Category: News

Crossroads Community Center’s Lane McLelland honored with National Dialogue Award

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Crossroad Community Center’s Lane McLelland was honored at the Second Annual National Dialogue Awards on October 9th, 2015  at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Presented by the Sustained Dialogue Institute, the National Dialogue Awards honors those whose lives have been powerfully marked by the principles and values of the organization. The mission of the Sustained Dialogue Institute is to help people to transform conflictual relationships and design change processes around the world.

Attorney Bryan Stevenson Chosen as 2015–2016 Realizing the Dream Distinguished Lecturer

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Attorney Bryan Stevenson Chosen as 2015–2016 Realizing the Dream Distinguished Lecturer
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TUSCALOOSA — Attorney and author Bryan Stevenson will deliver the 2015-2016 Realizing the Dream Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Embassy Suites Hotel. This year’s program, which is hosted by Stillman College and begins at 7 p.m., is open to the public.Stevenson, a native of Milton, Delaware, is founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery and also professor of law at New York University. The lecture series is jointly sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Shelton State Community College, Stillman College and the University of Alabama.
This year’s theme is “Realizing the Dream Through the Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person.” Stevenson’s lecture is the first in a series of events held each year in connection with the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Beginning in 1990, the celebration has grown to include a concert, a legacy banquet and performing arts and other events, all open to the public.

The title of Stevenson’s address is “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference.” The goal of the Equal Justice Initiative is to defend the poor in America’s criminal justice system. His book, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” tells of his experiences with the justice system and includes this poignant observation: “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

“The Distinguished Lecture Series is an integral part of the Realizing the Dream committee’s efforts to raise awareness for equality, education and social justice,” said Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president of UA’s Division of Community Affairs. “Stevenson’s work serves as an example of what Dr. King stood for and of the work we aim to highlight every year in our Realizing the Dream programming.”

Dr. Joseph F. Scrivner, committee member and faculty member at Stillman, said of Stevenson: “For more than 25 years, Bryan Stevenson and his staff at the Equal Justice Initiative have fought against bias and injustice in our legal system. They have won reversals, relief or release for over 100 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row. His cases before the Supreme Court include a winning a decision that outlawed mandatory lifetime sentences for juveniles convicted of murder. He is simply one of the most important advocates for social justice in our time.”

For more information, contact the Division of Community Affairs at 205-348-8376 or visit www.communityaffairs.ua.edu.

Pruitt, Simon Honored, UA Well Represented at International Conference at Penn State

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Pruitt, Simon Honored, UA Well Represented at International Conference at Penn State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two veteran University of Alabama personnel — Dr. Samory T. Pruitt and Dr. Cassandra Simon — received special recognition at the 16th Annual Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference held at Penn State University, Sept. 27–30. Pruitt is UA’s vice president for community affairs, and Simon is an associate professor of social work.

In 2016, Pruitt, in his 30th year as a UA employee and vice president for community affairs since 2004, will become only the second president of the ESC board of directors in its 17-year history.

Simon, a member of the UA social work faculty for 15 years, was honored as the founding editor of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (JCES), published at the University of Alabama. JCES is a leading journal in the important field of engagement scholarship.

University President Stuart R. Bell commended Pruitt and Simon, saying: “I congratulate Dr. Pruitt and Dr. Simon for their distinguished achievements and for their contributions to the growing field of engagement scholarship. I also applaud the many UA faculty, staff and students who brought the Crimson Tide banner to Penn State in September.”

As president of the ESC board, Pruitt will preside over a 33-member board that sets policy for ESC institutions, which include many of the nation’s leading research universities, as well as a number of international institutions.

As vice president of community affairs, Pruitt is UA’s designated officer for the encouragement and production of engaged scholarship. In this capacity, he works with the academic deans and faculty to promote best engagement practices with communities in Alabama and beyond. He is the founder and publisher of JCES, sponsored and partially funded by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.

Also at the 2015 ESC conference, Pruitt was inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship, recognizing his leadership in engagement scholarship through contributions to the theory and practice of working with community partners to address mutual needs. The nomination undergoes a rigorous review of the nominee’s body of work based on excellence in using engagement scholarship practices and values to address society’s pressing problems.

Simon received her award at an ESC conference reception in appreciation of her leadership, dedication to excellence and commitment to engagement scholarship as founding editor of JCES, now in its ninth year. Volume 8, No. 2, which featured articles and coverage from the 2014 ESC conference held at the University of Alberta, Canada, was distributed to attendees at the 2015 conference. JCES is sponsored by the ESC.

UA was represented at the conference by 25 faculty, staff and students. They presented research papers and/or served as program conveners and moderators.

ESC is an international group of universities that promote engaged scholarship, a blend of university teaching, research and service that addresses critical societal problems in collaboration with community organizations with students often playing key roles.

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Dr. Samory T. Pruitt (left photo) and Dr. Cassandra Simon (right photo), both of the University of Alabama, were recognized at the 2015 Engagement Scholarship Consortium. Pruitt was inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship. Simon was recognized as the founding editor of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. Beginning in October, Pruitt became the second president of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium in its 16-year history. Standing with Pruitt is Dr. Patricia M. Sobrero, president of the ACES board of directors.