LGBT Advocate Award

The LGBT Awards recognizes faculty, staff and students who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues on campus.

The LGBT Faculty/Staff Advocate Award goes to Donna braquet. In addition to her work as life sciences librarian and assistant professor, Braquet serves as vice chair of the Commission for LGBT People and co-chair of the commission’s communications committee. Not only was she instrumental in making the commission a reality, but she also has made great contributions to the advancement of the organization and its cause by organizing campus events. She has produced monthly brown bags and movie nights, as well as leading the way to organize the LGBT lecture series. Braquet is a tireless advocate for LGBT issues.

The LGBT Student Leadership Award is given to mitchell ronningen, a College Scholars student who is using the program as a vehicle to train himself for a lifelong career of LGBT advocacy. Ronningen has served as secretary and vice president/political coordinator of UT’s Lambda chapter. He coordinated World AIDS Day on campus, organized the National Day of Silence and served as a member of the National Coming Out Day Committee from 2004 to 2006. He also has served on the SGA’s Diversity Affairs Committee and was instrumental in getting “sexual discrimination” included in UT’s nondiscrimination clause. His nominator sums it up, calling Ronningen “an eloquent, effective and tireless advocate for equal treatment of every individual in our campus community.”