The 2014 winners of the Carol Hollenshead Award are Kathleen Donohoe, Associate Director of Human Resources for Policy, and Dorceta Taylor, Professor of Environmental Sociology at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Program in Environment.

In honor of CEW’s former director, the award is given annually to faculty or staff—either individuals or groups—whose sustained efforts have resulted in greater equity in regard to gender, race, class, age, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Donohoe’s commitment to service, justice and gender and social equity have spanned the length of her 24-year storied career with the United States Coast Guard and her 11 years with the University of Michigan. Appointed the first Director of the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy Office in 1999, Kathleen has educated the U-M community on ways to prevent, recognize and respond to sexual harassment. She vigilantly investigated incidents reported by faculty, staff and students. She was one of the chief architects of the University’s award-winning “Abuse Hurts: Recognize, Respond and Refer” program which delivers training on abuse recognition and prevention, and provides educational and sustaining support.

Since 2007, Kathleen has served as Associate Director of Policy in the office of University Human Resources. In this role she manages the creation, review and implementation of the University’s human resources’ policies and practices – making it her mission to create policies that service everyone and are effective, just and understandable. Kathleen exemplifies servant leadership in her role as a member of Safehouse Center’s board of directors, whose mission it is to build communities free of domestic and sexual violence. Always the stalwart and supportive leader, Kathleen maintains the focus on survivors while strategically strengthening the institutional systems at the University and in the greater community to confront the impacts of violence against women.
Dr. Taylor founded and directs the Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative (MELDI), which promotes diversity in the environmental movement and in the leadership of environmental organizations. She started MELDI in 2002 to help those with no ties to traditional environmental networks gain access to them through admission into university environmental programs, as well as internships, jobs and board roles in environmental organizations.

Dr. Taylor encourages students and faculty to be community activists by using their research to meaningfully address environmental issues. Her courses explore themes of social inequality, poverty, mobilization, and environment, emphasizing active, field-based engagement. Her research has helped diffuse stereotypes and legitimized claims of environmental racism and discrimination. She has used her research to push for policies that enhance the quality of life in minority and poor communities.

This year’s Hollenshead Award will be presented on Wednesday May 14th at a conference reception preceding a keynote open to all by Sheryl WuDunn of Half the Sky Movement. Ms. WuDunn’s address is part of a 3-day interdisciplinary conference on Women and Economic Security that will focus on identifying and combating barriers faced by women living in poverty.  Further information on the conference and registration.