Dean Cedric Rucker has been chosen as the recipient of the NASPA Region III Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award. This award, given by a national student affairs professional organization, “honors a senior student affairs professional or faculty member who has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion throughout their administrative or academic tenure.”

In recognizing Dean Rucker, the organizers noted that “this prestigious award…signifies that your fellow student affairs colleagues value the contributions you are making in the field. It also exemplifies your hard work within the profession and your institution. This year’s awards selection process received a record number of nominations, and the review committee commented on how strong and diverse the pool of nominations was this year.”

Several UMW faculty members, staff, and alumni wrote letters in support of Dean Rucker’s nomination, including Dr. Allyson Poska, Professor of History, who praised Dean Rucker as “a critical force on campus for equality, diversity, and inclusion, transforming student life through his remarkable ability to build strong organizations for underrepresented students, helping those students and their organizations become vocal, vibrant participants in campus life, and engaging with faculty to ensure a diverse, inclusive curriculum.” Dean Rucker will be presented with the award at the NASPA summer symposium in June 2017.