General Information
Named in honor of Dean Emeritus of the School of Social Work, this award was established in 1996. It recognizes faculty whose service goes above and beyond their regular duties and contributes to the development of a culturally and ethnically diverse campus community.
Nominations will be accepted for all regular instructional and research faculty, including librarians, curators, and archivists on the Ann Arbor campus (including the Medical School).
Nominations can be made by faculty, staff, and students, and must include a nomination letter, which should not exceed 2,000 words.
The nomination letter should explain the particular distinction that makes the nominee exceptionally qualified for this honor using one or more of the following criteria:
- Public and/or academically oriented endeavors that demonstrate intellectual excellence and commitment to cultural diversity in service, teaching, scholarship, and/or creative activity
- Efforts to increase diversity or improve the climate within one’s academic unit and/or the University
- Efforts to use scholarly and/or creative work to enhance the success of students and faculty of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds
- Willingness to serve as a mentor to students who have a commitment to diversity and social justice
- Sustained effort and demonstrated outcomes to bring about equity in our community or society as whole
The nomination letter may incorporate quotations from former and current students, peers, faculty, and communities impacted by the nominee’s work.
Up to five awards are made annually, which includes a $5,000 stipend for each honoree.
Please submit your nomination from the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion portal. The nominator’s statement should include information about the nominee’s service and accomplishments in the areas described above, and a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vita.
Nominations are due on Monday, April 3, 2023.
If you have questions, please email Marionette Cano at canom@umich.edu.
Past Johnson Diversity Award Recipients
2022
Jonathan Ford Finks, Medical School
Gary Freed, School of Public Health
Odest Chadwicke Jenkins, College of Engineering
Ramaswami Mahalingam, LSA
Damani James Partridge, LSA
Charles Ransom, University Library
Sara Soderstrom, LSA, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, School for Environment and Sustainability
Lifetime Achievement Award: Henry Meares. School of Education
2021
Maisie Gholson, School of Education
Rogério Meireles Pinto, School of Social Work
Daicia Price, School of Social Work
Yeidy Rivero, LSA: Film, Television, and Media and American Culture
Herbert Winful, College of Engineering
2020
Rosario Ceballo, LSA, Psychology and Women’s Studies
Sarah Koch, LSA, Mathematics
Anne J. McNeil, LSA, Chemistry and Honors Program
Erika Newman, Medical School, Pediatric Surgery
Team Award: Medical School, Family Medicine, MDisability Program
• Oluwaferanmi O. Okanlami
• Michael M. McKee
• Lisa Meeks
2019
Valeria Bertacco, College of Engineering
Ron Eglash, School of Information and Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
Marita Inglehart, School of Dentistry and LSA. (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Petra Kuppers, LSA, Stamps School and School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Chinedum Okwudire, College of Engineering
J. Frank Yates, LSA and Stephen M. Ross School of Business
2018
Sara Ahbel-Rappe, LSA
Elizabeth R. Cole, LSA
Nicolai Lehnert, LSA
Franc Nunoo-Quarcoo, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
Allison Steiner, College of Engineering and LSA
Robert Joseph Taylor, School of Social Work
2017
Patricia Colemon-Burns, School of Nursing (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Ellen Arruda, College of Engineering
Anna Mapp, LSA
Karin Martin, LSA
Anthony Mora, LSA
Alisse Portnoy, LSA
Dawn Tilbury, College of Engineering
2016
R. Alexander Blackwood, Medical School
Omolola Eniola-Adefeso, College of Engineering
Arline T. Geronimus, Institute for Social Research and School of Public Health
Robert Jagers, School of Education
Nojin Kwak, LSA
Jennifer Linderman, College of Engineering
Ruby Tapia, LSA
2015
Sarah M. Aciego, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, LSA
Evelyn Alsultany, Department of American Culture, LSA
Linda Chatters, School of Social Work
Sandra Momper, School of Social Work
Lester P. Monts, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Lisa A. Newman, Department of Surgery, Medical School
Nils Walter, Department of Chemistry, LSA.
2014
Ketra Armstrong – School of Kinesiology
Elizabeth James – Department of Afroamerican and African Studies
Mark Moldwin – Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, College of Engineering
Edward Sarath – Music Department (Jazz), School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Amy Schulz – Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health
Denise Sekaquaptewa – Psychology and Women’s Studies, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and Research Center for Group Dynamics, ISR
June Manning Thomas – Urban Planning, A Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Residential College, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
2013
Letha Chadiha, School of Social Work
Leslie Hollingsworth, School of Social Work
Barbara Israel, Health Behavior and Health Education
Timothy R.B. Johnson, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
John Matlock, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
Paul Mohai, SNRE
John Vandermeer, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
2012
Deborah Goldberg, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Barbra Meek, Anthropology and Linguistics
Juanita Merchant, Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Stephanie Rowley, Psychology and Education
Derrick Scott, Center for Engineering Diversity & Outreach
Dorceta Taylor, Environmental Sociology and Environment
Stephen Ward, Afroamerican and African studies and the Residential College
2011
Crisca Bierwert, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Deborah Carter, School of Education
Avery Demond, College of Engineering
James Holloway, College of Engineering
Martha Jones, College of LSA
Andrew Shryock, College of LSA
2010
Robin Means Coleman, Communication Studies
Carol Fierke, Chemistry
Elijah Kannatey-Asibu, Mechanical Engineering
Guy Meadows, Engineering
Robert Sellers, Psychology
Louis Yen, Kinesiology
2009
Kelly Askew, Anthropology
Tabbye Chavous, School of Education and LSA Lawrence La
Fountain-Stokes, American Culture/Romance Languages
Karin Muraszko, Medical School
Scott Page, Political Science and the Institute for Social Research
Daniel Washington, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
2008
Paul Allen-Meares, Social Work
Matthew Countryman, History/American Culture
Maria Cotera, American Culture/Women’s Studies
Carla O’Connor, School of Education
Bradford Orr, Physics
2007
Frieda Ekotto, Romance Languages and Literatures/Comparative Literature
Bruce Frier, Classical Studies/Law
K. Wayne Jones, Materials Science and Engineering
Janice (Janie) Paul*, School of Art and Design
Catherine Squires, Communication Studies
David Wooten, Business Administration
2006
Cleopatra Caldwell, School of Public Health
Larry Gant, School of Social Work
Sioban Harlow*, School of Public Health
Charles Smith, Pharmacology
Mieko Yoshihama, School of Social Work
2005
William (Buzz) Alexander*, English Language and Literature
Percy Bates, School of Education
Alec Gallimore, College of Engineering
Joseph Lam, School of Music
Jana Nidiffer, School of Education
2004
F. Muge Gocek*, Sociology and Women’s Studies
David Gordon, Pathology
Mark Lewis, Industrial Operations
Paul Rasmussen, Chemistry
David Scobey, Arts of Citizenship/Architecture and Urban Planning
2003
Robert L. Griess, Jr., Mathematics
María E. Montoya, History
Michael S. Spencer*, Social Work
Antonia M. Villarruel *, Nursing
Alford A. Young, Jr., Sociology
Special Recognition:Gerald Gurin, Institute for Social Research
2002
Anthony W. England, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Carmen R. Green*, Medical School
Lemuel A. Johnson, English
Amy K. Stillman *, Music and American Culture
Marilyn W. Woolfolk*, Dentistry
2001
Bunyan Bryant*, School of Natural Resources and Environment
Harold Neighbors*, School of Public Health
Michael Savageau, Microbiology and Immunology
Kristine Siefert*, Social Work
Abigail J. Steward, Institute for Research on Women and Gender
Levi T. Thompson, Chemical Engineering
2000
Lorraine Gutierrez, Psychology and Social Work
James Jackson, Center for Afroamerican and African Studies
Terrence McDonald, History
Robert Megginson, Math
Emerson Robinson, Dentistry
1999
James A. Chaffers, Architecture
Charles J. Krause, Otolaryngology
Ann E. Larimore, Geography and Women’s Studies
Earl Lewis, History and Afro-American/African Studies
Margaret Scisney-Matlock, Nursing
1998
Patricia Y. Gurin, Psychology
Sylvia Hurtado*, Education
Richard Lichtenstein*, Health Management and Policy
Marilyn Roubidoux, Radiology
David R. Williams, Sociology
1997
Elizabeth A. Allen, Nursing
Charles N. Ellis, Dermatology
Robert M. Ortega*, Social Work
Willis C. Patterson, Music
Beth G. Reed*, Social Work and Women’s Studies
1996
Frances R. Aparicio, Spanish and American Culture
Mark Chesler, Sociology
Donald R. Deskins, Urban Geography and Sociology
Billy Joe Evans, Chemistry
Stephen H. Sumida, English and American Culture