Nebraska DEI Impact Award Ceremony 2022

Office of Diversity and Inclusion Author

05/02/2022 Added

28 Plays

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Presented by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Nebraska Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Impact Awards recognize individuals and groups who actively advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in transformative and sustainable ways, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The ceremony honored the 2021-2022 award recipients.

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[00:00:06.007](soft music)
[00:00:09.526]Let me begin by recognizing our tribal elders.
[00:00:13.650]If I misspeak, I beg their forgiveness.
[00:00:16.326]Thank you to the University of Nebraska for having me today.
[00:00:20.228]UNL is a land-grant institution.
[00:00:23.950]This designation was created by Congress in 1862
[00:00:28.780]with the Morrill Act during the Civil War.
[00:00:32.240]The Act's purpose was to create state colleges
[00:00:34.988]to promote the liberal and practical education
[00:00:38.240]of the industrial classes,
[00:00:39.800]and the several pursuits and professions in life.
[00:00:43.480]The Morrill Act provided each state
[00:00:45.408]with 30,000 acres per member of Congress for this purpose,
[00:00:51.550]in addition to the U.S. government's
[00:00:53.700]prior 162 violent expropriations
[00:00:57.840]of around 10.7 million acres of sovereign tribal lands.
[00:01:05.040]These bloody events birthed
[00:01:06.530]the modern higher education system.
[00:01:09.820]As we consider this history,
[00:01:11.940]it becomes clear that we must cherish the gift of education
[00:01:16.260]all the more.
[00:01:17.940]We want to acknowledge
[00:01:19.470]that the University of Nebraska
[00:01:21.209]rests on the traditional lands of the Ponca,
[00:01:24.940]the Umonhon, the Ho-Chunk Winnebago, Dakota, Lakota,
[00:01:30.459]Santee Dakota,
[00:01:33.280]Kaw, Arapaho, Ioway,
[00:01:36.288]Sac and Fox, Cheyenne,
[00:01:39.400]and Oto-Missouria peoples past and present.
[00:01:43.760]We honor with gratitude the land itself,
[00:01:46.200]and the people who have stewarded it
[00:01:48.240]throughout the generations.
[00:01:50.290]This calls us to commit to work in partnership
[00:01:53.240]with our Indigenous peoples,
[00:01:55.040]continuing to learn from their experience
[00:01:57.800]to become better stewards of the land
[00:01:59.880]we now inhabit as well.
[00:02:02.490]Let us utilize the education provided by UNL
[00:02:06.150]to bring peace and justice to all peoples.
[00:02:10.768]Thank you for hearing my words.
[00:02:12.640]Mitakuye Oyasin.
[00:02:18.810]Good evening, everyone.
[00:02:21.130]Oh, it's nothing like walking up to a stage,
[00:02:23.240]it's so quiet in the room and all you hear are your shoes.
[00:02:25.446](audience laughing)
[00:02:27.570]So welcome to the 2022
[00:02:31.060]Nebraska Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Impact Awards.
[00:02:35.370]I have to say that we are absolutely thrilled,
[00:02:38.020]not only to have you all with us this afternoon,
[00:02:40.730]or this evening,
[00:02:41.630]but also to be in the presence of our recipients.
[00:02:43.960]And, of course, as we're thinking about this work tonight,
[00:02:46.720]we want you all to really reflect on the work
[00:02:49.760]that's been blazed so much at UNL,
[00:02:51.750]especially through our recipients,
[00:02:53.080]but also through perhaps our own collective action
[00:02:55.340]as we're thinking about this.
[00:02:57.310]So, I am Nkenge Friday.
[00:03:00.020]I'm the assistant vice chancellor for strategic initiatives
[00:03:02.600]in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
[00:03:04.850]And I am elated to welcome our honored awardees, and guests,
[00:03:09.280]both in person, and, of course, via livestream
[00:03:11.755]to our second annual ceremony honoring the recipients
[00:03:15.150]of this year's Nebraska DEI Impact Awards.
[00:03:19.046]The Nebraska DEI Impact Awards were established in 2021
[00:03:23.260]by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
[00:03:25.540]to recognize individuals and groups
[00:03:28.160]who actively advance diversity, equity and inclusion,
[00:03:32.610]and transformative and sustainable ways
[00:03:34.907]at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:03:38.170]These awards are themed within four categories.
[00:03:41.410]Diversity Leadership Faculty Award,
[00:03:43.686]Diversity Leadership Staff Award,
[00:03:46.670]Promising Leader Award
[00:03:48.080]with individual recipients for undergraduate,
[00:03:50.700]and graduate or professional students,
[00:03:53.260]and the Collective Impact Award.
[00:03:56.670]Each year nominations open in mid-fall
[00:03:59.056]for all categories of the awards.
[00:04:01.830]Our selection process is based on nominations we receive,
[00:04:04.720]which are open to all members of our community
[00:04:07.026]as we actively seek nominations to speak towards work,
[00:04:10.286]practice, service and teaching
[00:04:14.210]aligning with the university's core values,
[00:04:16.366]and principles of inclusive excellence.
[00:04:21.050]This year we are pleased to recognize individuals,
[00:04:23.977]and a team who based on nominating material
[00:04:26.769]that crisscrossed our campus, our state, and our nation,
[00:04:31.410]and expand across colleges and units.
[00:04:34.360]We welcome you again to the 2022 Nebraska DEI Impact Awards,
[00:04:38.180]and we really hope tonight's recipients, and their service
[00:04:41.977]inspire and influence collective action
[00:04:44.790]towards inclusive excellence.
[00:04:46.780]We will now have the presentation
[00:04:49.700]of the Collective Impact Award
[00:04:51.110]via prerecorded message from Chancellor Green
[00:04:54.370]on behalf of the Collective Impact Award,
[00:04:57.020]and receiving this award immediately after
[00:04:59.500]Chancellor Green's address will be Jackie Guzman,
[00:05:02.950]Maria de Guzman, and Georgia Jones on behalf of
[00:05:05.880]Nebraska Extension's Reaching One, Reaching All.
[00:05:09.130]Thank you all again.
[00:05:10.746](audience applauding)
[00:05:14.435](upbeat music)
[00:05:16.710]On behalf of the entire
[00:05:18.000]University of Nebraska-Lincoln family,
[00:05:20.600]it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner
[00:05:23.490]of the 2022 Collective Impact Award.
[00:05:27.470]This award recognizes outstanding contributions
[00:05:30.520]to diversity, equity and inclusion
[00:05:33.100]by units or organizations at UNL,
[00:05:36.100]with a special focus on transformative and impactful work
[00:05:39.810]through collective organizing and capacity building.
[00:05:43.480]This year's winner of the collective impact award
[00:05:45.824]is Nebraska Extension's Reaching One, Reaching All team.
[00:05:50.753]Reaching One, Reaching All is an extension interest group
[00:05:54.570]that for over 10 years has led efforts
[00:05:56.870]within Nebraska Extension
[00:05:58.850]to provide resources and training around complex issues
[00:06:02.210]related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
[00:06:05.560]Their audiences have included campus,
[00:06:07.580]and county-based extension faculty and staff,
[00:06:10.165]UNL students and organizations across Nebraska
[00:06:14.180]with frontline workers in the fields of education,
[00:06:17.006]law enforcement and health care.
[00:06:20.056]Reaching One, Reaching All provides research,
[00:06:22.870]and professional development resources on topics including:
[00:06:26.690]Bias, stereotypes and microaggressions,
[00:06:29.690]refugees and immigrants, children and cultural competence,
[00:06:33.840]gender stereotypes,
[00:06:35.940]with the goals of the team to offer tools, programs,
[00:06:39.520]and research expertise
[00:06:41.290]to help inform cultural and global competence,
[00:06:44.710]to empower individuals and institutions
[00:06:47.240]with effective strategies
[00:06:48.710]to promote diversity and inclusion,
[00:06:51.220]to work with community partners
[00:06:52.940]to support and empower diverse populations,
[00:06:55.940]and to foster institutional, community level,
[00:06:59.440]and systemic change to support inclusive,
[00:07:02.680]and equitable environments.
[00:07:05.040]The Reaching One, Reaching All team's work
[00:07:07.404]reflects a commitment to inclusive excellence.
[00:07:11.193]Please join me in congratulating
[00:07:13.530]the Reaching One, Reaching All team recipient
[00:07:16.740]of this year's Collective Impact Award
[00:07:19.720]for our academic year.
[00:07:21.371](soft music)
[00:07:37.011]So I got volunteered to do the acknowledgement.
[00:07:41.520]So my name is Maria de Guzman, and I am accepting this award
[00:07:45.440]on behalf of the Reaching One, Reaching All team.
[00:07:47.300]And if you'll bear with me,
[00:07:48.286]I'll read the names of the people who are on this team.
[00:07:52.860]So we have Jackie Guzman and Georgia Jones,
[00:07:55.130]as well as Holly Hatton-Bowers, John Porter, Ted Hibbeler,
[00:07:58.099]Lisa Kaslon, Irvin Ramirez-Benavides, Linda Reddish,
[00:08:03.340]Angi Heller, Leo Gonzalez, Michael Bergland-Riese,
[00:08:06.330]Surin Kim, Jean Ann Fischer, and Hilary Maricle.
[00:08:10.800]And also we wanted to acknowledge several people
[00:08:12.670]who have also contributed significantly to this team
[00:08:14.960]who have since left UNL because of retirement,
[00:08:17.970]such as Cathy Johnston, who was one of our trainers,
[00:08:20.263]who along with Jackie and myself,
[00:08:22.210]crisscrossed the state actually
[00:08:23.470]doing a lot of these trainings for some of those groups
[00:08:27.070]that were mentioned earlier.
[00:08:28.610]There's also Kathy Potthoff, who has also since retired,
[00:08:31.200]and she was one of the early members
[00:08:32.710]who helped create a lot of resources
[00:08:34.350]that Reaching One, Reaching All has provided to the state.
[00:08:38.980]And then, lastly, there was also Tonia Durden,
[00:08:40.580]who has since moved to a different institution.
[00:08:43.351]We also wanted to acknowledge our units
[00:08:46.280]that we all are from.
[00:08:47.460]So we are from Child, Youth and Family Studies,
[00:08:49.800]Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design,
[00:08:52.210]Nutrition and Health Sciences,
[00:08:53.540]the State 4-H Office,
[00:08:55.200]as well as various county and extension engagement zones
[00:08:57.900]from across the state.
[00:08:59.400]And, of course, we want to thank Extension,
[00:09:01.010]Nebraska Extension, which as we all know,
[00:09:02.570]is the front door of the university to the community.
[00:09:05.680]And it's a venue through which we can
[00:09:06.920]take knowledge generated within the university,
[00:09:09.312]and take to the communities,
[00:09:10.740]and where we can also service conduits
[00:09:12.710]for the other way around for knowledge and experience
[00:09:16.040]from the community
[00:09:16.910]to inform our work here at the university.
[00:09:19.170]So it's really just been a very humbling experience
[00:09:21.240]to be part of this team
[00:09:22.350]who each and every person on this team
[00:09:23.520]has been dedicated to the work of DI,
[00:09:25.789]whether or not it was officially part of their work.
[00:09:30.330]So if you get to know the people on this team,
[00:09:31.700]I'm always humbled to work with them.
[00:09:33.320]People here are working in fields of horticulture,
[00:09:36.120]or early childhood education, et cetera.
[00:09:38.450]So for years, nobody here actually had a DI designation,
[00:09:41.370]but was doing it on top of
[00:09:42.470]what they were actually assigned to do.
[00:09:45.080]So, again, every time I'm with this team,
[00:09:46.660]I'm just extremely humbled
[00:09:48.070]to be working with this excellent group of folks.
[00:09:50.060]So thank you for the recognition today.
[00:09:52.369](audience applauding)
[00:10:11.290]Good evening.
[00:10:12.980]I am Dr. Judy Walker.
[00:10:14.330]I'm Aaron Douglas professor of mathematics,
[00:10:15.900]which I had to throw in there
[00:10:16.780]because I've got my math crew over there,
[00:10:18.800]and associate vice chancellor
[00:10:20.370]for Faculty and Academic Affairs.
[00:10:22.470]So on behalf of Faculty Affairs
[00:10:24.450]in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
[00:10:26.350]at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
[00:10:28.590]it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner
[00:10:31.570]of the second annual Diversity Leadership Faculty Award.
[00:10:35.510]The award is designed to highlight outstanding contributions
[00:10:38.710]to diversity, equity and inclusion
[00:10:41.070]by a member of the UNL faculty.
[00:10:46.843]It represents the transformative and impactful work
[00:10:49.800]by members of our innovative and dedicated community.
[00:10:53.200]This year's winner of the Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
[00:10:56.750]is Dr. Cynthia Willis-Esqueda,
[00:10:58.920]associate professor in the Department of Psychology,
[00:11:01.550]and the Institute for Ethnic Studies
[00:11:03.120]in the College of Arts and Sciences.
[00:11:05.200]Dr. Willis-Esqueda is a member
[00:11:06.760]of both the social psychology and psychology law programs.
[00:11:10.810]Her research interests are focused on the motivations for,
[00:11:14.040]and cognitive processes around race and ethnic bias,
[00:11:19.570]particularly against America's Indigenous populations,
[00:11:23.950]Mexican Americans, and American Indians.
[00:11:26.760]Her research focuses on race and ethnic bias,
[00:11:29.420]and the impact on legal processes, legal outcomes,
[00:11:33.030]and health and well-being.
[00:11:35.090]Several of Dr. Willis-Esqueda's peers and colleagues
[00:11:38.030]attest to her dedication to structural and institutional DEI
[00:11:42.072]at UNL through numerous levels.
[00:11:45.100]Her nominators noted her mentoring
[00:11:47.060]of countless students of color in the research process,
[00:11:50.500]and her continued advisement of UCARE and McNair students
[00:11:54.900]with many of these students having conference presentations,
[00:11:57.570]and publications as undergraduates,
[00:11:59.470]and then matriculating onto postgraduate training.
[00:12:02.870]In addition, Dr. Willis-Esqueda's nominators
[00:12:05.500]noted her as an incredible role model
[00:12:09.260]illustrating that Native American women
[00:12:11.730]can be formidable scholars, professors,
[00:12:14.400]and community leaders.
[00:12:16.000]She embodies the strength and endurance of our resiliency
[00:12:19.790]that are often shared across Indigenous cultures.
[00:12:23.650]So that was a quote from one of the nominators.
[00:12:26.560]So please join me in congratulating
[00:12:28.760]Dr. Cynthia Willis-Esqueda
[00:12:30.640]as the recipient of the Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
[00:12:33.930]for the 2021-2022 academic year.
[00:12:36.643](audience applauding)
[00:12:42.311]Good afternoon.
[00:12:44.143]It's my great honor and privilege to accept one of UNL's
[00:12:47.730]Nebraska Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Awards,
[00:12:52.270]the Faculty Diversity Leadership Award.
[00:12:55.700]For me, this award signifies the continued commitment
[00:12:59.280]to diversity and inclusion that is crucial
[00:13:02.170]for understanding past events, current states,
[00:13:05.820]and preparing for future experiences in all we do.
[00:13:09.680]I believe diversity and inclusion
[00:13:11.570]is the single biggest challenge we face in today's world.
[00:13:15.070]And being able to address this challenge
[00:13:17.020]with academic success in research, teaching and service
[00:13:20.770]is critical for sound scholarship.
[00:13:24.030]During all my years at UNL,
[00:13:26.060]I have focused on issues involving race and ethnicity,
[00:13:29.360]and research and teaching.
[00:13:31.420]My service at the department, university,
[00:13:34.050]and national levels
[00:13:35.150]is also focused on race and ethnic diversity and inclusion.
[00:13:40.140]Most importantly,
[00:13:41.810]I was truly humbled to read in the notification letter
[00:13:45.240]that in quotes,
[00:13:46.730]campus leaders noted your approach of conducting research
[00:13:49.977]with kindness and admiration for cultures and values
[00:13:54.590]in the communities you work with
[00:13:56.700]taking the time to listen to their concerns.
[00:14:00.160]Additionally, community members noted that your dedication
[00:14:04.250]to guiding first-generation students, students of color,
[00:14:08.360]and Indigenous population students is unmatched.
[00:14:12.290]Anyone who knows me knows that the scholarly success
[00:14:16.110]of marginalized students is my foremost concern,
[00:14:19.500]and a lifelong passion.
[00:14:21.920]So on behalf of all of my students,
[00:14:24.550]those who have moved on, those who still work with me,
[00:14:28.250]and those yet to come, I accept this award.
[00:14:31.830]I will continue to work for diversity, equity and inclusion.
[00:14:35.070]And I thank you for this great recognition, thank you.
[00:14:39.775](audience applauding)
[00:14:55.210]Good evening.
[00:14:56.043]My name is Ranelle Maltas, and I am the training,
[00:14:58.380]technology and communications coordinator
[00:15:00.735]in the Office of Human Resources.
[00:15:03.750]I'm also the president of the University Association
[00:15:06.230]for Administrative Development, also known as UAAD.
[00:15:10.610]On behalf of UAAD,
[00:15:11.980]and in the absence of colleagues
[00:15:13.420]within the University of Nebraska
[00:15:15.320]Office Professionals Association, or UNOPA,
[00:15:18.840]it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner
[00:15:21.740]of the second annual Diversity Leadership Staff Award.
[00:15:26.610]This award designed to highlight the outstanding
[00:15:29.870]contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion
[00:15:33.000]by a member of the UNL staff represents the transformative,
[00:15:37.300]and impactful work by members of our dedicated,
[00:15:40.810]and innovative staff.
[00:15:43.085]This year's winner of the Diversity Leadership Staff Award
[00:15:47.550]is Dr. Colette Yellow Robe,
[00:15:50.343]a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.
[00:15:54.000]Dr. Yellow Robe serves as an academic retention specialist
[00:15:58.350]with the TRIO program,
[00:16:00.450]Native American studies affiliate professor
[00:16:03.160]in the Institute for Ethnic Studies,
[00:16:06.050]and the Journey for Anti-Racism and Racial Equity co-chair.
[00:16:11.940]As part of her work through the TRIO programs,
[00:16:14.249]Dr. Yellow Robe serves students with academic,
[00:16:17.470]and career retention needs.
[00:16:19.860]She is an instructor of the ALEC 102
[00:16:22.760]service-learning course.
[00:16:24.830]She's worked with the Nebraska Department of Education
[00:16:27.380]as a Native American education consultant
[00:16:30.900]evaluating the four Native American
[00:16:33.740]reservation public schools in Nebraska.
[00:16:37.250]Dr. Yellow Rope has provided academic enrichment,
[00:16:41.070]and workforce development services
[00:16:43.460]for local Native American students
[00:16:45.910]through the Indian Center,
[00:16:47.740]a nonprofit center for urban Native Americans.
[00:16:53.548]Among other activities,
[00:16:54.840]she has served on several community and campus groups,
[00:16:58.308]including the Chancellor's Commission
[00:17:01.340]on the Status of People of Color,
[00:17:03.730]the Lincoln Public Schools'
[00:17:05.330]Diversity Communications Council,
[00:17:08.170]and is chairwoman of the Lincoln Mayor's
[00:17:11.100]Multicultural Advisory Committee.
[00:17:15.070]Several of Dr. Yellow Robe's students, peers,
[00:17:18.490]and colleagues attest to her dedication
[00:17:21.720]to diversity, equity and inclusion at Nebraska.
[00:17:25.190]One noted: As one of very few indigenous employees at UNL,
[00:17:31.860]Dr. Yellow Robe is a beacon for native students,
[00:17:35.240]and other black and brown students.
[00:17:38.070]She is someone the students can see
[00:17:40.350]indicating that the possibility
[00:17:42.230]for their own professional success,
[00:17:44.710]and she supports them in culturally validating ways
[00:17:49.085]because she relates to them and their experiences at UNL.
[00:17:54.400]Dr. Yellow Robe serves as an inclusive leader
[00:17:57.220]through her support and impact on student development
[00:18:00.086]as a mentor and role model,
[00:18:02.580]campus leadership and service, community engagement,
[00:18:06.327]and her support for historically underrepresented,
[00:18:10.040]and underserved populations.
[00:18:13.150]Dr. Yellow Robe reflects an extraordinary commitment
[00:18:16.540]to teaching and diversity, equity and inclusion mentorship,
[00:18:21.210]all illustrating her transformational influence at UNL.
[00:18:26.070]Please join me in congratulating Dr. Colette Yellow Robe
[00:18:30.390]as the Diversity Leadership Staff Award recipient
[00:18:33.708]for the 2021-2022 academic year.
[00:18:38.276](audience applauding)
[00:18:50.836]Congratulations.
[00:18:51.937]Thank you, thank you, okay.
[00:18:55.028]Hello everyone.
[00:18:55.861]Thank you for that really beautiful write-up.
[00:18:59.280]I appreciate that.
[00:19:01.730]And I think we should give Ms. Maltas a hand, too.
[00:19:04.610]I'm very sensitive to how wonderful,
[00:19:06.840]and hard our staff work on campus.
[00:19:09.340]So if we could acknowledge her real quick, please.
[00:19:11.225](audience applauding)
[00:19:14.870]Okay, let me, I've hit that age.
[00:19:17.370]I'm sorry, but we have to do this now.
[00:19:19.490]Okay, so I wanted to start, I wanted to let you know,
[00:19:22.960]my name is Vonȧhe'e, that means ceremonial woman.
[00:19:26.370]I acknowledge that because it's very important
[00:19:28.570]that I maintain,
[00:19:31.250]first of all, my language and my culture wherever I go,
[00:19:33.650]and I wanna acknowledge my son (indistinct) or Mason
[00:19:36.740]who's with me tonight, and all my other friends.
[00:19:40.960]TRIO is here, you can go ahead and give your hand up for us,
[00:19:45.320]and my dear friends and mentors, yes.
[00:19:48.685](audience applauding)
[00:19:52.620]And then all of my dear friends and mentors.
[00:19:55.180]I wanna make sure that it's very clear
[00:19:57.480]that I'm not up here without a lot of you in this room.
[00:20:01.780]And without those who nominated me,
[00:20:04.220]and without just the dedication over the years
[00:20:07.310]that we even have this award.
[00:20:08.760]So thank you Dr. Barker, Dr. Nkenge,
[00:20:11.730]VC Charlie, and Dr. Combs,
[00:20:14.150]anyone that I may not be seeing right now, or acknowledging,
[00:20:17.620]but thank you very much it means a lot.
[00:20:20.580]I wanna start with a story.
[00:20:24.690]Long, long time ago, my ancestral grandfather,
[00:20:27.720]Chief Dull Knife, the wife that I'm descended from,
[00:20:30.490]Pawnee woman actually lost her life
[00:20:32.290]in the state of Nebraska.
[00:20:33.420]So these are stories that I grew up with.
[00:20:35.630]We were on the run.
[00:20:36.650]We were leaving Oklahoma, no more than 355,
[00:20:41.010]mostly women and children who asked their leaders,
[00:20:44.320]Chief Dull Knife, and Chief Little Wolf
[00:20:45.900]to take them back to our ancestral lands
[00:20:48.530]in Western Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana area.
[00:20:52.410]And that's the blood that I come from.
[00:20:54.850]So I want to completely dedicate tonight's award
[00:20:58.870]to my ancestral relatives, to my people,
[00:21:02.340]not just my tribal people, but all Indigenous people,
[00:21:05.640]who have sacrificed for me to be here today.
[00:21:08.940]I grew up on the Winnebago Indian Reservation
[00:21:11.510]up in Northeast Nebraska.
[00:21:13.020]It was a very beautiful childhood,
[00:21:14.900]and I wanna acknowledge all of those ancestral elders
[00:21:18.570]who gave me the courage to leave the reservation,
[00:21:21.840]and believed in me,
[00:21:23.750]even when sometimes I didn't believe in myself.
[00:21:27.090]The last thing that I'll leave you with is something that
[00:21:31.550]I'm titling this part of my story.
[00:21:35.160]When I came to college it was tough at times
[00:21:37.830]being probably the only Native a lot of times,
[00:21:41.110]but the way I look back on it is,
[00:21:43.150]it was the day that I met myself,
[00:21:46.700]that I met who I really was.
[00:21:48.780]And so that is something
[00:21:49.890]that I'm gonna be eternally grateful to UNL for, so.
[00:21:53.600]I've had a great ride, thank you everybody.
[00:21:56.101](audience applauding)
[00:22:24.600]Hello, I'm Betty Dessie, and I serve as the chair
[00:22:27.490]for the Committee of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
[00:22:30.080]under the Association of Students
[00:22:31.630]of the University of Nebraska.
[00:22:33.640]On behalf of ASUN,
[00:22:34.730]it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner
[00:22:36.430]of the second annual Promising Undergraduate Leader Award.
[00:22:39.739]This award designed to highlight the outstanding
[00:22:43.070]contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion
[00:22:45.690]by undergraduate student leaders
[00:22:47.160]at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
[00:22:48.837]represent the transformative and impactful work
[00:22:51.570]initiated by student leaders.
[00:22:54.550]This year's winner
[00:22:55.383]of the Promising Undergraduate Student Leader
[00:22:57.380]is Emily Cheramie,
[00:22:58.848]a senior English major with minors in art, math,
[00:23:01.837]and women and gender studies,
[00:23:04.620]an undergraduate representative
[00:23:05.980]for the Chancellor's Commission
[00:23:07.300]on the Status of Gender and Sexual Identity,
[00:23:09.138]and a member of the women's rifle team.
[00:23:12.860]As an athlete, student, and leader at UNL,
[00:23:15.666]Emily is the founder
[00:23:16.850]of the Big Ten Queer Student Athlete Coalition,
[00:23:20.510]a group whose mission is to make the conference
[00:23:22.530]in each member's school a better,
[00:23:24.120]and safer place to be queer in athletics.
[00:23:27.687]In addition, Emily's dedication to the classroom
[00:23:30.420]is inspiring.
[00:23:31.690]She was one of six Huskers selected for the Collegiate Rifle
[00:23:35.030]Coaches Association All-Scholastic team.
[00:23:40.270]Since her time in Nebraska,
[00:23:42.080]Emily has consistently showed her interest and commitment
[00:23:44.590]to serve the athletic department and her peers
[00:23:46.600]in a leadership capacity in both work and mindset.
[00:23:49.920]Since joining the Nebraska Rifle program,
[00:23:51.908]Emily has been
[00:23:52.930]a Student Athlete Advisory Commission representative,
[00:23:55.770]and has sat on the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee.
[00:23:59.500]As a student member on the Chancellor's Commission
[00:24:02.160]on the Status of Gender and Sexual Identities,
[00:24:04.560]she advocates for more inclusive policies
[00:24:06.460]for the LGBTQ+ communities on campus.
[00:24:09.738]Emily also served as a student speaker for Nebraska's
[00:24:12.670]Annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit at Nebraska
[00:24:15.400]speaking to her peers about the importance of inclusion.
[00:24:19.308]Emily serves on the leadership team for N-volved,
[00:24:22.300]a discussion-based social climate leadership group,
[00:24:24.720]that provides student athletes with a safe space to discuss,
[00:24:27.590]and explore current events and have difficult conversations.
[00:24:31.100]Her nominator noted:
[00:24:32.610]Time and time again, Emily has shown that her courage,
[00:24:35.240]and desire to pave a way for those alongside and after her
[00:24:38.129]have shown that her primary goal
[00:24:40.078]is never just to be the best athlete,
[00:24:42.289]but to be the best person and advocate she can be.
[00:24:46.010]Please join me in congratulating Emily Cheramie
[00:24:48.410]as the recipient of the Promising Undergraduate Leader
[00:24:51.140]for the 2021-2022 academic year.
[00:24:54.059](audience applauding)
[00:25:09.520]Thank you, Betty,
[00:25:10.353]and thank you for everyone for being here tonight.
[00:25:12.400]It really does mean a great deal.
[00:25:14.320]And thank you to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
[00:25:17.170]for this distinction.
[00:25:19.190]It is a great honor to accept this award,
[00:25:21.330]especially knowing how many other undergraduates
[00:25:24.220]are creating lasting and impactful change on campus,
[00:25:27.480]and in the community.
[00:25:29.051]I have had the pleasure to meet so many great young leaders
[00:25:32.070]during my time here at Nebraska,
[00:25:34.070]who are all deserving of being recognized
[00:25:36.410]for their work and dedication.
[00:25:38.840]I would like to thank Dr. Chatters
[00:25:40.310]for continuing to support me
[00:25:42.011]in what I hope to accomplish here at Nebraska,
[00:25:44.470]and across the conference.
[00:25:46.460]I also need to thank my mentor, DaWon Baker.
[00:25:49.610]Without him and his support and guidance,
[00:25:52.070]I would not be standing in front of you today.
[00:25:54.320]He's always supported me in everything
[00:25:56.390]that I've wanted to accomplish at Nebraska,
[00:25:59.850]and without him I wouldn't be pursuing grad school,
[00:26:02.520]or this line of work.
[00:26:04.610]While he was here I basically lived in his office
[00:26:07.330]in the athletic facilities, constantly bothering him,
[00:26:10.660]and wanting to do more.
[00:26:12.540]It's his fault that you have to sit here,
[00:26:14.180]and listen to me give you this speech today.
[00:26:15.731](audience laughing)
[00:26:18.450]And for that I'm so grateful.
[00:26:21.500]Someone else's office I would constantly escape to
[00:26:24.230]is Sammi Cowger.
[00:26:25.760]She encouraged me to be myself,
[00:26:27.870]and made me comfortable in a place
[00:26:29.580]where I might have otherwise been an outcast and excluded.
[00:26:33.980]She's the reason that I was hanging around
[00:26:35.980]the life skills area in the first place,
[00:26:37.880]and got to meet DaWon, so thank you, Sammi,
[00:26:40.600]for always letting me crash in your office.
[00:26:43.950]If you would've told me my freshman year
[00:26:45.652]that I would be standing here in front of you today
[00:26:47.780]accepting this award I wouldn't have believed you.
[00:26:50.960]I know a lot of people use this turn of phrase,
[00:26:53.510]but I genuinely mean it.
[00:26:55.380]The last five years have been nothing but transformative.
[00:26:58.940]It's hard to be done with a career
[00:27:00.491]as I am now with shooting,
[00:27:02.850]but it also means that I get to start the rest of my life,
[00:27:05.670]and begin the work that in my heart,
[00:27:08.400]I know I've always wanted to do,
[00:27:10.010]but didn't always have the confidence to pursue.
[00:27:13.720]There's still so much to be done when it comes to diversity,
[00:27:17.030]equity and inclusion,
[00:27:18.540]especially in college athletics and here at Nebraska,
[00:27:22.710]but I leave knowing that UNL is in a better place
[00:27:25.860]than when I found it.
[00:27:27.380]I leave this campus looking towards the youth.
[00:27:30.940]It's hard not to think of myself as the youth anymore.
[00:27:34.090]I mean, I'm only 23,
[00:27:35.829]but I've been called a grandma for being a fifth year,
[00:27:39.450]so bear with me,
[00:27:44.100]but I'm not, I'm getting up there in age.
[00:27:48.810]There's a lot happening in the world right now.
[00:27:51.440]So much divisiveness and anger,
[00:27:53.970]but I'm continuously inspired by those younger than me.
[00:27:57.790]They're not taking crap from anybody.
[00:28:01.160]And so I leave knowing that the future of this university
[00:28:03.646]is in exceptional hands.
[00:28:06.350]I think that's all I can hope for.
[00:28:08.930]There's a quote by Alan Turing
[00:28:10.900]that has been my driving motto since high school,
[00:28:13.650]my senior quote, in fact.
[00:28:16.220]We can only see a short distance ahead,
[00:28:18.820]but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.
[00:28:21.950]Five years later it still rings true,
[00:28:24.470]but more than ever I'm ready for the challenge.
[00:28:27.360]Thank you again.
[00:28:28.507](audience applauding)
[00:28:51.077]Hi everyone, good evening, my name is Talhah Mustafa,
[00:28:53.870]and I am the Diversity and Inclusion Committee co-chair
[00:28:57.670]for the Graduate Student Assembly.
[00:29:00.270]On behalf of the GSA,
[00:29:01.680]it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner
[00:29:04.130]of the second annual Promising Graduate Leader Award.
[00:29:07.560]This award designed to highlight the outstanding
[00:29:10.040]contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion
[00:29:12.960]by graduate and professional student leaders
[00:29:15.460]at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
[00:29:17.510]presents the transformative and impactful work
[00:29:20.588]initiated by student leaders.
[00:29:23.818]This year's winner
[00:29:25.810]of the Promising Graduate Student Leader Award
[00:29:28.540]is Kaitlin Tademy,
[00:29:30.560]the fourth year PhD student and graduate teaching assistant
[00:29:35.180]in the Department of Mathematics.
[00:29:38.800]Since joining the Mathematics Department
[00:29:41.140]as a graduate student in fall 2018,
[00:29:43.620]Kaitlin has developed into an outstanding leader
[00:29:46.870]for the department's instructional mission
[00:29:49.430]in supporting the professional development of instructors
[00:29:52.360]in the department in multiple ways.
[00:29:54.980]Kaitlin has carried out an analysis of the experiences
[00:29:58.900]of first-generation and BIPOC students
[00:30:01.335]in two of the first year mathematic classes.
[00:30:04.958]She presented the results of this analysis,
[00:30:08.550]and the resulting recommendations
[00:30:10.360]to the Mathematics Department as a whole,
[00:30:12.930]and in various professional development activities.
[00:30:17.070]Kaitlin took a lead role in students' recruitment efforts,
[00:30:23.450]and in developing questions for focus group interviews.
[00:30:27.407]As a result of her leadership role,
[00:30:30.720]Kaitlin was invited to present her findings
[00:30:32.800]to faculty and fellow graduate students in the mathematics
[00:30:35.464]and the department's 2021 fall orientation workshop.
[00:30:39.670]And later at the department seminar for DEI,
[00:30:42.704]excellence in teaching.
[00:30:45.330]Having become known as a leader in inclusive instruction,
[00:30:49.540]these presentations were followed up with a special session
[00:30:52.800]titled "Building and Maintaining Community."
[00:30:55.520]During the spring 2022 orientation workshop
[00:30:59.010]for first and second year GTAs at this session,
[00:31:02.640]Kaitlin led her colleagues in developing strategies
[00:31:06.260]to establish a strong,
[00:31:07.360]and inclusive sense of community among students,
[00:31:10.340]and to nurture and maintain the sense of community.
[00:31:14.250]Additionally, Kaitlin was asked
[00:31:16.810]by the Department of Mathematics chair
[00:31:19.125]to serve as the first graduate student representative
[00:31:23.420]on the Mathematics Department DEI Committee.
[00:31:26.670]Kaitlin has been a very active member of the committee
[00:31:29.870]offering insights that help determine action and items,
[00:31:33.310]and goals for the committee,
[00:31:35.470]and taking a lead role in drafting culture,
[00:31:37.640]and climate surveys for the graduate students,
[00:31:39.773]and for the faculty and staff.
[00:31:42.570]Please join me in congratulating, Kaitlin Tademy,
[00:31:45.320]as a recipient of the Promising Graduate Student Leader
[00:31:48.250]for 2021-2022 academic year.
[00:31:51.213](audience applauding)
[00:32:06.110]Oh, my gosh, I'm so nervous.
[00:32:09.240]I'm, like, genuinely shaking.
[00:32:12.470]This is so awesome, okay, I'll put this down
[00:32:20.690]'cause I wrote a speech.
[00:32:23.080]Thank you so much for this award.
[00:32:24.700]It is such an honor to be receiving this award,
[00:32:28.310]and I couldn't have gotten this award,
[00:32:30.770]or have done any of the work that I've done
[00:32:33.490]without all the people who've supported me.
[00:32:35.350]So I would like to take a moment to thank everyone involved,
[00:32:40.255]and be a little specific about a few.
[00:32:43.470]So, first, I'd like to thank Michelle Homp.
[00:32:46.360]Michelle, will you wave.
[00:32:49.190]That's Michelle Homp, she's my mentor.
[00:32:51.980]Thank you so much.
[00:32:52.880]Michelle nominated me for this award and for other awards
[00:32:56.180]because she's just so in the business of supporting me,
[00:33:00.040]and valuing the work that I do and the goals that I have,
[00:33:03.630]and helping me achieve them,
[00:33:05.600]so thank you so much, Michelle, for the support,
[00:33:09.000]and the encouragement and the celebration
[00:33:11.030]that you give to me day to day,
[00:33:12.700]and the reminders that my work and my impact are valuable.
[00:33:16.753]Thanks so much.
[00:33:19.170]I would also like to thank the math department as a whole,
[00:33:21.580]for being a community that I can thrive in,
[00:33:24.160]and a community that empowers me to change,
[00:33:26.124]or to be the change that I want to see
[00:33:29.010]in the math community.
[00:33:30.720]All of the people in the math department inspire me,
[00:33:33.570]and fill me with hope for the future.
[00:33:36.230]And finally, of course, I'd like to thank my family,
[00:33:38.720]and my friends who just give me the space
[00:33:40.970]to be my authentic self because we can't make the changes
[00:33:45.130]that we wanna make in the world
[00:33:46.300]without being our authentic selves.
[00:33:50.610]I find myself in a uniquely powerful position right now
[00:33:54.060]as a graduate teaching assistant in the math department,
[00:33:57.010]because I find that I can impact people in powerful ways.
[00:34:02.050]And I didn't even realize
[00:34:04.120]that as a graduate teaching assistant,
[00:34:05.890]I could have so much power to empower people,
[00:34:09.410]which I think is the purpose of power is to empower people.
[00:34:13.550]And I'm really, really grateful to be in this position
[00:34:16.200]right now to make change,
[00:34:18.880]but it's also made me realize
[00:34:20.420]that no matter what position I'm in I can make change,
[00:34:24.320]and no matter what position we're in we can make change.
[00:34:28.220]And this award is also reminding me of that,
[00:34:31.610]so thank you so much.
[00:34:34.315]That's all I have to say.
[00:34:36.683](audience applauding)
[00:34:56.310]Please join me in recognizing, again,
[00:34:58.520]our 2022 award recipients.
[00:35:01.064](audience applauding)
[00:35:07.650]I mean, all I can say is just wow.
[00:35:09.820]I am certainly even more inspired around this work
[00:35:13.300]after hearing their stories and hearing what drives them,
[00:35:17.150]so thank you.
[00:35:18.900]I also want to applaud those who submitted nominations.
[00:35:22.355]We had a significant increase in nominees from last year,
[00:35:25.970]as you can imagine.
[00:35:26.950]And for me, this just demonstrates an understanding
[00:35:29.840]of what it means to lift up those who aim to advance
[00:35:33.320]inclusive excellence for impact and for transformation.
[00:35:37.420]I want to encourage members
[00:35:39.180]of our UNL community to nominate or renominate
[00:35:42.370]individuals and departments next year.
[00:35:45.293]There were many deserving individuals
[00:35:48.300]in groups that we could not recognize just in one event,
[00:35:51.860]and those forums will open in fall of 2022,
[00:35:54.380]so please do nominate.
[00:35:56.130]Thank you to Dr. Friday, who's in the back,
[00:35:58.682]and team for their leadership in the award process,
[00:36:02.132]and to those who participated in this evening's events,
[00:36:06.020]Chancellor Green,
[00:36:06.980]Dr. Judy Walker, my colleague,
[00:36:09.120]Ranelle Maltas, Talhah Mustafa, and Betty Dessie.
[00:36:13.360]Thank you for your participation for tonight.
[00:36:16.970]I would be remiss if I did not invite everyone to become,
[00:36:22.610]or remain engaged both in our office,
[00:36:25.710]but also in diversity efforts at UNL more broadly.
[00:36:30.620]If you are not already engaged,
[00:36:32.690]you could certainly participate in events,
[00:36:34.290]so, for example, we have a CEO action event
[00:36:36.990]hosted by Chancellor Green on April 28th.
[00:36:39.860]You could also join our learning community NCLUDE,
[00:36:42.880]which is open to everyone at any time.
[00:36:45.990]You can also volunteer to be a facilitator
[00:36:47.770]with Husker Dialogues.
[00:36:48.700]I know Charlie would appreciate that.
[00:36:51.550]So there are just several opportunities
[00:36:53.000]across our university to be engaged.
[00:36:55.600]And you can learn more about these and other initiatives
[00:36:58.146]if you visit us online at diversity.unl.edu
[00:37:03.210]we have information and resources listed.
[00:37:05.470]You can also email us at diversity@unl.edu.
[00:37:10.300]Lastly, you will receive an email from us
[00:37:13.550]on providing us with feedback.
[00:37:15.941]Please don't delete the email people if you get that.
[00:37:20.140]I know that emails can be cumbersome,
[00:37:21.932]but is a quick and short survey,
[00:37:23.860]and we do rely heavily on your feedback.
[00:37:26.390]So we would ask for your cooperation
[00:37:28.321]in completing those surveys.
[00:37:30.770]Again, thank you for being a part of tonight's experience.
[00:37:35.040]We hope that you be well, take care,
[00:37:37.530]and have a good evening.
[00:37:39.020]We are adjourned.
[00:37:40.690](audience applauding)

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Nebraska DEI Impact Award Ceremony 2022

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