2023 Call for Nominations

Earl B. Higgins Award

Earl B. Higgins

Earl B. Higgins Awards

The Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion proudly hosts the Earl B. Higgins Achievement in Diversity Award annually. The award is presented to an employee and a student in recognition of exemplary strides/contributions in promoting diversity. A presentation and reception are held on the first Wednesday of April every year in honor of the nominees and award recipients. Also honored on this occasion are six students nominated by their Dean to receive the Earl B. Higgins Scholarship. 

First presented in April 1996, this award has become an annual event at the Medical University of S.C. The award is a tribute to the late Dr. Earl B. Higgins, former director of affirmative action and minority affairs at MUSC. Dr. Higgins was born 1946 and passed away on August 30, 1992.

During his four-year tenure at MUSC, Dr. Higgins was a warrior for recruitment, retention, and enrichment programs that increased representation of minority students in all programs at MUSC. He also worked diligently to recruit minority faculty members and to ensure equal opportunities for all employees. He served as a mediator in race relations and gender issues. Dr. Higgins seized opportunities to promote a harmonious learning and work environment for all and built bridges between the university and the community it serves.
 
Until 2005, the criteria for the award favored individuals at senior administrative levels and/or in larger university departments or units. In the spring of 2006, the selection committee adjusted the criteria to make sure that potentially deserving individuals at each and every level of the university and authority would receive equal consideration for their good works in promoting and influencing diversity. Additionally, the committee agreed to honor and acknowledge the achievements of students promoting and influencing diversity and presented the first student leadership in diversity award on April 5, 2006.

Spring 2017, the Higgins Awards added a new honoree category, MUSC Health Leadership in Diversity. The added category provides an opportunity to be more inclusive in the recognition of diverse contributions from across the enterprise by particularly honoring those health care professionals who contribute significantly to our broad goals, which include Patients First and Embracing Diversity. 

Details regarding the awards ceremony have been scheduled for spring 2023.

Selection/Nomination Criteria

We seek nominations for three separate awards:

  • The Earl B. Higgins 2023 University Leadership in Diversity Award
  • The Earl B. Higgins 2023 Student Leadership in Diversity Award
  • The Earl B. Higgins 2023 MUSC Health Leadership in Diversity Award (created in 2017)

The selection committee solicits nominations for individual students, faculty, staff, and heath care professionals of MUSC who have made a significant and positive contribution to campus  diversity and inclusion in three of the following five areas:

  • Enriches diversity through students, faculty, staff, and/or patient recruitment, retention, and enrichment
  • Improves/enhances diversity through excellence in service to students, faculty, staff, patients, families, or visitors
  • Advances two or more of the several targeted areas of the D&I strategic plan: education and training, engagement and inclusion, communications/community relations/outreach, and impacting performance outcomes and assessment
  • Recognizes and takes initiative to act upon potential opportunities to significantly affect/influence the organization's academic health center environment as it pertains to embracing diversity
  • Demonstrates an understanding of the benefits of diversity within MUSC and throughout the community and promotes outcomes that “create an inclusive experience for the lives we touch.”

For more information contact Rhonda Walters, Project Coordinator for Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at 843-792-5563 or email at waltersr@musc.edu.

Former Employee Recipients

Joanne M. Conroy, M.D. (1996), Anne O. Kilpatrick, DPA (1997), Sabra C. Slaughter, Ph.D. (1998), Layton MuCurdy, M.D. (1999), Jerry Blackwell, Ph.D. (2000), Thomas D. Waldrep (2001), Florence Maria Simmons, R.N. (2002), Raymond S. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D. (2003), John Franklin (2004), Michael A. deArellano, Ph.D. (2005), Cynthia Cupit-Swenson, Ph.D. (2006), Jerry Reves, M. D. (2007), Liz Sheridan (2008), John Feussner, M.D. (2009), Deborah Deas, M.D. (2010), Carolyn H. Jenkins, DrPH (2011), Leonie Gordon, M.D. (2012), Etta D. Pisano, M.D. (2013), Ms. Deborah C. Williamson, SHA, MSN, CNM (2014), Cynthia Wright, Ph.D. (2015), B. DaNine Fleming, EdD (2016), Cristina López, Ph.D. (2017), Ebony Hilton, M.D. (2018), Myra Haney Singleton, EdD (2019), Natalie Johnson, MA (2020), Lindsey Hamil, Ph.D. (2021), Marvella Ford, Ph.D. (2022)

Former Student Recipients

Alexander Whitley, Ph.D. (2006), Aaron Embry, MS (2007), Dachelle Johnson (2008), Christanne Hoffman, M.D. (2009), Ryan Rhome (2010), Kelly Lambright (2011), Mary Alice Hughes, CDM (2012), Brandon J. Hagan, CDM (2013), Brittany Watson, COM (2014), Brandi White, CHP (2015), Robert Williams, COM (2016), Celeste Jilich, COM (2017), Keeland Williams, COM (2018), Malikah Christie, CDM (2019), Priscilla Burgess, COP (2020), Keena Ross, COP (2021), Sindasha Makins, CDM (2022)

Former MUSC Health Recipients

John Sion (2017), Michael Denham (2018), Leah Ramos, MSN, RN (2019), Tim Brendle, DNP, RN, CNOR, NE-BC (2020), Iggy Pla, (2021), Eunice (Kay) Price Moore (2022)

Selection/Nomination Criteria

The selection committee solicits nominations for individual employees of MUSC who have made a significant and positive contribution to campus diversity in three of the following five areas:

  • Student/employee recruitment, retention, enrichment, and/or relations
  • Improvement/enhancement of diversity through excellence in service to patients, families, visitors
  • Advancements in areas of diversity, including race relations, gender issues, disabled, aging, and international constituencies
  • Recognizes and takes initiative to act upon potential opportunities to significantly affect/influence the organization/work environment around diversity
  • Promotes improvements in the understanding of the benefits of diversity within MUSC and the community