5 take home U. Diversity Awards

The University of Utah has awarded its 2005 Diversity Awards to individuals and organizations for their commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity at the university.

"The awards are presented on the basis of excellence in fostering leadership and commitment to diversity and expanding opportunities for students, staff and faculty at the University of Utah," said Karen Dace, U. associate vice president for diversity.

• Gladys Mixco, retired administrative assistant in the U. Ethnic Studies, who for nearly 20 years worked to facilitate the success of the program.

• Irv Altman, professor and former vice president for academic affairs, who set in place programs such as the Math, Engineering and Science Achievement Program, Martin Luther King Celebration and Days of Remembrance in honor of Holocaust victims.

• Liz Leckie, assistant dean in the College of Humanities, who was instrumental in creating the college's new diversity scholarship program. Leckie planned a symposium on "Communicating Whiteness" to be offered in January 2006.

• JoAnn Lighty, professor of chemical and fuels engineering and former associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering, helped create High School Girls Engineering Abilities Realized (HiGEAR) and Teaching Engineering Concepts in High School (HiTEC).

• LEAP, a program of the U. Office of Undergraduate Studies, is described as a learning community enabling students to play an active role in their own education.