Athens, Ga. – Maurice C. Daniels, dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work, was honored by Indiana University with a Distinguished Alumni Award.
The dean was among four individuals recognized on Oct. 12th at the 37th annual IU School of Education Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony, which honors individuals who hold a degree from the school and have made a lasting impact through their work since leaving the school.
Daniels, who received his doctorate in higher education from Indiana University, is founder and director of the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies and Research. He is the author of “Saving the Soul of Georgia: Donald L. Hollowell and the Struggle for Civil Rights” and “Horace T. Ward: Desegregation of the University of Georgia, Civil Rights Advocacy and Jurisprudence.”
He is senior researcher and executive producer of a number of civil rights documentary films and the author of various scholarly articles and conference papers focusing on civil rights and social justice. In 2001, he was selected for the African American History and Social Justice Award by the Athens-Clarke County NAACP. In 2004, the State of Indiana 113th General Assembly adopted House Resolution No. 74, which recognized Daniels’ “accomplishments in the areas of civil and human rights and social justice.”
“I am overwhelmed and deeply humbled and honored by this award,” said Daniels. “I was encouraged, in part, to pursue my career in social justice by the strong commitment to this cause by many students and faculty at Indiana University.”
Other honorees this year are Abdul Farouk Ahmed, founder and managing director of ICC Consultants, an organization effectiveness and human resources management firm with operations in both Malaysia and Australia; David A. Lepkojus, a long-time teacher and administrator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and Victor A. Smith, an advocate for public education.
“The four we honor this year as Distinguished Alumni Award recipients represent the broad range of ways our alumni touch education across the world,” said Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the IU School of Education. “From changing higher education in Malaysia, to promoting social change in the American South, to ensuring quality education for students on Native American reservations, and advocating for Indiana’s public schools, this group is remarkable for such collective achievement. Each has been a fierce advocate for educational achievement and we are proud to honor them all.”
