Faculty, student and community awarded for diversity
The winners of the 17th Annual Diversity Awards were recently announced. They will be recognized later in the semester by President Stan Albrecht.
Dr. Scott Hinton, administrator
Scott Hinton, dean of the College of Engineering, is recognized for creating a more embracive environment for members of each race, ethnicity and gender. Hinton works with department heads to ensure faculty evaluations are unbiased. As a result, the international faculty has tripled and female faculty has increased by 50 percent.
“Perhaps the most important accomplishment over the past eight years has been the creation of a climate of acceptance,” Hinton said. He supports increasing opportunities for female students with a “Women in Engineering Seminar” and the student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. Hinton also helped to fund and operate Engineers Without Borders, which allows students to solve third-world country problems.
Hinton said he hopes the college will continue to improve its diversity until it exceeds national averages. He said he realized that no group of people holds all the answers and diverse teams have a better chance to create the best solution.
“I strongly believe that every person should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential in this life, regardless of their backgrounds. The choice for them to improve should be theirs alone, and not those that surround their path through life,” Hinton said. “This is a lesson that needs to be learned and taught by both our students and faculty.”
Dr. Julie Smart, faculty
Julie Smart, professor of special education, has developed a general education course, “Society and Disability,” and has written two editions of the textbook “Disability, Society, and the Individual.” Her book explains the history of prejudice and discrimination for those with disabilities. She will release a new book, “Disability Across the Developmental Lifespan.” The Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling cited Smart as “the most prolific author on multicultural issues in rehabilitation.” Students of her “Society and Disability” class have said it should be required.
Smart’s nominator Zan Merrill said, “Without question, Dr. Smart is a tireless advocate for diversity.” She has developed 10 CDs for “Counseling Racial/Ethnic Individuals with Disabilities.'”
Smart explained that there are more disabled people in the world and why it is a good thing. Because of changes in definition, medical treatments and acceptance, more disabled people are accounted for and have longer life expectancies.
Smart said she will continue to advocate for those with disabilities and she hopes more students will enter the rehabilitation counseling major. She said the major is the only rehabilitation-counseling program in the state of Utah and is a greatly needed profession.
Jeannie Pacheco, staff
Jeannie Pacheco, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars and Vice Provost for International Education, received nine individual nominations for her recognition. Dave Ottley, affirmative action/equal opportunity director, said all of her nominators emphasized Pacheco “goes the extra mile” to assist the international community.
Pacheco said she grew up in a diverse neighborhood and learned early the importance of integrating with people different from herself. She has worked with many on-campus organizations including the International Student Council. She has organized activities to help international students adjust to a new environment and encourages them to share their culture with USU students and the community.
“In a globalized world, it is imperative that we take initiative to understand others and embrace their differences. There is much to be learned from those who come from different parts of the globe. I think global intelligence is now and will continue to be require to move forward successfully in today’s world,” Pacheco said.
“If I can be instrumental or influential in making this happen, I am deeply committed to doing so.”
She said she will continue serving on committees to promote diversity and cultural awareness and understanding.
“I have always and will continue to promote involvement with persons of a variety of backgrounds, beliefs, values and perspective,” she said. “I want to embody and model the cultural tolerance and appreciation required to successfully do that.”
Brooke Evans, student
Brooke Evans, a senior in geography and French, has been involved with Aggies for Africa since her freshman year and studied abroad in Ghana. During her time in Africa, she taught and mentored orphan children and she is still involved with the Ungana Foundation.
Evans participated in the Multicultural Messiah performances and tutored immigrants at the English Language Center. She is involved with the Polynesian Student Union, the Black Student Union, the Fair Trade and Human Rights Club and the Invisible Children Club. She is now the co-director for Aggies for Africa and works with Students Together Ending Poverty (STEP). Evans said she hopes to get the community and campus involved in the Hunger Banquet on Feb. 16.
“This will be a great event to raise awareness about global hunger,” she said.
“She recognizes that, to get beyond the talking stage, someone has to act,” Robert Schmidt, service learning coordinator said. “(Brooke) leads by example. She recruits by persuasion. She molds by enthusiasm.”
Evans said she does not like to talk about herself, but that “diversity is important because it is what makes people unique. If we didn’t have differences, what would we learn in this life?” She said she came from a nontraditional background, which gave her a different perspective of the world and global issues.
Rigo Chaparro, community
Rigo Chaparro served as the president of the Sky View High School Community Council for two years while heading the Sky View Latino Student/Parent Support group. He said he was determined to enable a better education system for Latino students.
Chaparro said he has always had the desire to help educate and promote the benefits of education to Hispanics. He has reached out to USU, Bear River Health and BATC to “increase the knowledge base of the Latino population by educating the Community Council as well as Latino parents and students about how to prepare for the future.”
“I have learned the great opportunities this great country has to offer – I want to help others see these opportunities,” he said. Chaparro said he wants to help others reach their potential and that often, people want to succeed but do not know how to.
Chaparro said: “It is better that a race be educated so they can help increase productivity and help create a better society.” He said he would accept the award with humility and continue to help the community.
Combined efforts of The Uintah County School District Board and the Ute Tribe Education Board, community: Dr. Charlie Nelson, former district superintendent, Joanne Cowan and Perry Taylor, Uintah School District board, Ramalda Guzman and Raymond Murray, Ute Tribe Education board
In 2006, an elementary school and middle school were threatened with closure, Ottley said. Both schools had 100 percent American Indian enrolled students and were central to the Ute Indian Tribe Reservation.
Nelson, Cowan, Taylor, Guzman and Murray voted to fund a restructuring project for K-8 grade school to combine both schools and rename it Eagle View Elementary School. With the new name, the school board said they wanted a new spirit and a new reputation for excellence. The school has become “a coveted place to observe master teachers at work and to experience student teaching with a diverse student population.”
“The bottom line, however, is that Native American children in Uintah County now have more opportunities for a quality education,” one nominator said.
Mark Dockins, Uintah Basin District superindendent, said, “this happened because of the dedication and tenacity of many people representing several communities.”
– natasha.bodily@aggiemail.usu.edu