University of Houston and UH Law Center Recognized for Excellence in Diversity

UH Honored with 2021 National HEED Awards from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine

University of Houston Student Center.
The University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center will be featured, along with 100 other recipients, in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

The University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center have received the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the sixth consecutive year. The award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The UH Law Center also received the distinction of Diversity Champion.  

“I am extremely honored by UH’s recognition from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine,” said Paula Myrick Short, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “For UH to receive this recognition for the sixth year in a row shows the dedication of this university to creating an environment in which our faculty, staff and students are supported and encouraged to succeed.” 

The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion.

“We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

In addition to the two HEED awards, the UH Law Center is the only law school to be named a Diversity Champion for its “unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels.”

“The Law Center’s mission has always been clear. We have historically provided opportunities for many first-generation college students,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Our faculty teach students to be successful lawyers and have confidence in themselves despite societal barriers.”

The University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center will be featured, along with 100 other recipients, in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

For more information about the 2021 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.