School of Social Work Annual Awards and Buford Peace Award Ceremony
Monday, May 3, 2021
1:00 - 2:30 P.M.
Program
Welcome and Introductions
Dr. Lesley Reid, Interim Dean School of Social Work
Buford Peace Award video
History of Buford Peace Award
Dr. David Albright
Buford Peace Award
Recipient: Dr. Utz McKnight
Presenter: Dr. David Albright
outstanding commitment to field education
Recipient: Dr. Jameka Hartley
Presenter: Ms. Allison Curington
Washington D.C. Program Outstanding Commitment to Field Education
Recipient: Ms Mesgana Tesfahun
Presenter: Ms. Carroll Phelps
Outstanding Adjunct of the Year
Recipient: Dr. Michelle Thomas Rhue
Presenter: Dr. Karen Thompson-Jackson
staff excellence award
Recipient: Ms Gwen Montgomery
Presenter: Dr. Laura Hopson & Dr. Brenda Smith
Program
Faculty Retirement award
Recipient: Dr. Carol Drolen, Associate Professor 1987-2020
faculty promotion award
Recipient: Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Recipient: Dr. Brenda Smith
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Recipient: Ms. Allison Curington
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Recipient: Ms. Nancy Payne
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Recipient: Ms. Carroll Phelps
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Recipient: Ms. Kathleen Welker
Presenter: Dr. Lesley Reid
Closing remarks
Dr. Lesley Reid, Interim Dean School of Social Work
The Lahoma Adams Buford Endowed Support Fund
The Lahoma Adams Buford Endowed Support Fund, also known as the Buford Peace Award, was established in 2002 by Tony D Walker to honor Lahoma Adams Buford of Montgomery, Alabama In creating this award, Mr. Walker also desired to honor Mrs. Buford’s family and the many other seemingly ordinary individuals who have helped build a better, more just and more peaceful world while serving without any desire for recognition. This award is given annually to a faculty member at The University of Alabama who in their teaching, research, professional practice and personal life has demonstrated exceptional levels of involvement in mediating human disputes, helping overcome prejudice, promoting justice and establishing peace.
Buford Peace Award
Previous Recipients
2004 Dr Cassandra Simon, School of Social Work
2005 Dr Amilcar Shabazz, College of Arts & Sciences
2006 Dr. John R. Oneal, College of Arts & Sciences
2007 Dr Bryan K Fair, School of Law
2008 Dr. Patricia A. Bauch, College of Education
2009 Dr. Rhoda E. Johnson, College of Arts & Sciences
2010 Dr J Norman Baldwin, College of Arts & Sciences
2011 Ms. Joanne Terrell, School of Social Work
2012 Dr Bronwen Lichtenstein, College of Arts & Sciences
2013 Mr. Steven Black, JD, Honors College
2014 Dr. Josephine “Jo” Pryce, School of Social Work
2015 Dr Mary Meares, College of Communication & Information Sciences
2016 Dr. Ellen Spears, New College & Department of American Studies
2017 Ms Frannie James, Capstone International Center
2018 Dr. Lea Yerby, College of Community Health Sciences
2019 Dr. John Lochman, College of Arts & Sciences
2020 Dr Stephen Katsinas, College of Education
Buford Peace Award Recipient Dr. Utz McKnight
University of Alabama political science professor Dr Utz McKnight has been named the recipient of the 2021 Buford Peace Award. Dr. McKnight joined the UA faculty in 2003 and has served as chair for the department of gender and race studies since 2013. His research has focused primarily on the intersection of race and politics, including five books.
Dr McKnight is lauded for his contributions to teaching and his role in leading and advocating for faculty and staff on campus Dr McKnight served as Black Faculty and Staff Association president from 2014 to 2016 and is the recipient of the Autherine Lucy Award, NAACP
Student Award and Last Lecture Award, among others. Through the social and political turbulence of the last several years, Dr McKnight says his work to promote equality and equity and redefine progress has received greater attention and a rightful platform in the current “ morass for change,” as college campuses are “the heart of the narratives” about race, gender and class
Reflecting on his work ahead, Dr McKnight says the broader social and cultural chasms aren’t surprising, given the history of change in the United States, the resistance to it, and how each generation re-defines progress. He says UA, like many American institutions, is “in a test” to define equality and equity, determine how much of each is needed, and accurately measure growth. Dr. Cassandra Simon, associate professor of social work at UA and the first recipient of the Buford Peace Award, came to the Capstone in 2000 and has admired Dr McKnight’s service and advocacy on campus through the years Dr Simon, a Last Lecture award recipient and noted social justice advocate, said Dr. McKnight is “long overdue” to receive the Buford Peace Award
“[McKnight] has often served on social work student committees and most recently served on the School of Social Work’s Dean Search Committee,” Dr Simon said “He is always willing to partner with the School on bringing diversity related programming to the School. More concretely, he is always looking for ways to bring people together for the common good”
Previous Award Recipients
Outstanding commitment to field education
2015 Diane Daffron
2016 Deb Rubenstein
2017 Karen Thompson-Jackson
2018 Audrey Ellis
2019 Jeff Bowman
2020 Beth Okantey
Washington D.C. Outstanding commitment to field education
2018 Brandi Best
2019 Kathleen Baxley
2020 Shaquita Ogletree
outstanding adjunct of the year
2017 Karen Thompson-Jackson
2018 Pamela Green
2019 Sheila Blackshear
2020 Jade Scales
Howard B. Gundy award
1988 Jennie S Flowers
1989 Susan G. Barfoot
1991 Eulene Hawkins
1996 Gerald Eure
1997 Katherine Skelton
1998 Robert Teare
1999 Richard Crow
2000 Lucinda Lee Roff
2003 Raymond O Sumrall
2004 Phillip Crunk
2007 Ginny T Raymond
2008 Tony D Walker
2009 Ginny T. Raymond
2010 James P "Ike" Adams, Jr
2011 Allan V Kaufman
2012 Madeleine Hill
2013 Vickie Whitfield
2014 Margaret Odom
2015 Kathy Bolland
2016 Sandra "Sandy" Wilson
2017 Jean B. Rayfield
2018 Gordon MacNeil
2020 Carol Drolen & Shelley Rawlings
Previous Award Recipients
staff excellence award
2017 Liz Lary
2018 Angelia Gaddis
2019 Mallory Porch
2020 Mary Sella
dean's faculty award for research, teaching and service
2006-2007 Dr Ellen Csikai
2007-2008 Dr. Cassandra Simon
2008-2009 Dr. David Polio
2009-2010 Dr Debra Nelson-Gardell
2010-2011 Dr. Tyrone Cheng
2011-2012 Dr Josephine Pryce
2013-2014 Dr. Avani Shah
2014-2015 Dr. Laura Hopson
2015-2016 Dr David Albright
2017-2018 Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
2019-2020 Dr Nicole Ruggiano
Honorable Mentions School of Social Work
The University of Alabama Faculty & Staff Years of Service
Tania Alameda-Lawson, 5 years
David Albright, 5 years
Daniel Bennett, 5 years
Wendi Hogue, 5 years
Carrie Turner, 5 years
Barry Durand, 10 years
Karen Hannah, 15 years
Martha Jason, 20 years
Carroll Phelps. 20 years
Amy Traylor, 30 years
Undergraduate Social Work Organization
Jean B. Rayfield Award
Dr Laura Hopson
Doctorate in Social Work Leadership Award
Ms. Sherron Wilkes
Doctoral Student Organization Appreciation Award
Dr. Leah Cheatham
Distinguished Research Professor Appointment by UA Board of Trustees
Dr. David Albright
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare Fellow
Dr. David Albright
2021 President's Faculty Research Award
Mid-Career, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
Armed Forces and Society Fellow
Dr. David Albright
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, Runner-up for Rose Dobrof Award
Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
Council on Community-Based Partnership, Doctoral Fellowship for smart student health clinics
Dr. Laura Hopson
Dr. ShaRhonda Green
Dr. Cady Carlson
These are only some of our faculty and staff accomplishments in 2020-2021.