On September 9th, the 12th Annual Diversity Symposium honored members of the Georgia Institute of Technology community who represent leaders in paving the way for an inclusive and accessible campus. The event's theme was "Understanding Accessibility as Inclusion: Georgia Tech's Pathway to Accessibility."

The Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion publication of the "Faces of Inclusive Excellence" recognizes faculty, staff, and students who have earned special recognition in research, teaching, or service at Georgia Tech during the previous academic year. Honorees are acknowledged for their service in advancing a culture of inclusive excellence at Georgia Tech.

Analía Rao, Research Associate at the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC), has been recognized as a 2020 honoree. Along with being a Research Associate at CEISMC, Analía is applauded for her accomplishments as a graduate of the Inclusive Leaders Academy, 2020, and for completing both levels of Level Up: An Advanced Allyship Course, offered by the LGBTQIA Resource Center.

"I am humbled by this recognition and truly honored to be a part of a community committed to creating an inclusive environment for all," said Rao.

Rao is currently serving on the leadership team of the HOLA Employee Resource Group (ERG), and this is her second time being honored as a “Faces of Inclusive Excellence” recipient.

“At no time is it more important for us to take extra effort to learn about diversity and implement inclusive practices in the workplace and in our daily lives,” said Dr. Lizanne Stephano, Executive Director of CEISMC. “Well done, Analia!”

In past publications, additional CEISMC staff members have been recognized as “Faces of Inclusive Excellence” recipients. Dr. Meltem Alemdar, Associate Director for Educational Research & Evaluation, has also been an honoree in more than one publication.

Dr. Alemdar is noted for leading and coauthoring numerous K-12- focused academic papers as well as appearing as a keynote speaker at the National Science Foundation’s Noyce Summit in July 2019.

Along with Dr. Alemdar, Sirocus Barnes, and Diley Hernandez were recognized in the 2017 publication for their work in diversity and inclusion. Sirocus Barnes, Program Director at CEISMC, is honored for leading the Horizons program to encourage students from low-income families to realize their full potential. Diley Hernandez, Senior Research Scientist at Georgia Tech, was recognized for leading efforts in growing the GoSTEM program and dedicating time to progress Georgia Tech’s commitment to Hispanic and Latino STEM education.

In the following year, Dr. Stephano, and Shaheen Rana, former Research Associate at CEISMC, were recognized in the 2018 publication of “Faces of Inclusive Excellence.”

Dr. Stephano was specifically noted for her selection as an inaugural member of the National Science Foundation’s STEM Education Advisory Panel, and Rana was mentioned for her work in leading the evaluation of the GoSTEM program at CEISMC.

Lastly, the 2019 publication of “Faces of Inclusive Excellence” featured four CEISMC staff members, Marion Usselman, Dr. Alemdar, Rana, and Rao. The honorees were recognized at the 11th Annual Diversity Symposium. The event explored the progress with diversity at Georgia Tech and followed the theme, “Georgia Tech’s Racial Diversity Journey: Recognizing Our Past, Exploring Our Future, and Charting Our Future.”

Marion Usselman, Associate Director for Development and Educational Innovation, was a first-time recipient in 2019 and was recognized for her strides in STEM outreach. Usselman has worked with many CEISMC programs including the Culturally Authentic Practice to Advance Computation Thinking in Youth (CAPACiTY) program and the National Science Foundation (NSF) program. Additionally, Usselman is recognized as the coauthor of “Paving the Road into College and STEM for Latino Students,” a Journal of STEM Outreach.

Over the years, "Faces of Inclusive Excellence" has documented the Georgia Tech faculty's diverse accomplishments and has honored many CEISMC staff members for their strides in creating an inclusive community. Georgia Tech’s CEISMC continues to develop programs and conduct research that reflects a commitment to advancing the inclusive environment at Georgia Tech.

By Shannon Malone – CEISMC Communications