The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award was established in 1986 to honor a faculty member, administrator or staff member for their outstanding service in keeping with the principles and ideals of Dr. King. While the award is a tremendous honor, it also carries a $1,000 stipend for the recipient. This year we will seek to honor both a faculty and a staff member for their contributions throughout our community.
Both of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award recipients will be named at FSU’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Celebration on January 14, 2025 as part of MLK Week.
Nomination Criteria
- Nominations should be for a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to Dr. King’s principles and ideals of freedom, equality, justice, liberty, individuality, and respect and furthers the university's commitment to those principles and ideals.
- All faculty and staff are eligible for the award.
- Nominees from the faculty must demonstrate scholarly excellence and a personal commitment to Dr. King's principles and ideals.
- Nominees from the staff must exemplify a commitment to the campus community and a personal commitment to Dr. King's principles and ideals.
Nomination packets should be submitted via the online form and should include:
- Nomination letter: Detail the faculty or staff member’s scholarly excellence, social involvement, and significant contributions to research, support, or service, as well as their efforts to uphold the values and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The nomination letter should include contact information for the faculty or staff member organizing the nomination materials.
- Resume/CV and biography: The person submitting the nomination materials should include a resume/CV and short biography of the nominee.
- One letter of support: Letter should affirm the commitment and contributions of the nominee, including one form the nominee’s supervisor or administrative unit head (e.g., dean or director).
Nominations are open and must be submitted by 12 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024.
Distinguished Service Award Past Recipients
2024 | Dr. Christopher Small | College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences |
2022 | Dr. Sabrina L. Dickey | College of Nursing |
2021 | Dr. Gregory Harris | College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences |
2021 | Earl Levison | Student Affairs |
2020 | Dr. Huan Chen | National High Magnetic Field Laboratory |
2019 | Thesla Berne-Anderson | College of Medicine |
2019 | Donald J. Weidner | College of Law |
2018 | Joedreka Brown Speights | College of Medicine |
2018 | Fabian Tata | Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement |
2017 | Darryl Marshall | Office of Financial Aid |
2017 | Okenwa Okoli | College of Engineering |
2016 | Dr. Bruce Lamont | College of Business |
2015 | Dr. Rhea Lathan | Department of English |
2014 | Dr. Penny Ralston | College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences |
2013 | Dr. Kendall Campbell | College of Medicine |
2012 | Mr. Jimmy Pastrano | Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Department |
2011 | Ms. Vanessa Solomon | The Center for Leadership and Service |
2010 | Dr. Maxine Montgomery | College of Arts & Sciences |
2009 | Dr. Tamara Bertrand Jone | College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences |
2008 | Dr. Jose Rodriguez | College of Medicine |
2007 | Dr. Davis Houck | College of Communication |
2006 | Retha Bowman | Building Services |
2005 | Angela Richardson | Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement |
2004 | Roberta Christie | International Center |
2003 | Earle Lee | Boys' Choir |
2002 | Jenice Rankins | Nutrition, Food & Exercise Science |
2001 | Billy R. Close | Department of Criminology |
2000 | Edward Love | Sculptor |
1999 | Dr. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar | Department of Dance |
1998 | Joy M. Bowen | Student Affairs |
1997 | Sheila Ortiz-Taylor | Department of English |
1996 | Andre J. Thomas | College of Music |
1995 | Fred Seamon | Public Administration |
1994 | R. Bruce Bickley, Jr. | Department of English |
1993 | Freddie Groomes | Office of Human Resources |
1992 | Sandra Rackley | Office of Undergraduate Studies |
1991 | Joe M. Richardson | History |
1990 | Melvin T. Stith | Marketing |
1989 | Douglas G. St. Angelo | History |
1989 | Maxine D. Jones | Political Science |
1987 | Na'im Akbar | Psychology |
1986 | William R. Jones | Black Studies |