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| by A. David Dahmer |
| October 03, 2012 |
Four women deeply rooted in the community through social justice work, service, research, and community building were honored with University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Outstanding Women of Color Awards Sept. 24 at the Alumni Lounge of the Pyle Center.
Leslie Bow, a professor of English and Asian American Studies and a 2010-2011 recipient of the UW-Madison and UW System Outstanding Woman of Color Awards, gave the welcome at the event before introducing UW-Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward.
“The thing that these women all share in common is the tremendous impact they’ve made on our community,” said Ward, adding that the Outstanding Women of Color Award on campus is now in its fifth year. “As we continue to work on increasing the diversity of our faculty, our staff, and our students, we can be proud and grateful for the impact that these women are already making and how students benefit greatly both academically and personally from the UW having such a diverse group of educators. These awards are a very small way in which we can recognize women who are already helping us to offer students a more diverse experience.”
Dawn Crim is the associate dean for external relations for the School of Education. She previously was in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Relations where she had been working as a special assistant on community relations issues. Nick Magallon, College of Letters and Science representative to the ASM Student Council, introduced Crim and talked about her impact in creating the Diversity Roundtable’s Spectrum Magazine that highlights and showcases the greater diversity of Madison.
“I want to thank all of you. I’ve been able to do the work that I’ve done over the past 16 years because of the work and support that I’ve gotten from many of you and because of the assistance I’ve got from you,” Crim said. “Especially, [I want to thank] my family. I refer to my family as ‘Team Crim.’ I’m not able to do all of the things that I do without the support of that team and without the support of many close friends I have in this community.”
Rohany Nayan is dedicated to forging long-term understanding among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. She is heralded for her work as a Morgridge Graduate Fellow at the Lubar Institute, according to Charles Cohen, Lubar Institute director. Nayan combines broad linguistic skills with exposure to cultures across the globe and is an effective mediator and engaging educator. “If you look around the room you’ll see that these are the people who made it possible for me to be here today,” Nayan said. “Thank you very much for coming today.”
Jacquelynn Dawn Arbuckle is a lecturer and surgical instructor active in the Department of Surgery’s Women and Surgery Club, where she advises, mentors, and offers support to current and future female surgeons. She has implemented diversity initiatives at the institutional level and served as a mentor. Now working to develop the Native American Health Office as part of the Collaborative Center for Health Equity, she continues to reach out by introducing pre-college American Indian students from Wisconsin to health professions.
“I feel privileged to be a part of the University of Wisconsin. I grew up on a reservation in northern Wisconsin — the St. Croix Reservation. My experiences growing up were very much formed by the teachers I became involved with,” Arbuckle said. “The most important part is how we reach young people and encourage them to become more than what they thought they could ever be. I was never singled out or thought of as ‘less than’ because I came from a lower income [family] or a reservation. My teachers always encouraged me.”
Tanya Lynn Brito joined the UW Law School faculty in 1997, and embodies the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea through her contributions to social justice, community service, scholarly research, and writing on issues of race and poverty. She has been devoted to social justice and community service through family law and three non-profit agencies: the Center for Family Policy and Practice, WORT 89.9 FM, and the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. She serves as state and national policy advocate for families with respect to welfare programs, fatherhood initiatives, and child support.
“I am humbled by receiving this award. Looking at the others here and their profiles and contributions and looking at prior award recipients, I feel like I’m in such excellent company,” Brito said. “I think by celebrating the faculty of color it helps to create a more inclusive environment and that the work we do is appreciated and important and valued. I certainly feel that way today.”
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