2008 Diversity Award Winners

Raffy Luquis — 2008 Penn State Harrisburg Faculty Diversity Award
Ella Dowell— 2008 Penn State Harrisburg Staff Diversity Award

Dr. Raffy R. Luquis
Associate Professor of Health Education
School of Behavioral Sciences and Education
2008 Penn State Harrisburg Faculty Diversity Award

To recognize and reward a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to celebrating diversity by initiating steps to create a welcoming environment and/or eliminate discrimination through encouragement or understanding between persons of different races, gender,  age groups, ethnicity, religious heritage, disability, or sexual orientation

Raffy Luquis’ untiring dedication to championing diversity at Penn State Harrisburg and in the external community is cited as making him “an excellent candidate” for the Faculty Diversity Award.

A member of the college faculty since 2002, Dr. Luquis’ interest in diversity activities predate his arrival on campus, including his time as an undergraduate student at University Park where he was involved in the Puerto Rican Student Association and the Commission on Ethnic and Racial Diversity. His Penn State Harrisburg service related to diversity includes co-chair of the Outreach/Linkage Subcommittee of the Diversity and Educational Equity Committee and as a member of the Faculty Senate Committee on International and Intercultural Affairs.

A fellow faculty member states, “Dr. Luquis focuses much of his research and scholarship in the area of diversity as indicated by his professional presentations at numerous conferences, his publications in scholarly journals, and an upcoming edited book.” His commitment to assuring that health educators are culturally competent resulted in a new graduate-level course entitled Multicultural Issues in Health which is now a core requirement for all students in the Health Education major.

His service to the external community extends nationally. He developed the American Association of Health Education’s position statement on cultural competency in health education which now serves as a guide for all professionals working in the field. From 2003 to 2006, he served on the AIDS Planning Coalition of Southcentral Pennsylvania and as chair of the Asthma Disparity workgroup of the Pa. Department of Health.

Ella A. Dowell
Administrative Assistant II
School of Humanities
2008 Penn State Harrisburg Staff Diversity Award

To recognize and reward a staff member who has demonstrated a commitment to celebrating diversity by initiating steps to create a welcoming environment and/or eliminate discrimination through encouragement or understanding between persons of different races, gender,  age groups, ethnicity, religious heritage, disability, or sexual orientation.

Ella Dowell “embraced a global perspective early in life and has allowed that world view to blossom in a variety of ways over the years,” one letter of nomination for the Staff Diversity Award establishes. “Mrs. Dowell has a fascination with cultures outside her own and actively pursues opportunities to experience them through personal travel as well as a commitment to making connections with foreign visitors to our campus and community.”

Evidence of her commitment to the college’s international activities is apparent in her role with a recent study tour to Rome and her service to students. As the staff support for the Rome tour, “Ella was incredibly dedicated to supporting the goals of his course,” a nominator says.

A staff assistant in the School of Business Administration prior to her appointment in the School of Humanities, “Ella has worked closely with students with disabilities and our international students,” an administrator writes. He continues, “Ella’s dedication to the school’s study abroad programs and student exchanges aided these programs. The German exchange students frequently shared how helpful she was with everything from rearranging their course schedules to picking them up at the airport. Her care was also evident as she invited them to her home and to dinner with her family.”

She has also demonstrated her active involvement in campus activities such as serving as chair of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day and on the Martin Luther King Day poster project.