National Organization: UA Chapter 'Affiliate of the Year'

BGSA

Black Graduate Student Association members who attended the organization's national conference in Houston are UA students Michelle Tucker, Ada Dieke, Chandra Jennings and Rowena Campbell. (Photo courtesy of Rowena Campbell)

BGSA Table

The UA chapter of the National Black Graduate Student Association formed last year. (Photo courtesy of Rowena Campbell)

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications March 23, 2009

The Black Graduate Student Association honored the UA's student chapter during its annual meeting this month.

The University of Arizona chapter of the National Black Graduate Student Association was recognized with the Affiliate of the Year Award at the organization's annual conference in Houston.

Also during the conference, which was held earlier this month, three of the four UA student delegates who traveled to Houston were elected to positions on the national board for the organization, which is said to be one of the nation's largest interdisciplinary graduate student organizations.

Each year the National Black Graduate Student Association, or NBGSA, selects an affiliate of the year, noting that honorees exemplify a "model of providing institutional, student-initiated support for graduate students of African descent," according to the organization's Web site.

Also, chapters that are honored are chosen based on the quality, diversity and innovative nature of their academic work, community service and social programs.

"We couldn't believe it when our chapter was announced the winner," said Michelle Tucker, a UA master's student in public administration.

The UA chapter was formed last year and serves to aid students of color, particularly black students at the UA, in their efforts toward graduate degrees. The chapter's priorities are in academic achievement, fellowship and community service.

For the honor, the UA chapter was up against schools like Emory University, the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of South Carolina, among others.

"We had high hopes," said Tucker, who was among those elected to serve on the national board as vice president of information services.

Chandra Jennings, a UA master's student studying public health, was elected as a judicial commissioner and Rowena Campbell, a doctoral candidate in medical pharmacology, was elected as a nominations and elections commissioner. Campbell formerly served as the NBGSA's Western Regional Representative.

The chapter has held workshops on writing, financial responsibility and wellness, interdisciplinary research and other topics. The organization also co-hosted a regional conference for schools in western and southwestern states at the UA's BIO5 Institute in October.

On March 28, the UA chapter is hosting "SANKOFA," a social event that is meant to connect UA students, faculty and staff with the broader Tucson community.

The event is based on the principles of Sankofa, which was an African-American faculty and staff organization at the UA in the 1990s.

"We hope it inspires faculty and staff to bring the organizaiton alive again," Campbell said. The event will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hotel Arizona, 181 W. Broadway Blvd.

For the UA chapter's work, NBGSA's competition judges lauded students for their professionalism and dedication.

"I'm proud of the chapter's direction," said UA chapter president Ada Dieke, a former judicial commissioner for NBGSA who is pursuing her doctorate in public health.

"I hope that this new accomplishment will lead to many more collaborations in and around the campus community to aid in the recruitment and retention of more graduate students from diverse backgrounds," Dieke added.