{"id":20142,"date":"2026-04-29T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=20142"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:59:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:59:33","slug":"human-resources-represented-at-the-inclusive-excellence-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=20142","title":{"rendered":"Human Resources Represented at the Inclusive Excellence Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We are proud to have MSU Human Resources (MSU HR) and the work of our outstanding staff presented at this year\u2019s Inclusive Excellence Awards<\/a>, hosted by the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact. The Inclusive Excellence Awards recognize the exceptional and innovative contributions of students, staff and faculty in advancing inclusive excellence in areas like teaching, research, programming, service, community outreach, and organizational change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nichole Ovenhouse<\/strong>, Educational Program Coordinator for MSU HR\u2019s Organization and Professional Development team, was recognized as a partner within the Education Team, which was instrumental in ensuring access, sense of belonging, and dialogue as an essential part of MSU\u2019s campus community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what Nichole had to say about her work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt truly was an honor to be recognized as a campus partner of the Education Team at the Inclusive Excellence Awards.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe my role, and our department\u2019s role within HR, has been to help provide a safe and inclusive space for individuals to attend our programs. Specifically related to this award though, my work has been to provide support and strategic partnership with the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact. By combining our program management infrastructure, registration system, and marketing, with OIEI content, I have been able to help elevate and make available to employees the Implicit Bias Series as well as one offering of MSU Dialogues.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This recognition only further proves how important this work is, and our hope is to continue to create and support programs that continue to bring this content to individuals across campus.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSU HR\u2019s Business Intelligence and Data Analytics Team<\/strong>, represented at the event by Dana Bridges<\/strong>, BI Manager, and Rajitha Mawilmada<\/strong>, Information Technologist, was recognized as a partner within the Equal Opportunity Team, which ensures equal employment opportunity; identifies additional resources to support institutional compliance; and monitors human resources and personnel activities for compliance with MSU policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what Dana had to say about her team\u2019s work and being recognized:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIEI recognized the BI & Data Analytics team for our work in developing and enhancing HR reports and dashboards that support compliance efforts and inform talent planning. This work helps enable more comprehensive analysis and data-informed workforce planning aligned with the MSU 2030 Strategic Plan, particularly the Access, Opportunity & Excellence priority.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was really meaningful being recognized. Our job is to deliver accurate and useful data and analytics, but we don\u2019t always get to see how it\u2019s applied in practice. Being at the event provided a valuable reminder of how our work contributes to broader institutional goals and supports our campus community.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience made me even more excited about the direction we\u2019re heading. There are many opportunities to continue growing our analytics capabilities in ways that better support our campus partners. I\u2019m especially interested in continuing to build relationships, understanding different perspectives and needs, and using that to shape reporting that\u2019s useful and actionable. This recognition reinforced that our work is making a difference and motivates me to keep growing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These teams and individuals were recognized at the reception on April 3. Enjoy these photos that captured the moment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n