Principles of Community Awards

Congratulations to the 2024 Principles of Community Awards!

The Office for Inclusion and Diversity is excited to announce the 2024 winners of the Principles of Community Awards:

Tamara Cherry-Clarke (Individual Award)
Roberto Silva (Individual Award)
Career Outfitters (Group Award)
Members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Group Award)

What Are the Principles of Community Awards?

The Principles of Community Awards were established in 2014 and recognize members of the Virginia Tech community who exemplify the Principles of Community and have demonstrated an active commitment to Inclusion and Diversity at Virginia Tech. This year, the university will present awards to individuals, departments, groups, and/or initiatives that uplift the Principles of Community.

During the annual submission period, nominations may be submitted by alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members, and community members.

Nominations are reviewed by members of the awards committee including representatives from the Office for Inclusion and Diversity and the Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity (CEOD). Award recipients are invited to a reception hosted by the President’s Office, where they will receive their award. A monetary gift accompanies each award and will be mailed to the recipient. All award winners will be featured in a community announcement.

Contact Stacey Wilkerson for additional information at stacey9@vt.edu.

Eligibility Information

Virginia Tech faculty, staff, students, groups, and departments are eligible for nomination. Previous award recipients are not eligible for re-nomination until five years have passed.
No minimum length of Virginia Tech service is required.

Nomination Information

Example nominations could include:

Programs and/or activities and how these address inclusion and diversity needs and interests at Virginia Tech.
Expertise and contributions related to inclusion and diversity.
Evidence of communication and networking with diverse communities.
Leadership experience.
Professional or scholarly activities.
Examples of commitments outside of work-related activities.

Complete nomination packets should include:

The nominee’s name, contact information, and affiliation with the university.
A one-page statement (500 words) from the nominator describing the nominee’s commitment to the Principles of Community through their contributions to diversity and inclusion at Virginia Tech.
A one-page statement of endorsement (500 words) from a person familiar with the nominee’s work (as described above).

Completed nomination packets should be emailed to Stacey Wilkerson at stacey9@vt.edu.

Criteria

The candidate(s) will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

Provides evidence of a strong commitment to inclusion and diversity in order to foster a welcoming climate.
Promotes and facilitates equitable education and social engagement with and between people of varying ethnic or religious backgrounds, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, physical and mental capabilities, etc.
Conducts research or implements work practices to create a new and progressive initiative that helps to enrich the lives of all Virginia Tech stakeholders.
Exhibits visionary and insightful leadership to confront and resolve inequities through strategic decision-making, collaborations, allocation of resources, or inclusive teaching practices.
Demonstrates a strong commitment to the Principles of Community that goes beyond the call of duty.

2023 Winners

2023 (Long Term Individual Award) - Alicia Cohen
2023 (Group Award) - Shernita Lee
2023 (Long Term Individual Award) - Rebecca Hester
2023 (Long Term Individual Award) - Ellen Banks
2023 (Recent Contributions Individual Award) - Dr. Bing
2023 (Long Term Individual Award) - Homero Murzi

Pre-2023 Winners

2014 - Jean Elliott
2015 - Karen DePauw
2016 (Faculty award) - Bev Watford
2016 (Staff award) - Linda Greene
2017 (Faculty award) - Randy Grayson
2017 (Staff award) - Betty Watts
2018 (Teaching/Research Faculty award) - María del Carmen Caña Jiménez
2018 (Teaching/Research Faculty award) - Amanda Morris
2018 (AP Faculty and Staff award) - Latanya Walker
2018 (AP Faculty and Staff award) - John Gray Williams
2019 (Recent Individual award) - Chris Tysor
2019 (Long term Individual award) - Sam Cook
2019 (Department award) - Department of Religion and Culture
2019 (Group award) - Virginia Dares Team
2020 (Recent Individual Award) - Mae Hey
2020 (Long Term Individual Award) - Carlos Evia
2020 (Group Award) - Latin Link
2021 (Recent Individual Award) - Edward Polanco
2021 (Long Term Individual Award) - Brandy Faulkner
2021 (Group Award) - Graduate Student Success in Multicultural Environments (GSSME)
2021 (Department Award) - Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program
2022 (Group Award) - Black Caucus
2022 (Long Term Individual Award) - Tamara Smith
2022 (Recent Individual Award) - Eric Glenn
2022 (Recent Individual Award) - Melissa Faircloth