2023 Award Recipients

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Awards:

• Carolyn E. Johnson Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Staff Excellence Award:
  • Briggitta August, Director, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, College of Liberal Arts

• Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Faculty Excellence Award:
  • Chrystal Johnson, PhD, Associate Professor, Social Studies Education, Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
  • Margo Monteith, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences

• Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging College Team Excellence Award:
  • John Martinson Honors College

Troutner Fellow Award on Equity-Mindedness in Higher Education:

• "Black Feminist Literacy Praxis: Reading, Rights, and Writing Activism"
  • PI: Jennifer Freeman Marshall, PhD, Associate Professor, English & School of Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Lay Summary: This proposal addresses knowledge gaps in the field of Black women’s literary criticism to include readings of non-canonical writers in terms that expand our understanding of the relationship between theory (philosophy) and practice (activism/social justice) within the post-civil rights era literature produced by Black women writers. Due in part to the civil rights era, Black women’s literature is now widely accessible. However, the academic reception of this literature is often widely constrained by established canons and received notions of literary authority. My project, with its focus on non-canonical writers across diverse genres, promotes a more inclusive consideration of the production and effectiveness of Black women’s literature as a critical tool to transform society. Reframing this literature as a praxis that works as a narrative intervention toward a more just society, addresses this award’s initiative to eradicate bias and to promote and advance equity in higher education.

Seed Grant for Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Inclusive Excellence and Sense of Belonging:

• "Reclaiming Heritage, Reclaiming Place, Reclaiming Identity: Documenting Black Heritage Sites in the Greater Lafayette Area"
  • PI: Ashima Krishna, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, John Martinson Honors College
  • Lay Summary: This project seeks to address the current inequity that exists in the documentation and preservation of historic sites related to Black heritage at Purdue University and in the Greater Lafayette area. This project also seeks to develop student awareness and participation in bridging that gap in knowledge on sites important to the Black community in the Greater Lafayette Area. It aligns with the Office of Diversity. Inclusion, and Belonging's mission to promote inclusion and equity within the Purdue community. The project will enable students to also counter hegemonic narratives of history that they typically encounter in the area-by documenting and researching sites important to Black heritage, highlighting them through various digital and print sources. and presenting them to the Purdue community. 

• "Cultivating Spaces of Belongingness for Local Multicultural K-3 Youth Within Summer Literacy Programming Through Intentional Community Partnerships"
  • PI: Breanya Hogue, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
  • Co-PI: Ofelia Castro Schepers, PhD, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
  • Co-PI: Christy Wessel-Powell, PhD. Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
  • Lay Summary: The proposed project will examine a six-week summer literacy program that will provide high-quality literacy-focused enrichment and resources for 30 underrepresented and/or under-resourced K-3 students and families in the Greater Lafayette communities. It will also provide culturally relevant teaching and engagement opportunities for Purdue preservice teachers (PSTs) and research experiences for graduate students, helping to prepare both to work in diverse environments. First United Methodist Church of West Lafayette will serve as site partner. Freedom School is a nationally recognized summer literacy and cultural enrichment program based on engaging children in literacy activities that instill a love of reading, improve their academic skills, and broaden their horizons. The program also engages their parents and caregivers in weekly empowerment workshops about issues such as effective communication/discipline, nutrition/diet, mental health support, language support, and more. The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program is a part of the Black Community Crusade for Children®.

• "The Experiences of Disabled Graduate Students in STEM Education"
  • PI: Senay Purzer, PhD, Professor, School of Engineering Education, College of Engineering
  • Co-PI: Kirsten Davis, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering Education, College of Engineering
  • Co-PI: Ruth Wertz, Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Engineering Education, College of Engineering
  • Co-PI: Sage Maul, Graduate Student, School of Engineering Education, College of Engineering
  • Lay Summary: Our project seeks to initiate a new research agenda focusing on the experiences of disabled STEM graduate students. Existing educational policies related to accommodations primarily address the needs of undergraduate students, so the unique experiences of graduate students are not addressed effectively through these policies. The proposed project will focus on reviewing the literature on disabled graduate student experiences in depth and developing a conceptual model describing disabled graduate students’ experiences seeking accommodations based on both the literature and interviews. We will use a systems perspective to explore how graduate students navigate different levels of the university environment in seeking accommodations within their courses, research, and teaching responsibilities. The findings of this project will inform educational policies and interventions to create a welcoming campus by enhancing the support offered to disabled graduate students.