Spring 2022
Congratulations to our Spring 2022 award recipients!
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Drew Averitt-Auxiliary Services
“For many years Drew has worked tirelessly and thoroughly to incorporate physical accessibility in all of his projects and responsibilities. Drew not only integrates access and inclusion in his work projects, but maintains a keen eye on the broader campus for barriers to access for people with disabilities. Drew possesses strong knowledge of federal, state, and campus requirements for physical accessibility, and never hesitates to include my role as ADA Project Coordinator in all his endeavors. I’m thankful to have Drew as a partner in campus accessibility initiatives.”
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Dr. Daniel Grano-Department Chair, Communication Studies
“Dr Grano serves as the Chair of one of the most promising programs in The Liberal Arts domain. When I joined the program I was struggling with Imposter syndrome and depression. I wasn’t sure if I would continue, But he observed my situation and offered a helping hand without making me feel like a student who was collapsing. He mentored me and paved the way for many more like me to feel protected and helped.”
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Kelly Lusco Merges-Student Niner Media
“A student involved in Student Niner Media this year uses a wheelchair that makes it challenging for him to reach the office door handle and subsequently open the door to get into the space. Kelly spent the last semester searching for a solution and advocating for the importance of making the office accessible to the student that allows for his autonomy. At first the solution was to have a person open the door for the student. This was challenging as he had to wait for someone to help, so Kelly asked folks to begin anticipating his arrival such that when they saw him come off of the elevator, they get to the door before he had to wait. But this was not enough for Kelly as the student still had to rely on someone else to let him into the office. She talked with several staff members looking for solutions and finally landed on keeping the door open when the office is open, so that all students can enter and exit autonomously. While this hasn’t solved the challenge of getting into the office after hours, she worked towards a solution that honored the individual student and taking into consideration what other students may also need that the team was not previously aware of. Kelly will continue to look at what works best for all students, recognizing that autonomy is a part of the conversation and not settling for a solution that doesn’t meet the broader human need.”