Nominations being accepted for 2022 Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards

Awards honor CSUB alumna, beloved Bakersfield community member

By California State University, Bakersfield

September 30^th, 2021

The Kegley Institute of Ethics at California State University, Bakersfield is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards.

The awards recognize two individuals, a youth and an adult, who inspire through their ethical commitment and actions to improve the lives of others in our community. Nominations are being accepted through Nov. 29. Applications can be submitted online here.

The awards honor CSUB alumna and beloved Bakersfield community member Wendy Wayne, who was a dedicated volunteer and ethical leader in the Bakersfield community. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer, a nurse at Kern Medical Center and as an advocate for child education with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

“These awards are very important because they help us to recognize the ethical leaders we have right in our own backyard, in ways large and small,” said Dr. Michael Burroughs, director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics. “I think when we talk about ethical leadership, we often think of it in grandiose terms, but what we see in our community is there are a lot of people doing tremendous work that’s helping others. This is a way to bring attention to and support those people.”

Adult winners receive $5,000 for a charitable donation in their name while youth winners receive a $5,000 college scholarship. The generous support of Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health Bakersfield help make these awards possible.

This year’s adult recipient was L. Dee Slade, director of the African-American Network of Kern County.

The 2021 awards had two youth recipients: Samantha DeLaCruz, a CSUB student and president of Club Gender Equality Now!, and Liberty High student Nikolas Lopez, who serves on the Kern High School District’s Equity and Inclusion Student Advisory Council.

In lieu of the traditional awards ceremony, the Kegley Institute of Ethics will be holding a Wendy Wayne Day of Service in March 2022.

“It’s a way to more closely honor Wendy in a way she would want,” Dr. Burroughs said. “Wendy was all about working with her hands and being out in the community.”

The department is working with community partners to identify service needs in the areas of food insecurity, education and healthcare, according to Dr. Burroughs. While it will be a day of service, he said the award recipients will still be recognized at the event.