MU Honors Faculty for Contributions to Diversity

March 12th, 2014

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Division of Student Affairs has awarded three faculty members the 2014 MU Faculty Achievement Award in Diversity. This is an endowed award given annually to three faculty members whose work elevates diversity and inclusion on the MU campus. This year’s recipients are:

• Mar Soria is an assistant professor of Spanish who teaches courses in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at MU. She is working on a book, Women at Work: (Dis)Embodying the Castiza Nation in Spanish Culture (1880-1975), that investigates how the representation of female work provides new insights into the ideological construction of the Spanish nation. In the classroom, Mar enjoys teaching courses that combine literary and cultural materials. She believes that being open to different viewpoints and backgrounds is part of building productive and balanced human relationships. For that reason, Mar guides students to think critically as informed citizens of an interconnected world.

• Chris Lee is an assistant professor and undergraduate adviser in the Department of Biochemistry. As an adviser and professor, Lee has worked as a mentor to several students involved in the Express Program, which helps minority students succeed in science. He teaches three classes in biochemistry and two laboratory-based classes of applied biochemistry. He also coordinated  an internship program associated with ABC labs, a private research organization based in Columbia.

• Srirupa Prasad is an assistant professor of women’s and gender studies and sociology at MU. Her research interests are feminist theory, globalization, public health and medicine, and South Asia. Throughout her career, Prasad has taught courses on globalization, transnationalism and multiculturalism. Growing up and being educated in a global world, she feels strongly about the value of a multicultural education. Prasad’s philosophy is that in today’s global context, there must be a genuine engagement with students on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. The courses she teaches at MU have strong international components.