This award is for faculty or staff who have demonstrated excellence in the enhancement of diversity and inclusion in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University. A nominee must be a full-time faculty or staff member in the college.
The recipient of this award will receive a plaque and cash award of $4,000.
Current Recipient
Melanie Derby, associate professor in MNE
Melanie has been recognized by receiving the Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs Family Recognition pin and KSU Multicultural Engineering Program Faculty Engagement Award.
She directs the Rural Resource Resiliency National Science Foundation Research Traineeship. The NRT team has been working to foster – and study – creating a culture of inclusion. The first cohort is 50% women, and the second cohort is 50% women and 25% underrepresented groups.
Criteria for nomination
Nomination criteria include one or more of the following:
- Outstanding teaching in courses that cover cultural competency and diversity or courses that have material integrating and highlighting accomplishments by historically under-represented groups in engineering (For this award the term ‘historically under-represented’ will be interpreted broadly to include any group under-represented or excluded in the field of engineering or at Kansas State University. For example Asian American students are not underrepresented in the field of engineering at the national level but have been underrepresented in the College of Engineering here.)
- Outstanding contributions in developing an educational program for historically under-represented students or the college community that supports the well-being of historically under-represented students and/or provides a positive climate for diversity and inclusion
- Outstanding efforts in recruiting historically under-represented students
- Outstanding efforts to retain and mentor historically under-represented students
- Unique and highly impactful research, creative inquiry or programs directed toward historically under-represented students
Applications/nominations
Nomination must be provided by current K-State faculty, students, staff or administrators.