Strength in diversity
Tanya Whitlow
Position: Student affairs officer
Unit: College of Engineering, Dean’s Office
Major: Psychology
Graduation year: 1987
Hometown: Rio Linda, Calif.
Why is UC Davis the one for you? Diversity and opportunity. “One of the best experiences I have had at UC Davis is receiving the 2013 Martin Luther King Social Justice Award from the African American Faculty and Staff Association. I received the award because of my work with underrepresented students in engineering yet, to me, it also represented the impact of the advisers, administrators and faculty past and present who made a difference to me and in the lives of the students we serve.”
What do you hope to be your legacy here at UC Davis – what marks have you made or changes that you hope will continue? “I hope that my legacy at UC Davis is that I made such a positive impact on the success of students that they, as alumni, reach back to help other students achieve their goals. That way the legacy is unending.”
Tell us about one person at UC Davis who has enhanced your life or your work? “The two people who enhanced my life and work at UC Davis were Bobbie Bolden and Jere Curry. Both were directors of the dance department when I was a student and were true humanitarians who showed through their actions that diversity is strength and that ‘each one can teach one’ and still effect significant change.”
