Overby awarded GTCC's MLK Jr. Service Award
Published on: January 19, 2023
JAMESTOWN, N.C. (January 19, 2023) – Tiffany Overby, an associate professor in the English department at Guilford Technical Community College, has been named GTCC's 2023 MLK, Jr. Service Award winner. Overby founded the college's Black Student Union (BSU) and has been at the forefront of bringing diverse speakers and events to the college.
In honor of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this award honors members of the GTCC community who demonstrate a commitment to Dr. King's ideals and further the college's commitment to diversity. Nominees must exemplify a commitment to fostering a diverse campus community and a personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
"For me, Dr. King is more than just an idea, a person that we honor once annually," said Overby, who began work at GTCC full time in 2011. "He exuded qualities that we should all embody to work to be greater citizens of the world."
Overby still serves as the faculty advisor for the BSU, which serves as an opportunity for mentorship and education specifically for Black students, but is open to everyone. Under her guidance, the BSU hosts signature events called "Polite Politics" and a "Film Discussion" series.
"Through these events that have been open to the entire GTCC family, we have been able to discuss, in context, topics like Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ representation, racism and discrimination, and even police brutality and gun violence," said Overby, who received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina A&T State University.
Other diversity projects Overby has been involved with on the GTCC campuses include:
- Taking students from the BSU and her African American Literature course to Selma, Ala., in 2019 during the annual Jubilee and re-enactment of the Edmund Pettis Bridge crossing.
- Leading the Global Education and Literacy Committee for three years and helping expand global outreach in the classroom.
- Working with members of the Meherrin Nation as part of Native American Heritage Month to bring an event to the college that focused on understanding what happened in the past, so we can make better decision in the future.
- Helping lead the 2019 International Week, which earned Overby the President's Award for Service Innovation.
- Working within the UNC system to bring diverse speakers to the college.
"Being awarded the GTCC MLK Service is a complete honor," Overby said. "Throughout my tenure at GTCC, I have remained committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the college and have consistently worked to keep these ideals at the forefront of the minds of faculty, staff and students alike."
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