EUGENE–Two dozen University of Oregon students of color and six faculty and staff members received special recognition for their hard work and dedication at the 2001 OMA Awards and Graduation Ceremony, hosted May 18 by the UO Office of Multicultural Affairs during Spring Family Weekend.

Four students–Michael Callier, Alma Estrada, Yvonne Stubbs and Daniel Valle–were named recipients of this year’s Jewel Hairston Bell awards, each of which includes a $500 prize.

Erin Schneider, a junior biology major of 1024 S.E. Acacia Place, Gresham, received the ACCENTURE Scholarship. The $1,000 award is based on academic achievement, leadership and need.

Nineteen other students garnered Office of Multicultural Affairs Excellence Awards in recognition of their academic success, leadership and campus involvement.

New this year is the Director’s Award which went to three administrators and staff–Robin Holmes, director of the University Counseling Center; Toby Deemer, assistant dean of the Graduate School; and Gwendolyn Jansen, office manager of the University Counseling Center. The awards honor individuals whose work exemplifies their commitment to creating a welcoming environment for students of color and who work toward a more diverse campus community.

In addition, receiving Outstanding Faculty Awards to honor their commitment to working with students of color and increasing ethnic and racial diversity at the university were Jon Erlandson, an associate professor of anthropology; Benedict McWhirter, an associate professor of counseling psychology; and James Tarter, a visiting assistant professor of English.

The Bell Award honors outstanding students of color whose presence and performance have furthered the cause of cultural and ethnic diversity at the University of Oregon. A committee of faculty and community members selects recipients of this award from a list of nominees submitted by UO faculty.

Bell, in whose honor the awards were established, headed the UO multicultural affairs office, then known as the Council for Minority Education, from 1983 to 1986. She was director of Tufts University’s African American Center in Cambridge, Mass., at the time of her death in August 1990.

Students receiving the Jewel Hairston Bell Awards in recognition of their academic success, leadership and strong campus involvement are:

EUGENE–Yvonne Stubbs, a senior painting major, 845 Waite St. A first-generation college student and a wife, mother, and grandmother, she was director of the Black Student Union, coordinating such programs as Martin Luther King Day, Kwanzaa and Black History Month. As director of Black Women of Achievement, she coordinated the Ebony Man Showcase and the Black Women’s Empowerment Luncheon.

Stubbs has volunteered her time to many events and organizations including Weaving New Beginnings, First Way (formerly Birthright), Inspirational Sounds, the University Gospel Ensemble and the Eugene Mission and as superintendent of the Bethel Temple Family Center Sunday School and as a mentor in the NAACP’s Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics.

SALEM–Alma Estrada, a senior political science and sociology major, 4010 Eagle Crest Rd. N.W. As program assistant in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), she assisted in the planning and implementation of Reach for Success, a recruiting program for middle students of color. She conducted interviews for the Native American Graduate Research Survey, summarized her findings and produced a pamphlet assessing the needs and making recommendations. Estrada also was involved with planning receptions, which provided a networking opportunity for Chicano/Latino, Asian/Pacific Island, and Native American and African American graduate students.

As a member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), during her first two years at college, she served as the recruitment and retention coordinator, and as the interim internal director. She was also a member La Mujuers and co-founded an indigenous women’s group, which united the women of the Native American Student Union with the women of MEChA. An Underrepresented Minority Achievement Scholarship Program recipient, she also has received the OMA Excellence Award, the Centurion Award and the Pepsi Bottling Group Student Leader Award, and is listed in Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities.

EDMONDS, WASH.–Daniel Valle, a senior ethnic studies and Spanish major, 7118 177th St. S.W. He served on the Multicultural Center’s board of directors, he chairs the International Student Leader Council and he is a member of the Student Health Insurance Task Force, the Erb Memorial Union Budget Committee, and the Associated Students of the University of Oregon Diversity Committee.

Valle is the recipient of a Diversity Building Scholarship, the Centurion Award and the Black Achievement Senior Award, and he is listed in Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities. Accepted into "Teach for America" after graduation, he will serve two years teaching elementary students on the East Coast.

VANCOUVER, WASH.–Michael Callier, a senior political science and psychology major, 7521 Virginia Lane.

A volunteer in Judge Paul J. De Muniz’s Oregon Supreme Court election campaign in 2000, he interns with Henry Lazenby in the Oregon Governor’s office. He was a legal aide to the Honorable Lyle C. Velure of the Lane County Circuit Court during the summer of 2000 and also interned for Lane County Circuit Court Judges Jack L. Mattison and Bryan T. Hodges.

The Black Student Union honored Callier during 2001 for his leadership and mentoring in the community. He is the recipient of a Diversity Building Scholarship, a Scholar Athlete Award and the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship. In addition, Valle was awarded Pacific-10 Conference all-academic honors in both 1999 and 2000, and he was on the Football Honor Roll nine times.

Students receiving the OMA Excellence Awards in recognition of their academic success, leadership and strong campus involvement are:

BEAVERTON–Gregory Bae, a junior economics and political science major, 410 N.W. Kotrik Place.

EUGENE–Lorraine Brundige, a doctoral degree student in philosophy, 1675 Arthur St.; Sugie Hong, a sophomore general science major, 4310 Pearl St.; Kawezya Hutchinson, a sophomore biology major, and Kimberly Hutchinson, a senior ethnic studies major, both of 3398 Buckingham Ave.; Melissa Swartz, a junior political science and French major, 143 Banton Ave.; and Xing Yuan Wu, a senior business administration major, 2027 W. 14th Place.

GRANTS PASS– Tonya Lomasi Thorsteinsson, a senior general science major, 8939 Monument Dr.

MILWAUKIE–Darlene Dadras, a senior theater arts and Romance languages major, 2755 S.E. Malcolm St.

ONTARIO– Mario Sifuentez, a senior political science and history major, 591 S.W. 12th St.

PORTLAND–Oscar Arana, a junior electronic media journalism major, 10588 S.E. Cherry Blossom Dr., Apt. 40; Michelle Chin, a senior biology and psychology major, 10943 S.W. 58th Ave.; Khaleelah Rahsaan, a master’s degree student in educational leadership, 2932 N.E. 15th Ave.; Andrea Rodriguez, a junior pre-journalism student, 5828 S.W. Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway; Shruti Shah, a senior computer and information science major, 13089 N.W. Saltzman Court; and Jamila Singleton, a senior planning, public policy and management major, 2335 N.E. 55th Ave.

CAMARILLO, CALIF.– Deana Dartt, a senior anthropology major, 560 Calle La Roda,
Apt. 129.

OCEANSIDE, CALIF.– Diane Teeman, a senior anthropology and philosophy major,
1520 San Jose St.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN– Annie Lo, a senior advertising major.

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