OMA&D associate vice president for assessment Emile Pitre, ’69, received the UW Health Sciences Distinguished Service Award for Community Service and Volunteerism at its 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute, Jan. 16.
The award honors an individual or group who exemplifies Dr. King’s principles through a commitment to addressing community needs, particularly in low-income or communities of color; development and implementation of significant programs to improve the human condition; and outstanding efforts to protect and empower all individuals.
Pitre was recognized for his dedication to access, student development, student success and educational excellence at the UW, as well as his lifetime commitment to mentoring young men of color and encouraging their leadership development. He is the 16th all-time recipient of the award. Previous honorees include Reverend Dr. Samuel McKinney and U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott.
For over 13 years (1989-2002), Pitre was the director of OMA&D’s Instructional Center that provides tutoring and academic support services to underrepresented minority, first-generation and low-income students. He then served as OMA&D’s assistant vice president for academic achievement and assessment for five years before taking on his current role of associate vice president for assessment in 2007.
Pitre has served as advisor to the UW Black Student Union (BSU) for 19 years, an organization he helped found in 1968. Pitre was among the BSU members who, during that same year, staged a protest on campus to demand that the university make diversity a priority. Forty years later, the group was honored for their commitment to equity and social justice by receiving the UW Charles E. Odegaard Award.
Pitre is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and served as its Director of Education for the Western Region for six years. He was awarded a Phi Beta Sigma Education All-Star pin for his contributions to education and the Sigma Inspirational Award for dedication of service to education.
Pitre is an avid photographer and his work is featured OMA&D’s Campus Walker photo galleries, as well as throughout the OMA&D web site.
Photos by Emile Pitre