UB Advisor Danielle Johnson Receives UUP's First Annual "Lavender Star" Award

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Danielle Johnson, academic advisor in the Daniel Ackers Scholars Program in the University at Buffalo Cora P. Maloney College, has received the first annual Lavender Star Award for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer Leadership at UB from the Buffalo Center Chapter of United University Professionals (UUP) at UB and its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) Committee.

The award was presented at the UUP Lavender Reception on April 27 in UB's Intercultural and Diversity Center, 240 Student Union, North Campus.

The award selection committee said Johnson, who in addition to being an academic advisor is a doctoral student in the UB Graduate School of Education, "has consistently demonstrated active leadership and has served the LGBTQ community with compassion, conviction and a research agenda that directly leads to understanding, tolerance and acceptance."

Moriah Bolinsky Hegmann, events manager in the UB Center for the Arts, co-chaired the selection committee with James Bowman, special populations outreach coordinator in the Department of Student Health and Wellness. Hegmann notes that Johnson's doctoral dissertation, which she will complete this year, focuses on the intersections of identity and spirituality among lesbian, gay and bisexual college students.

"This year Danielle co-presented an excellent program focused on engaging LGBTQ students who are not part of LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Asexual) organizations on campus at the national conference of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NAPSA)," says Hegmann. "Her program was so outstanding it was selected to be highlighted in the NAPSA 2012 Programs DVD."

Johnson has also been recognized for her advocacy with an outstanding service award from UB's LGBTA Student Association.

Johnson's work has promoted awareness of LGBT organizations on campus, in the workplace and in the community; helped to identify the unique needs of lesbian, gay, and bisexual undergraduate students in the academy; developed models of inclusion for lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students, and engaged LGBT students on campus in rejecting religious homophobia.

She is an advisor to the UB LGBTA Student Association and co-facilitator for its Coming Out Support Group. She participated in the production of the "UB -- It Gets Better" video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVWRaEt8bvk) and presented at the Western New York "Uniting Across Campuses," the annual academic advisement conference presented by the UB Undergraduate Advisement Council to educate participants on how to work more effectively with, and be supportive of, LGBT students.