USD Honors Fourth Cohort of Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award Recipients

The University of San Diego (USD) held its 4th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Impact Awards, now named the Sister Sally M. Furay Awards, in the Hahn University center on Tuesday, February 25.

The luncheon, co-sponsored by USD’s Center for Inclusion and Diversity, honored fifteen faculty, staff, and one unit for their contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Vice President and Provost Gail F. Baker, PhD was also honored with the establishment of the Gail F. Baker Outstanding Unit Award for Inclusive Excellence in Programming.

“At the University of San Diego, we are proud to celebrate inclusive excellence, which we see across our campus every single day,” said USD President James T. Harris III, DEd. “It’s a part of our DNA, a part of our Catholicity, a part of our very foundation and who we are … as a campus and as a community.”

Awardees included Greg Prieto, PhD; Gabriela Ortiz Flores, MA;  Suzanne Stolz, EdD; Marcela Meave, MA; Nicole Martinez, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, ENP-C, PHN, FAANP; Gina Manzella; Nichole Wissman, PhD; Nakeisha Lewis, PhD; Tammy Lin, JD; Melissa Abernathy, JD; Briana Mawby; Rick Olson, PhD; Michelle Sztupkay; Diana BuDoff, MA; and Jordan Kobayashi. 

The Impact Award was created in 2021 to honor and recognize Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) experiences on campus. The award was established in response to an open letter written in 2020 by Black faculty members. It highlights the often under-recognized work by those who mentor members of the BIPOC community and contribute to cultural changes on campus and in the community.

All awardees have provided exemplary service to the USD community, worked tirelessly to support students and are committed to advancing USD as a diverse, equitable and anti-racist institution.

— Story by Matthew Piechalak, photos by Lauren Radack