Each year, Michigan State University recognizes individuals, teams and units for the notable way they have aided in furthering diversity, equity and inclusion in teaching, research, programming, service, community outreach and organizational change. The 2024-25 Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards Ceremony will be held Feb. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the University Club.
The Excellence in Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award recognizes the emerging and/or sustained efforts made toward advancing inclusive excellence in thematic categories, including advancing knowledge and scholarly engagement; fostering engagement, collaboration(s) and partnership(s); advocating justice and equity; promoting learning and educating for inclusivity; and creating transformative organizational change.
Individual Award
Hend Azhary, M.D.
College of Human Medicine
Hend Azhary, M.D., is a dedicated family physician with a passion for education and humanitarian services. After earning her medical degree from Tishreen University School of Medicine in Syria in 1993, she completed her residency training in family medicine at State University of New York at Buffalo, where she also completed one year of geriatric fellowship. Dr. Azhary pursued her interest in delivery of medical care in underserved areas and practiced as a family physician in a rural Texas community for five years before joining Michigan State University in 2005. Her continued commitment to providing medical relief to unprivileged and vulnerable populations led her to direct several medical aid missions to refugee camps across the Middle East. With 14 years of experience in global health leadership, she continues to display her dedication by serving displaced populations from her war-torn home country since 2011.
Dr. Azhary is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the College of Human Medicine. She serves as the clerkship director for the East Lansing campus at Michigan State, teaching faculty at Sparrow Hospital family medicine residency program, and is an active board member on the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation. Her notable achievements include earning the Syrian American Medical Society Hero of the Year Award in 2018. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and travelling which inspires her approach to continuously serving her community locally and abroad.
Jonathan Choti, Ph.D.
College of Arts and Letters
Jonathan Choti, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures, College of Arts and Letters. He is a core faculty of the African Studies Center and a faculty affiliate with the Global Studies in the Arts and Humanities Program and the Center for Gender in Global Context. Choti teaches Swahili classes and courses focusing on African cultures, languages and literature. He is also the faculty director of the Sustainable Community Development in Tanzania, a summer education abroad program. Choti proactively fosters local and global engagements, collaborations and partnerships that advance diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. He has consistently launched and participated in diversity, equity and inclusion-related initiatives that promote and educate internal and external communities about domestic and global issues. He has achieved remarkable success through public lectures, research, training workshops, curriculum design, mentoring and teaching.
Choti’s enduring collaboration with the Naitolia Village of northern Tanzania and faculty from the University of Dar es Salaam addressed livelihood challenges. He channeled funds from the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities Network for Global Civic Engagement Grant and the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant to support this partnership. Choti addressed the needs of this rural community in ethical and culturally proper ways. He has also collaborated with faculty in Uganda and Kenya on diversity, equity and inclusion projects. In teaching, Choti employs a range of approaches that consider the diverse needs and backgrounds of all students to create a learning environment where all students feel valued and have equal access to learning.
Bess German, Ph.D.
Honors College
Bess German, Ph.D., is an assistant dean at the Honors College. She has worked at the Honors College with high-achieving students in various roles in admissions and student affairs for 28 years. During this time, diversity, equity and inclusion have been the cornerstones of her work, specifically through the development of programs and initiatives that have led to a more accessible and inclusive Honors College. During her time leading high school admissions, the Honors College has significantly increased the number of students of color and international students. As importantly, German has supported Honors College students through student organization advising, mentoring and teaching. She co-led the development of the college’s strategic plans and nurtured diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives with the help of seed funding from four Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants.
In 2023, along with partners at the Detroit Public Schools Community District and MSU collaborators, German guided the creation of the Michigan State University Detroit Early Honors Experience for middle school students. She also annually teaches an honors community-engaged first-year seminar for 50 students, which offers a starting place to address systemic social inequities in the local area. With a strong network of professionals nationwide, she works to keep diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of honors education. German considers herself extremely fortunate to have many colleagues in the Honors College and at Michigan State to share this passion and commitment to inclusive excellence.
Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, Ph.D.
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. She is also the founding director of Communication Solutions for a Diverse Society, a college-wide research and practice consortium that fosters access and inclusion across five academic units. Her research focuses on the intersection of identity, images and corporate expression, with a specific focus on diversity representations in advertising. She considers ideological links that underpin the material and historical realities of creative production and how these inform expressions of identity in ads, including those in postcolonial settings.
McFarlane-Alvarez's research has been published as peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Advertising Education, Caribbean Educational Research Journal, Advertising and Society Review, Howard Journal of Communication, and the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. She has also co-edited a book published by Kendall Hunt, titled “Different Together: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging” in Advertising and Public Relations. Her recent research explores the interrelatedness of inclusion and sustainability during times defined by a (poly)crisis. With three decades of international experience in academia and industry, McFarlane-Alvarez is also focused on engaged pedagogical strategies that build purpose-driven pathways of access between academia, professional advertising and public relations practice.
Sriram Narayanan, Ph.D.
Broad College of Business
Sriram Narayanan, Ph.D., is the Eli Broad professor of Supply Chain Management at the Broad College of Business, where he also serves as the founding faculty director of the Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership. His research focuses on social sustainability, including gender and disability inclusion and environmental sustainability, emphasizing emissions reduction and water conservation. Recently, he co-edited a special issue on diversity, equity and inclusion in operations and supply chain management for the Production and Operations Management Journal, a leading supply chain management, or SCM, Journal.
The Michigan State University Strategic Partnership Grant, the National Science Foundation, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and Michigan State University’s Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa have supported Narayanan's work. His early research on the diversity of women on boards has been featured in popular media outlets like Fortune and Forbes. A pioneering scholar in disability inclusion within SCM, he is also a disability advocate, creating podcasts and organizing national conferences to engage stakeholders on the topic. In 2021, he received the Michigan Rehabilitation Services Champion Award for his efforts to improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities in collaboration with the State of Michigan. Narayanan is committed to advancing evidence-based approaches and systems thinking to improve opportunities for marginalized communities.
Leonora Souza Paula, Ph.D.
College of Arts and Letters
Leonora Souza Paula, Ph.D., is an esteemed assistant professor in the Department of English at Michigan State University, within the College of Arts and Letters. With expertise in literary studies and Latin American studies, her scholarship focuses on the intersections of race, gender, urban culture and memory in contemporary Afro-Brazilian and Afro-diasporic cultures. Paula’s groundbreaking research investigates the Black spatial imagination, exploring its transformative role in reclaiming literature and cultural expression as tools for heritage preservation and epistemic reparation. Her academic contributions have earned her prestigious fellowships, including those from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Human Rights Center at the University of California, the Berkeley School of Law and the Vital Voices Global Partnership.
Paula bridges the gap between academic research and public engagement, advancing the global conversation on equity, cultural preservation and reparative justice. In recognition of her exceptional impact on global public engagement, she was honored with the 2024 Michigan State University GenCen Inspiration Award. This award highlights her commitment to addressing critical racial justice issues and her dedication to amplifying the voices of historically marginalized communities. Through her interdisciplinary approach, Paula continues to shape critical discussions at the intersections of literature, culture and activism, inspiring academic and non-academic audiences worldwide. Her work reflects a deep commitment to fostering understanding, advocacy and cultural resilience in a rapidly changing world.
Emily Sorroche, Ed.D.
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Specialist, Outreach Culture, Access and Belonging, Emily Sorroche, Ed.D., has advocated for the Native American population at Michigan State University and throughout the state of Michigan. A skilled advisor, educator and relationship builder, Sorroche currently serves as the associate director for the Office of Culture, Access and Belonging in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In this role, she has served as the principal investigator for the USDA-funded Growing Native American Student Pathways into Agriculture program. Sorroche is also an adjunct professor in the College of Arts and Letters, where she teaches Indigenous methodologies for the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program. She is president of Educating Anishinaabe: Giving, Learning and Empowering and is a faculty affiliate of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program.
Through this role, Sorroche sits on the executive board of the Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Minorities, advancing equity and representation. Additionally, she advises the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the Wilma Mankiller Society. In the broader community, she serves as chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board for the City of Lansing. Since 2012, she has been co-director of the Indigenous Youth Empowerment Program, achieving remarkable success in empowering Indigenous youth and increasing their recruitment to MSU. A citizen of the Cayuga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, Sorroche’s contributions exemplify her deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Indigenous education, empowerment and representation across academic and community settings.
Team Award
Michigan State University’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services/College of Arts and Letters/Graduate School/Career Services/Women of Color Initiative – A collaborative team
Delia Fernandez-Jones, Ph.D., Ashley Bustamante, Meg Moore, Ph.D., Theresa Murphy and Jessica Oyoque Barron
This initiative supports graduate women of color in academia. Research supports the necessity of concern for women of color, reflected in higher rates of stress, illness and disease, needing resources to address the intersection of their identities and the resulting issues they face. With combined strengths and resources, this collaborative team provides graduate women of color the tools they need to address this intersection of identities. Discussing needs resulted in a workshop series titled Navigating Mental Health and the Job Market: A Graduate Women of Color and Allies Workshop Series and an ongoing emotional/social support space through the In Transition Group Therapy with Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS. These individuals, mostly women of color, used their time and resources to fill gaps in services and tailored sessions to the women of color’s intersectional identities and obstacles they face.
The collaboration models a public health framework, using existing community-based and departmental resources to address public health needs, particularly for marginalized groups living within a predominantly white institution. It further proves best practices in collaboration across units, staff and faculty members through effective communication and organization using resources. The workshop series intentionally focused on career-based strategies and resources and provided socio-emotional management skills to address graduate-level systems and expectations. All the activities were designed to help graduate students discover possibilities outside academia and feel prepared to navigate the industry and academic job markets. The series was followed up by the In Transition Group Therapy with CAPS, which provides free, weekly mental wellness support through group counseling services.
Women in Skilled Trades Program
Carol Cool, Tori Menold, Leisa Williams-Swedberg
Women in Skilled Trades, or WIST, was conceived in late 2016 by Tori Menold, who worked for Granger Construction at the time, and created by Carol Cool and Leisa Williams-Swedberg who worked at Michigan State University for Planning Design and Construction in Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, or IPF. WIST is an apprenticeship readiness program for women who want help to get into the construction skilled trades industry. WIST’s goal is to help uplift women from the community into a career where they can earn a living wage and have great benefits and a pension. The women accepted into the WIST program receive 16 weeks of training, giving them an advantage over other applicants in skilled trades apprenticeships.
The women learn things like blueprint reading, construction math, interview skills and resume writing, financial literacy, sexual harassment awareness and more. The women obtain credentials in first aid/CPR, lift operation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration for construction and ultimately, the Multi-craft Core Curriculum certification from North American Building Trades Unions. This certification is recognized across the nation at any construction union training facility. But mostly, WIST gives the women the confidence they need to succeed. When WIST was created, Williams-Swedberg and Cool were employees of Michigan State University. With little money to support their goals, IPF was instrumental in helping the fledgling program get off the ground by providing training space, time away from their jobs, and volunteer instructors and hands-on training. For this, WIST will be forever grateful.
Unit Award
Diversity Equity and Inclusion Team
Office of Admissions
The Office of Admissions Diversity Equity and Inclusion team is a collective of staffers dedicated to ensuring that undergraduate recruitment efforts are inclusive and support efforts to build a diverse undergraduate student population. The team of volunteers is led by Admissions Assistant Director for Diversity Equity and Inclusion Florensio Hernandez. The collective hosts a strategic range of recruitment programs, including Family Days (Native American Spartan Family Day, African American Family Day, and Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American Family Day), Collaborative Resource Fair, LGBTQIA2S+ Virtual Event, First-Generation Student Program, Small Town (Rural) Family Day, Fall Semester Cultural Studies Program Series, and the Green and White Days’ Cultural Row.
These programs were designed to allow students from each incoming class to interact with peers from diverse backgrounds, cultures and life experiences. Their impact should affect the undergraduate student experience for years to come, including the students’ transition to becoming alumni, and have correlated with variables such as Black, Indigenous and students of color enrollment increasing in all but one category. Additionally, the efforts have allowed numerous students to build their MSU support networks before matriculation.
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
The College of Communication Arts and Sciences, or ComArtSci, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at MSU launched in 2019 under the leadership of Lauren J. Gaines, Ph.D., the inaugural director of diversity, equity and inclusion, with support from Jada Flowers, the office’s first and only staff member. Over this brief time, they have evolved from a grassroots effort into a leading force for inclusive excellence across ComArtSci. Central to their impact are the Ignite Summer Bridge Program and Ignite the Future—innovative initiatives supporting first-generation and underrepresented incoming students through academic preparation, mentorship and career-building experiences. Michigan State University’s Ignite began as a week-long residential summer program and has expanded into a multi-year pipeline, equipping students with the skills, confidence and networks essential for leadership roles in communications. This holistic model has increased student success and retention and created a powerful sense of belonging among participants throughout the college.
Beyond student-focused efforts, the office collaborates with faculty and staff to provide professional development, implement inclusive hiring practices, cultivate fair teaching and nurture a college climate and culture that embraces diverse perspectives. Through strategic partnerships, data-informed planning and an unwavering commitment to accessibility, Gaines and Flowers have set up the office as a catalyst for positive change. Their work has dismantled barriers, illuminated new academic and professional development pathways, and strengthened ComArtSci’s commitment to ensuring every voice is heard. Creating a culture of support and opportunity exemplifies the power of diversity, equity and inclusion to reshape campus culture, improve student outcomes and create fair opportunities for all.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes long-term, exemplary efforts made during a nominee’s time at Michigan State University toward advancing inclusive excellence in enduring ways that have enhanced the institution’s policies, work, climate or organization.
James C. "Jim" Anthony, Ph.D.
College of Human Medicine
Jim Anthony, Ph.D., is a renowned scholar and advocate dedicated to advancing public health research and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in academia and public health work. Currently a faculty member at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Anthony has achieved distinction through a lifetime of groundbreaking contributions to epidemiology and a deep commitment to mentorship since his first faculty appointment at the University of Minnesota in 1972 and through 26 years on the public health faculty of the Johns Hopkins University before coming to MSU in October 2003.
Born in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Anthony had observed how his father’s post-WWII journey from naval service to earning a college degree on the GI Bill, an inspiration to his pursuit of excellence. Exposure to diverse communities during his upbringing instilled in him a lifelong dedication to understanding and addressing imbalances in the distribution of social and public health advances.
The 1986 death of basketball star Len Bias profoundly influenced Anthony's research career. This tragedy spurred national attention to cocaine use and prevention. It catalyzes the federal decision to fund his first National Institutes of Health research grant award. This award marked the beginning of decades of pioneering work on epidemiology and prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and subsequent drug problems, including addictive processes. Recognizing the privilege of this opportunity, Anthony committed himself to advancing the careers of underrepresented scientists. Through his mentorship, countless trainees have secured NIH funding and made significant contributions to public health.
Across his career, Anthony has combined scientific rigor with an unwavering dedication to equity, leaving an indelible mark on both his field and the lives of those he has mentored. His lifetime achievements reflect a profound belief in the power of education, opportunity and service to others.
