Building bridges to diversity

By Leila Ugincius

Virginia Commonwealth University long has prided itself on its dedication to diversity. This week, it continued that tradition by recognizing university and health system members who have contributed significantly to multicultural relations and diversity.

President Eugene P. Trani on Wednesday honored three recipients at the annual Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment (PACME) ceremony. Each year a PACME — and $500 — is awarded to an individual or organization in each of four groups: faculty, administrators, staff and students. In addition, one recipient earns the Riese-Melton Award, a capstone award that includes an additional $250. An administrator award was not presented this year.

Stephen D. Gottfredson, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, opened the ceremony by saying the awards honor those who go above and beyond the call of duty in promoting the VCU community’s greatest asset, its diversity.

“That takes courage and commitment,” he said.

M. Njeri Jackson, Ph.D., chair of the Department of African American Studies, won the faculty and Riese-Melton awards. Trani lauded Jackson’s teaching skills and noted that she developed and taught many courses that promote African Americans and diversity.

“It’s thanks to her hard work that African American Studies first became a major and then a full department,” he said.

Jackson in turn praised the university’s commitment to diversity: “You create the opportunities for me to do the work that you celebrate.”

Marquita Aguilar, administrative staff assistant to the dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences and coordinator of Virginia's Caring University Scholarship, received the staff award, which recognizes contributions that go above and beyond routine expectations. Aguilar spoke of the importance of persistence, recalling a childhood quest to cross a creek that led to a blackberry patch.

“I was determined to cross that creek,” she recalled. “I got a piece of wood, and put it across the creek. But it wasn’t sturdy enough, so I fell in.” A second attempt also ended with her in the water. Finally, she found a sturdy plank that allowed her to cross the creek and obtain her goal.

“Back then my goal was blackberries,” Aguilar said. “Now my goal is scholarships.”

Her work continues to benefit the university exponentially. Thanks to the scholarship program, Olisa Enrico — this year’s student-award recipient — was able to attend VCU and continue its multicultural mission. The theater student, who has 4.0 GPA, is working on an original screenplay to educate the community about the plight of the homeless in the Richmond area.

“It is through the arts that I can touch the minds and souls of others,” Enrico said. “We can live in harmony. We don’t have to play the same note, but what beautiful music we can make together.”

Trani created the PACMEs in 1994 to recognize and encourage those who promote civility, build community, establish effective cross-cultural initiatives, advocate for equity and nurture openness and inclusion within the university community.