Mailee Kue, Ph.D., Executive Director of the PwC Center for Diversity and Inclusion, was recently honored with the Zenobia Hikes Memorial Award in recognition of her commitment to the advancement of women in higher education and to student affairs. The award is given to a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators with at least 10 years of full-time work in student affairs who is committed to the advancement of women in higher education through mentoring and professional development activities.

“I am truly honored to receive this award,” Kue says. “I have personally benefitted from the wisdom of mentors and recognize that these meaningful relationships were instrumental in my ability to grow and develop.”

"We have to continually ... pay attention to individuals who may be looking for support.”

The award highlights the impact professional mentors have had on her career, says Kue. “Early on in my career, I committed myself to finding individuals whose opinions I valued and simply set out to be their mentee,” she says. “Many of my mentors will say now that they did not realize their impact as a mentor to me during that time. That taught me that we have to continually put ourselves out there and pay attention to individuals who may be looking for support.”

Kue oversees diversity centers and services at Bryant including the Intercultural Center, the Gertrude Meth Hochberg Women's Center, the Pride Center, the Ronald K. and Kati C. Machtley Interfaith Center, and Campus Ministry.

Assistant Director of the PwC Center for Diversity and Inclusion Kelly Boutin says “Mailee has the ability to be intentional and strategic about moving the initiatives of diversity, inclusion, and equity forward in her work, but to do so with a people-first, thoughtful approach about how each move, each decision, each change, will impact human lives,”

“Mailee has inspired a positive cultural shift at Bryant,” says Vice President of Student Affairs John Saddlemire, Ed.D. “She has a depth and strength of character which is consistent with the very best Student Affairs professionals in the country.”

Kue accepted the award at the NASPA Annual Conference in March.