The 2006 Humanitarian Awards

Lois A. Waters (left) and Wanda Polk-Peyton are the recipients of the 2006 Humanitarian Award.

Each year the Alumni Humanitarian Award is presented to both an alumnus and a member of the campus community in recognition of their direct impact on diversity and cultural experiences of students on campus.

The award is especially well suited to this year’s recipients, Wanda Polk-Peyton ’80 and Lois A. Waters.

Both are successful professionally. Lois retired after more than 16 years from the university as the director of social equity. Prior to that she worked in various management positions for the Department of the Army at Letterkenny Army Depot. During her career she maintained memberships in professional organizations working toward diversity including the American Association of Affirmative Action, the Association of Higher Education Access and Disability, and the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education (PBCOHE).

Wanda is finishing a special assignment with the “Next Gen” team in Chicago for Allstate Insurance Company. She has worked for the company since her graduation in 1980, beginning as a claims adjuster and is now a frontline performance leader. She has completed the diversity enrichment “Train the Trainer” class, and has won several awards for public service including the Good Hands Award (twice), Black Community Leadership Award, and the 2005 John Obermayer Award.

But the true reasons for their honors are what they have done outside the office. Both have rich histories of community involvement wherever they are.

Working with students and other segments of the campus community is something Lois has done in a number of ways. She was active in working with admissions to attract a diverse student population to Shippensburg and worked with the administration, students, and foundation to provide a welcoming environment to those same students.

Lois is a member of the Pennsylvania State Advisory Board of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and a former executive council member of the Chambersburg N.A.A.C.P. She is the co-founder and pastor of the Unity in Christ Church, and a member of the Chambersburg Ministerium and the United Churches of Chambersburg.

The campus Multicultural Student Affairs Association honored Lois more than once for her dedication to students and to the challenges of diversity at Ship. She was also recognized with the Athena Award, the Mary Baltimore Award (PBCOHE), and Wilson College in Chambersburg honored her with the Dr. Martin Luther King Award.

Wanda returns frequently to campus, often bringing her family. She recently finished four years with the alumni board of directors, serving as president in 2004-2005. She has been chair or co-chair of the alumni multicultural committee, served three years as a MLK panelist and five years as the diversity enrichment representative. She was also chair of the Philadelphia Regional Steering Committee from 2003-2005. Many of the committee’s projects include encouraging young students to think about college and Shippensburg in particular.

Several area charities and organizations benefit from Wanda’s energy and drive. She is an active member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, vice president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, chair of the NPHC Social Action Committee (Share and Care), and is a member of Twigs, Bebashi, and the Thomas E. Polk Chapter of the National Buffalo Soldier Association.

Their focus may have been different, but both Lois and Wanda have contributed to improving our campus community. Congratulations!