Congratulations to the following recipients of the 2018 Hand Awards for Distinguished Faculty Achievement.
The Hand Award for Community Impact celebrates the achievements of faculty serving the needs of the Stetson community and the community beyond the campus.
Terrence Farrell, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Hand Award for Research, Creative and Professional Activity
Pamela Cappas-Toro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures (Spanish)
Hand Award for Community Impact
Faculty service to our neighbors not only links the University with the broader community, but serves as an example to inspire our students who, we hope, become inspired to make the world better. It therefore gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the extraordinary work of DR. PAMELA CAPPAS-TORO, assistant professor of World Languages and Cultures. Upon joining the faculty in 2013, she immediately set out to answer the question “Who is my neighbor?” more generously than most of us ever dream. Her scholarship and service are dedicated to those marginalized by race, class, nation, and legal status.
In 2013, Pamela founded La Casita Cultural Latina, a cultural center for our community, dedicated to providing “education and leadership development opportunities” to our under-served Hispanic neighbors. The very next year, Dr. Cappas-Toro founded the Community Engagement Project, offering classes to incarcerated populations in the high-security Tomoka Correctional Facility. She collaborates with Stetson colleagues in both endeavors, building a broad community for education, and demonstrating Stetson’s mission beyond our campuses. One nominator wrote “Her impact on the campus and local community is undeniable, and her national influence through the Community Engagement Project is now an established fact.” Professor Cappas-Toro embodies the essence and spirit of the purpose of higher education by recognizing and nurturing the cultural wealth of forgotten and minortized communities. This year, we are honored to present Professor Pamela Cappas-Toro with the Hand Award for Community Impact.
Presented by Provost Noel Painter on May 11, 2018 at the 132rd annual Undergraduate Commencement