PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University and the University of Idaho will honor 10 individuals, five for each university, during the 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration and Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony and Banquet.
The banquet is set to start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in WSU’s Compton Union Building Carey Ballroom. Contact Herb Delaney, chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Celebration, (509) 335-5711, for more information.
“Those honored — students, faculty, staff and community members — live Dr. King’s vision,” said Delaney. “The celebration committee was delighted with the breadth of experiences and depth of commitment from the award winners.”
WSU winners:
Madelsar Ngiraingas, undergraduate student award — A women’s studies and history major student, she is active in the Association of Pacific and Asian Women, the Native American Women’s Association, YWCA of WSU and Council of Multicultural Student Presidents.
Jennifer Mata, graduate student award — An American Studies graduate student, she is active in Mujeres Unidas, the National Organization of Chicana and Chicano Studies and MEChA.
Lucila Loera, faculty award — Director of the WSU Student Support Services program, she previously was a career counselor and multicultural liaison in WSU Career Services. She has been involved with the Coalition for Social Justice, the WSU President’s Council on Campus Climate, Chicana/o Latina/o Faculty & Staff Association and the Faculty and Staff of Color Coalition.
Henry Moore Jr., staff award — A photographer II in the Biomedical Communications Unit of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, he follows in Dr. King’s footsteps in looking for teachable moments to bring about understanding and social change.
Gladys Jennings, community award — A WSU alumnus and faculty member, she is a former WSU food science professor now recruits students of color for the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, working out of Renton. She exemplifies the building of unity in every aspect in her life.
UI winners:
Evelina Arevalos, undergraduate student award — An undergraduate general studies major, she is also an office assistant in the UI Office of Multicultural Affairs. She is active in the College Assistant Migrant Program Organization of Students, MECha and Gamma Alpha Omega, a national Latina sorority.
Dianne Mallory, graduate student award — A neuroscience graduate student, she is also a biology teaching assistant. She helped form and lead the UI Women’s Community Coalition to bring together students, faculty, staff and community members to promote equality for women in a supportive and caring environment.
Debbie Storrs, faculty award — Chair of the UI Department of Sociology, she is a founding member of the university’s Diversity Certificate programs. She has helped nurture the growing relationship between the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Women’s Center.
Francisco Salinas, staff award — Director of the UI Office of Multicultural Affairs, he uses energy, heartfelt compassion and steadfast vision to help build social equality and justice at the university.
Wilehelmina Sarai-Clark, community award — A Moscow, Idaho, resident, she is a retired member of the WSU Physical Education, Sport and Leisure Studies faculty. Her determination assured minority groups on the WSU campus of fair and equitable treatment.
