The faculty winners of the Commitment to Diversity Award are Nathaniel Whitaker, Professor & Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Stephanie Shonekan, Professor & Chair of the W.E.B Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies.

The student winner of the Commitment to Diversity Award is Patricia (Tita) Feraud-King, PhD Student in Higher Education.

By providing exemplary classroom instruction Kelly Giles has been picked as one of the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients. Chosen from representatives of every department on campus, Kelly has been widely praised by the students and alumni for their ability to communicate, motivate, and inspire.

The 2020 Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award winners are John Higginson from the Department of History, Asha Nadkarni from the English Department, and Paige Warren of the Environmental Conservation Department.

Mentoring is a crucial skill for any faculty member who works with graduate students. Excellent mentors both provide effective instruction inside the classroom and enrich their students’ lives in the larger world. They spend countless hours inspiring, advising, nurturing, and challenging students, ensuring their intellectual and professional development. Beyond that, they often help students balance the parallel needs of academic accomplishment and personal fulfillment. Three outstanding faculty mentors are being recognized today.