Joy Tongsri, Park Scholarships associate director, was selected to receive the 2010 Award for Excellence for the NC State University Chancellor’s Unit. She was selected from a field of outstanding employees who contribute greatly to the university.

In the Park Scholarships office, Tongrsi has coordinated efforts such as the Senior Retreat, Learning Lab II, and Finalist Weekend. She is also deeply involved in efforts across NC State’s campus to make the university a better place.

In 2006, Tongrsi became involved with NC State’s National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). Of her work in that program, Roger Callanan, assistant dean of the Division of Undergraduate Programs, says, “Not only has she been an active and talented facilitator for workshops on prejudice reduction and handling controversial issues in university classes and student organizations, but as a result of her leadership, NC State is better prepared to respond to incidents of bias or hate that may happen on campus. Joy spearheaded the creation of the Community Response: Educate, Empower, and Develop (CREED) model which campus facilitators like myself continue to employ.”

Juliana Nfah-Abbenyi, professor of English and Comparative Literature, commented on Tongsri’s tremendous efforts to successfully organize the details of the Park program’s biggest event of the year, Finalist Weekend: “Joy painstakingly planned the events, starting with the 400-person Chancellor’s Dinner and culminating with interviews that took place all day…The organization was so well done…that the interview teams worked very well together to make the experience smooth and enjoyable for the finalists.”

Further evidence of Tongsri’s tremendous service includes her work as chair of the University Housing Advisory Committee, and advisor to NC State’s Habitat for Humanity chapter and the Asian Students Association. She is a graduate of NC State’s Equal Opportunity Institute and was a participant in the Study Circles program – part of a nationwide effort to address racism by involving community members in dialogue and action.