Campus Update

By Greta Petry (March 8, 2007)

Carr and Briar-Lawson Win Kermit Hall Award

Carson Carr Jr. and Katharine Briar-Lawson were honored on Sunday, March 4, with the Kermit L. Hall Transformative Leadership Award at the University's 2007 President's Award for Leadership ceremony in the Campus Center Ballroom.

This new award, given in honor of the late UAlbany president, recognizes one faculty member and one professional who have contributed greatly to the University and surrounding communities through their ability to build collaborative and supportive relationships across a wide range of diversity-related areas.

The award is given to those who demonstrate the ability to facilitate value-centered institutional change or growth through inquiry, reflection, critique, and collaboration with an emphasis on vision, creativity, and respect for the humanity of both leaders and stakeholders.

View a complete list of 2007 President's Award for Leadership recipients >>

Carson Carr Jr. Carr is associate vice president for Academic Affairs, director of the Educational Opportunity Program, and director of Academic Support Services.

After earning a doctorate in educational administration from Syracuse University, Carr served as a college administrator and teacher at four institutions of higher learning (Cheyney University, Cornell University, Syracuse University, and LeMoyne College), before joining the University at Albany in 1985. In each institution, he has provided students, especially those from low-income families and individuals who are first-generation college students, with the technical and motivational skills to graduate from college. He and his staff have been successful in assisting thousands of these students overcome being unprepared academically when they entered college. He formed comprehensive support groups to help them. During his tenure as director of EOP, graduation rates have climbed from 25 percent to 61 percent. As a result, UAlbany has one of the highest graduation rates among 50 EOP programs in the SUNY system.

At UAlbany, Carr serves as principal investigator on a number of grants that he wrote. These national and state grants supplement the services of University-wide programs that help students succeed. Additionally, he is the principal investigator for community-based projects aimed at keeping Capital Region low- income students (middle and high school) in school by activities aimed at college readiness.

In 1988, Carr was instrumental in creating and implementing academic support services for all students here at the University.

Among his awards are: the Governor's Award for Distinguished Leadership in New York State; the national Noel Levitz Student Advocate Award in 1991; and two New York State Assembly legislative citations (2002 and 2006). In addition, he was the commencement keynote speaker at the University at Albany in 2003, and at his alma mater, West Chester University, in 1991.

Katharine Briar-Lawson
Briar-Lawson is dean of the School of Social Welfare. She earned her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. She began her career as a social worker in Harlem in 1964. Prior to joining UAlbany, Briar-Lawson was on the faculty at Edmonds Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, the University of Washington, Florida International University, Miami University, where she was a professor and department chair, and the University of Utah, where she was associate dean for Research and director of the Social Research Institute.

Briar-Lawson is currently president of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work. Briar-Lawson has been recognized previously as Social Worker of the Year and, more recently, was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the United Way of Northeastern New York. Her credentials include numerous distinguished visiting professorships and appointments to regional and national commissions. An accomplished author, grant writer, teacher, and consultant, Briar-Lawson most recently served on the Presidential Search Committee in 2004, chairs the President's Task Force on Sweatshop Labor, and is currently co-chair of the University at Albany's Task Force on Sexual Assault.

The School of Social Welfare consistently ranks in the top 20 social work schools nationwide (U.S. News & World Report) and boasts a faculty ranked second nationally in per capita scholarly publications (Journal of Social Work Education, Spring/Summer 2002). Most recently, the School's faculty ranked in the top five of all schools of social work for their research and scholarship (The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 2007).