Chadwick Allen, associate professor, Department of English, received the 2011 Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award.

The award recognizes individuals or groups who have demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity at Ohio State and to exceeding expectations in implementing the university's Diversity Action Plan. Recipients are honored with a plaque and a $1,200 honorarium.

Though a particular focus of Chad Allen's commitment to diversity has been on Native American/American Indian Studies, his service certainly is not confined to any single population.

"Professor Allen has shown considerable leadership and initiative in promoting diversity at Ohio State," wrote one nominator. "Moreover, the breadth and depth of his efforts demonstrate his deep personal investment in making the university a place where all individuals can thrive. He has repeatedly gone out of his way to create new opportunities for education and advocacy."

American Indian Studies (AIS) would not exist at Ohio State in its present form without Allen's guidance, vision, passion and hard work. He was instrumental in establishing AIS as an interdisciplinary minor and created one of the minor's core courses, "American Indian Literature and Culture." He is organizing an international American Indian conference at Ohio State for the 100th anniversary of the first Conference of the Society of American Indians, which was held on campus in 1912.

Allen helped to establish the Diversity and Identity Studies Collective at Ohio State and helped create opportunities for faculty and students from underrepresented groups while he was coordinator of the Diversity Enhancement Research Working Group.

Read more on the OSU University Awards website.