Four outstanding members of the Elon community were honored with the LGBTQIA Community Enrichment Awards during an Oct. 19 event in Johnston Hall.
Four outstanding members of the Elon community were honored with the LGBTQIA Community Enrichment Awards during an Oct. 19 event in Johnston Hall.
The program included remarks from President Leo M. Lambert, Rachel Della Valle ’05, president of the LGBTQIA Alumni Network, Ben Smith ’09, the network’s awards and recognition chair, Matthew Antonio Bosch, director of the Elon Gender and LGBTQIA Center and students Elizabeth Nichols ’16 and Robbie Linklater ’15.
Honored were:
G. Smith Jackson
G. Smith Jackson’s career in higher education administration has spanned more than 30 years. He came to Elon in 1994 as dean of students and has been in his current position as vice president for student life and dean of students since 1998. He is responsible for all aspects of student life, including 15 departments that provide student services and co-curricular programs for student learning and development. Elon has become a leader in LGBTQIA student support and a recognized name in diversity education due, in part, to Jackson’s leadership. His experience, skill, care for students and commitment to equality has set him apart as a true leader in the Elon community. A native of Dothan, Ala., he and his family live in Burlington, N.C.
Claire Lockard ’16
Claire Lockard is a philosophy major from Prospect, Ky. She is heavily involved in Spectrum and is a student worker in the Gender and LGBTQ Center on campus. Lockard has been a shining beacon for the GLC and daily serves as a mentor for fellow students. A 2014 Lumen Scholar, she will work for two years with her mentor, Professor of Philosophy Anthony Weston, on a project titled “Towards a More Aspirational Alternative in Higher Education: Moving beyond Conventional Diversity Discourse.” She has participated in LGBTQIA Alumni Network meetings and hopes to continue her involvement after graduation.
Tatum Robinson ’99 G’02
Tatum Robinson has spent the past 11 years dreaming big and working hard. In 2006 she realized her vision of opening her own physical therapy practice, and today, some of her most rewarding work is helping patients with spinal cord injuries regain functionality. Robinson has been instrumental in implementing rehabilitation programs in Charlotte, N.C., for some of the area’s best high school athletes, weekend warriors and professional athletes from the NBA, WNBA and MLB. In addition to specializing in spinal cord injuries, she is also among the 1 percent of physical therapists in the nation certified in the progressive Myofascial Release technique called “dry needling.” Robinson and her partner, Lisa Ciaravella ’98, live in Charlotte with their daughter, Elam.
Hillary W. Bruce ’08
Hillary W. Bruce is the owner of Honey Hive Home, a professional organizer business. Prior to launching that venture, she worked in event planning and fundraising for several universities and nonprofit organizations, including Elon University and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. She graduated cum laude from Elon in 2008 and later received a Master’s of Education degree from North Carolina State University. She has volunteered with organizations including Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties, Elon’s LGBTQIA Alumni Network, Carolina Abortion Fund and N.C. Women United. Bruce and her wife, Kate, a professor of sociology at Wake Forest University, live in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Elon’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Ally (LGBTQIA) Alumni Network strives to improve the campus climate for members of the Elon community by advocating on behalf of LGBTQIA issues and partnering with others to build an inclusive and respectful community.