Diverse awards given equally
On Friday five individuals were recognized for their outstanding efforts in regards to Affirmative Action, diversity and equal opportunity on campus and in the Cache Valley community. These individuals were honored with the diversity awards in the area of staff, faculty, student, community member and administrator. The awards were presented by USU president Stan Albrecht.
The five recipients of the 15th annual diversity awards were Joyce Kinkhead, administrator; Jer Pin Chong, staff; Eduardo Ortiz, student; Beth Foley, faculty; and Dean Quayle, community, said Tim Vitale of USU’s public relations and marketing office.
These recipients reflect the Equal Opportunity Office’s mission statement, “USU sees an environment in which every individual has an opportunity to learn, work, and contribute, and where full inclusion and respect for all people encourages creativity and productivity. The result will be students, faculty, and staff working together, serving and strengthening our local, national, and global communities.”
Kinkhead, associate vice president for research and professor of English, was nominated and received the Administrator Diversity award. Kinkhead has promoted opportunities for equal rights at Utah State. She has been involved in funding for two programs that provide opportunities for women and minorities. Among her recent accomplishments is the establishing of the GLBTA (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Allies) service center and obtaining funding to perpetuate undergraduate research and building these opportunities for her students, Vitale said. Kinkhead has encouraged students to engage in research projects that will result in publishable products, she said.
Eduardo Ortiz received the Diversity Award in the student category on Friday. He obtained his law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University, his MBA from Utah State and is currently studying to receive his Ph.D. in Sociology from Utah State. He has worked towards equality in Cache Valley and strives for cultural sensitivity in his personal and professional life, Ortiz said.
Ortiz actively works with the community, particularly with the Latino population in Cache Valley. He works with many families to improve literacy, and communication among them. He has also been working with children with disabilities and low-income ethnic groups in his research and practice, Vitale said.
“I have never encountered an individual, student or professional, who is so dedicated to diversity in practice. He goes beyond talk to tireless action,” his nominator said of Ortiz.
Chong, of Malaysia was nominated for the Diversity Award in the Staff category, not for major projects that he has done, but for his daily tasks in promoting tolerance in diversity. Chong, a research associate for the college of Natural Resources, originally from Mylasia helps others to appreciate his culture by sharing it with those around him Vitale said.
“He is receiving this award not for his major accomplishments but for the little things he does on a day-to-day basis to encourage understanding and appreciation of different cultures, backgrounds and peoples,” Vitale said.
An example of how Chong promotes diversity on campus is his compassion and willingness to share with others. Chong has been willing to take in students from different backgrounds who are interested in attending Utah State and sharing his love for it with them, Vitale said.
“Jer Pin is promoting cultural diversity on campus in ways that are not usually recognized,” his nominator said of Chong.
Foley, department head and associate professor in the Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Department in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, received the Diversity Award in the Faculty category. Foley was nominated for her accomplishments and expertise in augmentive communication. She has contributed much of her time and efforts into assisting the Deaf and Blind community. Among her list of accomplishments is her involvement in procuring funding for the first distance education program for the blind in the world. She has concentrated a lot of time and effort in the local community as well as internationally. Foley has worked with Gabriel House, an orphanage in Mexico.
“Works…to change the lives of individuals with speech and language deficits so they can take their rightful place in society,” Vitale said.
The final recipient to receive an award at Friday’s ceremony was community member, Dean Quayle. A retired member of the Air Force, Quayle is involved in various community activities which include Cache Community Connections, Multi-Cultural Center Board of Directors, Cache Valley Transit Board of Directors and church service. He has helped to plan and correlate many events in the valley including the popular Concert and Lecture Series at the Logan Tabernacle.
“He has been working toward developing stronger relationships among the various ethnic communities in Cache Valley,” Vitale said.
Each of the recipients received the awards based on contributions to the community. Every one was nominated through the Equal Opportunity Office, after being selected and nominated by someone, Ortiz said.
“It is an honor to be given the award, but there is still a lot that needs to be done in the community, to integrate into the community,” Ortiz said.
Dancers from the Latino Student Union perform Friday, Nov 21. at the 15th Annual Diversity Awards. Awards were given to people who had helped diversify the campus and community. (Brian Francom)