The Office for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota has announced the recipients of the 2008 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) awards to 11 undergraduate and two graduate students. The 13 students received their awards at the recent first annual University of Minnesota Equity and Diversity Breakfast.

This is the first year of the SEED Award program, which is designed to honor high-achieving diverse students at the University of Minnesota.  SEED Award recipients must demonstrate impressive academic achievement and leadership in community outreach and activism, in addition to a deep understanding of and commitment to issues of equity, diversity and social justice. The recipients' awards range from US$1,000 to US$2,500. 

“We created the SEED Award program to honor the achievements of outstanding diverse students with a wide range of backgrounds, identities, interests, and accomplishments,” said Nancy “Rusty” Barceló, the university's vice president and vice provost for equity and diversity, “and this year's recipients are a truly outstanding group, both in their academic strength and their collective passion for community service and social justice.”

This year’s SEED graduate school scholars are:

Trecia Pottinger is a Ph.D. candidate in American studies and holds a 2008-09 Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship.

Aeleah Soine is a Ph.D. candidate in history and holds a 2008-09 University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.
SEED undergraduate scholars are:

Jesus-Estrada-Perez is a second semester senior majoring in cultural studies in the College of Liberal Arts.

Eikoku Ikeno is a first semester senior double majoring in Asian Languages and Literature and History in the College of Liberal Arts.

Desiree Abu-Odeh is a junior in the College of Biological Sciences' honors program majoring in neuroscience.

 Judith Chan is a senior in School of Nursing.

Sarah Choy is a senior majoring in Philosophy and English in the College of Liberal Arts.

Dionne Dillard is a junior majoring in political science and African American and African studies in the College of Liberal Arts.

Angela Haeny is a junior majoring in psychology in the College of Liberal Arts.

Daniel Martig is a senior double-majoring in biochemistry in the College of Biological Sciences and Asian languages and literatures in the College of Liberal Arts.

Angelina Nguyen is a senior majoring in political science and economics in the College of Liberal Arts.

Jasmine Omorogbe is a junior in the University Honors Program majoring in communication studies in the College of Liberal Arts.

Anh Tran is a senior double-majoring in neuroscience and psychology in the College of Biological Sciences and College of Liberal Arts with the goal of becoming a medical doctor and public health advocate.

CAPTION

U of M SEED Scholars are (left to right): Dionne Dillard, Jasmine Omorogbe, Aeleah Soine, Angela Haeny, Sarah Choy, Daniel Martig, Anh Tran, Jesus-Estrada-Perez, Angelina Nguyen, Desiree Abu-Odeh, Judith Chan, Eikoku Ikeno. Not present was Trecia Pottinger.

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