Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity

President's Awards

President's Awards for Excellence Through Diversity

The President's Awards for Excellence through Diversity recognize and honor individuals and programs that have made exceptional contributions to enhancing and supporting diversity (broadly defined) within the Stanford University community. The awards are intended to recognize that a diverse campus community enhances our institutional excellence by broadening and strengthening the teaching, learning, and scholarship that are the university’s missions.

The awards will recognize contributions to diversity in many aspects of university life. Examples include: development of innovative recruitment programs that attract faculty, staff, and/or students who add to Stanford’s diversity (broadly defined); exceptional mentoring of undergraduate and/or graduate students whose background, experience, and interests contribute to diversity on campus; development and implementation of effective advancement opportunities for our diverse population of employees; development of curricular and/or research projects on topics focusing on people's identities, origins, and cultures within the United States and globally that enrich students’ education in novel ways; and development and enhancement of activities that build community within and among diverse groups of students, faculty, and staff.

Two awards may be made each year and nominations are valid for two years:

an individual from among the faculty, students, and staff and/or a campus unit such as a department, program, or office.

Nomination Information

WHO MAY NOMINATE: Any member of the Stanford community (student, faculty or staff) may nominate an individual or office whose contributions fit the description above.

HOW TO NOMINATE: Write a letter to the President’s Diversity Awards Committee. Nominations must include the name and position of the nominator and clearly describe the exceptional contributions that make the nominee (individual or campus unit) deserving of this award. Nomination letters can be sent by email, interdepartmental, or US mail.

Submit email nominations to Pamm Moore or, send a letter to the President's Diversity Awards Committee of the Diversity Cabinet (attention: Pamm Moore, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity, Building 170, MC 2035; via US mail send to P.O. Box 20551, Stanford, CA 94309).

DEADLINE TO NOMINATE: Nominations now CLOSED.

SELECTION PROCESS: Nominations will be reviewed by the President's Diversity Awards Committee of the Diversity Cabinet. Awards will be presented in Spring.

2015 Recipients

Sally Dickson , emerita staff, and currently special assistant to President John Hennessy. When she retired from Stanford in early 2015, she was the associate vice provost for student affairs and dean of educational resources. She also served as associate vice provost for faculty development.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs within the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. Its mission is to promote a unified community of inclusion, respect and excellence through the development of a student body, staff and faculty that reflects the diversity of our national communities and international partners. The award cited the exemplary leadership of Jerry Harris, associate dean of the office.

President John Hennessy will present the awards at a private ceremony this week.

2014 Recipients

Sheri Sheppard, professor of mechanical engineering, and the Burton J. and Deedee McMurtry University Fellows in Undergraduate Education, for "championing the importance of designing more diverse teaching materials – course activities, examples and questions – that incorporate a wide array of fields and cultures" and for "serving as a trailblazing role model for women in engineering."

The LGBT Community Resources Center for " fostering a strong and diverse LGBT community" making Stanford "a safe and welcoming campus for all."