Credit: Steve Goodman
Larry Jacobs received a human dignity award for his ability to motivate and inspire students, faculty, and staff to appreciate difference and diversity. Jacobs, who is deaf, is shown here with his aid dog.
The awards, presented by the Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes, honor up to five individuals or groups annually who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and commitment in promoting the value and importance of diversity at Rutgers and in society.
“Someone once said the purpose of education is not merely to understand society but to transform it for the better,” said Professor Edward Ramsamy, committee co-chair, during a ceremony at Winants Hall. “We come to celebrate and recognize the individuals and organizations who through their work and activism have lived up to this ideal.”
Committee Co-Chair Professfor Clement Alexander Price added that: “One of the things we do at Rutgers is seize the moment. This is a good moment to be seized.”
Gregory Blimling, Vice President for Student Affairs, presented the awards. “We congratulate and thank them for their work and the high example they set,” he said.
The 2010 Human Dignity Award recipients are as follows:
The Asian Student Council, the Asian American Student Leadership Cabinet, and the East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference Planning Board Members represent the 37 Asian student organizations in New Brunswick that have served to enhance and give greater visibility to the vibrant cultures of the Rutgers Asian and Asian-American communities through advising the Asian American Center, creating an enviable calendar of annual cultural events, and bringing students, scholars, and activists to the New Brunswick Campus.
Steven A. Colson A businessman and philanthropist, he is an actively engaged volunteer member of the Rutgers community and a wise, compassionate and ever-available role model, big brother and father-figure to the 400 middle-school youngsters in the Rutgers Future Scholars Program, whom he generously endowed last year.
Lawrence E. “Larry” Jacobs He joined Rutgers Career Services in 2001 as an assistant director. In addition to counseling hundreds of students about majors and careers, he has gone above and beyond his job at Rutgers to motivate and inspire students, faculty, and staff to appreciate difference and diversity through his motivation work, especially his interactive “Dare 2 Dream” workshop. He has been dubbed “Mr. Outreach” by his colleagues. He organized the Disability Awareness Conference held at the Busch Campus Center on April 15, 2010.
Credit: Steve Goodman
Recipients of the 2010 Human Dignity Awards, left to right: Bryan Epps, the Newark Pride Alliance;Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, the LEAP Academy University Charter School;Casper Wang, the East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference Planning Board;Nilam Patel, the Asian Student Council; Brian Le, the Asian American Student Leadership Cabinet;Steven Colson, Larry Jacobs and Clement Price.
The LEAP Academy University Charter School The Camden K-12 school was created in 1997 as one of 13 inaugural public charter schools in New Jersey. With a student body of 780, LEAP has transformed the lives of African-American and Latino youth in Camden. It exemplifies successful partnerships that are bridges between Rutgers, the business community, and the city of Camden.
The Newark Pride Alliance The NPA was established in 2003 following the stabbing murder of Sakia Gunn, the victim of an atrocious hate crime. Since its inception, NPA has worked to create and promote safe space for LGBT youth and strengthen the LGBT community in Newark. Rutgers University affiliates have served as partners on many of these educational initiatives.
In addition, Price was honored with a presidential citation for his work chairing the committee since 2006. "He has given its mission new vitality and visibility," Blimling said.
Founded in 1987, the Committee To Advance Our Common Purposes champions our individual and collective humanity and respect for our differences. The committee's awards program is open to all university individuals, organizations, departments, units, from the Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses. Each recipient receives a citation and a gift of $1,000.