Professor Walter Fernandez receives 2026 Inclusion Excellence Award
The Board of Trustees recognized History Professor Walter Fernandez with the 2026
Inclusion Excellence Award at the May 20 board meeting.
The late Director of Diversity, Compliance, & Title IX, Erin Miles, J.D., came up with the name when the award was revamped last year to celebrate campus diversity in a unique way. The award honors individuals who advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by modeling allyship, challenging inequities, and helping to close equity gaps.
While the award typically uses a standard nomination and election form, an executive decision this year was made to fulfill a specific wish left by Erin. Before her passing, Erin expressed a strong desire to nominate a particular individual for the honor. A year later, the committee proudly honored that wish. In Erin’s honor, the 2026 Inclusion Excellence Award is presented to Walter Fernandez, whom Erin admired for his campus-wide emails that provided the historical background of holidays, for his insightful words, and for his commitment to learning and sharing history.
Congratulations, Walter, and thank you for your dedication to inclusion!