Unity Star Newsletter Spring 2014

Unity Star

Distribution: All Without OPS and F

Spring 2014

Newsletter

Diversity Breakfast Photo Recap Director’s Corner

The Diversity Breakfast brings together more than 500 members from the UCF and Central Florida Communities each year. On Monday, October 21, UCF celebrated 21 years of this tradition. The following images captured select moments during the breakfast that conveyed ODI’s message of embracing and celebrating something new.

Thank you Knightro for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to the Pegasus Ballroom so early in the morning.

As we begin 2014, the staff in the Office of Diversity Initiatives is excited about the future under new leadership. A national search for the position of Director is well under way, and we look forward to a fresh and innovative perspective becoming a pivotal part of our team.

Serving as the Interim Director has been a tremendous learning experience with many opportunities to develop professionally. I am especially grateful for the dedication and support of the people I work with on a daily basis. So, thank you to:

• Katie Pomp

Administrative Assistant

• Carmen I. Afonso

Executive Secretary

Top: Drs. Hitt, and Schell, and Knightro Right: Corporate Diversity Award Recipients

• Dayanara Hudson

Program Assistant

• Zakiya McGhie

LEGACY Coordinator

Top: Keynote Speaker Jennifer Brown

• Robert Glenn

Office Assistant

• Judith Geneus

Student Assistant

You are the reason our department works so well and does so much.

All photos by Roozbeh Meghdadi

1,160.8 lbs. of food were collected for the Knights Helping Knights Pantry. Thank you!

ODI Spotlight: Guest Presenters Dr. Alla Kourova Ms. Belinda Boston

Alla Kourova, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Her charisma and enthusiasm for knowledge have played a role in reviving the Russian Language major at UCF. She recently published a monograph detailing the theory and practice of project methodology in teaching foreign languages. The monograph is entitled “Using Cross-Cultural Projects in Teaching Foreign Languages: A research-based approach to design and implementation.” It was published by the Smolen-

Photo courtesy of Alla Kourova

sky University Press, Russia.

Dr. Kourova will be joining us on February 4 to present Russia: The Dialogue of Cultures.

Dr. JoAnne Stephenson

JoAnne Stephenson, D.M.A., is a performer, lecturer, adjudicator, and choir director. She currently teaches private voice instruction, German and English diction, Music Appreciation, and Song Literature at the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Stephenson’s performances abroad include Beijing, China where she sang “The Umokoro Songs” written for her by Dr. Wallace Cheatham. European performances include a tour to Leipzig, Prague, Vienna, and Melk where she sang the Mezzo Soprano solos in the J.S. Bach “Magnifcate” and the W.A. Mozart “Mass in c Minor.” Other European engagements include four solo recitals, two at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, and two at the University of London. Additional European performances include solo recitals and performances in Paris, France, Ragusa, Italy, and Vevey, Switzerland.

In addition, Dr. Stephenson has presented several lecture/recitals around the United States. One lecture of 2

As an Assistant Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Services, Ms. Belinda Boston oversees Community Support Services, a group that helps “Create a Community of Success” by engaging minds and transforming lives. She holds two Masters Degrees from Western Illinois University, in Counseling Education and Human Resources. She is a Past President of the Black Faculty Staff Association, and is a member of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she volunteers for the Women’s Ministry and the Music Ministry.

Ms. Boston is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she serves as the Treasurer of the Brevard County Alumnae Chapter. She also is active in numerous other community organizations including the Florida Diversity Council, the

Photo courtesy of Belinda Boston

United Way, the American Heart Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Association. Ms. Boston’s passion is advocating for the voiceless through Diversity Education and Oppression Reduction work. She considers herself a Social Justice Advocate and Educator. Belinda is the proud mother of Zahara, her 6-year old daughter.

Ms. Boston will be joining us on February 27 to present Women of the Movement: “Honoring the Dream.”

Dr. Olga Molina Photo courtesy of JoAnne Stephenson

note was her presentation in conjunction with a grant for the National Endowment for the Humanities where she lectured on “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Music by African Americans.” Dr. Stephenson also developed the class “An Introduction to Music by African Americans” which looks at some of the music from Africa, and traces its evolution in the United States from Negro Spirituals to Hip Hop. Dr. Stephenson will be joining us on March 13 to present The History of African American Protest Through Song From The 1960’s-1980’s.

Photo Credit: http://cohpa.ucf.edu/ directory/olga-molina/

Dr. Olga Molina is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Social Work. She has an MSW from New York University and a Doctorate in Social Work from the City University of New York Hunter College. She has

thirty years clinical practice experience with a diverse population offering individual, family, and group counseling.

Her research and publications focus primarily on divorce, intimate partner violence (women and children), African American and Latino families, group work, and social work education. She has been teaching for more than ten years at the undergraduate and graduate levels on social work practice, clinical practice with families and groups, and social work practice with diverse populations. She is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Social Work with Groups.

Dr. Molina will be joinning us on February 18 to present Intersectionality 101.

Spring 2014 Workshop and Training Schedule TO REGISTER: • Faculty and Staff ONLY use online registration at https://my.ucf.edu.

• Students or OPS, please e-mail your name, phone number, and PID/employee I.D. number to diverse@ucf.edu.

• For the Safe Zone LGBTQ+ 101 workshops, use: http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training. Due to the limited space in the rooms provided, anyone who fails to preregister may be turned away.

For detailed descriptions of the diversity workshops offered, visit www.diversity.ucf.edu. Other opportunities for diversity workshops may be scheduled by calling the Office of Diversity Initiatives at (407) 823-6479, or by e-mailing diverse@ucf.edu. All workshops are FREE unless otherwise noted.

ABCs OF DIVERSITY (DIV008)

PEACE FILM SERIES - 42 (DIV143)

BARNGA (DIV077)

PEACE FILM SERIES - Crash (DIV101)

DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE SERIES (Attend all four modules to receive completion certificate): MODULES 1 & 2 (DIV210)

PEACE FILM SERIES - TEMPLE GRANDIN “DIFFERENT NOT LESS” (DIV139)

Friday, January 31, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson Tuesday, March 25, 2014 2:30 – 4:30 PM Location: OD&T Training Room on Progress Drive Facilitator: Patty Farris

Monday, April 7, 2014

MODULES 3 & 4 (DIV211)

1:00 – 5:00 PM

Monday, April 14, 2014 1:00 – 5:00 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PROTEST THROUGH SONG FROM THE 1960’s-1980’s (DIV142)

Friday, March 14, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson Wednesday, April 9, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

Tuesday, April 1, 2014 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Location: UCF Cocoa, Building 3, Rm 271 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

RUSSIA: THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES (DIV144)

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Alla Kourova, Ph.D.

Thursday, March 13, 2014 2:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: JoAnne Stephenson, D.M.A.

INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION (DIV053) Friday, February 14, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

SAFE ZONE LGBTQ+ 101 (DIV033) FORMERLY ALLIES ADVANCE

Please check the CAPS website for current dates and times: http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training.

WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT: “HONORING THE DREAM” (DIV145) INTERSECTIONALITY 101 (DIV137)

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 3:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Dr. Olga Molina

Thursday, February 27, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Ms. Belinda Boston

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12424 Research Parkway, Suite 169, Orlando, FL 32826 Ph: (407) 823-6479 F: 407-823-6480 E: diverse@ucf.edu www.diversity.ucf.edu

Diversity Includes All of Us - All the Time

2014 Diversity Week Poster Contest

In 2014, we’ll be recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, and our Diversity Week theme will be “Remember and Reflect – The Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

To honor this historic event, we invite our UCF students to create a commemorative poster that will be

representative of this moment in time.

First place will receive $500 plus mass reproduction and distribution of the poster in the UCF and Central Florida Communities. For complete details, specification requirements, and contest application, visit our website at http:// diversity.ucf.edu/diversity_week.asp.

LEGACY Ongoing Productivity Our LEGACY scholars have been very busy this semester with the opening ceremony in August, leadership seminars, and onsite visits to Evans High School in order to get potential leaders motivated about their future college careers. Lesson-filled activities have been ongoing, and the students have been working hard learning about money management and reflecting on the role that identity, leadership, and technological ethics may play in the 21st Century.

All of this learning, as well as our scholars’ willingness to share it with local high school students, has paid off.

Services

Consultations: An individual or group meeting to assist in planning diversity-related programs, events, and activities. Consultations may occur face-to-face, by e-mail, or by telephone.

Presentations: We make presentations to classes, departments, organizations, student groups, and external organizations. Our presentations cover a variety of topics to meet specific needs.

Training: Selected topics in English and Spanish 4

to enhance the skills that will build character. We extend a sincere thank you to UCF LIFE for their belief in the programs, endeavors, and challenges we provide our LEGACY scholars in order to let their potential shine.

Information distribution at Evans High School in West Orlando

In November, the LEGACY Leadership and Mentoring Program became an honored recipient of a UCF LIFE Grant.

This grant comes at an opportune time for LEGACY as we prepare new materials to help our scholars continue

Legacy students prepare for the LEGACY Challenge presentation.

Diversity Initiatives Staff Barbara Thompson Interim Director Katie Pomp Administrative Assistant

Carmen I. Afonso Executive Secretary

Dayanara Hudson Program Assistant

Zakiya McGhie LEGACY Coordinator

Robert Glenn Office Assistant

Judith Geneus Student Assistant