This hybrid event was presented from the Longaberger Alumni House on The Ohio State University campus.
Watch the ODI 2023 Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony
Our 2023 Honorees
William J. Holloway, EdD
The first ever vice provost in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (then known as the Office of Minority Affairs), Holloway designed the programs and policies that became the foundation of the work done to recruit and support historically underrepresented students at Ohio State. Responsible for the recruitment of thousands of undergraduate students of color during his eight years, Holloway also authored two books, was editor of the Negro Educational Review, and founded the Nigerian Education Program at Ohio State. Holloway is receiving this award posthumously, following his passing in 2006.
Minnie M. McGee, MA
A four-decade long career in the College of Engineering spent helping nurture historically underrepresented students is the legacy of Minnie McGee's work at the university. The first Black assistant dean in the College of Engineering, McGee secured a $600,000 grant from BP, started a project to support minority students struggling during the transition to college, and designed and implemented the ground-breaking early arrival program known as PREFACE.
Rhonda R. Rivera, JD
A pioneering legal scholar and activist in central Ohio's gay community, Rivera continuously worked to end discrimination of LGBTQ+ communities in Ohio and applied her knowledge of the law to the rights of AIDS patients. One of the founders of Stonewall Union, Ohio's best-known gay rights organization, Rivera served on both the Affirmative Action Council and Ohio State's President's Task Force on AIDS, committing to the fight against inequality on campus. She has received numerous awards for her immense work in civil rights while at Ohio State and beyond.
Congresswoman Charleta B. Tavares
The first Black woman ever to hold a leadership position in the Ohio Senate, Charleta Taveres has spent her life fighting for marginalized and overlooked communities as a lawmaker, public policy advocate, and non-profit healthcare leader. After several decades as a Columbus City Council member and state lawmaker, Tavares recently became the CEO of PrimaryOne Health, a health care provider, which works to increase access to healthcare for vulnerable and underserved populations.