Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Dr. Colette Yellow Robe has provided academic enrichment and workforce development services for local Native American students through the Indian Center Inc., a nonprofit center for urban Native Americans. Several of Dr. Yellow Robe’s students, peers and colleagues attest to her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion at Nebraska. One noted, “As one of very few Indigenous employees at UNL, Dr. Yellow Robe is a beacon for Native students and other Black and brown students. She is someone the students can see indicating the possibility for their own professional success and she supports them in culturally validating ways because she relates to them and their experiences at UNL.”
Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
Several of Dr. Cynthia Willis-Esqueda's peers and colleagues attest to her dedication to structural and institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion at UNL through numerous levels. Her nominators noted her mentoring of countless students of color in the research process and her continued advisement of UCARE and McNair students, with many of these students having conference presentations and publications as undergraduates and then matriculating on to post-graduate training. In addition, Dr. Willis-Esqueda’s nominators noting her as an “... incredible role model illustrating that Native American Women can be formidable scholars, professors and community leaders. She embodies the strength and endurance of our resiliency that are often shared across Indigenous cultures.”
Promising Undergraduate Student Leader Award
Emily Cheramie has consistently showed her interest and commitment to serve the athletic department and her peers in a leadership capacity in both work and mindset. Since joining the Nebraska Rifle program, Emily has been a student-athlete advisory commission (SAAC) representative and has sat on the diversity and inclusion subcommittee. As a student member on the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender and Sexual identities, she advocates for more inclusive policies for the LGBTQ+ communities on campus. Emily also served as a student speaker for Nebraska’s annual diversity and inclusion summit at Nebraska, speaking to her peers about the importance of inclusion. Her nominator noted, “Time and time again, Emily has shown that her courage and desire to pave a way for those alongside and after her, have shown that her primary goal is never just to be the best athlete, but to be the best person and advocate she can be.”
Promising Graduate Student Leader Award
Kaitlin Tademy has developed into an outstanding leader for the department’s instructional mission and supporting the professional development of instructors in the department in multiple ways. Kaitlin has carried out an analysis of the experiences of first generation and BIPOC students in two of the first-year mathematics classes. She presented the results of this analysis and the resulting recommendations to the mathematics department as a whole and in various professional development activities. Kaitlin took a lead role in student recruitment efforts and in developing questions for focus group interviews. As a result of her leadership role, Kaitlin was invited to present her findings to faculty and fellow graduate students in mathematics at the department’s 2021 Fall Orientation workshop and later at a department seminar for DEI Excellence in Teaching.
Collective Impact Award
Nebraska Extension’s Reaching One, Reaching All Team provides research and professional development resources around complex issues related to diversity and cultural/global competence. The team provides research and professional development resources on topics including bias, stereotypes and micro aggressions, refugee and immigrants, children and cultural competence, and gender stereotype. The goal of the team is to offer tools, programs and research expertise to help inform cultural and global competence. As well as empower individual and institutions with effective strategies to promote diversity and inclusion. Additionally to work with community partners to support and empower diverse populations. And lastly to foster institutional, community level and systemic change to support inclusive and equitable environments. The Nebraska Extension’s Reaching One, Reaching All Team reflects a commitment to inclusive excellence.