The University of South Florida’s Inclusive Excellence Awards, held Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom on USF’s Tampa campus recognized those across One USF – including the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses – who make outstanding contributions in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Reflecting USF’s core commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the event drew 300 participants who celebrated awardees selected from more than 100 nominations. Nominees represented students, faculty, staff, and community leaders for consistently advancing diversity, equity and inclusion to transform the lives of others, their organizations, or the broader USF community. Corey Posey, diversity officer for the Sarasota-Manatee campus, co-hosted the event with Veronica Cintron, vice president of communications at Tampa International Airport.
The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus is proud to recognize the following award winners who serve our campus. A full list of award recipients across One USF is listed here.
Inclusive Excellence Award for Staff
Darren L. Gambrell, Assistant Director for the Office of Student Service, Office of Multicultural Affairs
Gambrell’s award recognizes his role as a positive force at USF. He is often the first person to greet visitors when they arrive at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, and he is known for making them feel welcome and respected. Gambrell shares and promotes opportunities for everyone on campus to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, activities and events.
Gambrell is also a military veteran who draws on his organizational and programming expertise to support relationships among students, faculty and staff. He is an active member of USF’s Black Employee Steering Committee and has played a role in developing a virtual space for underrepresented men across One USF.
“As I reflect on my more than 19 years at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and the more than 12 years I have performed DEI work, it was uplifting and encouraging to be recognized for the work with the Inclusion Excellence Award,” Gambrell said. “More importantly, I was happy to be in a space where the work was celebrated. For some, DEI work may be considered their profession. As a member of the Committee of Black Affairs, Committee on Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Status of Men, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Black Employee Steering Committee, a veteran and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, DEI is my life and passion.”
Inclusive Excellence Award for Faculty
(L-R) Michelle Arnold, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and a director of the Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Laboratory and Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, interim vice president of institutional equity and senior advisor to the president and provost for diversity and inclusion.
Michelle Arnold, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and a director of the Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Laboratory
In her role at USF, Arnold engages in innovative approaches to DEI programming and initiatives with outcomes. Her research with the Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Laboratory in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences is aimed at creating quality hearing loss education materials for the Hispanic community. She has published research and established a research agenda that focuses on the needs of diverse communities, extensively studying the Hispanic population to provide high-quality care that matches the cultural needs and preferences of individuals and the overall community. She has previously conducted research on audiological rehabilitation for blast-injured military veterans. Throughout her day-to-day professional activities, Arnold honors differences and promotes belonging by providing exceptional service to diverse populations.
“The award is extremely meaningful as it highlights the importance of working toward inclusivity in academia – not only by incorporating and valuing diverse representation and leadership on our study team, but also within our participant population,” Arnold said. “I am humbled by this recognition, and I share it with my wonderful students – truly colleagues in every sense of the word – who make this work possible: Cruz Reyes, Jennifer Lopez, Charity Lewis and Diane Martinez.”
Inclusive Excellence Award for Administrator
Carlos Moreira, Director of Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs Engagement Officer
Moreira’s many roles at the Sarasota Manatee campus keep him highly engaged in supporting USF’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition to his position as director of Veteran Success and an Alumni Engagement Officer, Moreria is a member of the Status of Latinos Presidential Advisory Committee and Alianza Latina Faculty and Staff Association. He is also very active with the campus’ Staff Advisory Council and serves as university-wide chair for SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society. Despite Moreira’s high visibility and impact as a supporter of DEI initiatives across One USF, he says he was surprised to receive the Inclusive Excellence Award.
“I personally think diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are extremely important, especially in our line of work,” Moreira said. “Our students are our customers, and our students are very diverse and come from different backgrounds. So ‘we’ as faculty, staff, and administrators, need to be equipped with the right resources and training to make our students and co-workers feel welcome, safe and included.
“When some individuals think of inclusivity, they think of race, gender or groups within the LGBTQI+ community,” he said. “However, inclusivity covers more areas and groups, such as age, disability, veterans, etc. In my role at USF, I’m committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment that allows individuals the opportunity to succeed.”
Inclusive Excellence Award for a USF Organization
The Florida Center for Partnerships in Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT) under the leadership of Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton
Based at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, PAInT is recognized for its support of educational programming that combines creative learning and classroom instruction with concepts that promote diversity, equity and inclusion through arts-integration.
As a nationally recognized educator and director of PAInT, Denise Davis-Cotton has helped develop innovative art-based programming across Florida. She is one of the most energizing leaders at the Sarasota-Manatee campus and a tireless champion of arts programming that serves socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Among her recent efforts, she produced a series of educational videos for children to view while at home during the pandemic. She also received an $8.5 million grant – the largest in the history of the campus – to explore arts-integration and racial equity through a partnership with the Arts School Network.
“I am humbled to receive this award, and I am aware that with it comes a personal responsibility to sustain inclusive programs informed by equity, belonging, inclusion, diversity and justice,” Davis-Cotton said. “I hope to continue lifting the values and voices of the USF faculty and staff seeking ways to manifest culturally inclusive arts integration in their classrooms and programs by partnering with the PAInT Center because I recognize its importance to USF’s mission and strategic plan.”
Inclusive Excellence Award for a Community Partner
Gamma Xi Boulé Foundation
Founded in 2001, the Gamma Xi Boulé Foundation is dedicated to encouraging excellence in education and providing youth development programs for underserved youth in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Its partnership with the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to provide college and career development was established in 2018 and has served over 500 students at Booker and Southeast high schools. Additionally, USF is hosting a second intern in the foundation’s Journey to Success program, which supports career pathways to area youth ages 14-19.
“Gamma Xi has a long and valued relationship with the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus as a community and academic partner in our Journey to Success social action programs,” said Carl Battle, Sire Archon of Gamma Xi Boulé. “These programs provide year-round initiatives, which promote training, leadership, career development and scholarships for underserved students in the Sarasota and Manatee communities. We collaboratively recognize and support the value of diversity, inclusion, equity and opportunity for communities in the Sarasota-Manatee area – and beyond – to thrive.”