Diversity Leadership Awards

Honoring diversity champions

Diversity is critical to the process of discovery at the University of Chicago, where different viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences are not only sought after, but encouraged. The Diversity Leadership Awards recognize programs and initiatives led by academic and non-academic units that seek to further advance the University’s commitment to diversity of thought, perspective, and experience. Programs and initiatives may be led by faculty, staff, alumni, and/or students -- and should represent collaborative efforts within or across units.

Be on the lookout for more information about the 2026-27 Diversity Leadership Awards.

PAST RECIPIENTS

Update coming soon.

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 

  • William Baude, Harry Kalven, Jr. Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Constitutional Law Institute 
  • Judith P. Miller, Clinical Professor of Law 

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Vickie Sides
Director for Education and Outreach, Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support, and Assistant Dean of Students in the University

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Brian Cheng, MBA'24
CEO of Generation Hong Kong 

Diversity Leadership Graduate/Professional Student Award
The African Perspective Executive Board

  • Emmanuel Mayani, MPP Student, Harris School of Public Policy
  • Judith Nguli, MPP Student, Harris School of Public Policy
  • Manda Bwerevu, MPP Student, Harris School of Public Policy
  • Bethel Onah, MPP/MBA Student, Harris School of Public Policy and Booth School of Business

Unit-Sponsored Program or Initiative

  • Beyond Prisons, represented by Tracye A. Matthews, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, & Culture, and Alice Kim, Director of Practice, Beyond Prisons, Center for the Study of Race, Politics, & Culture
  • i2i Civil Discourse, represented by James Woodruff, Dean of Students, Pritzker School of Medicine

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Dr. Selwyn Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS 
Professor of Surgery; Chief, Sector of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery; Founding Director, Trauma Center. Executive Vice President for Community Health Engagement 

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Vera Dragisich, PhD
Senior Instructional Professor in the Department of Chemistry

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Mary Smith JD' 91
Immediate Past President of the American Bar Association 

Diversity Leadership Graduate/Professional Student Award
Alvin Gordián Arroyo, MPH, MD (expected 2025)
Pritzker School of Medicine

Diversity Leadership College Student Award
Zubin Kumar BA'24 Molecular Engineering 

Read more about the 2024 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Dr. Monica E. Peek MD, MPH, MSc 
Ellen H. Block Professor of Health Justice at UChicago Medicine and Associate Vice-Chair for Research Faculty Development in the Department of Medicine

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Tracye A. Matthews
Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture (CSRPC) 

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Beatrice Carpenter Young, AB’60, MAT’64
Teacher, Co-Founder of The Amistad Society

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Roderick A. Palmore, JD’77 
Senior counsel at Dentons US LLP 

Diversity Leadership Graduate/Professional Student Award
Lizeth Tamayo
PhD candidate in genetic epidemiology in the Division of the Biological Sciences 

Diversity Leadership College Student Award
Tyler Okeke
Fourth-year student in the College

Read more about the 2023 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Doriane C. Miller, MD’83
Professor of Medicine at UChicago Medicine and Director of the Center for Community Health and Vitality

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Cynthia Cook Conley
PhD Program Academic Advisor and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Deans at the Harris School of Public Policy 

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Grace Chan McKibben, AB’90, AM’90
Executive Director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community

Diversity Leadership Graduate/Professional Student Award
Radhika Santhanagopalan
PhD Student in Psychology and Business in the Division of Social Sciences and the Booth School of Business

Diversity Leadership College Student Award
Dinah Clottey
Fourth-year student in the College

Read more about the 2022 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Anita Blanchard, MD ’90
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UChicago Medicine and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Pritzker School of Medicine

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Jessica Jaggers
Dean of Students and Associate Dean of Student Life at the Booth School of Business

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Rami Nashashibi, AM’98, PhD’11
Founder and Executive Director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)

Diversity Leadership College Student Award
Demetrius Johnson, Jr. 
Third-year student in the College

Diversity Leadership Graduate/Professional Student Award
Nova Smith
PhD Candidate in Cinema and Media Studies

Read more about the 2021 recipients
2021 Diversity Leadership Awards highlights video

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Herschella Glenn Conyers, AB, JD
Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Joel D. Jackson
Assistant Director of Inclusion and Training for the Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Department at University of Chicago Medicine

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Thomas L. Fisher, MD ’01 
Longtime health care leader

Read more about the 2020 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award 
Monica Vela, MD’93 
Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs at the Pritzker School of Medicine; Associate Vice Chair for Diversity in the Department of Medicine

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Ron OJ Parson
Resident Artist at the Court Theatre

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Sybil Jordan Hampton, MST’68 
Lifelong advocate of public education, economic development, philanthropy, and social justice

Read more about the 2019 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
Randolph N. Stone 
Clinical Professor of Law at the Law School; Co-Director and Founder of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Project Clinic

Diversity Leadership Staff Award 
Scott Cook
Deputy Director of Finding Answers; Quality Improvement and Clinical Transformation Strategist for the Department of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity at the University of Chicago Medicine

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Sunny Fischer, AM’82 
Longtime Leader in Progressive Philanthropy; Board Chair, National Public Housing Museum 

Read more about the 2018 recipients

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
Margaret Beale Spencer, PhD’76
Marshall Field IV Professor of Urban Education in Comparative Human Development

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Rudy Nimocks
Director of Community Partnerships 

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Jamil Khoury, AM’92
Playwright 

Read more about the 2017 recipients
2017 Diversity Leadership Awards Highlights Video

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
Nancy Schwartz 
Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs in the Biological Sciences Division and Professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Denise Jorgens AM'83 PhD'95
Director of International House

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Charles Branham PhD'80
Senior Historian at DuSable Museum of African American History

Read more about the 2016 recipients
2016 Diversity Leadership Awards Highlight Video

Diversity Leadership Faculty Award
Cathy Cohen
David and Mary Winton Green Professor of Political Science
 
Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Vernonica Haud
Deputy Dean of Admissions, Director of Equity and Access Programming
 
Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Timuel Black, AM’54 
African American Civil Rights Leader

Read more about the 2015 recipients
Honoring a devotion to diversity: Diversity Leadership Award recipient Prof. Cathy Cohen calls diversity 'central to the intellectual work we do'
2015 Diversity Leadership Awards Video

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Kathleen Forde
Assistant Dean of Students in the College

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Theaster Gates
Director of the Arts and Public Life Initiative

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Aida Giachello, AM’71, PhD’88
Professor of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Read more about the 2014 recipients
2014 Diversity Leadership Awards Video

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Kim Ransom
Director, Collegiate Scholars Program

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Michael Bennett, PhD’88
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, DePaul University

Read more about the 2013 recipients
2013 Diversity Leadership Awards Highlight Video

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Shayne Evans
Managing Director, Urban Education Institute; Director, University of Chicago Charter School

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Sylvia Puente, AM'90
Executive Director, Latino Policy Forum

Read more about the 2012 recipients
2012 Diversity Leadership Awards Highlight Video

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Lynda N. Hale
Administrative Director of the Primary Care Group

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Dr. James E. Bowman, '64
Professor Emeritus in Pathology and Medicine

2011 Diversity Leadership Awards Highlight Video

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Duel Richardson, AB'67
Director of Neighborhood Relations/Education in the Office of Civic Engagement

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
Evette Cardona, AM'98 School of Social Service Administration

Diversity Leadership Staff Award
Larry Hawkins
Director of Special Programs and College Preparation

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award
James Hormel, JD'58, and Hedy Ratner, AM'74