SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Rodney Coates’ Honors & Achievements
Educator of the Year Award Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Miami University
1994
2000 Special Merit Award Project Innovation 2005 Choice Book Award Library Association 2007
Faculty Achievement Award Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Miami University Joseph S. Himes Award, Career of Distinguished Scholarship Association of Black Sociologists 2010- Edward Said Award for Public Sociology and Poetry 2011 Sociologists without Borders 2013 Global Teaching and Learning Award Office of Liberal Education, Miami University 2014 Knox Distinguished Teaching Award, Professor Miami University 2014 Founders Award for Scholarship and Service American Sociological Association 2018 Inclusive Excellence Award Miami University 2020 Spirit of Western College Award Miami University 2021 2007
President’s Medal Miami University
Distinguished Educator Award College of Arts and Science, Miami University George M. Charlton Man of the Year East Central Province, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
2021
2022
Lee B. Gittler Award Scholarship Society for the Study of Social Problems Outstanding Faculty Award Mid-American Athletic Conference
2022
2022
Top: Coates accepting the Mid-American Athletic Conference Outstanding Faculty Award in 2022. Bottom: Coates was presented the 50-year membership jacket in 2018 from Cincinnati (OH) Alumni Chapter’s Past Polemarch Ellery Lewis.
University Faculty Scholar Award Miami University
2025
Coates’s commitment to educational access led to the creation of a partnership between Miami University and the City of Cincinnati beginning in 2019. Each year, the program provides stu- dents with full scholarships to Miami University. So far, 15
students have graduated with an average GPA of 3.3. Addi- tionally, Coates launched Camp Excel, a four-night, five-day STEM program for middle schoolers. Seeing young Black students excited about STEM was an eye-opening experience for
many professors, sparking broader interest in diversity initiatives. The success of Camp Excel has inspired sim- ilar programs at other area institutions: the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Northern Kentucky Uni- versity, and soon in Dayton,
Columbus, and Cleveland. As he reflects on his career, Coates remains steadfast in his love for teaching. “I’ll be here until it stops being fun,” he says of his 35-year tenure at Miami University. “Every day, the greatest Artist of all time
FALL 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 23
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator