Farmingdale State College (FSC) recently recognized outstanding members of its campus community for their leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with two special award ceremonies.  

2024 President's DEI Award Ceremony 

FSC’s 2024 President's DEI Award Ceremony, hosted by Robert S. Prezant, PhD, president of FSC, and Kevin Jordan, EdD, vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer, honored Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science and Health Promotion Christine Freaney, PhD, and Arianna Rivera, ’25, a business major with a minor in legal studies in the TRIO Program, a peer mentor, and Student Government Association (SGA) treasurer, for their enormous campus achievements. 

“Today we gather not only to celebrate the spirit of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also to honor two remarkable individuals who have made significant contributions to our community,” said Mahambe Toure, FSC residence hall director and DEI Advisory Council secretary. “Their unwavering commitment and impactful efforts embody the values we cherish at Farmingdale State College.”  

“Dr. Christine Freaney and our TRIO student Arianna Rivera bring to the forefront the importance of our DEI work and help create the welcoming community that we have here at Farmingdale State College,” said President Prezant. “Christine and Arianna are exemplars of what we can do to support and enhance this cooperative spirit that resides on our campus. And I applaud the deep and wide DEI efforts being pursued across campus by so many of our colleagues and by all the individuals in the room here today.”  

In her remarks, Freaney expressed similar admiration for her colleagues. “This recognition means so much to me partly because of the admiration I have for past recipients,” she said. “I remember sitting in one of those seats and hearing the work of previous people who've received this award and thinking to myself, ‘Wow, that person is amazing!’ To think of myself in the same light—it blows my mind. 

“This work is not the effort of one person, it is a collective. And while I'm privileged to stand here and be recognized, there are many in this crowd that played vital roles,” added Freaney, who also recognized the efforts of DEI Advisory Council Co-Chairs Associate Librarian Fatoma Rad and Associate Professor of Nursing Sherry Manansingh, EdD, MSN, RN.

2024 DEI innovation Grant Program Award Ceremony and Student Leadership Recognition Awards

At FSC’s 2024 DEI Innovation Grant Program Award Ceremony, two FSC staff members and seven FSC students were honored for five proposals to facilitate various DEI initiatives aimed at enhancing a more inclusive and equitable campus culture. The grant projects included a proposal to create “a library within a library” that will cater to students who speak Spanish as their first language, an initiative to promote and foster a sense of belonging among FSC residence students, an initiative designed to produce a garden and harvest what is grown for the FSC community, an event to provide students the opportunity to take complimentary, professional headshots, and student attendance at a National College Women Leader Conference. 

DEI Innovation Grant Projects and Awardees include: 

Libros en Espanol 

• Associate Librarian Fatoma Rad, MS LIS, MA HEA, DEI Advisory Council co-chair 
• Christian Palazzo, ‘23, an electrical engineering technology major and applied mathematics minor 
• Jenelle Melendez, ‘25, an architectural engineering technology major 
• Kenia Sanchez, ‘24, a business management major 

Residence Life: Living Learning Community 

• Residence Hall Director Mahambe Toure, DEI Advisory Council secretary 

Giving Garden Green House 

• Kayli Villalta, Student, ‘25, an applied psychology major 

Complimentary Headshot Event 

• Associate Librarian Fatoma Rad, MS LIS, MA HEA, DEI Advisory Council co-chair 
• Heraclio J. Wyatt III, ‘24, a business analytics major and sport management minor 
• Milan Gayle, ‘27, an electrical engineering technology major 

National College Women Leader Conference 

• Arianna Rivera, ‘25, a business major and legal studies minor 

“The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusive Excellence, DEI Advisory Council, and the entire campus community are incredibly proud of your profound dedication and efforts in bringing each project to fruition.” said Jordan.  

Additionally, six FSC student “change-makers” were highlighted with a Diversity, Excellence, & Inclusive Excellence Student Leadership Recognition Award for making a difference both on and off campus in support of the DEI mission. 

Diversity, Excellence, & Inclusive Excellence Student Leadership Recognition Awardees include: 

• Aliyah Khan, ‘25, an applied mathematics major 
• Damari Machado, ‘24, a science technology, and society major 
• Jairo Orozco, ‘25, an applied psychology major and sport management minor 
• Julia Seitz, '24, a professional communications major and business management minor 
• Maria Naeem, ‘26, a security systems major and sociology minor 
• Tiffany Campbell, ‘27, a criminal justice law enforcement technology major 

For more information, please visit FSC's Diversity, Equity & Inclusive Excellence webpage.

To view photos of the 2024 President's DEI Award Ceremony, please visit our Flickr Gallery.

To view photos of the DEI Student Leadership Recognition Awards, please visit our Flickr Gallery. 

 

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