University of Southern Indiana

Pamela Hopson is the recipient of the Effie Thomas Development Award, one of the 2005 Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Awards sponsored by the Human Relations Commission. Hopson is the founding director of the USI Multicultural Center and has shaped a wide range of programs and support services aimed at appreciation of diversity among students, employees, and the wider community.

She began her USI career in the Office of Student Financial Assistance, where she was able to help many students learn how to afford a college education. She brought her knowledge of student needs to the Enrollment Management Team, which established a subcommittee to address the issues of diversity in enrollment, with strategies for recruiting and retaining students of color. Her leadership was so effective that she was named the first director of the Multicultural Center.

The center offers an impressive array of diversity programs, including the Excel Mentoring Program which provides tutoring and support services to first-year and transfer students from under-represented groups; Designed by Grace gospel choir; USI Live at the Apollo, a popular campus-wide event showcasing student talent; the University Martin Luther King Day observance; Black History Month events; THREADS (Teaching Human Respect and Encouraging Action Diversity Series); and Phenomenal Women, celebrating women in our community who have contributed to the appreciation of diversity.