One of UCSC's priorities is to reflect in its faculty, staff, and students the diversity of California's population and cultures.
On June 4, Chancellor George Blumenthal honored and acknowledged the diversity achievements of three academic employees, two staff employees, and one campus unit at the 2009 Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity, presented at the University Center.
"We want to build on our successes of attracting a student body that is ethnically diverse, and includes students who are first in their families to attend college and come from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds," Blumenthal said.
UCSC has many academic and staff employees and programs that contribute significantly to diversity efforts, and these awards are intended to reinforce and institutionalize diversity as a priority and necessity for the campus.
The 2009 Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity recipients are:
- Eugene Switkes, professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for leadership in promoting diversity in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
- Karen Tei Yamashita, professor of Literature and Creative Writing, for mentoring, advocating, and leading diversity efforts within Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies.
- Adriane Steinacker, adjunct associate professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, for inclusive teaching and mentoring, and supporting a diverse cohort of third-year physics transfer students in their transition to UCSC.
- Shante Lewis, Education Abroad Program adviser, for promoting diversity in the study abroad experience, by conducting research and addressing race and discrimination issues.
- Theikdi, book buyer, Bay Tree Bookstore, for establishing a dynamic reading series that represents and promotes the accomplishments of our diverse faculty and alumni.
- Educational Partnership Center, for fostering college-bound communities that improve student learning and increase college-going rates among students from low-income and traditional non-college-going families.
The Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity, which began in 2003, are sponsored by the Chancellor's Office, Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action, Staff Human Resources, and the Academic Personnel Office.
For more information about the award recipients and to view past award recipients, see the EEO/AA web site.
