The Pillars

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The Pillars

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The seventh anniversary presentation of The Pillars, institutional awards that honor individuals who have made meaningful contributions that broaden diversity and promote a climate of inclusion in the UMMC commUNITY and beyond.

Nominations

The nominations period for The Pillars Awards 2024 begins Monday, November 6, 2023 (8:00 a.m.) and closes on Friday, December 8, 2023 (5:00 p.m.).Click here to access the nominations form. Click here for a full description of the awards categories and eligibility requirements. Click here for examples of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and strategies. 

Recognitions

 An honoree will be selected from the following categories:

  • Excellence Award – Honors a student, resident, or fellow from any school of UMMC who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the institution’s goals to promote diversity and inclusion within the institution and through service to the commUNITY. 
  • Inclusion Award - Recognizes a full-time or part-time executive/administrative, professional, secretarial and clerical, service and maintenance, skilled crafts, or technical & paraprofessionals staff member that does not hold a faculty position who has shown outstanding leadership in expanding diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Beacon Award - Honors any clinical or non-clinical faculty member with an academic designation or rank who demonstrates inclusive excellence in teaching, instruction, research, or clinical practice at UMMC. The Beacon Award honoree will also receive the Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning's Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award during Black History Month. 
  • Lifetime Achievement Award - Acknowledges an alumni who has made a significant contribution to improving health outcomes in diverse communities in the state of Mississippi. 
  • Esprit De Corps Award - Acknowledges a team, department, or office that demonstrates successful collaboration on efforts to improve outcomes of diverse communities in any of UMMC’s mission areas of education, research, and health care.
  • Inspiration Award – Recognizes a community member or an organization outside of UMMC that helps advance diverse and/or underrepresented communities through servant leadership in the areas of fairness and inclusion.