Unity StarNewsletter

Spring 2014

As we begin 2014, the staff in the Office of Diversity Initiatives is excited about the future under new leadership. A national search for the position of Director is well under way, and we look forward to a fresh and innovative perspective becoming a pivotal part of our team.

Serving as the Interim Director has been a tremendous learning experience with many opportunities to develop professionally. I am especially grateful for the dedication and support of the people I work with on a daily basis. So, thank you to:

• Katie Pomp Administrative Assistant

• Carmen I. Afonso Executive Secretary

• Dayanara Hudson Program Assistant

• Zakiya McGhie LEGACY Coordinator

• Robert Glenn Office Assistant

• Judith Geneus Student Assistant

You are the reason our department works so well and does so much.

Director’s Corner

Distribution: All Without OPS and F

Thank you Knightro for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to the Pegasus Ballroom so early in the morning.

The Diversity Breakfast brings together more than 500 members from the UCF and Central Florida Communities each year. On Monday, October 21, UCF cele-brated 21 years of this tradition. The following images captured select moments during the breakfast that conveyed ODI’s message of embracing and celebrat-ing something new.

Diversity Breakfast Photo Recap

Top: Keynote Speaker Jennifer Brown

1,160.8 lbs. of food were collected for the Knights Helping Knights Pantry. Thank you!All photos by Roozbeh Meghdadi

Top: Drs. Hitt, and Schell, and KnightroRight: Corporate Diversity Award Recipients

ODI Spotlight: Guest Presenters

Dr. Olga Molina is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Social Work. She has an MSW from New York University and a Doctorate in Social Work from the City University of New York Hunter College. She has

thirty years clinical practice experience with a diverse population offering individual, family, and group counseling. Her research and publications focus primarily on divorce, intimate partner violence (women and children), African American and Latino families, group work, and social work education. She has been teaching for more than ten years at the undergraduate and graduate levels on social work practice, clinical practice with families and groups, and social work practice with diverse populations. She is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Social Work with Groups.

Dr. Molina will be joinning us on February 18 to present Intersectionality 101.

Photo Credit: http://cohpa.ucf.edu/directory/olga-molina/

JoAnne Stephenson, D.M.A., is a performer, lec-turer, adjudicator, and choir director. She currently teach-es private voice instruction, German and English diction, Music Appreciation, and Song Literature at the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Stephenson’s per-formances abroad include Beijing, China where she sang “The Umokoro Songs” written for her by Dr. Wal-lace Cheatham. European performances include a tour to Leipzig, Prague, Vienna, and Melk where she sang the Mezzo Soprano solos in the J.S. Bach “Magnifcate” and the W.A. Mozart “Mass in c Minor.” Other European en-gagements include four solo recitals, two at Cambridge University in Cambridge, Eng-land, and two at the University of London. Additional Europe-an performances include solo recitals and performances in Paris, France, Ragusa, Italy, and Vevey, Switzerland.

In addition, Dr. Stephen-son has presented several lecture/recitals around the United States. One lecture of

note was her presentation in conjunction with a grant for the National Endowment for the Humanities where she lec-tured on “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Music by African Americans.” Dr. Stephenson also developed the class “An Introduction to Music by Afri-can Americans” which looks at some of the music from Af-rica, and traces its evolution in the United States from Negro Spirituals to Hip Hop.

Dr. Stephenson will be joining us on March 13 to present The History of Af-rican American Protest Through Song From The 1960’s-1980’s.

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Alla Kourova, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Lan-guages and Literatures. Her charisma and enthusiasm for knowledge have played a role in reviving the Russian Lan-guage major at UCF.

She recently published a monograph detailing the theory and practice of proj-ect methodology in teach-ing foreign languages. The monograph is entitled “Using Cross-Cultural Projects in Teaching Foreign Languages: A research-based approach to design and implementation.” It was published by the Smolen-

sky University Press, Russia. Dr. Kourova will be joining

us on February 4 to present Russia: The Dialogue of Cul-tures.

Photo courtesy of Alla Kourova

Dr. Olga Molina

Dr. Alla Kourova

Dr. JoAnne Stephenson

Ms. Belinda BostonAs an Assistant Vice

President for Student Devel-opment and Enrollment Ser-vices, Ms. Belinda Boston oversees Community Support Services, a group that helps “Create a Community of Suc-cess” by engaging minds and transforming lives. She holds two Masters Degrees from Western Illinois University, in Counseling Education and Human Resources. She is a Past President of the Black Faculty Staff Association, and is a member of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she volunteers for the Women’s Ministry and the Music Ministry.

Ms. Boston is a proud member of Delta Sigma The-ta Sorority, Inc., where she serves as the Treasurer of the Brevard County Alumnae Chapter. She also is active in numerous other community organizations including the Florida Diversity Council, the

United Way, the American Heart Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Associa-tion. Ms. Boston’s passion is advocating for the voiceless through Diversity Education and Oppression Reduction work. She considers herself a Social Justice Advocate and Educator. Belinda is the proud mother of Zahara, her 6-year old daughter.

Ms. Boston will be joining us on February 27 to present Women of the Movement: “Honoring the Dream.”

Photo courtesy of Belinda Boston

Photo courtesy of JoAnne Stephenson

ABCs OF DIVERSITY (DIV008)Friday, January 31, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

BARNGA (DIV077)Tuesday, March 25, 2014 2:30 – 4:30 PMLocation: OD&T Training Room on Progress DriveFacilitator: Patty Farris

DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE SERIES (Attend all four modules to receive completion certificate):MODULES 1 & 2 (DIV210)Monday, April 7, 2014 1:00 – 5:00 PMMODULES 3 & 4 (DIV211)Monday, April 14, 2014 1:00 – 5:00 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PROTEST THROUGH SONG FROM THE 1960’s-1980’s (DIV142)Thursday, March 13, 2014 2:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: JoAnne Stephenson, D.M.A.

INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION (DIV053)Friday, February 14, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

INTERSECTIONALITY 101 (DIV137)Tuesday, February 18, 2014 3:30 – 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Dr. Olga Molina

PEACE FILM SERIES - 42 (DIV143)Friday, March 14, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

PEACE FILM SERIES - Crash (DIV101)Wednesday, April 9, 2014 1:30 – 4:30 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

PEACE FILM SERIES - TEMPLE GRANDIN - “DIFFERENT NOT LESS” (DIV139) Tuesday, April 1, 2014 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Location: UCF Cocoa, Building 3, Rm 271Facilitator: Barbara Thompson

RUSSIA: THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES (DIV144)Tuesday, February 4, 2014 2:30 PM – 4:30 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Alla Kourova, Ph.D.

SAFE ZONE LGBTQ+ 101 (DIV033) FORMERLY ALLIES ADVANCEPlease check the CAPS website for current dates and times: http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training.

WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT: “HONORING THE DREAM” (DIV145)Thursday, February 27, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 PMLocation: Research Pavilion, Suite 169Facilitator: Ms. Belinda Boston

Spring 2014 Workshop and Training ScheduleTO REGISTER:

• Faculty and Staff ONLY use online registration at https://my.ucf.edu. • Students or OPS, please e-mail your name, phone number, and PID/employee I.D. number to

diverse@ucf.edu. • For the Safe Zone LGBTQ+ 101 workshops, use: http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training. Due to

the limited space in the rooms provided, anyone who fails to preregister may be turned away.

For detailed descriptions of the diversity workshops offered, visit www.diversity.ucf.edu. Other opportunities for diversity workshops may be scheduled by calling the Office of Diversity Initiatives at (407) 823-6479, or by e-mailing diverse@ucf.edu. All workshops are FREE unless otherwise noted.

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to enhance the skills that will build character. We extend a sincere thank you to UCF LIFE for their belief in the programs, endeavors, and challenges we provide our LEGACY scholars in order to let their potential shine.

Consultations: An individual or group meeting to assist in planning diversity-related programs, events, and activities. Consultations may occur face-to-face, by e-mail, or by telephone.

Presentations: We make presentations to classes, departments, organizations, student groups, and external organizations. Our presentations cover a variety of topics to meet specific needs.

Training: Selected topics in English and Spanish

Services

Diversity Includes All of Us - All the Time

12424 Research Parkway, Suite 169, Orlando, FL 32826Ph: (407) 823-6479 F: 407-823-6480

E: diverse@ucf.edu www.diversity.ucf.edu

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Diversity Initiatives Staff Barbara Thompson Interim Director

Katie Pomp Administrative Assistant

Dayanara HudsonProgram Assistant

Robert GlennOffice Assistant

Carmen I. Afonso Executive Secretary

Zakiya McGhieLEGACY Coordinator

Judith Geneus Student Assistant

Our LEGACY scholars have been very busy this semester with the opening ceremony in August, leadership seminars, and onsite visits to Evans High School in order to get potential leaders motivated about their future college careers. Lesson-filled activities have been ongoing, and the students have been working hard learning about money management and reflecting on the role that identity, leadership, and technological ethics may play in the 21st Century.

All of this learning, as well as our scholars’ willingness to share it with local high school students, has paid off.

LEGACY Ongoing Productivity

In November, the LEGACY Leadership and Mentoring Program became an honored recipient of a UCF LIFE Grant. This grant comes at an opportune time for LEGACY as we prepare new materials to help our scholars continue

Legacy students prepare for the LEGACY Challenge presentation.

Information distribution at Evans High School in West Orlando

In 2014, we’ll be recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, and our Diversity Week theme will be “Remember and Reflect – The Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

To honor this historic event, we invite our UCF students to create a commemorative poster that will be

2014 Diversity Week Poster Contestrepresentative of this moment in time. First place will receive $500 plus mass reproduction and distribution of the poster in the UCF and Central Florida Communities. For complete details, specification requirements, and contest application, visit our website at http://diversity.ucf.edu/diversity_week.asp.