The University of Nebraska–Lincoln recently honored six individuals and one student organization during its annual Nebraska Diversity, Equity and Inclusion awards.
Organized by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the honors recognize individuals and groups who actively advance diversity, equity and inclusion in transformative and sustainable ways on campus and in the community.
The University Communication and Marketing team reached out to the honorees to learn more about what drives them to help build a more inclusive community on campus and in the broader community. The series continues with Ritu Jadwani, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in merchandising and earned the Promising Leader Award for a graduate student.
Along with her coursework and serving as the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design’s representative on the university Graduate Student Assembly, Jadwani assists immigrants and refugee women entrepreneurs through the Echo Collective.
Jadwani was also recently appointed to the Chancellor’s Commission for the Status of People of Color.
What does receiving the Promising Leader Award mean to you?
The Promising Leader Award is an acknowledgement and appreciation of the work done so far and an opportunity to work more towards diversity, equity and inclusivity. An opportunity to engage with students from diverse backgrounds, refugees and people from different ethnicities in the local Lincoln community, to create an inclusive campus at UNL, in Lincoln and beyond.
What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?
My research is focused on sustainability in the fashion textile industry through the lens of culture and empowerment. I hope to work with under-represented populations like, refugees, women who are victims of domestic violence and abuse, women who are physically disabled, migrants, rural communities, artisans and craft clusters to help them become financially independent through entrepreneurship coaching and sustenance of crafts and textiles. It would be a dream to teach students at a land grant or large university, research with a department and work with diverse communities for the betterment of society with sustainable development goals. The world is huge, and I am open to opportunities that might come my way to be able to create a difference!
What or who inspires you?
Students who come up with new ideas and question the norms, artisans who blend textile craft with creativity, physically disabled women who make the most of what they have and rise from their challenges, refugees who have the courage to start a new life in foreign countries, my advisor and professors at TMFD-textiles merchandising & fashion design department, inspiration is all around me!
What is your advice to others looking to make an impact?
Start volunteering for a cause close to your heart and give back to society in your own special ways. Connect with local and global organizations to help make this world a better place through engagement, empathy and empowerment. Start locally and take your passion globally, for it takes one person to initiate a noble cause and create a global movement.
