The Department of Communication Studies extends its congratulations to Dr. Tina M. Harris, who has been named the faculty recipient of UGA’s 2017-2018 Excellence in Diversity Leadership Award. The Excellence in Diversity Leadership Awards are given annually by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Office of Inclusion and Diversity Leadership to one Franklin faculty member and one member of the Franklin staff in recognition of their efforts to create and sustain an inclusive climate for diversity in Franklin classrooms and throughout the college. As this year’s faculty recipient, Dr. Harris will receive a certificate, a $1,000 honorarium, and recognition at the 2018 Franklin College Faculty Awards Banquet. Dr. Tina Maria Harris is a Professor with a passion for teaching and research on the topics of communication and race. She is also a UGA alumnus, having earned both her B. A. and M. A. from this very department. She earned her doctorate in Speech Communication from the University of Kentucky, and eventually returned to UGA, where she remains committed to excellence in both her classroom instruction and research. The University has recognized her success by selecting her as the 2017 Engaged Scholar from the Office of Public Service and Outreach, a 2017 Special Collections Faculty Fellows, and a 2010 recipient of UGA's esteemed Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship, the institution's highest teaching honor. In 2006, Dr. Harris was the sole recipient of the Georgia Board of Regents' Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award for her teaching and scholarship on race and pedagogy in the college classroom. Her accomplishments and other research interests are a testament to her passion for and commitment to advancing scholarship and knowledge that prepares students for responsible citizenry in an increasingly diverse world. Read more about Dr. Harris by visiting her faculty profile, here. Type of News/Audience: Alumni Faculty/Staff Department Award