National Role Models 2016 Program

NATIONAL ROLE MODELS 2016 Minority Access, Inc. honors inspiring individuals as role models to expand the pool of minority scholars, scientist, researchers and other professionals in the field under represented by minorities. 2016 role models are from the ranks of: Adminstartors • Alumna/Alumnus • Faculty Faculty Mentor • Innovator • Recruiter Researcher • Student

NATIONAL ROLE MODELS 2016

Minority Access, Inc. has a limited number of tickets available for tours of the Smithsonian National African American Museum of History & Culture on Sunday, October 2, 12:00 p.m. and Tuesday, October 12:45Inc. p.m. Please check with our registration desk for ticket information.

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CONTENTS Minority Access, Inc.............................................................................................................1 Introduction from President...............................................................................................2 Role Models...........................................................................................................................4- Administrator Role Models - Alumnus Role Models - Faculty Role Models - Faculty Mentor Role Models - Faculty Researchers Role Models - Faculty Recruiter Role Models - Mentor Award - Recruiter Role Models - Student Role Models

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Minority Access, Inc. Minority Access, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was incorporated in January 1995 to improve the higher educational, professional and managerial utilization of minorities. The organization assists individuals, academic institutions, federal and local governments, private agencies and corporations in diversifying their campuses and work sites by improving the recruitment, retention and enhancement of underrepresented populations. Headquartered in its fully owned historically-designated building complex in downtown Hyattsville, Maryland, since 1998, Minority Access has gained a national reputation of successfully implementing programs to improve diversity and contribute to human development.

Minority Access’ success in effecting interaction and mutual exchange among individuals of diverse backgrounds and with institutions committed to diversity has not gone unnoticed by those similarly committed. By establishing a successful track record in implementing programs to improve diversity and reduce disparities, Minority Access has: • Built a constituency of 170 colleges and universities, ranging from major research universities to small prestigious colleges throughout the United States.

• Placed well over 2,500 students of diverse academic, racial and cultural backgrounds into paid summer, fall and spring internships with agencies of the Federal Government.

• Identified high achieving students from underrepresented populations for scholarship, research, admission and college awareness programs.

• Initiated research seminars and competitions to encourage students from underrepresented populations to conduct research in science and technology fields.

• Conducted workshops on space exploration and research for 5,000 science teachers.

• Cited more than 140 colleges and universities for their commitment to diversity.

• Organized delegations to study diversity in China, India, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.

• Served local students, parents and schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland, through various programs.

• Supported multicultural tourism and art and civic initiatives on state and local levels.

• Received GSA Schedule Certification under Contract Number GS-02F-136AA as a preferred supplier under GSA Schedule 738-X. Minority Access implemented the National Role Models Project, initially with support from the now National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to identify and publicize minorities who are excelling in fields underrepresented by minority population groups in order to expand the pool of graduates and professionals from underrepresented populations. Since 2000, more than 500 faculty, students, administrators, alumni and renowned innovators worthy of emulation have been honored as role models at the National Role Models Conferences for their achievements. The National Role Models Project and the prestigious National Role Models Conference continue today in identifying, publicizing and honoring inspiring individuals in areas of science, research, medicine, technology, engineering and other fields and in recognizing colleges and universities that promote environments conducive to nurturing a diverse student body, faculty and staff.

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Introduction from President Andrea D. Mickle, President As President of Minority Access, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you on behalf of Minority Access to the 17th National Role Models Conference. We have returned our conference to the District of Columbia at an exciting time for the capital city and the nation.

During our three days together in Washington, DC, we aspire to provide you with memorable and enriching experiences. Our visits to the embassies – although a short ride from the hotel – will transport you to destinations around the globe. We too have been able to secure for our conferees scarce tickets to the very recently opened National African American Museum of History and Culture.

Our conference theme Increasing Diversity, Diminishing Disparities: Lessons Learned and the Agenda Ahead embraces sharing enlightening experiences of the past and plausible strategies for creating more inclusive and culturally competent environments in the future. We will hear from persons who are entrusted with broadening diversity in education, government and research as well as from trailblazers who have the distinction of “first” in diversifying the top ranks of their professions.

Our agendas for the future, however, must include developing budding researchers like the ones who have assembled at the National Role Models Conference to engage with seasoned professionals, join their peers and compete for cash prizes. Minority Access will raise its nine year total of nearly $60,000 in cash prizes awarded to student researchers when the recipients for this year are announced at the closing conference session.

Colleges and universities cited by Minority Access for their commitment to diversity for Year 2016 will receive plaques that can be proudly displayed at the institutions. Representatives of these institutions will be joined by the co-founders of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine, recognized as the premier news source for promoting diversity in higher education.

Of course, honoring and publicizing Role Models continue to be the core of the National Role Models Conference. We will feature these individuals throughout the conference. A new cohort of role models will be honored with the designation of National Role Model at our elegant Awards Gala.

Your participation in the National Role Models Conference signals to us as well as those in the Nation’s Capital that there still is much to do in understanding the value of diversity. We thank you for your commitment to diversity and your encouragement to us to use the lessons we learned to move forward in our agenda for improving diversity in education, employment and research.

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Dr. Charlene Dukes

President Prince George’s Community College Dr. Charlene Dukes is the eighth and first female president of Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). With more than 44,000 students at 6 locations, including the Largo Campus, Prince George’s Community College offers 200 credit and workforce development and continuing education programs. The college is home to the National Cyberwatch Center, an ATE site funded by the National Science Foundation, and is designated a 2010-2015 and 20152020 Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance at the twoyear level. PGCC is also the location of the first middle college high school in Maryland, the Academy for Health Sciences, which is a partnership with the Prince George’s County Public Schools. The first graduating class received high school diplomas and associate degrees simultaneously in May 2015.

She holds membership in a variety of professional organizations, including the boards of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, where she currently serves as the Board Chair; the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP); the President’s Round Table; and the National Council on Black American Affairs. Dr. Dukes is a member of the board of directors of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, and HillsideWorks Scholarship Connection. She is on the board of directors of the Harlem Renaissance Foundation, the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, and the Meyer Foundation.

She is past secretary of the Presidents’ Round Table and co-coordinated the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership from 2009 to 2014. Dr. Dukes was adjunct faculty at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh in the English Department, at Prince George’s Community College in Learning Foundations (formerly Developmental Studies), and at Morgan State University in the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program.

Dr. Dukes is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a member of the Prince George’s County (MD) Chapter of the Links, Inc., and a member of the “Go On Girl” National Book Club. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with an English concentration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s and doctorate in Administrative and Policy Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Dr. Albertha Lawson

Associate Professor of Science and Mathmatics Education Southern University and A&M College Dr. Lawson has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award because of her dedication and commitment to mentoring minority and women students at Southern University A&M College (SUBR). She has over 30 combined years of professional experience in higher education and in Corporate America in the areas of actuarial science, teaching, institutional research, and mathematical and statistical analysis.

She has served as Director of Institutional Research and Statistical Analysis for the Louisiana State University System, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and Vice President of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accountability for Baton Rouge Community College. While at Baton Rouge Community College, Dr. Lawson mentored several students a year in the Mathematics Department.

In August 2014, Dr. Lawson returned to her passion of teaching as Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics Education (SMED) at Southern University and A&M College. In the Spring 2015, she initiated the science and mathematics education “Pay It Forward” (PIF) Movement. This is a 360-degree mentoring Movement of faculty and students. Each semester the PIF Movement hosts one major event to support STEM recruitment. As a result of Dr. Lawson’s recruiting activities, the enrollment in the SMED program has vastly increased. In the Fall 2015, twenty students were accepted into the program. In the Spring 2016, the PIF movement hosted a 10-hour intense boot camp to prepare the students for their qualifying exam.

Since the initiation of the PIF movement, Dr. Lawson has mentored over ten students and three have graduated successfully from the Science and Math Education program, with three planning to graduate in the Fall 2016. Dr. Lawson has a balanced approach to mentoring. For this reason, her students’ chances at being better prepared and more productive are enhanced.

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Amrita Madabushi, Ph.D.

Biotechnologh Program Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) Dr. Amrita Madabushi was nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Amrita Madabushi completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, conducted postdoctoral research, and has authored more than 10 peer reviewed publications and a book chapter, and presented poster/oral presentations at several international conferences. Her passion has been to make a difference in the lives of those individuals with a desire to pursue careers in science, but not enough support and guidance.

With this overarching passion, Amrita chose a teaching career at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), a deeply urban and diverse institution.

For the last four years, she has been a vital part of the biotechnology program that overwhelmingly instructs minority women students. Single-handedly, she has revolutionized the program with her four-point strategy: (1) Bring in the latest knowledge and techniques of biotechnology to course and lab work or biotechnology club events; (2) Open up and expand the internship opportunities for her students in local biotech companies and universities in Baltimore City; (3) Motivating students to participate weekly in a graduate student-style Biotech Club, of her design,as well as developing their talents and their confidence to present in biotech/science symposia at BCCC and local conferences; (4) Serve as a role model and mentor, working with students one-on-one to bring out the best in them. These strategies have resulted in countless success stories.

In her service to the college, she has supported the students, program, department and college in multiple ways. She has launched two brand new certificated programs: a Biotechnology Certificate and a Lab Animal Science Certificate. She has formed a new biotechnology student society club with small and big student focused events including a yearly biotech symposium. She has played a leadership role in the launching of the Maryland Collegiate STEM conference, a conference focused on providing a dedicated forum for community college STEM students and faculty in the state of Maryland. She has formed collaborations with numerous biotech firms and universities to get more internships for her students. She has been a discipline liaison and has conducted program assessments for the biotechnology associate and certificate degrees. She has served on various college wide committees and departmental activities.

Most significantly and aligned with her passion for student mentoring, her door is always open to the students for one-on-one lessons, tutoring, encouragement or just sisterly support. Her phone is always on for students (and colleagues) on evenings, weekends and summer vacation. She has initiated a studentcentered research project that runs year around and drives students to become confident in authentic laboratory research as well as in scientific oral and written skills. Her personally mentored student success stories now include several medical lab scientists, a PhD candidate, scientists and technicians at biotech companies, and others on the pathway to become doctors, dentists and pharmacists. For her endeavors she has recently been awarded the BCCC 2015 Faculty Excellence Award and recognized at the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) conference in Austin, TX on June 26. For these efforts, I nominate Dr. Amrita Madabushi for the Minority Mentor Award.

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Angela Webster, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity University of Central Arkansas As a child of parents and grandparents who were active in the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Angela is a people person and believes that each person should be visible, valued, and validated. She further believes that everyone should receive the nurturance needed to identify their natural gifts and the opportunity to share such talents with the world. She looks for the art in each heart and the gold in each soul.

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In higher education, she has served at predominantly white universities, a women’s university (in Saudi Arabia), an art university, and a historically black college/university. Currently, Dr. Angela serves as Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) and maintains her academic rank as Associate Professor of Leadership Studies where she and faculty colleagues prepare the next generation of

In addition, she works diligently to assist following generations of students in obtaining graduate degrees.

She serves as an instructor for independent, guided courses for diverse doctoral students and serves on master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation committees of diverse students. She recruits and mentors diverse undergraduate and graduate students as well as diverse faculty. She has also initiated a grant program to support minority faculty and diversity-related campus programming and has secured over $140,000 in grant funding for programs that benefit African American and Latino college students.

Her professional narrative includes making a wide variety of diversity-related presentations as well as writing diversity-related publications. She co-authored “Meaningful Conversations”, a book for K-12 educators and she authored “In the Presence of a King” about her childhood experience of being present for the final speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She serves as the chair of the board of an open enrollment, public charter school that primarily serves children who are brown, black, and/or poor. She serves as an executive coach for principals in the largest and most urban school district in Arkansas. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference. She is active on the UCA campus and in national organizations.

Dr. Angela received a 2014 President’s Service Award from the Association of Teacher Educators and she was the 2016 Brown Girls Rock VIP Honoree for Educational Enrichment designated by the Chi Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in Little Rock, AR. She enjoys life, has two biological children and their spouses as well as four grand candies who bring her great joy.

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Dr. Aureliano Maria Desoto

Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies Metropolitan State University Dr. Aureliano Maria Desoto, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, has been proudly nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award by the College Dean, Chief Diversity Officer, Provost, and President of Metropolitan State University. Often referred to as “Ari”, Dr. Desoto is an accomplished researcher, and is nationally recognized as having made numerous presentations, written monographs, encyclopedic entries, and book chapters on the topics of Humanities, and Ethnic Studies. Dr. Desoto’s practice is to ensure that culturally relevant pedagogy is present in all teaching. An example of this was work he performed essential to bringing about awareness for a Race Issues Graduation Requirement, or RIGR at Metropolitan State University. All new or readmitted undergraduate students admitted in the Fall of 2016 or later must complete an approved learning experience (at least 3 credits) with a significant focus on race and racism to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University. Dr. Desoto is credited for not only bringing about the awareness of the need for RIGR, but also for the creation of the content and the implementation of RIGR. Dr. Desoto came to Metropolitan State University in 2005 and completed Post-Doctorial Teaching at Carleton College. He also successfully taught at Bard College, the University of California, Santa Cruz and California State University, Monterey Bay. He served the University as a faculty member and Department Chair in 2016 and consistently receives positive reviews from students and colleagues as a champion for human rights, and social justice issues. In various roles as an educator, a Department Chair, mentor, and recruiter of students and champion for human causes, Dr. Desota is recognized for being passionate about the process of learning and enlightenment.

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Brandon Larmore

Seton Hall University South Orange, New Jersey

Brandon Larmore was nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award by Ronald L. Cunningham of Seaton Hall University.

Brandon has played an instrumental role in the supervision of the General Studies program and the Transfer Student Center since 2011. He redesigned and expanded the Supplemental Instruction program to bolster student success in gateway courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology and Developmental Math. Brandon received his B.A. & M.A. in Psychology from Seton Hall.

Brandon’s Supplemental Instruction efforts have grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years as he has intentionally directed his efforts towards science and nursing students at Seaton Hall. Research shows that their success in their entry level science courses is a predictor for their future success in the major. Nursing majors especially have benefitted from Supplemental Instruction in their first and second semester courses in Anatomy and Physiology I and II and their third semester course, Pathophysiology.

Brandon has also acted as Assistant Director of our General Studies program which serves our more atrisk students during their first year. Brandon has been responsible for monitoring structured study halls, securing tutoring for these students, maintaining contact with their professors, and mentoring them until they are able to declare a major. He is an amazing role model and an inspiration to his students and his colleagues.

Brandon Larmore is a role model because of his leadership, the respect he shows for his students and his colleagues, and his motivation to live a life that is good. Brandon has worked along-side Seaton Hall’s most vulnerable students in the summer bridge program and some of the most motivated students in the Supplemental Instruction program. He is an inspiration to all students. He has presented at the International Conference on Supplemental Instruction in Kansas City and just recently was promoted from Freshman Mentor to Director of the University’s Academic Resource Center (tutoring center). He believes that all people can be whatever they strive to be as long as they put in the time. He has spent the last twelve Easter breaks assisting Habitat for Humanity. in More than anything Brandon is an inspirational servant leader. He has spent the last twelve Easter breaks on Habitat for Humanity trips where he comes back Brandon is articulate, always open to learning and always responds with “Living the Dream” whenever he is asked “how are you?” He is the first in the office and the last to leave. He helps students and colleagues but never makes them feel inferior. Brandon is committed to servant leadership, and remains heavily involved in the SHU chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He has spent the last 12 Easter breaks volunteering and building houses around the country for Habitat. www.minorityaccess.org

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Beth A. Olivares, Ph.D.

Director, David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Arts, Sciences and Engineering University of Rochester Beth A. Olivares has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award because in her formal roles overseeing professional advising staff, and as a student mentor, she promulgated a mentoring/ advocacy model that is unmatched at the University, and indeed, has become a national model.

Olivares and her staff work with low-income, first generation to college, and underrepresented minority (URM) students ranging from middle and secondary school to graduate school in programs that now serve hundreds of students each year, and result in outcomes far exceeding expectations for this demographic. Since 1992, UR’s McNair Program, of which Olivares is Director, has served more than 480 students. With a 99% graduation rate, 83% of the McNair scholars have enrolled in graduate studies within two years of earning their bachelor’s degree compared to the national average of 45%. Since 2003, there have been over 300 Kearns Scholars, with a 98% 5-year graduate rate and 82% retention in STEM fields.

Under Olivares’ direction, the Kearns Center’s activities have expanded to address the pipeline to higher] education with programs that benefit the Rochester City School District, such as Upward Bound (Classic and Math and Science), Harley Horizons (K-12 summer programs), College Preparatory Centers at two local urban high schools, U.S. Dept. of Education Talent Search programs, and Girls Experiencing Research and Mentoring in Science. No one at the University of Rochester has championed underserved students more than Beth Olivares, and no one has achieved such strikingly successful results. She has been prolific in attracting external funding from federal, private and corporate sources (-$18M in grant and philanthropic funding since 2001), enabling an expansion of services for low-income and URM students at all levels.

With retention, graduation, and professional success rates unsurpassed by similar national programs, Olivares’ programs have been emulated across the country. Olivares has personally encouraged, nurtured, and invested in more than 250 students who might not have otherwise found their way to college education.

She has advocated for her students to persist and excel in their undergraduate studies, and go on to graduate school and is passionate about providing low-income, first generation college, and URM students with the skills, opportunities, and solidarity to overcome barriers to achievement and higher education, which is critical to the university, and the future workforce of our nation. For this outstanding leadership, Olivares was honored by President Obama at the White House with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2015. Beth Olivares has proven to be infinitely capable of successfully creating and directing programs that serve the underserved in our country and as an inspirational role model for students, faculty, and society at large.

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Bre-Onna DeLaine

Doctoral Candidate University of Maryland, Baltimore I began pursuing a biomedical science career in 2003; I applied to and was accepted by the Academy of Allied Health and Science, an all honors competitive high school designed for students interested in medical careers.

While attending this high school, I was able to intern at a hospital intensive care unit, work in an emergency room, and become a certified emergency medical technician (EMT). All of my experiences from high school influenced my interests as I continued studying biology at the University of Richmond. I began my research training the summer of 2007 when I received funding from a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant designed to increase minority representation in the sciences. I was paired with Dr. April Hill, a developmental geneticist who devotes her time to mentoring a diverse array of students. In her laboratory, we used sea sponges to study genetic linkages and construct phylogenetic associations. As a student who benefited from Dr. Hill’s enthusiasm and dedication to educating underrepresented minorities, I hope to do the same for other students.

I am currently a 5th year doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in the Molecular Medicine Program. I am completing my dissertation research at the university’s Center for Vaccine Development working on the development of a vaccine against the diarrheal disease Shigella. In addition to research, I have had the opportunity to participate in a number of organizations dedicated to the advancement of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. These include the Meyerhoff graduate fellows program, an NIH funded initiative, and the PROMISE Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate. I was also graciously awarded the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)/Merck Science Initiative graduate fellowship grant as a member of the last cohort in 2015. Through the UNCF graduate fellowship and the Meyerhoff program, I have served as a guest speaker at events specific for young minority students including the Minority Research Training Forum and WISE (Working to Inspire Scientists and Engineers) program at a school in Baltimore. The outreach opportunities these programs offer have fueled my interest in educating young scientists and the general public. Much of my success to date is a direct result of various initiatives for assisting minority students, and I am extremely grateful for all of my mentors who recognized my potential.

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Brian Ogendi

NSF Bridge to Doctorate Program

Brian Ogendi has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. He graduated from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a minor in Biology. During his undergraduate career he was an avid member of the American Chemical Society, serving as the JSU chapter secretary. Brian received various awards during his undergraduate career including: The Richard Beschi Leadership Award (April 2011); Dean’s List (April 2010); President’s List (April 2011); second place at the Alabama Academy of Science Chemistry Talks (March 2011). Brian was involved in research as an undergraduate and had the opportunity to present at national meeting including the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (November 2010) and at the 242nd American Chemical Society National Meeting (August 2010). Through his research experiences, Brian received the opportunity to intern at the National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center for Cancer Research, as a Cancer Research Intern, where he studied hepatic cancers in Dr. Robert Wiltrout’s Laboratory. Through his hard work and academic achievements, Brian was later awarded the NIH: NCI’s Cancer Research Training Award, a fellowship that allowed him to study in HIV-1 drug resistance for two years at the Frederick National Laboratory in Frederick, Maryland. Upon completing his fellowship, Brian was accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Graduate Biomedical Sciences program in the Biochemistry Structural and Stem Cell Biology theme. Brian was awarded the NSF’s Bridge to Doctorate Fellowship that provided him with a competitive stipend and covered his tuition, allowing him to focus on his coursework and research. Through the Bridge to Doctorate Program Brian has served as a mentor to two undergraduate minority students in the Alabama Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program. Recently, Brian took his candidacy exam and is now a Ph.D. candidate. Currently, Brian is studying Chlamydia trachomatis associated immune responses that may be linked to adverse 0utcomes including chlamydial re-infection and tubal factor infertility. His efforts have resulted in the preparation of 2 manuscripts, one of which he is the first author and the other a contributing second author.

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Clarence Green, Jr.

Police Chief Northwest Missouri State University Clarence Green Jr. has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. His decisive leadership is evident in his more than 20 years as a police officer. He has served as the Police Chief for Northwest Missouri State University since 1999. He has redesigned community based policing with a focus on prevention based tactics and strategies that are rooted in service.

Clarence has built a reputation of being a partner. He has worked to launch numerous engagement and harm reduction programs. Specifically, the establishment of a late night transportation program (Safe Ride Home) that has led to a 66% reduction of DWI’s over the last 10 years. Clarence serves on the United States Attorney General Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, Federal Bureau of Investigation College and University Security Committee, and the Missouri Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators committee. Being raised in E. St. Louis, Illinois has provided Clarence with many experiences. He has used those experiences to connect with the community by opening and managing a not-for-profit boxing gym for youth. His efforts at creating access for those who are from underrepresented populations are also evident in his police work.

The Northwest Missouri State University Police Department is 35% diverse in its full time members and more than 50% diverse in its 32 student members.

Clarence and his team have been honored to win several awards for community service and excellence in the field of engagement. Clarence was recently honored as one of Ingram’s Magazines Top 50 Missourians You Should Know and Officer Williams is a 2016 winner of the International Police Chiefs 40 top police officers that are under 40 years of age. Officer Williams came to Northwest from the urban core of Omaha, Nebraska and was hired and developed as a student employee and mentored to become a police officer.

Clarence attended Northwest on a football scholarship and received his Bachelor’s degree and later received his Masters in Educational Leadership. Clarence is currently completing his doctoral degree from the University of Missouri in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

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David M. Fryson, Esquire

Vice President, West Virginia University Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mr. Fryson has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. He is a Vice President for West Virginia University (WVU), the State’s flagship institution, and heads the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He previously served as the Deputy General Counsel for WVU. He has practiced law for over 20 years in a variety of legal and advocacy settings.

He was counsel in successful and historic civil rights cases and other major litigation. He also served as the first African American Chief Legal Official for two municipalities, South Charleston and Dunbar, WV and, before becoming an attorney, served on the Governor’s Economic Development staff for two West Virginia governors.

The WVU Division of Diversity is involved in all facets of recruitment, retention and inclusion for underrepresented students, faculty and staff.

Importantly, underrepresented student success is an emphasis for the Division of Diversity. Fryson oversees the WVU Chancellor’s Scholars Program, which serves as a hallmark of the University’s efforts to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented doctoral students. Funded by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, it is one of the nation’s most innovative and successful programs designed to enhance diversity at the doctoral level. The goal is to support doctoral students as a pathway to a more diverse and competent faculty within higher education.

Additionally, under his leadership, the WVU M.A.L.E. (Men Achieving through Leadership and Engagement) initiative for men of color was developed. The objective is to empower men to strive for excellence in academic endeavors and exhibit professionalism in all areas of life. All are welcomed to participate but the target group is underrepresented students. Vice President Fryson’s involvement in diversity initiatives, recruitment, hiring and outreach has been recognized both at West Virginia University and nationally. Because of Vice President Fryson’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, West Virginia University has been selected as the 2016 INSIGHT into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient. The HEED Award recognizes colleges and universities that have a high level of achievement and intensity of commitment in regard to broadening diversity and inclusion on campus through various efforts and is the only national award that honors individual institutions for being an outstanding example of commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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Deja Clay

Senior, Biology major Fort Valley State University

Deja Clay is a senior biology major at the Fort Valley State University (FVSU). Ms. Clay has a GPA of 4.0 and was awarded FVSU’s 2016 Highest GPA Award from the Georgia Board of Regents. Additionally, she is a part of FVSU’s Cooperative Developmental Energy Program, the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and Beta Kappa Chi Honor Society.

As a result of her resolve for her education, Ms. Clay will be graduating with her bachelor’s degree in two years. After she graduates from FVSU, she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in Health Physics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and plans to continue her post baccalaureate education in medicine. During the summer of 2016, she was accepted as a REU student under the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Mechanism of Evolution Internship. Ms. Clay worked with Dr. Allen Gibbs and her research project was on “Assessing the Dietary Effects on Energy Storage in Drosophila”. She presented orally her research at the REU & INBRE Undergraduate Research Symposium at UNLV.

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Dr. Donald Cole

Assistant Provost/ Assistant to the Chancellor for Multicural Affairs University of Mississipi Dr. Cole has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. While a student at the University of Mississippi in 1968, Dr. Donald Cole was expelled for civil rights activity on campus; today, he serves as the University’s Assistant Provost/Assistant to the Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs and Associate Professor of Mathematics. Dr. Cole oversees a variety of issues relating to minority affairs at the University of Mississippi, including minority student and faculty recruitment and retention. He leads the Ronald McNair Program and the NSF Alliance for Minority Participation at the University and co-directs the Alliance for Graduate Education. Additionally, as co-PI on a Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need award, Dr. Cole has helped the UM mathematics department greatly increase its number of graduate degree holders from underrepresented groups, particularly female and African-American students, and served as a mentor to many of these students; in 2006, UM awarded doctoral degrees to six black students, at that time the largest cohort of black mathematics doctorates ever produced at any university in the United States. Cole is chief diversity officer of the university and played an important role in the current diversity plan, “Diversity Matters.” He is currently in a major leadership role as co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on History and Context.

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Dr. Fred L. Hord

Executive Director National Association for African American, Latino, Asian-American, Native American Dr. Hord has been nominated for ther 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. His commitment to teaching, scholarship, activism and building connections among ethnic groups through Culture Centers has influenced faculty, staff and students since the early seventies. Early in his life, Hord attended segregated schools in Indiana before entering integrated schools and starting college when he was 15. Hord founded the Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC) in 1988, the only national organization for African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American and Multiculture Centers. He has been the Executive Director since 2000 and continues to lead the association at its national headquarters, Northern Illinois University. Hord edited and contributed to Black Culture Centers: Politics of Survival and Identity, the only book available that focuses on Black Culture Centers, and will be editing its sequel. He has written and/or edited eight books, has one in the galleys, and has submitted proposals to three major publishers for books on the New Negro, Psychological Issues of Black Students on White Campuses, and African American Views on the Reluctant Emancipator. An accomplished writer and poet, Hord was named to the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center in Chicago. He has made numerous presentations on college/university campuses, and served on the editorial Board of national academic journals including the Journal of Black Studies and the Western Journal of Black Studies. He was also a long-time member of the Board of the National Council for Black Studies.

Dr. Hord has developed more than 30 courses, ranging from Africana Studies to African dimensions of the Latin American experience, where students are comfortable discussing all aspects involving race.

He is currently a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University and former Chair of Africana Studies at Knox College. He has also taught at Hunter College, Franklin College, Wabash College, Indiana University, Howard University, and North Carolina State University. His goal has always been for students to leave his classes culturally literate, with a better understanding of the historical and contemporary connections Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans have with Africana people. From mentoring students, faculty and staff to community members, Hord shares his knowledge and wisdom about Black history and culture. He also shares his personal collection of more than 17,000 books covering all areas of the humanities and social sciences with schools and community organizations. The ABCC Board of Directors created the Fred L. Hord Legends and Legacy Award to honor Hord’s service and leadership at the 2011 ABCC national conference. Since then, the award has been given to individuals who have made invaluable contributions to the ABCC over an extended period of time.

www.minorityaccess.org

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NATIONAL ROLE MODELS 2016

Dr. Hyunju Oh Bennet College Greensboro, NC

Dr. Hyunju has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She has directed 26 undergraduate students research projects in applied mathematics since joining Bennett College in 2008. The students were trained in all aspects of research, starting with the ethics code, going through the workshops on using library and online resources and ending with training in delivering oral presentations as well as in using LaTeX to write mathematical papers. In the beginning of the project the research team was made of depending on majors, pairing with more advanced students, and/or student’s interested in research topic. Students made a weekly presentation about their progress and developed daily summaries and weekly reports so that they obtained feedback/assessment by the mentor. This feedback also helped the students effectively present their work orally and a formal report at the end. Also she had regular mentor and student meetings.

She expected that each student submit at least one research paper and present their findings in at least two conferences. Dr. Oh has earned several awards at Bennett College including the Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in 2014 and the Teaching excellence award in 2015 During the eight years of undergraduate research mentored by Dr. Oh, Bennett students made 36 presentations; 26 presentations at regional conferences, 8 presentations at internal conference, 3 presentations national conference, and 2 presentations international conference. Four teams of them won the outstanding student presentation award and first and third places for presentation. Three manuscripts co-authored by students have been published in Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics, 2015, 81-90, Letters of Biomathematics, 2015, 2:1, 91-102, and Bulletin of Mathematical Biology Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 78:916-922. One manuscript, a book chapter, about mentoring students has been published in Infusing Undergraduate Research into Historically Black Colleges and Universities Curricula 2015; 63-86. And Dr. Oh presented the talk “Co-Mentoring for the National Research Experience for Undergraduate Program (NREUP) in Two Institutions� at 2015 JMM and 2014 International Conference on Advances in Interdisciplinary Statistics and Combinatorics. Dr. Oh received four awards for Teaching Excellence Award (AY2015-2016), mentoring students at Bennett College; Outstanding Junior Faculty Member of the Year 2014-2015, outstanding faculty member for scholarship (AY2013-2014), and Outstanding STEM faculty contribution for participation in student research training in the HBCU-UP Computational Science Project, 2012 and 2010.

Dr. Oh received four grants, sub-awards on HBCU-UP (2009-12), NREUP (2013-16), CURM (2015-16), and PIC Math (2015-17) at Bennett College during the last eight years.

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Jacqueline Fernandez STEM Educator Washington, D.C.

Ms. Fernandez has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Growing up in the low-income bicultural community of Mexicali, B.C. Mexico and Calexico, California opened her eyes to the importance and significance of higher education. It allowed her to create her own personal philosophy of transforming lives through academia. She is the oldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, the first in her family to obtain two college degrees: a master’s degree and the first one to pursue a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in STEM Education (PhD). Currently she is in the fourth and last year of my doctoral degree through the Texas Tech University hybrid program. Her passion for science provided her with an opportunity to be a researcher for the Space Biosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, CA. She worked on projects such as hyper-gravity in which she mentored and helped high school students research the effects of micro-gravity on plants and vertebrate organisms, and find the mechanisms behind the changes in plants and animal growth in different gravitational environments. She also had the opportunity to investigate the effects of micro-gravity on humans; researching bone density loss and muscle atrophy, as well as assisted with the research, development, design, and translation of the Flies in Space website. This website was designed for middle school and high school students and was aligned with the life science experiment FIT (Fungal Pathogenesis, Tumorigenesis, and the Effects of Host Immunity in Space) that launched on the Space shuttle July 4, 2006.

Furthering her science research, teaching and mentoring goals, she became involved with Dr. Kimberly Tanner and the SFSU Science Partnership and Assessment Laboratory (SEPAL), where she helped design a series of science lessons for third grade Latino students that explored the human body systems. She also went on to establish several student organizations from Pre-health students of color to Clinic Martin Baro in which she created a mentorship partnership with pre-medical students from SFSU and first year medical students from the University of California San Francisco Medical School (UCSF) so that pre-medical students would have the opportunity to learn firsthand from second year medical students how to work in a clinical setting particularly in the patient education arena and how to be better prepared to apply for medical school. After completing her studies at SFSU she became a fulltime educator and science education researcher in San Francisco, CA, Brooklyn, NY and currently in Washington, D.C. As a science educator she is always finding innovative ways to present science curriculum to the students she teaches. At the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) Career Academy she wants to make sure that her students are equipped with the best practices in order to achieve a level of mastery in their science courses.

As a founding science teacher and STEM Director she realized that great implementations in the sciences could take place at her school, beginning with the creation of a STEM curriculum that encompasses more instruction guided scientific discourse in the classroom along with more project and inquiry-based learning and primarily a focus on exposing students to degrees and careers in STEM. www.minorityaccess.org

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Jaena Alabi

Reference Librarian Auburn University

Jaena Alabi has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award.

Ms. Alabi is a Reference Librarian for the areas of English, psychology, and Africana Studies at Auburn University’s Ralph Brown Draughon Library.

Before joining Auburn University, she served as the English librarian at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis for four years. A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jaena has earned a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Library and Information Studies, both from the University of Alabama. Her research interests include peer review of teaching for academic librarians and the effect of racial microaggressions on the library profession .

Jaena Alabi is as a reference librarian for the areas of English, psychology, and Africana Studies. In her role, she mentors underserved groups including women and minorities. Each summer she trains students in the three summer bridge minority programs to improve their library research skills.

Jaena Alabi’s research area is racial microaggressions. In her work, she has made valuable contribution to understanding racial microaggressions in the workplace and has often helped supervisors as well as minority and female students and staff to understand better this nuanced form of aggression. For her outstanding work, Ms. Alabi received the David Cohen/EMIERT Multicultural Award which recognizes recent articles that include significant new research related to the understanding and promotion of multiculturalism in libraries in North America.

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Jalisa Holmes

Ph.D. Candidate Georgia State University

Jalisa Holmes has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She is an African American Ph.D. student, at Georgia State University, who is expected to graduate with a Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2017. She has excelled in both research and in preparing for a career in educating future generations of scientists as a professor in a primarily undergraduate institution. Specifically, Jalisa joined GSU as a Ph.D. student in 2012. Thus far, she has a GPA of 3.9. In research, she has been working on an NIH-funded anti-cancer project aimed at developing inhibitors of the Hypoxia­inducible Factor (HIF) and Complex I. The project involves design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship studies of these inhibitors, and requires her to learn skills in drug design, organic synthesis, computational chemistry work, and structural and physicochemical property assessments.

Thus far, she has synthesized about 80 HIF inhibitors, and has one manuscript submitted and two other in preparation. She has prepared the most potent Complex I inhibitor in the world. Jalisa has demonstrated to be an outstanding student academically and in research.

Jalisa’s is strongly dedicated to a career of educating future generations of scientists, especially those that are under-privileged and from the under-represented minority groups, and thus is interested in becoming a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution.

Because of her unique career goal, her training program is also designed differently from those whose interest is primarily chemical research. GSU has a very unique Bio-Bus program. It takes a mobile lab to schools that do not have adequate facilities for students to do lab work. Most of these schools are in areas that have a large population of under­served minority students including those of African American origin.

This Bio-Bus program has been funded by the Howard Hughes Medical institute, the NSF and the NIH, and has been in place for the last 17 years. Jalisa is a BioBus Fellow in this program, spending about 10 to 15 hours per week in running labs, and preparing lab modules. She is also developing a lab module that will help high school students understand cancer.

Jalisa has been very active in GSU’s chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) and served as vice president and president of the Chemistry Graduate Student Association (CGSA). For her dedication to service, Jalisa received the Alfons L. Baumstark Fellowship in 2014 and the Graduate Award for Outstanding Leadership in 2016.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Dr. Jessylen Age

Registered Nurse University of Mississippi

Dr. Age has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She earned a DNP from the University of Mississippi, in 2012.

She graduated with a MHSA and BSN from Mississippi College. Her nursing experience includes critical care and leadership roles in case management, quality and utilization review prior to joining the Risk Management Department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). As a UMMC faculty member, she uses her diverse registered nursing experience in preparing health care professionals within health care delivery systems today. Dr. Age actively serves on the Mississippi Educational Consortium for the Doctor of Nursing Practice to support increasing nursing leadership capacity. As a member of QSEN DNP Taskforce, she is involved in advancing the nursing profession and the quality and safety of health care. Dr. Age demonstrates dedication to health care equity for all patients as co-chair of the UMMC Health Disparities Council, Quality Sub­Committee. She maintains her commitment to service through organizing and volunteering in various community health promotion activities. She is a wife, mother and health activist. While spending time with her family is most rewarding, she enjoys travelling as one of her hobbies.

Dr. Age is a registered nurse with more than twenty­six years of experience. She joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2009 as a RN Risk Management Coordinator and shortly thereafter became an inaugural member of the Health Disparities Council in 2010. As co-chair of the Council’s Quality SubCommittee, Dr. Age’s first commitment to creating change and finding solutions was by designing the quality scorecard for internal benchmarking. In practice, Dr. Age strives to identify and eliminate differences in incidence, prevalence , morbidity, mortality, and survival rates of patients. She was recently appointed to the hospitals’ taskforce to evaluate the system’s readiness in meeting the needs of limited English speaking patients and families.

Dr. Age shows consistent resolve and hard work as faculty, faculty mentor and faculty researcher role model. She joined the Master Health Sciences and Doctor of Health Administration programs as an assistant professor. She promotes the development of critical thinking skills for graduate students through course instruction in which she entwines the impact of health disparities in the context of ethics, policy and quality. In addition, Dr. Age finds time to spearhead interprofessional faculty development projects through research which have been selected for presentations at the AAMC 2015 Integrating Quality Meeting in Chicago, Illinois and the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions 2016 annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Most often, health disparities are thought of in terms of social determinants.

For more than 20 years, one of Dr. Age’s greatest passions has been giving her time, talent and resources through volunteerism. Her strong pledge to helping others is a testament of her commitment to social justice and eliminating health disparities.

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Jonathan Locust, Jr. Jonathan Locust, Jr. has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award by Dr. Clayborne Hannah, Vice-President Student Affairs, Ashland University. Jonathan is an author, educator and professional speaker in the areas of diversity, inclusive excellence, minority/employer retention and student success. He has had professional experiences working in sales, assessment, Title IX, diversity, inclusion, business analytics and strategic planning. ry. Jonathan received his Bachelor in Communications at the University of Cincinnati and a Masters in Higher Education, Administration and Leadership at Kaplan University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate (PhD) in Social Foundations at the University of Toledo. Jonathan is a trained mediator and Title IX Investigator, and has won multiple awards including Outstanding Faculty/Staff of the Year, Diversity Enhancement Award and Best Thesis Research. Most recently he was awarded Communication Alumni Champion by the University of Cincinnati. He is an author of several publications including his latest book entitled, Influence of Involvement and Cognitive Ability on College Retention. Using lessons gleaned from childhood memories, offering educational programs to students, staff and faculty, and attending conferences and workshops that provide a review of best practices is how Jonathan expresses his commitment to diversity-related initiatives in his role as director of Institutional Diversity and Student Conduct at Ashland University. As a young child, he remembers an incident involving a fellow classmate that was the genesis of his awareness that the lack of exposure to diverse individuals could lead to an emotionally charged moment and require intervention from administrators and/or parents. Moreover, another lesson gleaned from this encounter was “That every person does not feel this way….hating someone and negatively responding to hate never ends positively.” As an administrator, the type of programs his office sponsors or co-sponsors reflect these aforementioned lessons and a commitment to exploring an array of issues regarding the role of diversity and inclusion on college campuses. Offering programs such as Pathways, a year-long program that assists students make a seamless transition to college, inviting regional and national speakers to campus, and planning community service projects are just a few of the programmatic initiatives sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity.

During his 5 ½ years at Ashland University, he has provided a place on campus for students, staff and faculty to engage in discussions that has led to a higher level of awareness and appreciation of diversity.

www.minorityaccess.org

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NATIONAL ROLE MODELS 2016

Joyce McCall, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scholar and Assistant Professor of Music Education Indiana University (IU) Jacobs School of Music Joyce McCall has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She is a postdoctoral scholar and visiting assistant professor of music education at the Indiana University (IU) Jacobs School of Music.

McCall earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from Arizona State University and a Master of Music Education and Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to her appointment at IU, she served as an assistant band director at MacArthur High School in Houston, Texas. She has also served as a woodwind and marching band specialist in Mississippi and Alabama. In efforts to create more inclusive structures in music and education, McCall’s research focuses on issues of race, class, and culture in educational settings, as well as intersecting formal and informal strategies through the use of popular music and digital culture.

She has presented sessions and research at the American Educator’s Research Association (AERA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE), the Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the Arizona Music Educator’s Conference (AMEA).

From 1999-2013, McCall proudly served as a clarinetist in the United States Army Bands and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. She is also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women. During her first appointment as an assistant band director at MacArthur High School, she led her students to become the first non-varsity band in the history of Aldine Independent School District (ISD), a predominantly Hispanic community, to earn a University Interscholastic League (UIL) Sweepstakes.

As a result of her teaching experiences in Aldine, Joyce went on to becoming a researcher and advocate for social chance in education, music, and society. She is one few scholars in the country whose research focuses on the intersections of race, class, and culture within music education in hopes of creating equitable and inclusive musical spaces. She has presented sessions and research at the May Day Group Colloquium, an international community of scholars and practitioners in music education, the American Educator’s Research Association (AERA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE), the Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the Arizona Music Educator’s Conference (AMEA). Because she mentors students from diverse backgrounds, higher music programs actively seek out Dr. McCall’s expertise on ways to improve and sustain diversity, and identify key stressors associated with social constructs that negatively impact recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations.

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Dr. Keisha A. John

Director of Diversity Programs for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs University of Virginia Jonathan Locust, Jr. has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award by Dr. Clayborne Hannah, Vice-President Student Affairs, Ashland University. Jonathan is an author, educator and professional speaker in the areas of diversity, inclusive excellence, minority/employer retention and student success. He has had professional experiences working in sales, assessment, Title IX, diversity, inclusion, business analytics and strategic planning. ry. Jonathan received his Bachelor in Communications at the University of Cincinnati and a Masters in Higher Education, Administration and Leadership at Kaplan University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate (PhD) in Social Foundations at the University of Toledo. Jonathan is a trained mediator and Title IX Investigator, and has won multiple awards including Outstanding Faculty/Staff of the Year, Diversity Enhancement Award and Best Thesis Research. Most recently he was awarded Communication Alumni Champion by the University of Cincinnati. He is an author of several publications including his latest book entitled, Influence of Involvement and Cognitive Ability on College Retention. Using lessons gleaned from childhood memories, offering educational programs to students, staff and faculty, and attending conferences and workshops that provide a review of best practices is how Jonathan expresses his commitment to diversity-related initiatives in his role as director of Institutional Diversity and Student Conduct at Ashland University. As a young child, he remembers an incident involving a fellow classmate that was the genesis of his awareness that the lack of exposure to diverse individuals could lead to an emotionally charged moment and require intervention from administrators and/or parents. Moreover, another lesson gleaned from this encounter was “That every person does not feel this way….hating someone and negatively responding to hate never ends positively.” As an administrator, the type of programs his office sponsors or co-sponsors reflect these aforementioned lessons and a commitment to exploring an array of issues regarding the role of diversity and inclusion on college campuses. Offering programs such as Pathways, a year-long program that assists students make a seamless transition to college, inviting regional and national speakers to campus, and planning community service projects are just a few of the programmatic initiatives sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity.

During his 5 ½ years at Ashland University, he has provided a place on campus for students, staff and faculty to engage in discussions that has led to a higher level of awareness and appreciation of diversity.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Dr. Krishna Foster Dr. Krishna Foster, nominated by Dr. Lynn Mahoney, Provost and VicePresident of Academic Affairs at California State University – Los Angeles for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award, has a distinguished record as a scholar with a history of peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences. She has an outstanding record in helping to facilitate student success in science and has been deeply involved in course redesign and active learning efforts. Since 2000, Dr. Foster has served as a faculty member in Chemistry and Biochemistry where her work to improve student learning in Chemistry serves as a model for other faculty.

Dr. Foster also plays a leading role in efforts to ensure the success of firstgeneration, low-income students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Cal State LA is one of the most diverse universities in the US. Close to 70% of our students are eligible for Pell Grants and more than 60% are from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Dr. Foster serves as the co-director of the Minority Opportunities in Research Programs (MORE) a nationally recognized set of programs that have played a leadership role in preparing underrepresented students for PhD programs in STEM. Thanks to her work and the work of her colleagues, the institution has been acknowledged by the National Science Foundation as the largest producer of Latino PhDs from comprehensive state colleges. Dr. Foster has been widely recognized for her work. Dr. Foster also serves as the Director of Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program which is designed to increases the number of Latino, African Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders in biomedical research. In 2007, she received the Distinguished Women Award at Cal State LA. Her achievements were recognized by the City of Los Angeles Commission in 2008 when she was an invited panelist for their Women Leaders in Education program. In 2011, Dr. Foster was the subject of an oral history project, ScienceMakers, documenting African-American leaders who have made advances in science and science education. Most recently, she was an Insight Into Diversity Inspiring Women in STEM Awardee. Dr. Foster also plays a leading role in efforts to diversify the faculty.

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Dr. L’Issa L. Gates Westside Clinics, AMC New Orleans, Louisiana

Dr. Gates has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Dr. She is one of the preeminent physicians in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. She is a native New Orleanian who practices pediatrics and preventive medicine and is the first African American Partner at Westside Clinics, AMC where she delivers outstanding healing services with a caring, nurturing approach. Dr. Gates is an alumna of the Committee for a Better New Orleans/Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum and has been named to the Delgado Community College Care & Development of Young Children Board of Advisors because of her keen expertise in child care and commitment to quality, affordable healthcare. In actuality, her influence extends far beyond medicine because she makes a difference in the lives of countless young people by being a staunch advocate for children and abuse prevention, serving as a positive and visible role model in the community; participating in the American Medical Association Doctors Back to School Program; her commitment to lifelong learning and social justice; serving as a Junior Achievement Volunteer and her willingness to educate our youth about healthy lifestyles and choices. Because of her efforts and philanthropy, she was a recipient of Jefferson Parish Presidential and New Orleans Mayoral and City Council, Louisiana House and Senate as well as congressional commendations and Data News Weekly named her a 2013 Trailblazer. The West St. Tammany YMCA designated Dr. Gates as a Hero for Healthy Living. New Orleans City Business Magazine also listed her in their Ones to Watch highlights and lauded her as a Healthcare Hero.

Dr. Gates is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree Magna Cum Laude in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She earned a Doctor of Medicine Degree from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans. She is licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and is a member of Beta Beta Biological, Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical and Alpha Kappa Mu Scholastic Honor Societies. Further, Dr. Gates is also a member of the American Medical Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her name is synonymous with all things medical.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Lesley Brown, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean of Academic Services Baltimore City Community College Lesley Brown, PhD has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award and is described as “hopeless� academic who has spent most of her professional career helping students make the most of academic opportunities available to them. Currently, as Assistant Dean of Academic Services at Baltimore City Community College, she works tirelessly to ensure that students in the city of Baltimore are provided with an environment that helps them to maximize their personal, academic and professional potential. Her work at different types of institutions has caused her to think more deeply about the relationships between education and social stratification and to redirect her efforts into increasing dialog and action surrounding educational inequality. Overshadowing even her contributions to biochemistry and chemistry instruction, Dr. Lesley Brown’s mentorship in the habits of mind for scientists, research, learning and life have been generously extended to undergraduate students, graduate students, junior researchers and colleagues. She has a particular commitment to tutoring underrepresented students into stronger preparation, confident stances and lifelong success. As the first Afro-American chemistry professor at Goucher College, for 10 years she mentored a range of women, minority and disabled students in biochemical research and publication. These students have gone on to occupy positions as pharmacists, corporate research scientists and college faculty - a testimony to her excellence in mentoring. In the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded ADVANCE Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, she mentored women aspiring to be STEM faculty. At the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she worked with undergraduates by providing them with the tools to prepare competitive applications for graduate school. And as Academic Program Manager for the Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she initiated a novel summer research program targeting undergraduates from minority-serving institutions, wherein she partnered with faculty to develop a research program positioning these students for successful future research careers.

For the last four years, Dr. Brown has worked at the very urban and diverse Baltimore City Community College as the Assistant Dean of Adjunct Services (previously) and the Assistant Dean of Academic Services (currently). She has worked tirelessly to bring student success to the center of any policy question, support and mentorship to adjunct faculty in best practices to reach underserved students, support and mentorship to any and all students entering her office, passion to the identification and use of metrics in optimizing the student experience, and support to colleagues in all that is good and noble about the educational endeavor and in the mentoring of the least served to a successful future.

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Malique Jones

Senior Biology Major and Psychology Minor Bennett College Malique Jones, a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a Senior Biology Major and Psychology Minor at Bennett College and has been nominated for 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Her nomination was submitted because of her ability to exemplify role model qualities for students across the disciplines at Bennett College – one of two colleges in the United States for African American women students. Malique has received many notable awards and honors and has been on Bennett’s Honors and Dean’s List numerous times. A most notable award was the Outstanding Biology Major Award.

She is a strong leader on Bennett’s campus and is the current President of the Biology Club. She has also served as the Biology Club’s Vice President and in 2015 the Psychology Club’s Secretary. Malique was selected to serve as a Research Fellow for the Anna Julia Cooper/Africana Women Studies Fellowship and the Mellon Mays Fellowship. These opportunities afforded her the ability to conduct research in environmental science education and introduce environmental science to pre-Kindergarten students. Malique was awarded this prestigious fellowship as a result of her research project entitled “Engaging Minorities Students in the Environmental Sciences at an Early Age”. Malique received the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) scholarship, a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and with the objective to increase the number of minorities in graduate school.

According to her nominee, Malique is a well-rounded student who is admired and respected by peers and faculty and very deserving of this award.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Dr. Margaret I. Kanipes-Spinks Dr. Margaret I. Kanipes-Spinks has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award by Dr. Zakiva S. Wilson, Assistant Dean for Diversity College of Science Louisiana State University. As a result of her leadership in STEM and administration, Dr. Kanipes-Spinks was recently appointed to serve as North Carolina A& T’s Director of the STEM Center of Excellence for Active Learning. In this new role, she will play a pivotal role in developing, initiating and maintaining collaborative work relationships with different STEM departments within the College and across the campus to enhance student success across our campus. In her previous role as chair, Dr. Kanipes-Spinks exhibited excellent leadership resulting in a more positive environment within the Department of Chemistry.

Members of the faculty were engaged in more collaborative projects and were encouraged to engage in development activities that permitted the Department to enhance departmental programs for students not only in chemistry but throughout the University. Dr. Kanipes-Spinks has been active in grant proposal writing and seeking external funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome, and NASA. She has secured and managed a portfolio of over 4.0 million dollars in grants and has presented her research at more than twelve scientific meetings. Dr. Kanipes-Spinks has also been involved in service at the University and community. In addition, she has served as a reviewer for journals related to her field and been actively involved at the local and national levels of the American Chemical Society (ACS). For the past 3 years, Dr. Kanipes-Spinks has been involved in K-16 science education. Her research has evolved a better understanding how students learn. She worked closely with two MAT students on this research and also paired with one of our colleagues, Dr. Sayo Fakayode, to provide continuing education (summer workshops) to science educators to help students in their classrooms become more interested in science. Dr. KanipesSpinks has mentored and advised over 25 students at the graduate, undergraduate, community college and high school levels. As an administrator, Dr. Kanipes-Spinks led the transformation of the Department of Chemistry in adopting new pedagogical approaches such as the Discovery Leaming and Emporium models to enhance teaching effectiveness in the chemical sciences. As a result of her management, the Department saw increases in first-year retention of its undergraduate majors. Also, she and her faculty revamped and strengthened the M.S. graduate Chemistry program and created a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program concentration in Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 2014, the Department successfully graduated the largest number of Master’s students amongst the Science and Mathematics programs. Dr. Kanipes-Spinks earned her B.S. in Chemistry from NC A&T and Ph.D degree in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Dr. Marion A. Franks Dr. Marion A. Franks was nominated by Dr. Savo O. Fakayode, Associate Professor of Chemistry at North Carolina A&T State University (NCATSU) for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Dr. Franks obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from Clark Atlanta University, his PhD in Chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and is currently an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry. Dr. Franks has published peer review articles and presented his research finding in several national research and conferences. As a research mentor, he has mentored 29 undergraduates and 15 graduate students his eleven years of teaching and of those students, nine have gone on to Ph.D. Programs, three have earned Ph.D.s, four (4) has gone on to M.D. programs, three have earned M.Ds., one has enrolled into a dentistry program and one has enrolled into a pharmacy program. Dr. Franks has also been on the Chemistry advisory board which gives him access to American Chemistry Society Student Affiliates leadership teams and the ability to interact with other Student Affiliate advisors. These opportunities and positions have made him a knowledgeable advisor that is capable of giving students the tools to make it as chemists.

Dr. Franks has worked diligently to learn the protocol for advising students academically, in research, and in scientific clubs. This level of accomplishment in term of students’ success as a result of excellent mentoring

by Dr. Franks is simply commendable. He gives students the opportunity to grow as noted isns his work with students. As an advisor, Dr. Franks believes every advisor must believe the students that you advise have the potential to do great things and they are looking to you to help them reach their potential.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Dr. Nicole R. Williams Dr. Nicole R. Williams has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bowie State University and Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Social Psychology from Howard University. Dr. Williams has worked in the field of Human Services for nine years and is currently a Full Professor and Program Coordinator of Human Services at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC). Dr. Williams works with the Student Achievement and Success Program, is the club advisor for the Human Services club, and has served on several committees within the college to include: Teaching and Learning Committee, the Community Advisory Boards for Internships, Human Services and Aging Studies Advisory Board, Academic Council, Academic Standards, Social Justice Committee and the Diversity Committee.

Dr. Williams is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Zeitgeist Award at AACC. Dr. Williams is committed to the field of human services as she continues to serve her community and provide the highest quality of education for the future generation of professionals. In addition, her research and teaching interest include: human services, cultural diversity and the psychology of African Americans with an emphasis on post trauma of historical events, understanding the unique circumstance of African American males, the unique circumstances of African American females and intimate relationships, the African American family, and the application of theoretical perspectives in the field of human services and psychology in order to continuously improve the overall well-being of the African American population. As a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) award winner, she was recognized for her outstanding contributions in teaching and learning and continues to find ways to learn and enhance her teaching effectiveness as well as improve the curriculum with the Human Services department. She welcomes new challenges and initiatives and is always willing to spread her human services skill set in the most compelling ways to help AACC’s students of color as well as students with issues related to LBGT, homelessness, addiction and other barriers that inhibit success. She has been the faculty coordinator for the Summer Bridge Program for African American students for the past five years, the initiator of “Just Talk” sessions, has led the successful direction of both the human services club and the Black History Month Programming Committee, facilitated programs in support of the BlackLivesMatter movement. Dr. Williams is a champion for social justice issues and improving the campus climate for all people of color.

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Paulette Patterson Dilworth, Ph.D. Dr. Paulette Patterson Dilworth, nominated for the 2106 Minority Access National Award, is Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Prior to joining UAB, she was faculty and Assistant Vice President for Access and Community initiatives at Auburn University and Associate Professor of curriculum studies in the School of Education at Indiana University-Bloomington. Besides a strong affinity for art and music, Dr. Dilworth has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in higher education, diversity education consulting and training, recruitment, retention, research, teaching and outreach. Dr. Dilworth has devoted her professional career and much of her personal life to exploring issues of access, civic engagement, equity and community building.

Dr. Dilworth earned a Ph.D. in educational studies from Emory University in Atlanta. Before moving to Indiana University in 2000, she worked at Emory University in the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs as Director of Minority Affairs and Assistant Director of Equal Opportunity Programs. Active in professional, civic and higher-education organizations, Dr. Dilworth is past Chair of the Executive Board of the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies. More recently, she served as the associate editor of Theory and Research in Social Education and has chaired the Research Focused on Social Studies SIG of the American Education Research Association. She has served as the Equity Chair for Division B—Curriculum Studies and is a past member of the Equity Council of the American Education Research Association and past Vice President of the Indiana Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Dilworth has been recognized with several awards for her contributions to research, teaching and service to education, including the National Council for Social Studies Exemplary Research Award, the Kipchoge Kirkland Teaching for Social Justice Award and the Emory University Outstanding Contributions and Service to the University Award. She is author or co-author of numerous research publications and has been involved as an editor, consultant, reviewer or contributor in many other print and electronic publishing projects.

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Dr. Paulette N. Willis Dr. Paulette N. Willis is being nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award for her dedication and commitment to mentoring minority and women throughout her career. As an undergraduate at Southern University at New Orleans under the mentorship of Dr. Joe Omojola, Dr. Willis served as a peer mentor to fellow undergraduate students. Dr. Willis helped students develop presentations and writing skills along with the study skills necessary to compete in graduate school. Many of the students involved in these organizations went on to graduate school as a direct result of their interactions with her. While in graduate school Dr. Willis worked with Dr. Phil Kutzko and the National Alliance program to mentor other minority students and help with their adjustment to graduate school. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Willis worked closely with her mentors to bring minority students from New Orleans to the University of Iowa to continue their studies. She personally mentored and tutored several of the students who have now continued on to purse advanced degrees in the mathematical sciences. As an NSF postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Willis continued to mentor students both inside and outside of the classroom and helped her mentees with their personal statements and resumes, apply for summer research programs, and identify graduate programs they could be successful in. Currently Dr. Willis is an entrepreneur and continues to mentor students through the National Alliance and personal recommendations sent to her from former students and colleagues. Moving through her career, from academia to industry, Dr. Willis continue to incorporate mentoring into her busy schedule because she believes in the transformative power of mentoring. She continuously gets called upon by her former mentees to help provide guidance for current students. Dr. Willis’s dedication to helping the next generation of minorities and women take advantage of available opportunities is inspirational.

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Dr. Robert Nobles Dr. Robert Nobles, nominated by the Office of the President of the University of Tennessee (UT), serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for research and has a faculty appointment in the Department of Public Health within the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences. Dr. Nobles joined UT in 2013 and in his current capacity leads efforts and oversees research compliance activities related to the responsible conduct of research, research with human subjects and animals, work with biological and radiological hazards, research conflicts of interest, export controls, and research misconduct. Dr. Nobles also serves as the co-investigator on a 5-year $4.9 million NIH award for the Program for Excellence & Equity in Research (PEER); and chairs the UT institutional compliance committee, campus safety committee, and Commission for Blacks. Prior to his career in academia, Nobles served as a public health prevention specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and as a program manager for the state of Florida’s Department of Public Health. Nobles completed his Doctor of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston with a triple major that included health policy & management, epidemiology, and health economics; and he received his master’s in Public Health specializing in epidemiology, and bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Florida A&M University. Dr. Nobles is an avid educator and has taught on the collegiate level since 2001 in the areas of environmental biology, anatomy and physiology, public administration, health policy and management, health care finance, ethics, epidemiology, and responsible conduct of research. Dr. Nobles has a stellar career in administration, specifically research administration in higher education, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and at the State of Florida Department of Health. He has spent his entire career in research administration and in environmental health. Dr. Nobles investigated outbreaks, which included infectious, environmental, injury and environmental outbreak threats. He also implemented an intervention study to prevent ACL injuries among female college athletes. Throughout his career, Dr. Nobles has led by example and has focused on organizational excellence. Despite his relatively young age, he serves this role with wisdom, poise, and compassion. Because of challenges relative to diversity both internal and external to the institution, he has been asked to chair the Commission for Blacks. Throughout this last year, he has been asked by the administration, the Black community, and all who feel underrepresented to stand for them to help the institution work its way through these challenges. Nationally, his work with the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) on developing the next generation research administrators is also exemplary. He has played a critical role with APLU’s Council on Research on ensuring the next generation of leaders is as prepared and as diverse as possible. Through his leadership, he has made an immense difference in how public institutions look at recruiting and developing the next generation of research administrators while advancing the necessary efforts to increase diversity in research.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Rohitha Goonatilake, Ph.D

Professor of Mathematics Texas A&M International University Dr. Rohitha Goonatilake, Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M International University {TAMIU), is nominated to serve as a role model to underrepresented students in recognition of his outstanding mentoring and advising efforts that have enhanced the participation and retention of individuals by providing them opportunities in STEM disciplines.

Dr. Goonatilake holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Kent State University, Kent, OH, a M.A. in Actuarial Science from Ball State University, a M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Kent State University, a M.Sc. in Mathematics from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics & Science from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He has published over 100 journal articles and presentations on various topics ranging from summability to networking intrusion detection and has worked on many social science projects since his joining TAMIU in 1999.

He is currently working as the chair in the Department of Mathematics and Physics. Previously, he has served as the Principal lnvestigator for National Science Foundation Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships {CSEMS) grant project and at present the Robert Noyce Mathematics Teacher Scholarship Program at TAMIU. He is a member of the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. His mentoring work has resulted in significant differences for a vast student population that include middle and high school students and students of all levels at TAMIU. Since joining TAMIU in summer of 1999, he has taught undergraduate mathematics courses and graduate mathematics courses. He has also guided comprehensive exams, undergraduate honors mathematics projects, graduate mathematics projects, independent mathematics courses, and more than 200 student project presentations in STEM related topics leading him to become an effective and proven teacher. Among many of his accomplishments, one is his proposal for the Master of Science degree in mathematics, providing ample opportunities for students to pursue advanced degrees at TAMIU. Through a number of funded grant programs, he was able to provide student opportunities such as research assistants, internships, as well as other employments at TAMIU. He has also provided professional development opportunities for high and middle school teachers and enrichment workshops for high school, middle school, and TAMIU students for the sustainability of educational programs in South Texas. Many of his students who have benefited from his mentoring are currently employed at local middle and high schools and at Laredo Community College. Dr. Goonatilake is also the recipient of many academic awards that included: Teacher’s Award, ,The Scholar of the Year Award-2006, Texas A&M, collegiate awards and scientific and faculty recognition and senate awards.

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Ronnie Williams

Vice President for Student Services and Institutional Diversity University of Central Arkansas Mr. Williams has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award.

His tenure began as Director of Multicultural Student Services. One of the crown jewels of his appointment was his passion and persistence in pursuing funding for African American students to participate in academic and cultural excursions throughout the continent of Africa.

Thereafter, he became the EEO/Affirmative Action Officer for the University. In that role, he was a sounding board for the President and other administrators in addition to faculty and staff. All the while, he sought to advance the University’s agenda for equity and inclusion.

As a show of confidence for his professionalism and leadership capacity, he was promoted to the role of Vice President for Student Services. All the same, he remained committed to diversity. His leadership team blossoms in compositional and philosophical diversity as does his entire division. He is a trusted voice of reason to the Student Government Association as well as to cultural and multicultural student organizations and the robust Greek community.

Three years ago, the role of Vice President for Institutional Diversity was added to his responsibilities. He accepted this office as the Chief Diversity Officer and intensified his efforts. To date, he continues to accept, affirm, and advance students, faculty, and staff of color all the while serving on a variety of University committees.

As the highest ranking person of color at the University, he became and remains a role model and father figure to many, offering guidance, insight, and wisdom. Throughout the years, alumni who are now educators at every level, physicians, attorneys, and the gamut of professionals have returned to campus to connect with him and to validate his positive influence on their lives.

The Central Arkansas community also values his insight. He has served on boards of the Arkansas Educational Television Network Commission, Arkansas Judiciary Committee on Professional Conduct, Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, and Conway Development Corporation. He is currently chairing the newly formed Conway Community Race Relations Initiative. His awards include the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award of the and the 2014 Faulkner County Leadership Institute Leadership Award.

Vice President Williams continues to speak for those who believe they have no voice and for those who have not found their voice. He has persevered over the years to initiate critical conversations with courage, conviction, and kindness. Indeed, he is a 30-year treasure to the University of Central Arkansas.

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Dr. Sayumi Irey Dr. Irey has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She has been mentoring students of color, staff and faculty of color, and women for several over a decade. As one of notably few Asian American immigrant women leaders in higher education, she is dedicated to mentoring and sponsorship that has been intentional, personal, and local.

In 2013, Dr. Irey founded the Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI) for community and technical college employees whose demographic groups have been (and remain) historically underrepresented in colleges across Washington State. Her goal is to recruit and nurture over 100 members who will become formal leaders in higher education. The Institute implements the lens of social justice as a core value, has been markedly successful, and in 2016 welcomes 3rd year cohorts across 34 colleges.

Tica L. Green

Greensboro College Duke University School of Divinity Tico Green has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She is a 1994 graduate of Greensboro College where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in Biology and Religion and Philosophy. She went on to receive a Masters of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School in May 1998. Ms. Green has dedicated her life to working with students and young adults throughout her professional career both in the North Carolina Guilford County school system and in higher education, in which she has consistently enriched and edified the lives of those she serves. She is an active member in her church, Maranatha Fellowship Church; a Tiger Den Leader for Cub Scouts; a dedicated volunteer with Girl Scouts of America; an advisor for the United African-American Society at Greensboro College; and actively participates and assists with religious life and campus ministry at Greensboro College. Ms. Green is a mother of two wonderful young children who reside with her in Greensboro, NC.

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Teresa Ramírez, Ph.D.

National Human Genome Research Institute American Society of Human Genetics (NHGRI/ASHG) Dr. Ramirez has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She was a post-doctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Ramírez is a first-generation MexicanAmerican and the first from her family to have graduated from college and to have obtained a doctoral degree. She received her B.S. degree in General Biology from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2004. She participated in a post-baccalaureate program at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, MD.

Dr. Ramírez has been a member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) for fifteen years, thanks to her undergraduate research advisor, Dr. Laura Robles. She obtained her doctorate degree in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology degree from Brown University in May of 2014 and was the founder and first president of the Brown University SACNAS Chapter. Her current research focuses on how aging and chronic alcohol exposure causes liver injury. Dr. Ramírez is part of the NIH SACNAS Chapter and is the co-vice president.

Dr. Ramírez is passionate about sharing her love for science and mentoring students. She has learned that setting a path for the next generation of STEM leaders is important. She firmly believes in the importance of mentorship and how it can create a positive impact in the lives of others as it did on hers. She advises students to stay focused and to continue following their dreams by working hard, staying positive and by always asking questions.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Dr. Willetta Gibson

Associate Professor of Biology Project Director of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Dr. Gibson has been nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. She is a native of Durham, North Carolina. She received her B.S degree in Molecular Biology from Winston-Salem State University and Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the Medical University of South Carolina.

She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) where she examined the sensitivity of inflammatory breast cancer cells to inhibitors of the sonic hedgehog signal transduction pathway.

Dr. Gibson’s research interests include breast cancer health disparities amongst African-American women, natural products as chemo-preventive agents in breast cancer and undergraduate STEM education. Dr. Willietta Gibson currently serves as the Principle Investigator for a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (NSF-IUSE) to improve laboratory instruction through implementation of case studies. She also received funding from the North Carolina Biotech Center to enhance Cell, Molecular and Genetic Courses at Bennett College and the Department of Defense to build research infrastructure. In addition, she was the Campus Liaison for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, PCFF (Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future) project whose aim is to help institutions develop projects that will bring transformational change to undergraduate STEM education at HBCU’s.

Within the community, Dr. Gibson has been active in returning to her alma mater, through conducting a workshop for the WSSU GEMS (Girls Empowered in Math and Sciences) Summer Program and presenting a lecture to students in the SURE (Summer Undergraduate for Research Experiences) Program. She is also the current Secretary of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated of the Beta Nu Zeta Chapter in Greensboro, NC.

In addition to her scholarly and community work, Dr. Gibson has also been recognized in teaching as a recipient of the United Methodist Teaching Award (2012). Dr. Gibson has been a faculty member at Bennett College for six years teaching biology, biotechnology, zoology, and molecular biology courses.

She has a deep passion for teaching, helping others to learn, mentoring and increasing the number of underrepresented minorities entering into STEM graduate programs.

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Xylina Marshall

Honor Student University of Tennessee

Xlinda Marshall has been nominated by the Office of the President of the University of Tennessee Systems, for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Xylina Marshall grew up in Newport, Arkansas, a rural town with long history of racial tension and little academic opportunity.

Being biracial in an overwhelmingly dichotic environment helped her to realize the importance of finding ways to relate across boundaries and eventually inspired her to further engage and understand issues surrounding social justice. After the death of her single mother, Marshall enrolled at the University of Tennessee just in time to experience its myriad of changes.

Through an introductory honors course entitled “Reformation vs.

Revolution,” Xylina began to conceptualize the systems of injustice structuring her daily life and endeavored to learn more through various campus organizations and additional coursework. By joining the Leadership and Service Ambassadors, tutoring students in local under-performing high schools, and leading an Alternative Break trip, she utilized her strengths to actively engage campus, Knoxville, and national communities on issues surrounding social change. Likewise, Xylina’s views on diversity and social justice demanded that she continue to educate herself in specific areas of injustice, spurring her to enroll in courses such as “Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation,” sign up for “Safe Zone” training, and attend conferences such as the “Black Issues Conference” on UT’s campus.

A 2013 recipient of the Carl Cowan Scholarship, Marshall was a dedicated and accomplished student as well as an active community member. Experiencing both the creation and the dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at UT, Xylina has continuously shown a passion for informing and engaging her peers on topics related to diversity. As a recent graduate and continued Knoxville citizen she hopes to continue working with local organizations to move towards equity in her community.

www.minorityaccess.org

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Yvonne Pruitt Yvonne Pruitt has been nominated by Brandon M. Larmore, Director, Academic Resources Center Seton Hall University for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. An enthusiastic and talented student, Ms. Pruitt quickly developed into a one of a kind leader and role model through Peer Advising and providing guidance and leadership to students as they adjust to new surroundings. She goes above and beyond finding creative ways to lead students as they experience their first semester at Seton Hall or as they navigate the complexities of being a non-traditional adult learner. Having ushered students through eight orientations and having been selected as a teaching assistant for three semesters, Yvonne found herself at home helping others as a tutor where she is able to cover a plethora of subjects and courses while assisting vulnerable students as they attempt to maintain or recover their academic standing. Yvonne’s commitment to community service and leadership through her work with the Big Brother, Big Sisters network. She also spends time every semester forming groups of students comprised of peers and mentees to venture out into the local area performing various community service activities ranging from soup kitchens to park cleanups.

Her leadership skills continue with her fellow theatre majors through the University’s Theatre Council and performing on stage at SOPAC and in Seton Hall’s Theatre-in-the-Round. Yvonne spent the summer in England and Ireland as part of the college’s Theatre-in-London course. This fall, she will be making her Seton Hall directorial debut with the show “Once in the Times of Trolls” which will be a free show for the children of our local and alumni community designed to help students and the community form positive connection. Yvonne set a bar that students felt encouraged to follow. She takes the time to understand every point her classmates have regardless of whether or not it matched her opinion. Her openness was so comforting to other allowing them to follow suit. While keeping herself academically stellar, she also made sure to take the time to bring others up with her. Yvonne’s dedication to serving her community did not go unnoticed as she was selected as a top candidate for the premier student leadership organization on campus, the Peer Adviser program. During her first semester as a Peer Advisor, we were randomly paired to work together in the classroom. Our work together helped a diverse group of students find their way at the University developing meaningful and lasting relationships. Her genuine nature helped our students feel valued as individuals and connect better with the information we were presenting. She was so inspirational a good number of our students decided to follow in her footsteps and become Peer Advisors. She has been honored by the University as the 2015-2016 recipient of our annual “Celebrating our Students” award which is an initiative sponsored by the Division of Student Services to recognize students who are ambassadors of the Seton Hall mission, who are engaged in campus activities, and who contribute to the quality of student life through community service, clubs and organizations, academic achievement, Athletics, DOVE and other university groups. Yvonne was the first recipient from the College of Communication & the Arts.

Creative, driven, and excited to share her gifts, Yvonne is without a doubt the perfect role model for students to emulate.

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Zandria Chambers

Senior Plant Science major The Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Zandria Chambers is a senior Plant Science major at The Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and is being nominated for the 2016 Minority Access National Role Model Award. Ms. Chambers has been in the FVSU Honors Program from 2013 to the present. She currently has a 3.3 GPA and is a recipient of the National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship. Ms. Chambers’ plans are to attend graduate school upon completion of her baccalaureate degree and will pursue a career in the field of Pharmaceutical.

This past summer, she participated in a NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Georgia and conducted research in the area of Plant Pathology/USDA ARS. Her research was entitled “How Does Fusarium Verticilliodes Protect Itself from its Own Toxin.” She is actively involved in her community and on FVSU’ campus. She currently holds the title of President of Agri-Demic , is a member of Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRRS) and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Ms. Chambers works at FVSU’s Cooperative Extension on a research project collecting data on outcome of workshops conducted by the extension agents.

www.minorityaccess.org

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