Good to Know

2020 Larrabee and Emerson award winners announced

Honorees demonstrate outstanding dedication to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus

Larrabee, Emerson, Scott, Story, diversity, equity, inclusion, awards

icon of a calendarDecember 14, 2020

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The University is pleased to announce this year’s Timothy G. Larrabee Diversity Award and Monica E. Emerson Diversity Award winners.

The Larrabee Award recognizes a new initiative, program or project that advances sexual orientation and gender identity equality and inclusion on campus. The award honors Dr. Larrabee and his many contributions to the SOGI Initiative and to broader academic, cultural and community engagement goals.

StoryThis year’s winner is Lacey Story, a special lecturer in Women and Gender Studies. As an Intro to LGBTQ Studies course instructor for the past five years, she has seen the importance of raising awareness and educating students about the LGBTQ+ community. She developed the LGBTQ+ Lives through a Global Lens course for Honors College students in response.

Given the need to address this topic on a global level, Story intends to modify and expand the course to be offered as an elective course in the LGBTQ+ minor program. It will encourage students to view different perspectives on specific topics from other countries and cultures while using critical thinking skills that are grounded in feminist and queer theory. Through greater understanding, education and awareness of the LGBTQ+ community, Story is helping to significantly advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at Oakland University.

The Monica E. Emerson Diversity Award recognizes significant achievements, creative programming efforts or innovative diversity and inclusion concepts of faculty, staff, students, alumni and academic units in developing a culturally diverse, compassionate university community reflective of inclusive excellence.

ScottThis year’s winner is Dr. Chaundra Scott, an associate professor in Organization Leadership. She led the development of a new graduate certificate in human diversity inclusion and social justice, and serves as the graduate program coordinator.

Dr. Scott also developed the Diverse Voices Conference on campus more than 17 years ago. This unique event is a catalyst of open dialog, has expanded diversity education beyond the confines of the classroom, and provides a platform for growth and healing in a safe space.

Other notable accomplishments of Scott’s include a Fulbright Specialist Award in 2015 and an

Educator of the Year Award from the Niagara Foundation-Michigan Chapter. She has also received an Academy of Human Resource Development’s prominent Cutting Edge Research Award and in 2013 was named as one of the Top 25 Education Professors in Michigan by Online Schools Michigan.

The university is currently accepting nominations for 2021 diversity award honors. Additional information and nomination forms are available on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion web section.

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