I am proud to share that Virginia Wesleyan’s own Dr. Craig Wansink has
been selected by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities to
receive a 2017 Tidewater Humanitarian Award. Given the nature of this
award, it is truly fitting that when I contacted Professor Wansink on
Election Day to share the news, he was busy shuttling VWC students to
the polls to ensure they had the opportunity to make their voices heard.
The
Humanitarian Awards honor individuals and organizations who have
demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of respect and understanding
among people of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. This
is a charge Dr. Wansink takes seriously, and he embodies this commitment
on a daily basis through his roles as VWC Professor of Religious
Studies and the Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr. Director of the Center
for the Study of Religious Freedom.
The Virginia Center for
Inclusive Communities has worked closely with Professor Wansink and
Virginia Wesleyan College on numerous occasions, including a partnership
with the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom’s NEXUS Interfaith
Dialogue series. Last spring, VCIC presented the Jeffrey B. Spence Award
for Interfaith Understanding to “Voices of Faith," a podcast
coordinated by the CSRF. In 2001, the Center for the Study of Religious
Freedom received VCIC’s Distinguished Merit Citation.
The 53rd
presentation of VCIC’s Humanitarian Awards will be held on Thursday,
March 30, at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. For more
information, visit www.inclusiveva.org.
Please
join me in congratulating Dr. Wansink on this most worthy achievement.
May we all follow his example and lead our lives with open minds and
hearts.
