RECOGNITION FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

RECOGNITION FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH A VARIETY OF AWARDS AND OBSERVANCES. MANY FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS ON THIS CAMPUS ARE ENGAGED IN EXCITING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES, AND RECOGNIZING THEIR WORK IS A PRIORITY

DISTINGUISHED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RECOGNITION

Created in 2013, this annual award recognizes the important and innovative community-engaged and community-based

work by UW Tacoma faculty and staff. Beginning in 2021, a separate staff category is being added to recognize staff who demonstrate outstanding community-engagement work. Such work is based on an ethic of mutual benefit in which both the community partner and/or public and the university, its faculty, and/or its students benefit in ways that are not possible without the partnership. This work may be focused on teaching and learning, research, policy, citizenship building, creative work, or community building.

Recipients of this recognition represent many and diverse activities, rooted in multiple disciplinary spaces. They exemplify how we can build partnerships that last across time and space, produce positive spaces of dialogue, deploy academic knowledge that helps improve social conditions, and remain humble in understanding the importance of co-learning. This is the spirit that guides our collective work and makes it possible for us to identify and recognize the outstanding examples of community engagement of our faculty and staff.

INAUGURAL STAFF RECIPIENT AMANDA FIGUEROA, M.S. Senior Director, Student Transitions Program, Student Affairs

Community Engagement Award for Equity in Education This award recognizes Amanda’s deep commitment and leadership to improve equity and educational access for youth and pre-college students, either who were traditionally underrepresented in STEM or for students who were not beneficiaries of a college going culture within their own community. Her leadership and work with many community partners and multiple programs or initiatives exemplifies how partnership development and a keen focus on equity in education can improve young peoples’ ability to succeed in post-secondary educational attainment at UW Tacoma.

DIVYA MCMILLIN, PH.D. Professor, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Global Engagement, Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement

Community Engagement Legacy Award This award recognizes Dr. Divya McMillin for her sustained efforts in building bridges between the university and the community. She has a long history as an innovator and builder at UWT. Dr. McMillon has worked enthusiastically and strategically with community partners, while remaining deeply involved in global engagement and scholarship.

VINCENT (VINNY) DA Senior, Nursing & Healthcare Leadership Philanthropic charity: Nourish Food Bank GIFT OF SERVICE AWARD

This award honors a graduating senior who exemplifies UW Tacoma’s ideal of service combined with learning. The student will have an opportunity to give to the community through philanthropy and the award enables the awardee to select an approved non-religious charity to receive a $1,000 gift. In addition to this gift of philanthropy, funded by an anonymous donor, the awardee will receive a matching award of $1,000 funded by the Office of Community Partnerships.

JULIE MASURA, M.S. Associate Teaching Professor, Sciences and Math, School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

Community Engaged Learning Award in Environmental Stewardship This award recognizes the work of Julie Masura in environmental stewardship through sustained co-learning opportunities for students and community partners. She brings DEI and gender perspectives to these educational opportunities to enrich the work of her students.

MARGO WADDELL BERGMAN, PH.D. Associate Teaching Professor & Assistant Director, MSBA and MCL Programs, Milgard School of Business

Community Engagement Award in Institutional and Systems Analytics Dr. Bergman has played a central role in facilitating co-learning opportunities for students with regional partners. Her work has proven to be influential, in demand, and capable of offering systems level of changes. She’s been an integral player in the development of an impact report of the JBLM workforce and its impact on the South Sound region.

TOM DIEHM, PH.D. Teaching Professor and Director of Field Education, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice

Sustained Community Engagement Award Dr. Diehm embodies sustained community engagement. This award recognizes his decades long work with community partners and supporting students through their co-learning opportunities. Generations of student and multitude of organizations have benefitted from his sustained commitment to creating community-based educational opportunities. HALUK DEMIRKAN, PH.D. Milgard Professor & Assistant Dean for Analytics Innovations & Director, Center for Business Analytics; and Master of Science in Business Analytics, Milgard School of Business

Community Engagement Award in Institutional and Systems Analytics Dr. Haluk Demirkan has helped create and shape an academic program dedicated to co-learning opportunities for students and community partners. His work embodies the spirit of higher education with a focus on making real world systems and institutional level changes.

ROBIN STARR ZAPE-TAH-HOL-AH MINTHORN, PH.D. Associate Professor and Ed.D. Director, School of Education

Community-Centered Engagement Award This award recognizes Dr. Minthorn’s lifelong commitment to community engagement. Her work can best be described as community-centered and in the community. Dr. Minthorn has brought her passion and commitment to working in indigenous communities from New Mexico to the Pacific Northwest. Her approach to community engagement is informed by inclusivity and co-creation, helping break barriers between university and community.

VANESSA DE VERITCH WOODSIDE, PH.D. Associate Professor, Culture, Arts and Communication, School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

Community Engagement Award in Human Rights This award recognizes Dr. de Veritch Woodside’s commitment to engaging with critical social issues of our time through working with community partners. Her engagement activities are centered on human rights through the lens of ethics. Her work is a source of inspiration and support for our students and community partners.

WASHINGTON CAMPUS COMPACT ANNUALLY RECOGNIZES STUDENT CIVIC LEADERS WHO ARE ADDRESSING CRITICAL ISSUES ON THEIR CAMPUSES AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH SERVICE AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

WASHINGTON CAMPUS COMPACT: STUDENT CIVIC LEADER FELLOWSHIP As a Washington Campus Compact member institution, UW Tacoma participated in the Student Civic Leader Fellowship Program, focused on supporting outstanding student leaders to address one or more of the following challenges on campuses and in Washington communities: food and housing insecurities, mental health, opioid epidemic, school-to-prison pipeline, K-16 civic education/community engagement.

Four student fellows spent the 2020-20211 academic year working alongside Dr’s Christine Stevens and Chris Beasley to research Food Insecurity and Prison-to-College Pipeline issues, respectively. A total of $20,000 in grant funds were awarded from WA Campus Compact plus $5,000 from UW Tacoma Chancellor’s Office.

In addition, student fellows were a part of a statewide learning community and a smaller cohort of 7 to 10 students, which brought together student-fellows, legislators, and community leaders throughout the year. Dr. Christine Stevens’s fellows worked to explore developing leadership skills in addressing the sociocultural systems of food insecurity at UW Tacoma and Pierce County and developing innovative strategies to address food justice issues facing our campus and community.

Dr. Chris Beasley’s fellow Michelle Burchett gathered formerly incarcerated students from across the state of Washington together for a one-day online summit. At the summit, these students identified common values and goals as well as next steps for continuing their organizing efforts. They have continued to organize since this summit, and Michelle has continued to help lead that work.

AMBER CONLEY

Master of Social Work

MANNUEL TALAFALELOTO AFALAVA

Pre-major. Intended majors: BS in Computer Sciences; BA in Arts, Media and Culture ELIZABETH GRAY

BS in Biomedical Science MICHELLE BURCHETT

MA in Community Planning