By Press Times staff
GREEN BAY – A UW-Green Bay professor is among the recipients of the 16th annual University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents Diversity Awards.
The awards recognize individuals and programs that “foster access and success for students who are members of historically underrepresented populations.”
Recipients are awarded $7,500 to support professional development or continue program work.
“We are proud to recognize the profound impact of these individuals and programs in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Regent Héctor Colón, who chaired the selection committee. “Students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds are benefiting from their dedication to expanding opportunity and building partnerships.”
“Award recipients were selected using the following criteria: sustainable positive impact on equity and diversity, leading to positive institutional change; accountability demonstrated through routine assessment and feedback to promote forward movement on equity and diversity goals; intersections across multiple dimensions of diversity; collaborations with other units, departments or communities – within the university and beyond,” a UW Regents release stated.
Dr. Christine Smith, a professor of psychology in the Psychology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department at UW-Green Bay, was one of three recipients.
“Dr. Smith has served since 2008 in many capacities that have positively impacted equity and diversity at UW-Green Bay, including co-founding the Pride Center, coordinating Women’s History Month events, chairing the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program for six years, and overseeing the creation of the LGBT Certificate,” the release added.
“In fall 2020, she co-created, along with UW-Green Bay student Hanette Kamanda, the program BIPOC R.I.S.E. (Black and Indigenous People of Color Reaching Intersectional Strength through Engagement), a peer mentoring program created to provide Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and multicultural students with academic, emotional, psychosocial, relational and professional support. Renamed ‘New Scholars Rising,’ the program recently expanded to include first-generation students.
“Approximately 50% of UW-Green Bay undergraduates are first-generation. Smith has mentored students in over 70 high-impact, independent learning experiences, including internships, research assistantships, independent studies, teaching assistantships and honors projects; many of the research students have gone on to present at regional and national conferences.”
Other recipients were Provost Glendalí Rodríguez, vice chancellor of academic affairs at UW-Stout and the Campus Garden Program at UW-Whitewater.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents honored the recipients on Feb. 9 in Madison.