DEBORAH K. RENZI SOCIAL ADVOCACY AWARD
Mrs. Deborah K. Renzi served Buffalo State University for 39 years as Staff Assistant in the Civic & Community Engagement Office, Assistant Professor & Field Education Coordinator in the Social Work department, and Director of Admissions & Records. Throughout her impactful career, she supported thousands of students and believed in the power of higher education to bring about systemic change and create opportunities and equity for all. Debbie believed the transformation of policies, practices, personal mindsets, and social norms are necessary to positively reconstruct the issues that hold social inequality and injustice in place.
The Deborah K. Renzi Social Advocacy Award honors Mrs. Renzi’s legacy and leadership by celebrating an individual or community partner who is similarly committed to fostering societal and structural changes that creates equity, justice, and inclusion. Eligible students, alumni, faculty, staff, or community partners regularly engage in the following activities to inspire change in their communities:
- Pursue knowledge and respectfully address inequity
- Explore and understand varied perspectives of a societal issue or issues
- Lead actionable change
- Create awareness in others to champion positive reform
- Engage others directly to cultivate cultural humility, empathy, courage, and compassion
Nominations are not available until Fall 2024.
2024- Imran Fazal