The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will wrap its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week with the MLK Commemorative Celebration, where the 2024 Fulfilling the Dream awards will be presented to Arthur “Trey” Andrews and Genese Clark.
Andrews, associate professor in psychology and ethnic studies, and Clark, doctoral student in child, youth and family studies, will be formally recognized during the celebration, which will be 6-8 p.m. Jan. 30 in the Nebraska Union’s Centennial Room. Registration is required by Jan. 28.
Established in 1997, the Chancellor’s Fulfilling the Dream awards honor individuals who have contributed to the university community or the greater Lincoln community through their exemplary action in promoting the goals and vision of King.
Andrews was nominated by psychology faculty members Tierney Lorenz and Ken Wakabayashi for his ongoing research and initiatives into recognizing, understanding and overcoming health disparities among underrepresented populations.
“We have the pleasure of witnessing firsthand Dr. Andrew’s dedication to being a scientist-activist, who through his research program, teaching, and community engagement seeks to fundamentally leverage the results of his scientific discovery towards confronting and ultimately changing racist and unjust practices and behaviors at a local and national level,” Lorenz and Wakabayashi wrote in their nomination letter.
Since joining the faculty at Nebraska in 2016, Andrews has published numerous research articles and overseen new community initiatives, all focused on the intersection of health disparities stemming from unjust racism or other systemic discrimination.
Andrews serves as co-director of the university’s Minority Health Disparities Initiative, an interdisciplinary research initiative funded by the Office of Research and Economic Development and the Tobacco Settlement Funds in Nebraska. He also directs the Iniciativa Healthcare Access & Bienestar Latine (HABLa) lab, which conducts research into improving mental health equity, especially for Latine and Spanish-speaking populations. Andrews’ work in HABLa and other initiatives has also helped expand mental health care access in rural Nebraska.
As an instructor, Andrews co-founded the course Seeking Equity — a core class in the Clinical Psychology Training program — and trains the next generation of clinical psychologists in multicultural competence and advocacy skills.
“Indeed, his record of being an activist-scientist is an inspiring model for us, as he leverages his research in order to change racist and unjust practices surrounding health disparities through both scholarly understanding and community action,” his nominators wrote.
Clark is pursuing a doctorate in the Global Family Health and Wellbeing program. She is a member of the Trauma and Resilience Explored Lab. Her research focuses on the resilience and strengths of African American families, as well as the social-emotional learning of young children in non-formal education settings.
Nominator Yan Ruth Xia remarked that Clark’s research has and will positively impact families. Clark developed the Family Strengths Wheel, an assessment tool based on the family strengths model. The wheel is an interactive tool that engages family members in identifying their own strengths. With that knowledge, families are more positive and willing to build up their positive traits to address their challenges.
“Genese is devoted to promoting the well-being of all families, and particularly low-income, Black, Indigenous, and other racially and ethnically marginalized families through her research, teaching, and outreach. She has contributed to Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision and conviction through her exemplar actions that inspire me and others at UNL and the local communities,” wrote Xia, professor of child, youth and family studies.
Clark’s research also served the Malone Center, where she studied the social-emotional learning of young children in after-school settings. The center used that research to improve its services and developed a new training curriculum.
Clark has also been instrumental in creating more equitable environments for her peers and colleagues, Xia wrote.
“She was awarded ODI funding to design a professional development series for early care and education faculty, exploring beliefs and assumptions about race, how their assumptions impacted teacher preparation, and ways to teach race and racism through the use of autoethnographies,” Xia said. “As a member of the Family Housing Workgroup, she highlighted the nuances of international students’ needs and experiences. She provided valuable feedback and recommendations in a written report to the Chancellor’s Office for short- and long-term solutions to family housing issues, as well as her feedback for the 2023 housing transitional plan and correspondence to residents.”
