Pelayo-Woodward wins 2009 Josie R. Johnson Award
Susana Pelayo-Woodward, director of the Office of Cultural Diversity at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has been named the 2009 winner of the Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award, sponsored annually by the Office for Equity and Diversity. Pelayo-Woodward, who has worked at UMD since 1992, is a leader on the Duluth campus with regard to social justice issues, policies and programs, teaching courses on a wide range of diversity topics, serving on UMD's Commission on Women, acting as the advisor for UMD's Amnesty International chapter, chairing and serving on UMD's Women's Resource and Action Center, and leading travel groups of students and faculty to her native Mexico as part of the Witness for Peace program. Pelayo-Woodward received the award at a ceremony and reception on April 20, 2009.
The Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award was established in honor of Dr. Josie R. Johnson in recognition of her lifelong contributions to human rights and social justice, which guided her work with the civil rights movement, years of community service, and tenure at the University of Minnesota. The award honors University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students who, through their principles and practices, exemplify Dr. Johnson’s standard of excellence in creating respectful and inclusive living, learning, and working environments.