients
Congratulations to 2016 Distinguished Diversity Leaders!

Individual Award Recipients

Patricia Anderson, University Library

Clyde Barnett, Dean of Students Office

Erin Beene, Obstetrics &Gynecology

Lumas Helaire, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives

Maya Kobersy, Office of the General Counsel

Tina Pryor, School of Dentistry

Shelagh Saenz, School of Public Health

Dana Sitzler, Government Relations

Katrina Wade-Golden, Office of the Provost

Cornelius Wright, LSA Chemistry

Front:  Clyde Barnett, Patricia Anderson, Maya Kobersy, Tina Pryor, Katrina Wade-Golden
Back:  Lumas Helaire, Dana Sitzler, Cornelius Wright, Shelagh Saenz, Erin Beene

Team Award Recipients

Child & Adolescent Gender Services Team

Kari Merryman, Sara Wiener, Ellen Selkie
Absent: Daniel Shumer, Johanna Quigley, Sara Kahn

Committee for Intercultural Development - LSA Student Academic Affairs

Front: Esrold Nurse, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education-Student Academic Affairs; Team members: Ching-Yune Sylvester, Kierra Trotter
Back:  Charles Taylor, David Brawn, Jeffery Harrold, Liese Hull
Absent: Evan Copeland, Lara Hamza, Denise Guillo

ECE Student Activity & Recruitment Team - College of Engineering

Front:  Kevin Calhoun, José-Antonio Rubio, Rose Anderson, Ann Stals
Back:  Lisa Armstrong, Steven Pejuan, Jason Davis
Absent: Ann Riggs

English Language Program - U-M Flint

Sara Faitel, Jolene Jaquays, Julie Coe, Anna Eddy

LSA Undergraduate Laptop Loan Program

Lisa Ahlgren, Gretchen Kopmanis, Susan Perreault, Erin Ranville
Absent: Rob Wilke, Justin Day
Previous Award Recipients
Congratulations to 2015 Distinguished Diversity Leaders!

Individual Award Recipients

Laura Sánchez -Parkinson , Program Coordinator, NCID

Jane Berliss-Vincent, Assistive Technology Manager, ITS (learn more)

Catalina Ormsby, Associate Director, UROP

Amanda McLittle, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Housing

Elizabeth James, Program Associate, Afroamerican and African Studies

Paul Guttman, Director of Construction Services, Plant

Shelly Conner, Assistant Dean, Rackham Graduate School

Wendi Fornoff, Web Developer, ICPSR

Veronica Falandino, Asst. Dir. of Graduate Programs, School of Information

Marlanna Landeros, Program Manager, DPSS

DDLA individual awardees are: front, from left, Marlanna Landeros, Veronica Falandino, Jane Berliss-Vincent, Shelly Conner; and back, from left, Amanda McLittle, Wendi Fornoff, Catalina Ormsby, Laura Sánchez-Parkinson, Elizabeth James. Not pictured: Paul Guttman (Photo by Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography)

Team Award Recipients

ADVANCE Team

Front, from left: Laura Maihofer, Wendy Ascione-Juska, Cynthia Hudgins, Janet Malley
Back, from left: Benita Threadgill, Sara Bliss, Craig Smith, Shawn Beard, Susan Burk
Not pictured: Keith Herzog

Interpersonal Development Inventory Team, U-M Flint

Front, from left: Amged Eidelsafy, Nakshidil Sadien, Menusha Arumugam, Michael James
Back, from left: Helen Phinisee, Daniel Adams, Tess Barker
Not pictured: Susan Gano-Phillips, Scott Johnson, Rushika Patel, Richard Russell, Doron Pratt, Mary Jo Sekelsky, Donna Fry

Office of Student Services Team, School of Social Work

Front, from left: Erin Zimmer, Michelle Woods, Betsy Williams, Lauren Davis
Back, from left: Mary Whitaker, Tim Colenback, Michael McDermott, Micheal Leier, Nyshourn Price, Clarita Mays|
Not Pictured: Michelle Gorton

Interpreter Services Team, UMHS

Front, from left: Rita Galin, Courtney Vanderlaan, Jane Miller, Alfreda Rooks
Back - left to right: Christa Moran, Michelle Harris, Lindsay McCarthy, Brittany Karnes
Not pictured: Leslie Perez, Angelica Snyder, Oliver Gatonez, Jamie Fidler, Ximena Erickson, Chi-Wei Chang

The Student Leadership and Empowerment Committee, LSA

Front, from left: Tina Kokoris, Kelley Emerson, Desiraé Simmons
Back, from left: Kyle Walton, Devon Degraffenreed, Angie Shewa
Not Pictured: Henry Dyson, robbie routenberg, Ashley Wiseman, Shamaila Ashraf, Hind Omar

Congratulations to the 2014 DDLA Recipients

More about the 2014 recipients in the University Record.

Back row, from left: Jack Bernard, Office of the General Counsel; Rev. Jamie Hawley, UMHS Spiritual Care Department; Craig Luck, Hospital Operations; Joseph Foster, UHR Childrens Center; Esrold Nurse, LSA Student Academic Affairs. Front row, from left: Darlene Nichols, Library Research; Mary Diskin, Plant Operations; Diane Hall, ITS Infrastructure Services Operations; Linh Nguyen, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs - Student Life; Pardip Bolina, Center for Global and Intercultural Study. (Photos by Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography)

The individual DDLA recipients are:

Jack Bernard, Office of the General Counsel

Pardip Bolina, Center for Global and Intercultural Study

Mary Diskin, Plant Operations

Joseph Foster, UHR Childrens Center

Diane Hall, ITS Infrastructure Services and Operations

Rev. Jamie Hawley, UMHS Spiritual Care Department

Craig Luck, Hospital Operations

Linh Nguyen, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs - Student Life

Darlene Nichols, Library Research

Esrold Nurse, LSandA Student Academic Affairs

The team recipients are:

CRLT Players Theatre Program Team

Global Communications Team at Michigan News

School of Public Health Office of Academic Affairs Team

UM Flint Initiatives in Nursing Diversity Staff Team

Women in Plant Services Team

2013 DDLA Recipients

Visit the University Record for more about the presentation.

2013 Individual Recipients

From left are Gerald Hoff, Leon Howard, Sharon Lobdell, Elizabeth Studley, Armando Matiz Reyes, Tom Sullivan, Cora Edwards, Jason Davis, Chanel DeGuzman and Lynette Wright. Recipient Henry Meares is not pictured. (Photo by Scott Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

Jason Davis, ECE alumni relations coordinator, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Chanel DeGuzman, program manager, Student Counseling and Programming — School of Public Health

Cora Edwards, clinical research coordinator, Radiation Oncology

Gerald Hoff, senior billing representative, U-M Health System Registration and Insurance Verification

Leon Howard, residence hall director, University Housing

Sharon Lobdell, student adviser/tutoring coordinator, UM-Dearborn Academic Support and Outreach Services

Armando Matiz Reyes, research area specialist, Health Behavior and Health Education Department

Henry Meares, assistant dean, School of Education

Elizabeth Studley, nurse anesthetist, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital

Tom Sullivan, training specialist lead, Facilities Maintenance

Lynette Wright, associate director of material and moving services, Plant Operations

2013 Team Recipients

U-M Detroit Center staff

Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery Diversity Committee

Social and Behavioral Issues in Medicine course team

Understanding Race theme semester co-chairs

Graduate Student Success Team – Rackham

2012 Recipients

2012 Individual Recipients

Christine Gregory

Jeffery Harrold

Joshua Peipock

Gloria Thomas

Trey Williams

Zachary Tomlinson

Marie Ting

Trey Boynton

Charmica Abinojar

Mike Nazareth

Team Recipients

Harmony Diversity Committee – Transplant Center

Resource Center for Minority Data – Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)

Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR)

Multicultural Affairs Committee – Dental School

Detroit Community Academic Urban Research Center

2010 Recipients

2010 Individual Recipients

Barb Bernard Butler

Toby Citrin

Shá Duncan Smith

Carrie Landrum

Anna Schnitzer

Robert Scott

Robbie Townsel-Ransom

Jen Wegner

2010 Team Recipients

Summer Enrichment Program Team

Applied Physics Team

Growing Allies Team

Developing Cultural Competencies for Nurses Project Team

Counseling and Psychological Services Team

Library Diversity Committee

2009 Recipients

2009 Individual Recipients

Delphine Byrd

Patricia Coleman-Burns

Tendaji Ganges

Robert Koonce

Inel Lewis

Tiffany Porties

Greg Snyder

Mary Stewart

Debbie Taylor

2009 Team Recipients

Michigan Community Scholars Staff

Business and Finance Diversity Committee

UM Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center

Division of General Pediatrics/Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit

Cancer Center Community Outreach Program

2008 Recipients

2008 Individual Awardees Recipients

Charles Ransom

Cinda-Sue Davis

George Myers III

Jackie Simpson

Kate Van Valkenburgh

Evans Young

Pam Fowler

Dorothy McLeer

Megan Piersma

Marlys Deen

Derrick Scott (honorable mention)

Andrace Deyampert (honorable mention)

2008 Team Awardees Recipients

Women of Color Task Force

Health Occupations Partners in Education (HOPE)

Faculty and Staff of the Kresge Hearing Research Institute

Deborah Goldberg and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Frontiers Masters Program Team

Division of Student Affairs - Workgroup for One Division

Office of Financial Aid - Outreach (honorable mention)

Ypsilanti Health Center (honorable mention)
Nomination Guidelines
Who is Eligible?

Active staff members are eligible to be nominated. All active faculty, staff and students, on all campuses and in the U-M Health System, are eligible to submit nominations.

Please submit a minimum of 500 words describing how the nominee has demonstrated some or all of the following:

Commitment and dedication to a diverse working environment that is supportive and inclusive

Specific accomplishments in the field of diversity

Leadership in diversity matters

Service dedicated to inclusion

Contributions to advance the work climate at the University so that all persons are valued and respected

Work with national and/or state organizations toward the advancement of diversity

Examples of behaviors that fit these criteria include: Active participation on campus diversity councils, presentations and participation at diversity conferences, serving as a diversity resource for co-workers, and creating and implementing innovative ways to further diversity at the University.

Example of an Award-winning Nomination

The following copy was submitted in support of the nomination for Distinguished Diversity Leader Team Award recipient Deborah Goldberg and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Frontiers Masters Program Team.

I would like to support the nomination of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Frontiers Master’s Program team for the Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award. The team consists of Deborah Goldberg, Beverly Rathke, Mark Hunter, and Christy Byks-Jazayeri.

This team has designed a program which seeks a diverse cohort of students for a Master’s degree whose enthusiasm for science may be sparked just enough (it is the goal!) by their experience in this unique program to pursue a PhD degree. Many students who might not go on to study in the field of biological sciences need a structure that this new program can provide, such as workshops on professional career and research topics such as grant writing and choosing a research topic; the opportunity to work with a research mentor on a project; a chance to gain teaching and research experience; and the option to survey the wide field of ecology and evolutionary biology, among other things. Providing all of this as a fully-funded program makes it a less risky endeavor for a student who has faced hurdles to higher education in the past. Mark Hunter has commented that an opportunity promoted to those with non-traditional backgrounds made a difference in his own life, and thus created a personal connection to the value of this program.

While many ideas are suggested and discussed about how to increase diversity in our graduate programs, Deborah Goldberg and her team are unique in that they followed through with the idea by presenting a proposal, securing 2 years of funding from LSA, Rackham and the UM NSF-AGEP, and recruiting and matriculating four diverse students, all in record time.

Deborah Goldberg has also put into place a departmental position to help recruit the best students to EEB. Christy Byks-Jazayeri is charged with recruiting a diverse and talented pool of applicants. This is one example of actions EEB has taken in the recent past which surely has something to do with the success of the program so far. The fact that Christy can completely focus on recruitment will bode well for them in the long run. Often recruitment is divided up among a combination of student services staff and faculty who do what they can with limited time and funding they possess to recruit a strong applicant pool.

Also, under the guidance of graduate chair Beverly Rathke, EEB has actively attended national conferences of diverse student attendees over the past few years. EEB sends a combination of faculty, staff, and graduate students who actively talk with students about the reasons they should consider a graduate degree. I believe efforts like this have made a difference to the students EEB is seeing in their program. The inaugural cohort of four students is very diverse and I believe they should feel quite proud of their accomplishments to date. I feel this team deserves strong consideration for this award.

How to Make a Nomination

For individual or team nominations, fill out the form on this webpage.

Nominations must be at least 500 words to receive consideration.

Verify the length of the supporting statement by using MS Word (or a similar program) to perform a word count. Once the statement is complete, copy and paste it into the form below.

If making a team nomination, please include ALL team members names and their contact information in the "Description of Nominee's Contributions to Diversity at Michigan" field.

If you would like more than one nominator to be listed, please include ALL nominator names and their contact information in the "Description of Nominee's Contributions to Diversity at Michigan" field.

Nomination/Selection Process

Individual and team award nominations will be reviewed by a seven-person selection committee. Content of nominations may be used for future award promotion. Committee members will be nominated from within the memberships of the Voices of the Staff Diversity Network and the University Diversity Council and from the staffs of the Office of the Provost and University Human Resources. (Members of the selection committee will not be eligible to receive awards.)

Make a Nomination

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Nomination for Individual

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