The Dornsife Office of Equity and Engagement and the Office of Interim Dean Moh El-Naggar are proud to announce the second annual Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Awards. These awards recognize both scholarly and service-focused contributions that are emblematic of our commitment to elevating and embodying the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Any faculty, staff, or student in Dornsife College can nominate a person they believe has demonstrated their commitment to these values through scholarship or actions with the Dornsife, USC, and local communities.
Any faculty, staff member, or graduate student with a primary affiliation in Dornsife College is eligible; self-nominations are welcomed. Nominees will be selected by the staff of the Dornsife Office of Equity and Engagement in collaboration with Interim Dean El-Naggar. Awards will be presented at a celebration in the spring semester.
Categories
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The Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Scholarship recognizes impactful publications, research, or engagement with the public or academic community that address issues of access, representational diversity, the impact of marginalization or discrimination, building inclusive communities, or other related areas of focus.
Efforts may also include championing DEIB causes in their professional organizations and roles. These efforts should deepen our understanding of representation, equity, inclusion, and belonging and contribute positively to broader discourse or meaningful change.
- Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Scholarship – Faculty
- Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Scholarship – Graduate Student
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The Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Community Contributions recognizes individual efforts to enhance communities within Dornsife, USC, and beyond, through committed action including but not limited to: mentoring and support; strong, equity-based leadership; efforts to intentionally build bridges to the community and/or across fields; creating or supporting groups that benefit Dornsife, USC, or members of local communities. These efforts should reflect individuals who embody inclusive, kind, and equitable practices in their day-to-day interactions with others to better the community and those around them.
- Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Community Contributions – Faculty
- Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Community Contributions – Staff
- Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award for Outstanding Community Contributions – Graduate Student
Nomination and Award Process
DOEE would like to thank you, our community, for your support of the Dean’s Emblem awards this nominations cycle. We have decided to make the Emblems a biannual celebration instead of an annual one. We will therefore pause nominations for the time being and resume them in Fall 2025. The honors will be awarded in Spring 2026. Any nominations that have been submitted will remain active and will be considered alongside others next fall. We are looking forward to celebrating our champions of DEIB in scholarship and community. Please feel free to contact our office at doee@dornsife.usc.edu with any questions. We look forward to continuing to support you this academic year.
Award Recipients
Please help us in celebrating our 2024 Dornsife Dean’s Emblem Award Recipients. To read more about our winners, click here.
Oneka LaBennett
Associate Professor
American Studies
Ethnicity and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Carly Kenkel
Assistant Professor
Biological Sciences
Zinsmeyer Early Career Chair in Marine Studies
Rachel Keith
Doctoral Student
Department of Philosophy
