By Joe Garvey
Johnny Young, associate vice president for student engagement and enrollment services (SEES) at Old Dominion University, is the recipient of the On-Campus Service Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community.
The On-Campus Service Award is given annually to a NASPA member who has:
- Made a positive and significant impact for college men at the campus level.
- Assisted in increasing the involvement and engagement of college men.
- Improved the development of socially just leadership among college men on their campus.
- Made sustained contributions, above and beyond the assigned duties of their role, relating to gender and/or masculinities.
"Dr. Young exemplifies through his actions and deeds each day what it means to encourage male student engagement and social development on the Old Dominion University campus," SEES Vice President Don Stansberry wrote his letter nominating Young for the award.
Stansberry pointed out that Young led the effort to establish ODU's Brother2Brother chapter, which now has nearly 200 members. For three consecutive years, ODU's African American and Latino males participating in Brother2Brother have outperformed their nonaffiliated peers by earning higher grade-point averages and more credits per semester on average. They have also persisted at higher rates.
"The B2B program continues to flourish because of the active advisory role that Dr. Young takes with the African American and Latino male student members," Stansberry wrote. "Dr. Young supports the leadership and chapter members as they provide mentoring, outreach and community engagement."
Among Young's other accomplishments:
- Serving as co-chair of the Male Students Achievement and Completion Task Force.
- Implementing the inaugural Minority Male Academic Achievement Awards program, which is now an annual program at ODU.
- Overseeing the development and opening of the Military Connection Center to address and serve the needs of military-affiliated students. This center serves a large population of ODU's male students.
- Developing a revised mission and programming platform for the Office of Intercultural Relations to achieve a greater balance in initiatives and programs serving historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, including male students.
- Playing a key role in the development and implementation of the ODU President's 1ODU Student Inclusive Excellence Advisory Board.
- Leading efforts to increase retention and completion of male African American students by serving on the Student Success Committee.
"On the ODU campus, he is a champion for male students who need it most: individuals from low-income, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students," Stansberry wrote.
