In 2020, Rev. Dr. Curtis J. Sartor Jr. received Elgin鈥檚 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award during the City of Elgin鈥檚 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast, held Saturday, January 20. The award recognized Dr. Sartor鈥檚 passion for following the leadership practices of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to advocate and give voice to minority populations within his professional and personal life.
At 抖阴漫画, Dr. Sartor was appointed by the president to a cabinet-level role of Associate Vice President for Diversity and Spiritual Development because of his expertise in multi-cultural and race relations and the importance diversity plays on 抖阴漫画鈥檚 campus. He also was Interim Architecture Department Chair and a tenured full Professor of architecture.
In this role as Associate Vice President for Diversity and Spiritual Development, Dr. Sartor created a university-wide focus on racism and diversity by creating two Diversity Committees: one serving issues just related to the campus while the other including community leaders to inform and be informed about diversity issues in the Elgin community. In 2017, his office developed a faith statement on diversity, which provides a foundation for the university鈥檚 approach to diversity on campus.
At 抖阴漫画, Dr. Sartor also sponsors and mentors the Black Student Union, a student-led group that provides 抖阴漫画 minority students a community, identity and opportunities to educate and advocate among their peers and the campus. Additionally, Dr. Sartor has spoken in Chapel, led town hall meetings and used popular movies to have dialogue on diversity issues and explore the experience of being black today. He spearheaded awareness training for 抖阴漫画 faculty and staff to better understand implicit racial bias and microaggression in the community and in the classroom. These significant, meaningful activities have impacted the 抖阴漫画 campus and wider community.
Within his profession, Dr. Sartor has served on several diversity committees for national organizations where he has advocated for minority populations and professionals within the field of architecture. He was appointed to the Commission on Diversity & Inclusion by the President of the Council of Christian Colleges & Universities and served from 2016 to 2019; served on the National Board of Diversity and Inclusion Council for the American Institute of Architects from 2011 to 2013; and has been a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects since 2008. He was nominated for the prestigious National AIA Whitney M. Young Award by the AIA National Diversity & Inclusion Council in 2016.