Champions of diversity are lauded by Academic Senate
It’s a special honor for any individual to be singled out for the part they played in making UCLA one of the most ethnically, culturally and economically diverse campuses in the nation.
Enjoying that distinction earlier this month were
Richard L. Weiss, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Marisa Hernandez-Stern, a recent graduate of the UCLA School of Law. Both were recipients of the
Academic Senate’s coveted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, chosen from a field of 41 faculty and student nominees by the Senate’s Committee on Diversity and Equal Opportunity (CODEA).
“I believe strongly in diversity and am very proud to be part of an institution that views diversity as we do,” said Chancellor Gene Block during a May 10 award reception at the Chancellor’s Residence. “CODEA has been critical to improving a fair and open university community for all of our students, staff and faculty. Today’s event is another milestone in our work.”
Academic Senate Chair Robin Garrell, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, lauded Weiss and Hernandez-Stern for “contributions above and beyond the call of duty, characterized by leadership, by innovation, initiative and creativity.”
Weiss “is the public face, and often the driving force, behind almost all programs at UCLA that promote inclusion and diversity in the sciences,” said Paul H. Barber, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and Tama Hasson, director of UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Center, in their nomination letter.
Weiss was instrumental in establishing in 1991 the Center for Academic Research Excellence to address the alarming attrition of underrepresented students in the sciences by offering research apprenticeships under faculty mentors, among other learning experiences.
In 1993 he helped create the UCLA Bridges to the Baccalaureate program, which teaches underrepresented community college students molecular research techniques to help smooth their transfer to the sciences at UCLA. Since 1996, Weiss has also served as director of the Initiative for Minority Student Development, which funds and creates innovative research opportunities for underrepresented undergraduates at UCLA.
This year's winners of the coveted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award: Richard L. Weiss and Marisa Hernandez-Stern.
Weiss “has nearly singlehandedly changed the face of the future academy,” Barber and Hasson wrote. “Hundreds of underrepresented minority students have benefited from Dr. Weiss’ programs, gaining the skills, desire and confidence necessary to apply (to), enter and excel in graduate school.”
Hernandez-Stern has “created a better and fairer learning environment at UCLA School of Law,” noted Law Professor Clyde Spillinger in a letter of recommendation. He worked with Hernandez-Stern for two years on the school’s Diversity Task Force, which Spillinger chairs. “Marisa has pushed forward the goals of diversity and educational equity,” he noted, by finding innovative ways for students, particularly students of color, to communicate with faculty about how their teaching practices affect their learning experience.
“Marisa is unstinting and passionate in her commitment to equality and justice, and this commitment animates all that she does,” Spillinger explained.
Two faculty members and two students were also named Honorable Mention recipients at the awards ceremony:
- Sociology Professor Darnell Hunt, director of Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, worked with the Alliance for Equal Opportunity in Education Coalition to advocate for implementation of a comprehensive admissions policy at UCLA following the 2006 black enrollment crisis.
- Education Professor Sylvia Hurtado, director of the Higher Education Research Institute, helped advise faculty on how to conduct constructive classroom discussions about diversity issues.
- Miguel Lopez, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and vice president, external affairs of the UCLA Graduate Student Association, played a leading role in creating a community outreach program to promote a college-going culture among UC-eligible high school students in underrepresented and low-income communities.
- Abdallah Jadallah, a senior in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and former president of the Muslim Student Association, founded UCLA’s Community Programs Office Food Closet for low-income students. He recently received a UCLA Humanitarian Award for his efforts.
