Last modified: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Latino Faculty and Staff Council at IU Bloomington presents awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2013
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington faculty members, staff and students will be recognized Friday, April 26, for outstanding service to the university's Latino community.
The Latino Faculty and Staff Council Latino Awards will be presented in a ceremony at 6 p.m. at Oliver Winery, 8024 N. Ind. 37, Bloomington. The awards recognize individuals or groups that have participated in service and mentoring, promoted diversity initiatives and developed awareness in the areas of culture, arts, health, economy, language or education.
The 2013 awards and their recipients include:
Distinguished Latino Group or Event: César E. Chávez Undergraduate Research Symposium in Latino Studies. Organized by Aide Acosta, visiting assistant professor in Latino studies and American studies, and Mintzi Martínez-Rivera, a doctoral candidate in folklore and anthropology, with assistance of administrative secretary Micaela Richter and graduate assistant Tony Estudillo, the first-of-its kind endeavor proved a transformative event for IU students and faculty.
The purpose of the symposium was to engage undergraduates with graduate students and faculty working on issues of race, migration and Latino social conditions. In addition to advancing the education of the students involved, it enriched the diversity and climate of the university and the community by inviting conversations about diverse experiences and by encouraging scholarship on issues of diversity.
Distinguished Latino Undergraduate Student: Alicia Nieves. With other students, Nieves started DREAM IU, an advocacy organization that works to raise awareness and support for the federal DREAM Act. She co-founded the Indiana Student Coalition for Immigrant Rights, a statewide network of student groups committed to achieving equality for migrant communities, and has represented the coalition in testifying to Indiana legislative committees on issues related to immigrant education.
Nieves, a 2013 IU graduate majoring in political science and migration studies through the Individualized Major Program, was named a Truman Scholar in 2012, one of 54 U.S. students to receive the award. This spring she received IU Bloomington's Herman B Wells Senior Leadership Award.
Distinguished Latino Staff: Becky Perez. A research associate at IU's Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, Perez travels throughout Indiana to implement individual and group behavioral interventions and develop culturally responsive practices that address the needs of students and their families.
She is president of the board of El Centro Comunal Latino, a community-based organization that provides information and access to resources for the Latino community in Bloomington. She leads the center through supporting the staff programming efforts that encompass cultural, health, legal and educational programs.
Distinguished Latino Graduate Student: Nancy Ortiz. A graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry, Ortiz is part of assistant professor Sara Skrabalak's research group. She also has been a leader in the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate.
At the national conference of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, the IU group under her leadership received the 2012 Outstanding Chapter Renewal Award. She has helped recruit students into science, technology and mathematics programs at IU and mentors members of underrepresented groups via IU programs.
Distinguished Latino Faculty: Professor Herman Aguinis. He is a professor of organizational behavior and human resources and the founding director of the Institute for Global Organizational Effectiveness at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, which enhances the effectiveness of organizations by augmenting their human capital -- with a special emphasis on Latin America.
Creation of the institute resulted in doubling the number of Latino MBAs in the Kelley School. Also, it supports initiatives such as Semana Latina, a week of events in Bloomington; Globase Guatemala, in which MBA students assist small businesses; and EME Argentina, in which Kelley students interact with businesses in Argentina.
Latino Faculty Special Mention Award: Daniel Mindiola. A professor in the Department of Chemistry, Mindiola has worked to enhance student and professional diversity in the natural sciences. He has received numerous awards for teaching and research from IU and at the national and international levels. He has served as member of a diversity-building graduate fellowship committee and as a mentor to students from underrepresented groups at IU.
He is currently leading efforts to again establish a Research Enhancement for Undergraduates program in the Department of Chemistry, which will bring large numbers of minority undergraduates to campus.
Founded in 2002, the Latino Faculty and Staff Council works to build fellowship and strengthen communication among Latino communities, bring more Latino scholars and researchers to campus, and improve recruitment, retention and promotion of Latino faculty and staff and graduation of students. For more information see the council's website.