College faculty win diversity, inclusion and belonging awards
At the University’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging 2023 Awards and Recognition Banquet on Apr. 4, four College faculty members received two awards, and one online program was named as a finalist.
Recipients for the Seed Grant for Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Inclusive Excellence and Sense of Belonging were: Breanya Hogue, assistant professor of Literacy and Language Education (PI); Dr. Ofelia Castro Schepers and Dr. Christy Wessel Powell, both assistant professors of Literacy & Language Education (Co-PIs). Their grant is titled “Cultivating Spaces of Belongingness for Local Multicultural K-3 Youth Within Summer Literacy Programming Through Intentional Community Partnerships.”
“The Purdue CDF Freedom School Program would like to thank the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging (ODIB) for this award and the SEED grant of $10,000 to assist with our research initiative this summer,” Hogue said. “We’re excited to partner with the Purdue College of Education Center for Literacy and Language Education and Research (CL2EAR) with First United Methodist Church and the national Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® Program to impact 30 local K-3 students and families and provide culturally responsive training and teaching opportunities to our preservice teachers, research opportunities for graduate students and faculty, and faith-based and community partnerships with the Methodist church and local schools.”
Dr. Chrystal Johnson, associate professor of Social Studies Education, tied for the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Faculty Excellence Award.
“I cherish the recognition for this award and look forward to additional scholarly pursuits in diversity, inclusion, and belonging,” Johnson said. “I am grateful to my colleagues in the College of Education who supported my work in this important field.”
The Online MSEd in Special Education Program was a finalist for the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Team Excellence Award.
Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners!