In recognition of contributions to enhance diversity and inclusion, five honorees received the Ohio State Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award.
On Wednesday, April, 17, this year’s honorees were celebrated at an annual luncheon, and each recipient received a $1,200 cash award. This year’s recipients also will be honored on the field at Ohio Stadium during the Saturday, August 31, Ohio State football game.
Faculty, staff, students and alumni who expand diversity at Ohio State with innovative curriculum, mentorship, programs or policies can be nominated during the open nomination period for the annual Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award.
Recipients were chosen for enhancing diversity through curriculum, mentorship, programs or policies, exemplifying the university’s core values and making diversity part of Ohio State’s best practices. Recipients are honored for embodying Ohio State’s core values and making diversity and inclusion a top priority in areas inclusive of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and economic or political status.
Congratulations to the 2019 Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award recipients:
Hollie Nyseth Brehm, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
To enhance cultural awareness through innovative curriculum, Hollie Nyseth Brehm developed the first study abroad class to analyze the Rwandan genocide. She also teaches a Global Criminology class that partners with a local refugee resettlement agency, which facilitates student learning about diverse cultures. In addition, she and a group of Ohio State students founded a local nonprofit organization, Refuge, which helps make higher education a reality for adolescent refugees in the Columbus community through mentoring, scholarships and immersion experiences on Ohio State’s campus. Hollie is praised for her compassionate care for students and helping them explore and embrace diversity.
Faculty Experience Group
College of Medicine
The Faculty Experience Group within the College of Medicine was formed to encourage an inclusive environment, promote fairness and equity in hiring and promotion, and encourage faculty recruitment and retention. To promote the hiring and advancement of a more diverse faculty, the committee has advocated for policy changes to expand the Parental Leave Program, increased participation in implicit bias training, spread awareness of emergency childcare services and implemented changes to support breastfeeding women on clinical duty. Their efforts have fostered greater inclusiveness and gender equity in the College and across the university.
Shadia Jallaq
Program Manager, John Glenn College of Public Affairs
Shadia Jallaq is a champion of women’s advancement at Ohio State and within the Columbus community. With a focus on the underrepresentation of women in elected positions and equal pay, Shadia encourages women to run for public office and leads efforts to help increase the promotion of women into leadership positions. Through collaborative partnerships, she developed and implemented numerous programs that empower women with the skills they need to be successful leaders, including New Leadership, Ready to Run and Programs for Ohio Women Empowered to Represent.
David Roper, PhD
Third-year Law Student, Moritz College of Law
David Roper is dedicated to advocating for diversity and inclusion within the Moritz College of Law and the law profession. He has devoted significant efforts to diversifying and increasing opportunities for minority students in The Ohio State University Law Journal and was elected as the Journal’s first African American editor-in-chief, a distinguished and coveted position in every law school. David invests his time mentoring and recruiting law students, and is actively involved in the Black Law Students Association.
Stephanie Shaw, PhD
Professor, Department of History
From her time as an Ohio State student through her current position as a professor, over the past four decades, Stephanie Shaw has worked to create equal opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds and extend the fields of African American history and studies. As a faculty member, she has developed African American history courses and established African American history as a Ph.D. path, while also increasing the number of full-time faculty members and minority students in the field at Ohio State. Her dedication is also demonstrated through her mentorship of students and leadership within many professional organizations.
