Week of November 18-22

Volume 11, Issue 10

“Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.” 

—Native American saying

Student Spotlight: Eric Crawford

Eric is a junior majoring in psychology and a Promising Scholar who will graduate in May 2026. Currently the secretary for IUP Esports, he previously served as captain and was involved with the first Local Area Network (LAN) tournament for an IUP Esports team. He is very proud to have represented IUP in that manner, making the playoffs with two teams. Eric is a past member of UBORA Men of IUP and participated in the first Excellence in Progress Summit. He was part of the 2024 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, IUP’s unique summer opportunity for undergraduate students in all disciplines who are engaged in original inquiry-based research, scholarship, and creative endeavors. Eric’s topic for U-SOAR was “Critical Race Games,” a look at how critical race theory affects social groups in gaming. This included research on communication, ethnic minority participation, and equalizing social dynamics. We thank you, Eric!

Staff Spotlight: Dawn Smith-Sherwood

Dawn is a professor of Spanish in the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing. She advises all Spanish minors, as well as the IUP Iota chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the national collegiate Hispanic Honors Society. From 2013 to 2016, she directed the semester-long Valladolid study abroad program. She twice walked the Camino de Santiago with IUP and other State System honors college students. Her recent publications investigate the intersection of second language teaching and literary study, as well as women and science in Spanish cultural production. Since 2022, Dawn has served as the director of Liberal Studies within the University College and has worked with campus colleagues on the redesign of IUP’s general education curriculum, the new Crimson Core, which includes a first-year experience course, First Learning Year (FLY). A first-generation college student herself, Dawn is committed to providing incoming students with the support and resources they need for academic, career, and personal success. Dawn previously served on the President’s Commission for Diversity and Inclusion and as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ambassador for the Center for Teaching Excellence. We thank you, Dawn!

A note about IUP Values Me: Each week, we highlight one student and one staff member to “shine a spotlight” on their leadership and involvement in campus programs and their great work assisting our campus community with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and/or civil rights awareness.

Digest issues are emailed every Monday morning. Send all information concerning your event to social-equity@iup.edu, and we will include it in the appropriate weekly issue. Please be sure to enter your event in the online DIVERSITY, STUDENT, and CENTRAL CALENDARS so that it will receive wider marketing and achieve greater attendance.

Elise Glenn

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator

B-17 Delaney Hall

social-equity@iup.edu

title-ix@iup.edu