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Contacts: Ami Berger, Office for Equity and Diversity, (612) 625-0498, aberger@umn.edu
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/19/2008) — The Office for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota has announced the recipients of the 2008 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) awards to eleven undergraduate and two graduate students. The thirteen students will receive their awards at the first annual University of Minnesota Equity and Diversity Breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 20.
This is the first year of the SEED Award program, which is designed to honor high-achieving diverse students at the University of Minnesota.SEED Award recipients must demonstrate impressive academic achievement and leadership in community outreach and activism, in addition to a deep understanding of and commitment to issues of equity, diversity and social justice.
The SEED Award recipients are:
Jesus Estrada-Perez, a senior majoring in cultural studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
Eikoku Ikeno, a senior double majoring in Asian languages and literature and history in the College of Liberal Arts.
Desiree Abu-Odeh, a junior in the College of Biological Sciences’ upper-division honors program majoring in neuroscience.
Judith Chan, a senior in the School of Nursing.
Sarah Choy, a senior majoring in Philosophy and English in the College of Liberal Arts.
Dionne Dillard, a junior majoring in political science and African American and African studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
Angela Haeny, a junior majoring in psychology in the College of Liberal Arts.
Daniel Martig, a senior double-majoring in biochemistry in the College of Biological Sciences and Asian languages and literatures in the College of Liberal Arts.
Angelina Nguyen, a senior majoring in political science and economics in the College of Liberal Arts.
Jasmine Omorogbe, a junior in the University Honors Program majoring in communication studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
Anh Tran, a senior majoring in neuroscience and psychology in the College of Biological Sciences and College of Liberal Arts.
Trecia Pottinger, Ph.D. candidate in American studies.
Aeleah Soine, Ph.D. candidate in history.
“We created the SEED Award program to honor the achievements of outstanding diverse students with a wide range of backgrounds, identities, interests and accomplishments,” said Nancy “Rusty” Barceló, vice president and vice provost for equity and diversity. “Theserecipients are a truly outstanding group, both in their academic strength and their collective passion for community service and social justice.”
“The applicant pool for this year”s SEED awards was very strong,” said SEED selection committee chair Karl Lorenz, who is also the director of diversity programs for the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University. “The committee was extremely impressed with both the academic achievements and commitment to community service demonstrated by so many of the dozens of applicants,” Lorenz said.
More information on the SEED Award recipients is available on the Office for Equity and Diversity web site at http://www.academic.umn.edu/equity/SEEDAwardrecipients.html.The recipients’ awards range from $1000 to $2500.
The presentation of the SEED Awards will be the highlight of the first annual University of Minnesota Equity and Diversity Breakfast, which will take place at McNamara Alumni Center's Memorial Hall from 7:30-9:30 on Thursday, Nov. 20.The event was created to connect university faculty, staff, students and administrators with community and corporate partners in support of the university’s equity and diversity work. Seven corporate sponsors are partnering with the Office for Equity and Diversity to produce the event: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ernst & Young, Cargill, General Mills, McQuay International, TCF Bank and the Travelers Foundation.
In addition to the SEED Award presentation, the event will feature remarks by both Barceló and university President Robert Bruininks, as well as a “Gallery of Excellence” exhibit hall, in which university colleges, departments and administrative units will showcase their own equity and diversity initiatives.