Black Resource Center bestows Collaboration Champion Award on Dean Chung, COE
The Gus and Emma Thompson Black Resource Center (BRC) at San Diego State University has named Dean Y. Barry Chung and the entire College of Education the inaugural recipient of its College Collaboration Champion Award.
The honor was bestowed on Sept. 26 at the BRC's annual celebration to recognize faculty members who exude Black excellence through promotion and/or tenure.
COE received the College Collaboration Champion Award for actions it took in the wake of the 2020 murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Encouraged by Black faculty in the college, Chung created a Black Advisory Council to the Dean and supported faculty in launching the Center for Achieving Black Wellness and Anti-Racist Education (CABWARE), which aims to disrupt racism in the education and mental wellness fields.
"Dean Chung responded with empathy and purpose," said Tonika Green, SDSU Associate Vice President for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging said in prepared remarks.
Every February, the College of Education also hosts a meet-and-greet at the BRC, where it provides pizza and a welcoming space for SDSU's Black students to learn about the college's credential and master's degree programs.
"Beyond these initiatives, several faculty members from the College of Education and Dean Chung have gone above and beyond supporting BRC events, programs and serving in special roles that have significantly impacted students in our BRC community," continued Green, who is a professor in COE's Department of Counseling and School Psychology.
In his remarks, Chung said he was humbled by the recognition.
"I want to recognize the entire College of Education for all the work that we have done," he said. "Even though I feel like I have not done enough, we have made baby steps reaching out to the larger university in supporting our Black students, faculty and staff. I thought that was something that we should do."
Three COE-connected faculty members were among the four honorees being recognized for achieving tenure and/or promotion. They included:
- Zemed Berhe, a clinical psychologist with SDSU Counseling and Psychological Services who is a member of COE's CABWARE center.
- Jeffrey Brown, who was promoted to associate professor with tenure in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology.
- Regina Brandon, who was promoted to full professor in the Department of Special Education.
Said Brandon: "If there's anything that I'm hoping to give back to the next generation of young women and men, it's to know that this journey is difficult — but it is possible."
