Employees Honored With Inclusive Excellence Awards

Employees Honored With Inclusive Excellence Awards

By University Relations - Communications
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Javier Durán
Javier Durán
Kasey Urquidez
Kasey Urquidez
Jeff Orgera
Jeff Orgera
Advocates Coming Together
Advocates Coming Together

In recognition of their significant contributions toward making the UA an inclusive community, three University employees and one student group have been selected to receive this year's Peter W. Likins Inclusive Excellence Awards.

Established in 2005 in honor of President Emeritus Peter W. Likins, the Inclusive Excellence Awards recognize individuals or groups who work to create a supportive environment at the UA, build a more academically robust and diverse student body, and recruit and retain diverse employees.

The awards are sponsored by UA Programs for Inclusive Excellence in the Office of the President, in collaboration with Human Resources, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and the Provost's Office.

"The pool of nominees was very competitive as always," said Raji Rhys, UA assistant vice president and chief diversity officer. "The Inclusive Excellence Award recipients are a select group of people who are among the very best at harnessing the power of diversity to create a measurable and meaningful impact on our UA community."

The 2014 winners are:

  • Javier Durán, director of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry, in the Faculty Recipient category. Durán is also a professor of Spanish and Portuguese.
  • Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Recruitment and Retention Teams, including Kasey Urquidez, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of admissions, and Jeff Orgera, senior assistant vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, in the Staff Recipient category.
  • Advocates Coming Together, Residence Life in the Student Recipients category. Advocates Coming Together, or ACT, includes students living in UA residence halls who are passionate about working for social justice. The group meets each week to discuss ways students can be educated on issues of equality, promote diversity initiatives and take action to make the UA a more inclusive place.

President Ann Weaver Hart will present recipients with their awards during a ceremony on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Ventana Room. Likins, who served as UA president from 1997-2006, will also attend to offer remarks and celebrate UA diversity initiatives.

Click here to view previous recipients of the Inclusive Excellence Awards. For more information about the awards, visit diversity.arizona.edu.

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