Dr. Marie C. Vea was honored with the 2024 Dr. H. Lawrence McCrorey Award for Inclusive Excellence in recognition of her contributions to creating a legacy of equity, justice and inclusion at the University of Vermont (UVM). The honor is an acknowledgment of the awardee’s commitment to inclusive excellence, anti-oppression, social justice and fighting discrimination for those from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds.
Vea, Assistant Dean for Student Services in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, has built an impressive legacy of service during her 25 years at UVM. Through her work in the Admissions Office, the Career Center and the Rubenstein School, Vea has continuously created an inclusive and supportive environment for people of color. She has helped to make university systems more equitable, mentored students of color on their career paths, and integrated practices of anti-racism and Indigenous ways of knowing into her teaching and the Rubenstein School’s curriculum.
Vea’s dedication to the advancement of inclusive excellence is evident in her many years serving on UVM committees, advisory boards, and task forces. She is an active member of the University Diversity Council and the Rubenstein School Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action Committee. Vea supported the founding of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color Environmental Collective. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people of color to access outdoor recreation experiences and to feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors.
Vea expressed immense gratitude in her remarks, written to accept the award. “When I reflect on my 25 years at UVM I can see clearly that I have been inspired and energized all this time by the commitment, wisdom, courage, and joy of so many others - students, staff, faculty, and friends far and wide who are likewise committed to this important work. I am especially grateful to my Rubenstein School colleagues who have been tireless partners toward living our mission to heal and radically change human environment systems in a just, equitable, and ecological direction.”
The Dr. H. Lawrence McCrorey Award for Inclusive Excellence was presented during the Andrew Harris Legacy Reception on September 29. The 2024 Andrew Harris Legacy Reception honored Dr. Angela E. Batista, a longtime colleague of Vea. Dr. Batista is an agent of change who made lasting impacts through her activism and social justice work supporting marginalized and underrepresented communities at UVM and the broader community of Vermont.
The Dr. H. Lawrence McCrorey Award for Inclusive Excellence is named in honor of Dr. H. Lawrence McCrorey and his distinguished twenty-seven-year career and leadership in promoting educational excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strategies for combatting racism. The annual Andrew Harris Legacy Reception, named after the first African American graduate of UVM, honors the legacy and work of UVM community members who have inspired and strengthened diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.