Dr. Pilar Bellver, associate professor of Spanish in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of a 2021 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes one faculty member and one staff member who demonstrate exemplary leadership and manifest the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion into practical action.

“I am honored to have been chosen for this award, particularly since diversity and inclusion is central to the work my colleagues and I do in languages,” Pilar says. “Teaching an increasingly-diverse body of students has made me realize that inclusion is not only about welcoming different points of views and cultural backgrounds in the classroom; it is also a willingness to learn from each other, to question long-held curricular and pedagogical assumptions and to transform campus culture. Every student deserves to have a voice and a place on this campus.”

According to the many nominations she received for the award, Pilar puts her students at the forefront of her work at Marquette. She is strongly dedicated to sharing her knowledge of and passion for diversity with other, as well as and upholding the values of the university, including the Ignatian principle cura personalis — care for the whole person.

A former student who nominated Pilar for the award wrote that Pilar is an “exemplary game-changing professor.”

“She was my first Spanish professor at Marquette who challenged me to think outside the box when it came to social issues in Latinx/Hispanic countries. She encouraged me to become the best version of myself both academically and professionally,” the student wrote.

In addition to being a phenomenal professor for students, Pilar’s colleagues rave about her being an exemplary coworker whose work ethic and commitment to diversity and inclusion are things to be greatly valued and modeled after.

Another nominator wrote that “Dr. Bellver has quietly taken on every teaching, service and research project that she can to support Latinx students at Marquette because it is the right thing to do.”

Pilar is also the director of the Spanish for Heritage and Native Learners Program at Marquette and spends a great deal of time promoting the program to local schools and spreading awareness on the importance of diversity and inclusion beyond the Marquette community.

“Dr. Bellver is a champion of inclusion because she understands that diversity is not about the numbers of admitted minority students, but the willingness for expansion and learning within the community,” another nominator wrote.

Whether it is working behind the scenes or directing an important project, Pilar demonstrates expertise and kindness to create space and opportunity for diversity and inclusion to flourish.