Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award

Lora Whitfield was an Early Childhood Education professor at Clark College that cared deeply about the community of which she was a part. She was committed to the success of fellow employees and the students she served. As a tenured professor, she promoted equity and inclusion, creating a culture of community for all.

The Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award will be awarded to a member of the Clark College community that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing equity.

The Lora Whitfield Social Equity Awards Committee will review applications and granting of the Award. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will initiate the process and provide support to the committee. The membership of this committee is the Social Equity Council.

Eligibility:

Employees, students or community members can nominate a Clark College employee to receive the Lora Whitfield Social Justice Award and the winner will be presented at Opening Day.

*Please note, your comments may be shared with the nominee and members of the college community.

Nominate a Clark College Employee

Award:

Award recipients will receive a plaque along with $1,000 funded by the Clark College Foundation. This award will be presented at Opening Day before the beginning of fall quarter each year. 

Submissions can be made by filling out the online submission form.

Selection Criteria:

This award will honor Lora’s legacy and recognize Clark College employees based on their exceptional work in removing systemic barriers for people with systemically non-dominant identities – people of color, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ – in one or more of the following categories:

  1. Creating and sustaining an inclusive environment for members of the Clark College community.
  2. Improving intercultural competency for members of the Clark College community through diversity, equity and inclusion dialogue and education.
  3. Exhibiting leadership in best practices for social equity.
  4. Building and sustaining practices that challenge systems of power, privilege and inequity.
  5. Making the larger community a more just and equitable place to reside.

Past Award Winners:

2019-20: Dr. Debi Jenkins and Dian Ulner
2020-21: Rosalba Pitkin
2021-22: Kushlani de Soyza and Hanan Al-Zubaidy
2022-23: Christina Smith and Cydney Topping