For more than 17 seventeen years, Clemson has honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Excellence in Service Award. Presented annually, the award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s vision of the beloved community, which he defines as a “a community inclusive of all people, regardless of race, gender, class, ethnicity; a community that recognizes people as individuals first, each with a unique set of life experiences that shapes their particular perspective; a community where varied perspectives are brought together in a collective effort to achieve goals for the common good.”
That tradition continued this year, when President Jim Clements and Chief Diversity Officer Lee Gill presented a faculty member, a student and a community member with the awards at the Jan. 22 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service, held on Clemson’s main campus.
Faculty award
Mary Beth Kurz, Ph.D. is described as an exceptional leader in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. As 2016-17 Faculty Senate president, she launched several initiatives to discover inequities in employment and opportunities for underrepresented groups. Kurz chaired the senate’s Committee on Committees and currently serves as Faculty Manual Editor. She and a team updated the faculty grievance procedures manual and also developed an Excel-based tool to help her students check their own IE degree plans.
