Courtesy of IME
Since 2005, the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME) has granted annual awards to members of the Lewis & Clark community who promote the office’s principles of inclusivity, diversity, equitability and accessibility (IDEA). The award has gone through multiple iterations and names, but today it is named after the office’s ideals and known as the IDEA Catalyst Award.
At its inception in 2005, the award recognized one student, one staff member and one faculty member. It has since evolved to include four categories: the Emerging Leader Honor for first-year students, the Ray Warren Outstanding Senior Leader Honor for a graduating senior, the Excellence in Advocacy Leadership Honor for any undergraduate, and the Kristi Williams Staff & Faculty Leadership Honor for staff or faculty.
The Director of IME Joann Zhang recognized the advantage of presenting awards in four categories in an email correspondence with The Mossy Log.
“The way a first-year student engages and contributes to campus life can look very different from the way a fourth-year student does. Recognizing those differences allows us to approach the awards with equity in mind. It reinforces the understanding that excellence and impact are not one-size-fits-all concepts, and that students demonstrate leadership and involvement in varied and meaningful ways throughout their academic journey,” Zhang said.
Recipients of the awards are chosen by a committee made up of students, staff and faculty. Nominations are reviewed without identifying the name of the nominee, in order to reduce bias. They can be submitted by anyone, playing an important role in the process of selecting recipients as they allow IME to discover and recognize involvement from across campus.
“We know there is a tremendous amount of meaningful work being done by our students, staff, and faculty. By inviting nominations, we aim to learn about and recognize the many outstanding contributions happening across our community,” Zhang said.
The IDEA Catalyst Award aims to recognize contributions to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility that often go unnoticed and unrecognized. This award seeks to acknowledge those who have made and continue to make a positive contribution to the LC community. A main qualifier for recipients is their ability to create change, inspiring the use of the word “catalyst” in the award’s name.
“An I.D.E.A. Catalyst is someone who enacts change by using a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible framework and mindset throughout their work and day-to-day,” Zhang said. “I.D.E.A. Catalyst award recipients are individuals who are involved and have demonstrated their commitment through their actions, leadership pursuits, everyday conversations, and values. Recipients have helped foster a sense of belonging and uplift the voice of underrepresented communities.”
In an interview with The Mossy Log, last year’s winner of the Emerging Leader Honor, Monique Bittencourt Dias ’28, shared the impact the IDEA award had on her.
“It made me believe more in myself. Coming here, you have imposter syndrome,” Bittencourt Dias said. “Being recognized is very nice. It impacted me, gave me more confidence in myself and the work that I can do for other people.”
Bittencourt Dias is secretary of LC’s unofficial chapter for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Sciences and works to bridge gaps between American and non-American students at LC while also participating in feminist movements and rights advocation. She is an international student originally from Rio de Janeiro.
Bittencourt Dias also emphasized the importance of recognizing the achievements of a first-year student.
“Recognizing early on that kind of work, to make people confident in what they’re doing, then they can do even bigger works,” Bittencourt Dias said. “When you’re a freshman you’re so insecure and unsure of your place and recognition gives you a kind of grounding.”
This year’s nominations close Monday, March 9 and can be accessed by those interested through the LC website.
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