2017 Giving Back Award recipient
Christina Swaidan, Ed.D., interim dean of Undergraduate Studies, was selected as a recipient of the 2017 Giving Back Award by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Dr. Swaidan is active in diversity and inclusion initiatives both on and off campus. She serves as chair of the Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Affirmative Action; founder of the Sankofa Organization of Diverse Faculty and Staff; and a member of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Compact for Diversity. Dr. Swaidan was nominated for the award by Robert Thornton, an academic advisor in the Westfield State Urban Education Program, who said she has created a safe space to conduct campus-wide conversations about race, ethnicity, and cultural awareness.
Two appointed to a
governor’s commission
Cheryl Stanley, Ed.D., dean of Education, and Azanda Seymour, director of the Urban Education Program, were appointed to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Black Advisory Commission. The commission will advise the governor on issues relating to the economic prosperity and well-being of the black community in Massachusetts by assessing its priorities and identifying up to three areas to be addressed over the course of the next two years. Commission members will serve four-year terms. Dr. Stanley and Seymour are two of just four Western Massachusetts representatives on the 28-member commission.
