A West Virginia University at Parkersburg sociology professor described as a champion for social justice is this years recipient of the Neil S. Bucklew Award for Social Justice at West Virginia University.
Devika Malhotra, who serves as WVU Parkersburgs academic diversity facilitator and chair of the campus Social Justice Committee, is the 2002 honoree.
“The personal compassion Devika has for issues of social justice and diversity is clearly evident in the way she has demonstrated her leadership on our campus over the past 26 years,”said WVU Parkersburg President Erik Bitterbaum.
A native of India, Malhotra received bachelorsdegrees and a masters from Agra University in India. She immigrated to the United States in 1961 and joined the Parkersburg faculty in 1975.
Her commitment to promoting rights of minorities and underprivileged and to facilitating cross-cultural understanding has extended from the classroom to her community.
“No one person has had more of an impact on inclusion of diversity in our curriculum than Devika,”noted Judith Higgs, dean of WVU Parkersburgs Student Services Division.”She has been a vocal and energetic advocate for women, gays and many other under-represented groups on our campus and in our community.”
The sociology professor created the colleges first gender course, a team-taught class in Gender and Human Identity in 1992. She has developed other courses in response to social change, including Sociology of Work, Focus on Society, Introduction to Sociology, Africans, Introduction to Anthropology, Marriage&Family, Social Change and Social Problems.
“She has done so much, not only to bring innovative courses into the curriculum, but to encourage people in the academic community and the community at large to live by the precepts of social justice,”said Ron Atkinson, chairman of the WVU Parkersburg Social Sciences Division.
Malhotra has been actively involved in the campus Social Justice Committee since its formation 10 years ago and is chairing the committee for the second year. She initiated the campus Multi-cultural Awareness Coalition, a student group of 125 members dedicated to the promotion and celebration of diversity. She serves as its adviser.
In 1998, she visited South Africa to study the status of African women during post-apartheid as a member of the National Womens Delegation. She has conducted various workshops throughout the state on gender issues in the context of changing roles of men and women, family issues and cultural diversity.
“She has brought a heightened awareness to our campus of the significance of international cooperation,”noted Cheryl Robinson, president of the WVU Parkersburg Faculty Senate.
Malhotra received an outstanding professor award from the West Virginia Legislature in 1990, the 1994 WVU Parkersburg Social Justice and Multi-cultural Awareness Award and the 1995 Mary Catherine Buswell Award, presented by the WVU Council for Womens Concerns.
Malhotra is the second WVU Parkersburg faculty member to receive the Bucklew award. Larry Robinson, an assistant professor of social services at WVU Parkersburg, was honored in 1995.
The WVU Social Justice Award is named for former WVU President Neil S. Bucklew, who established the universitys Office for Social Justice. The award is open to faculty, staff and administrators involved in the promotion of social justice. Selection for the award is based on outstanding leadership, courage and support on a continuous basis in the area of social justice in the WVU system.
Malhotra will be among those recognized during the Weekend of Honors annual Convocation Ceremony to be held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12, in the Mountainlair ballrooms.