Media Contact: Yvonne Taunton
The HEED Award recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus; UAB is the only institution in Alabama to be honored with the annual award.INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest publication and website in higher education today, has recognized the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award recipient and a 2020 Diversity Champion.
The HEED Award recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campuses. UAB, the only institution in Alabama to be recognized with the annual award, will be featured among other recipients in the November 2020 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the fourth year the university has been named a HEED Award recipient.
“UAB is honored to be recognized for a fourth HEED Award for our longtime commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts. “This award is a tribute to the outstanding efforts of our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which continues offering innovative and impactful programming even amid a global pandemic, and to productive partnerships that span our campus, community and state. UAB is proud to remain a national leader in promoting a supportive and respectful campus culture, as well as greater opportunity for underrepresented and first-generation students.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected UAB as a HEED Award recipient because of the university’s continued commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“In the midst of a global pandemic and a time of growing civil unrest, UAB has continued to provide virtual diversity programming, education and other opportunities to our community of more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff,” said Paulette Patterson Dilworth, Ph.D., UAB vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “It is vitally important, now more than ever, that we continue to affirm our shared values of diversity and inclusiveness, accountability, collaboration, integrity, and respect.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity also recognizes selected institutions — those that rank in the top tier of HEED Award recipients — as Diversity Champions. These institutions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs and at the highest administrative levels. Known for visionary leadership, Diversity Champions are institutions that serve as role models and set the standard for thousands of other United States college campuses striving for inclusive excellence.
“UAB is a visionary leader among institutions of higher education striving for inclusive excellence throughout their campuses,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “As a Diversity Champion school, UAB exceeds everyday expectations by developing successful strategies and programs that serve as models of excellence for other higher-education institutions.”
For more information about the 2020 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.