2021 Engage for Change Awards

Every year, the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement celebrates and acknowledges students, faculty, staff, and community leaders working together to make an impact in our communities.

Our fourth annual Engage for Change Awards on Thursday, September 23, 2021 featured a keynote address by Carlton Turner, lead artist and director of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production, as well as food trucks and artmaking with S23 To-Go, the Studio Two Three print truck.

Each honoree received this year's Engage for Change print, designed by Jason Ford.

Awards and Honorees 

Service for Change Award

This award recognizes an individual or group who has committed to service and relationship building in the Richmond community as a significant part of his/her/their college experience and whose work has contributed to a community's goals. We honor awardees for their ongoing commitment to community engagement and for the spirit in which they have engaged. Awardees have exhibited a dedication to understanding social issues in context, a commitment to valuing the dignity and worth of every individual, a persistent self-awareness and willingness to reflect critically, and a sustained and ethical approach to engagement.

Lucy Cummins, '21
Taneha Fincher, '21

Community-Engaged Teaching Award

This award recognizes a faculty member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in community-engaged teaching at the University of Richmond. Community-engaged teaching is undertaken in collaboration with community partners in order to further the learning of all involved and build the capacity of students and community members in order to effect positive change. Excellent community-engaged teaching may connect our students to the greater Richmond community through a variety of modes, including but not limited to service-learning; collaborative projects with community partners; clinical education, student teaching, and internships; and study trips and immersive engagement with community experts.

Olivier Delers, Associate Professor of French
Trey Sutton, Assistant Professor of Management

Community-Engaged Scholarship Award

This award recognizes University faculty member(s) whose scholarly and/or other creative activity emerges from a mutually beneficial partnership with a community and creates new knowledge that contributes to positive social change. Community-engaged scholarship is characterized by its relevance to a faculty member’s expertise, its benefit to the external community, its visibility among community stakeholders, and its contribution to the University's mission.

Laura Browder, Tyler and Alice Haynes Professor of American Studies
Patricia Herrera, Associate Professor of Theatre

Collaboration for Change Award

This award honors a collaborative community-based partnership between campus and community stakeholders. This award is given to an individual or group who recognizes the importance of authentic relationships and genuine collaboration to affect change. Criteria include: a sustained commitment to an evolving and iterative relationship over time; partnerships that exemplify collaboration as a process of co-creation; a respect for the knowledge and expertise of all stakeholders; and a demonstrated outcome that reflects mutually shared goals emerging from the partnership.

Virginia Poverty Law Center and Tara Casey, Director of the Carrico Center for Pro Bono & Public Service, and her Public Policy students

Activism for Change Award

This award recognizes an individual or group who has consistently advocated for meaningful action towards social justice in the Richmond region. Awardees have worked persistently to understand the larger context of a social problem and are strategic and intentional in their actions to promote change.

Hijab Fatima, '21, Tommy Na, '22, and Lina Tori Jan, '20
UR Black Student Coalition

Contribution to the Institution Award

This award recognizes faculty or staff member(s) whose community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and/or service made a significant contribution to the University of Richmond, furthering opportunities for faculty engagement, community collaboration, and the learning and thriving of our students.

Thad Williamson, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law

Bill Coleman Award

Mr. William “Bill” Coleman was the shuttle driver for Spiders serving in the community from 2012-2021 and a beloved colleague whose spirit and dedication advanced student engagement at the University of Richmond. This award recognizes a member of the University’s staff who is dedicated to supporting meaningful engagement with our local and global communities.

Maya Vincelli, Assistant Director of Detail Operations