East Stroudsburg University honored Doreen Tobin, Ed.D., former vice president for student affairs, as ESU’s recipient of the third annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Keepers of the Flame Award from Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
The Keepers of the Flame Award recognizes an individual from each of the 14 State System university campuses for their contributions to creating and promoting diverse, equitable and inclusive environments that cultivate a sense of belonging. Award recipients may be students, staff, faculty, administrators, or community members. They are members of the university who inspire others, engage in collaboration, and enact positive change. The annual award began in 2022. This year’s awards were presented on October 28, during the PASSHE Summit, held at Millersville.
“The Keepers of the Flame Award honors members of the PASSHE community for contributions to the success of everyone at our universities and always striving to make our campuses welcoming places for everyone,” said Dr. Denise Pearson, vice chancellor and chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer at the Office of the Chancellor. “We celebrate and honor Dr. Tobin and each of these recipients who have shown time and again that a commitment to academic excellence, DEI and student success can open doors of opportunity and strengthen each of our university communities.”
Dr. Tobin was Vice President of Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator at ESU for 13 years before retiring in June 2019. Prior to her time at ESU she also served within the Division of Student Affairs at Kutztown University for 28 years. During her 13 years at ESU, Tobin was a great supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives both on and off campus.
Tobin was instrumental in launching the Warrior Food Pantry in 2017 in partnership with ESU APSCUF and St. Matthew’s Church. She created the Gender & Sexuality Center and supported and expanded the Center for Multicultural Affairs and Inclusive Education. Of note, Dr. Tobin worked directly with the student planning committee to establish and fund the annual ALANI celebration for students of color anticipating graduation in the Spring semester each year.
Tobin was instrumental in establishing support programs for students who aged out of the foster care system and found themselves without the resources to complete their college degrees at ESU. She advocated for facilities and space enhancements to better meet the needs of students with disabilities. She also identified space to address the needs of special populations on campus by helping to create a meditation room and a lactation room.
Tobin served as the co-chair of the University’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She was often called upon to be part of State System student success initiatives. She served as the president of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association, and membership chair for the ACPA. Tobin served on the boards of several organizations within Monroe County including Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monroe County, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Pennsylvania Governing Board. She is the recipient of the Ted K. Miller Achievement of Excellence Award by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in Higher Education for her use of standards to build and improve student services on campus.
Since her retirement from ESU in 2019, she continues to volunteer at the Warrior Food Pantry. For Dr. Tobin, making sure that students have access to basic needs is an important way to support student health and well-being as well as their academic success.
More information about the commitment of the State System and its universities to cultivating diverse, equitable and inclusive environments is available on the PASSHE website.