The School of Social Sciences is pleased to announce Ann Hironaka, sociology professor, Long Bui, global and international studies assistant professor, and Canton Winer, sociology graduate student, as winners of the 2020 School of Social Sciences Diversity & Equitable Inclusion Awards. Recipients were nominated for one of three awards in recognition of their contributions to diversity and equitable inclusion in the school and campuswide. The selection was done by the Diversity & Equitable Inclusion Sub-Committee of the school’s Executive Committee.

Learn more about their award-winning efforts below, and congratulations to those recognized!

Ann Hironaka, Professor, Sociology
Senior Faculty Award 

Hironaka’s commitment and leadership have helped the school and UCI establish a more inclusive environment and develop a vibrant community of under-represented minority students. She established the Department of Sociology’s Race Research Workshop, which draws graduate students from sociology, political science, education, and other departments. This workshop has helped launch a generation of scholars working on critical issues as faculty members across the country. Through her commitment as the Department of Sociology’s Decade Program, Hironaka worked to increase recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds and first-generation students, and created a mentoring program open to all students that focused on the needs of first-generation students and students from under-represented groups. She has worked tirelessly to expand mentoring and professional development training for students enrolled in the school. Beyond these contributions, Hironaka’s work has had a powerful impact on her own students, who wrote numerous letters in support of her nomination—noting that her mentorship has “inspired many students to dedicate themselves to meaningful service” in pursuit of a more equitable future. 

Long Bui, Assistant Professor, Global and International Studies
Junior Faculty Award

Since arriving on campus in 2018, Bui has already had a remarkable impact on diversity, equity and inclusion through his research, mentorship, and service to the School of Social Sciences and the broader university. He is the current co-director for the Summer Academic Enrichment Program in the School of Social Sciences – a program dedicated to preparing first generation, racial ethnic minorities for graduate school. He is the faculty in residence at the Cross-Cultural Center, and the 2019 chair and organizer for the First Generation Faculty Evening with the Chancellor. In addition to these roles, he is also an acting member of UCI’s First Gen Faculty Initiative and Group. He was at the forefront of the creation of UCI’s program for individuals with incarceration histories, and has served in an advisory role for the Diversity, Inclusion, & Racial Healing Ambassador Program (DIRHA) for Orange County High Schools, helping to deliver a rich program that focuses on challenging topics around race, gender, sexuality, abilities, and religion. Beyond this service, Bui has collaborated to expand opportunities for mentorship for first generation students, helping to secure a grant for a “first gen podcast” that invites first generation UCI students to connect with first generation faculty as they share their experiences about their professional trajectories, passions, and community investment. 

Canton Winer, Graduate Student, Sociology
Graduate Student Award

A third-year graduate student in the Department of Sociology, Winer has a proven himself to be a transformational leader—demonstrating extraordinary commitment to inclusive excellence and the LGBTQ community through his research, teaching, and service. His research is focused directly on inclusivity. His second-year paper examines the gender fault-line within the LGBTQ community, exploring how LGBTQs often exclude other LGBTQs on grounds of gender nonconformity. In addition, Winer’s impact in the classroom has been consistently excellent.  In his letters of nomination, faculty uniformly remark on the direct impact Winer has through his mentoring and teaching as he helps students wrestle with complex issues in a patient and supportive manner. Finally, Winer’s service in pursuit of inclusive excellence is exemplary. He’s the LGBTQ+ Engagement Chair for UCI’s Associated Graduate Students. In that position, he has initiated events for underserved populations, including the first-ever Trans Day of Remembrance and the first-ever campus event for LGBTQ+ international students. He is also president of the UCI Queer Graduate Caucus. During his term, the active membership has quintupled, and he has assembled a coalitional leadership team that includes women, trans persons, international students, and people of color. In this capacity he has created a resource guide for LGBTQ+ persons grappling with mental health issues. Within the sociology department at UCI, Canton founded an LGBTQ+ welcome event for prospective PhD students that enhances the department’s ability to attract top-tier LGBTQ+ graduate students. Finally, as a grad rep on the UCI School of Social Science's Committee on Graduate Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Development, Winer organized a mixer for LGBTQ+ grad students, staff, and faculty, which drew more than 20 people.