The Faculty Staff Senate of Prairie View A&M University presented two faculty members with the Senate’s Second Annual Faculty Ambassador Award. Dr. Juanita Jimenez, visiting an assistant professor of Architecture, and Mr. Danny Harvey, an instructor of Finance, were selected as this year’s recipients.
Designed to recognize and reward faculty members who use their scholarship to make concrete, positive differences in the everyday lives of specific local communities, the Faculty Staff Ambassador Awards generate positive awareness of PVAMU within those communities. “I am so proud of these candidates,” said M. Clay Hooper, Ph.D., speaker of the Faculty Senate, “both of them I think are very deserving candidates,” Hooper said between eight and 10 submissions were received by the senate this year, and Jimenez and Harvey were unanimously chosen by the committee as the award recipients.
During the 2016-2017 academic school year, Dr. Jimenez traveled with Architecture students to impoverished neighborhoods in Guachene, Colombia. There, they helped design low-income housing as well as build outdoor playground structures for a local daycare. To continue her efforts, in Spring 2016, Jimenez along with students from the School of Architecture, helped design a new community center for Independence Heights: a historically black community in the Houston area. When asked how she felt about receiving the award Dr. Jimenez said, “It means a lot because I have been working with the communities and I am trying to complete the goals of the University: teaching, research, and service.”
Harvey has been conducting financial literacy programs since the Spring of 2016. He and students in the College of Business’ Finance Association visit local area high schools to teach the basic principles of money management. “I’m humbled by the award,” said Harvey, “Winning an award just highlights the importance of financial literacy.” He said the award speaks to the tireless efforts of PVAMU students who give their time to educate the public. He states the award is more about the project than him and is glad to get recognition by his peers. “You don’t give to get, but if you give you will get,” said Harvey.
To inform them of their accomplishment, Hooper sent the recipients a personal email congratulating them on their achievement. A ceremony honoring the recipients was held at the final senate meeting of the academic school year, in early May. Administrators, deans and department heads, and faculty members were invited to attend the ceremony. Recipients received a trophy and $750 award, “How they use it is up to them,” said Hooper.