Thelma Snuggs honored with 2010 Dreamer Award
Thelma Snuggs, assistant professor of consumer sciences and retailing, received Purdue's 2010 Dreamer Award at a ceremony Thursday in Fowler Hall.
The award, established in 2004, is given annually to an individual or organization within the Purdue community whose contributions embody the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of service to others and furthers the University's commitment to diversity.
"We use the phrase 'walk the talk' for our annual celebration, and Thelma clearly takes that to heart," says Carolyn Johnson, director of the Diversity Resource Office. "Thelma's beliefs about and commitment to diversity show up in her work life and in her civic life. She has been instrumental in making sure diversity issues are always on the forefront and in encouraging dialogue about those issues across campus."
Snuggs has been a member of the Consumer and Family Sciences Multicultural Advisory Committee for more than a decade and served as president of the Purdue Black Caucus of Faculty and Staff. She developed and teaches a cross-cultural marketing and international retailing course that has been available for almost 20 years. Snuggs also created the Marketplace 2010 learning community, now called Marketplace 2050. The learning community enables students to learn about working with diverse consumer groups both in the United States and across the globe.
"I have worked all of my professional life here at Purdue to foster a better understanding, appreciation and value for diversity," Snuggs says. "My teaching and research have focused on helping marketers to understand and develop marketing strategies to tap the billion-dollar minority market in the United States. In addition, I have tried to help students to see that diversity is valuable and a strength to any organization or institution and to Purdue."
Snuggs also has won many awards, including the Diversity in the Classroom Award, the CFS Award for Excellence in Diversity Program for her diversity program development, marketing and implementation, the Outstanding Latino Award (Ola) presented by Latino Faculty and Staff Association for being an outstanding community ally, the CFS Multicultural Society for Excellence Recognition of Support Award, and the Purdue Black Caucus of Faculty and Staff Award for Outstanding Presidency and their Outstanding Service Award.
Snuggs has also contributed to the community. She has served on the board of directors of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Family Service Agency, the Lafayette League of Women Voters, the Mid-North Indiana Food Finders Bank, Inc. and the Women’s Caucus. She has also served at the Vice President of the League of Women Voters, chair of the Inter-University Relations Committee for the Indiana Coalition of Blacks in Higher Education, and as a member of the West Lafayette Human Relations Committee.