University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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Nominations Open for 2023 Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Awards

The Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award is open for nominations until May 23. The awards celebrate the achievements of faculty, academic professionals, and civic service employees who made significant contributions in creating and sustaining an inclusive living, learning, and working community at Illinois.

There are four categories open for nominations.

The Larine Y. Cowan Awards are presented annually to University of Illinois faculty and staff by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in four categories: Advocacy for LGBTQ Affairs, Excellence in Access & Accommodations, Leadership in Diversity, and Teaching and Mentoring in Diversity. The 2022 recipients were honored at the 37th Annual Celebration of Diversity in November 2022.

Named in honor of the past Assistant Chancellor and Director of what is now the Office for Access & Equity, the Larine Y. Cowan Awards were created to reflect the commitment to human rights advocacy, social justice, and diversity that defined her leadership for nearly 20 years at Illinois.

Nominations may be submitted by any member of the University community. For more information on the nomination process, please visit the Larine Y. Cowan Award page.

The Cowan Awards are presented each year during the annual Celebration of Diversity hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.