UC Announces Just Community Award Winners

• A student whose vision of a university-wide Habitat for Humanity project turned to reality with the dedication of a new home this spring
• A faculty member who promotes UC’s Just Community through classroom initiatives
• An administrator who was praised for motivating his staff and students towards “great achievements”
• An academic student organization that works to raise awareness of and prevent communication disorders

Each demonstrates the University of Cincinnati’s commitment to a Just Community and as a result, will be honored with a Just Community Award at the university-wide Recognition Ceremony and Reception at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 16, in the Event Pavilion.

The recipients of the Just Community Awards are selected by UC students, faculty and staff. They promote and practice the university values to: pursue learning and scholarship; celebrate the uniqueness of each individual; practice civility; embrace freedom and openness; seek integrity; promote justice; strive for excellence and accept responsibility. The 2004 recipients are:

Anne Fitzgerald

– The chemistry and anthropology major from Greenville, Ohio served as committee co-chair of the first university wide partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity and initiated the enterprise. Beginning last September and ending with the dedication in May, 175 UC volunteers spent approximately 2,000 hours building a home in Mt. Auburn for new homeowner Sylvia Smith and her two children. Fitzgerald previously served as a team leader with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, a 10-month program devoted to civil service. Volunteering and working in the UC Center for Community Engagement, Fitzgerald has organized and participated in many community service projects, including service trips to Mexico over Alternative Spring Break. She will also help coordinate UC’s next Habitat for Humanity project before she graduates next spring.

Lisa Newman

– The director of undergraduate studies for the UC Department of Communication was credited for her work of writing and designing brochures to promote UC’s Just Community, and for advocating the initiative to students, faculty and staff. Through her teaching, public relations campaigns and service learning programs have been developed for many UC programs including Just Community, UC Public Safety and Worldfest Week. Newman and her students have brought public relations counseling to non-profit organizations including: The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion Hana’s Suitcase and Facing Prejudice Projects; APPLAUSE Magazine’s Cincinnati Imagemaker Awards; Hoxworth Blood Drive; Cincinnati Neighborhood Action Strategy; and The Wellness Community of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. She also serves as a Just Community and C-Ring Awards steering committee member.

John Bryan

– As dean of the former University College, Bryan was praised for working tirelessly to serve student populations of diverse backgrounds, including those who cannot make the drive to a college campus to get their degree. Bryan was praised for being the driving force behind the creation of the UC Early Childhood Learning Community distance education program that provides a higher education to Head Start workers. He was also commended as the leader behind the initiative to provide UC college courses at Western Hills High School. As a member of UC’s Quality Service Initiative committee, Bryan helped implement new ideas that built on the excellence of UC’s staff.

UC Chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) – This student academic organization works to address and develop an understanding of communication disorders. The UC chapter was praised for its work over the last five years to raise money for local and national organizations that work with people who suffer from neurological impairment, Parkinson’s disease, autism, literacy challenges and other communication disorders. The students’ work over the 2003-2004 academic year included sending textbooks to South Africa, serving dinner at the local Ronald McDonald House and Tender Mercies Center, and supporting the tuition of two preschool children who attended the summer Language and Literacy Preschool. The group also donated funds to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation and to the UC Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic to purchases video cameras.