Nitza Milagros Escalera, dean of student affairs and diversity initiatives, has received the 2017 Giving Back Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Giving Back Award honors college and university administrators who go above and beyond their everyday leadership duties and “give back” to their campuses and communities. Escalera will be featured, along with 38 other recipients, in the April 2017 Leadership Support and Giving Back issue of the magazine.
Escalera was nominated by Fordham Law colleagues and then selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on her outstanding demonstration of social responsibility; involvement with students, faculty, staff, and the Law School community; and commitment to serving underrepresented populations. Each honoree is recognized for his or her passion, dedication, and support for diversity and inclusion.
“Nitza has long played a central role in helping ensure that Fordham Law is a warm and inclusive community,” said Dean Matthew Diller. “She is sought after by students, faculty, alumni, and administrators as a source of advice, ideas, and leadership. It is wonderful to see her get this recognition that she so richly deserves.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Escalera because she has been a mentor for more than a generation of students of color at Fordham Law. Her new role as Fordham Law’s first assistant dean of diversity initiatives, held in conjunction with her longtime position of assistant dean of student affairs, establishes a clear point person within the Fordham Law administration for the entire range of issues related to diversity and inclusion.
“The Giving Back Award is being awarded to leaders of institutions of higher education who exemplify what it truly means to ‘give back’ to others,” says Holly Mendelson, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “These administrators are role models, and we honor their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion on their campuses and in their communities.”
A call for nominations for the Giving Back Award was announced in October 2016. Award recipients include administrators of both community colleges and baccalaureate-granting institutions.
For more information about the 2017 Giving Back Award and INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.