ARS EEO, Civil Rights Award Announced

By Jim Core
February 9, 2005

National news release

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) biologist Donald W. Freeman has won the 2004 ARS Administrator's Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights Award.

Freeman, director of the agency's Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart (Ark.) National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC), is being recognized for outstanding leadership and contributions to the agency's EEO and civil rights programs. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.

"This award honors Dr. Freeman's awareness of and commitment to workforce diversity," said ARS Administrator Edward B. Knipling, who presented the award to Freeman during a ceremony today at USDA headquarters here. Knipling noted Freeman's "fairness to individuals based upon their individual contributions and not upon their race, religion, sex, physical well-being or other non-relevant characteristics."

As center director, Freeman initiated numerous policies and activities to advance the agency's awareness and commitment to workforce diversity. For example, he strongly encouraged supervisors to seek job applicants from under-represented groups. As a result, in the past year SNARC has increased its representation of minorities and females in full-time and part-time employment positions.

At Freeman's urging, SNARC staff participated in outreach activities such as the Cherokee Nation Career Day at Tahlequah, Okla., the annual meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science at Albuquerque, N.M., and events at a local community college to recruit employment applicants for positions with ARS.

Freeman encourages employee participation in special emphasis programs such as Black History Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and Women's History Month, that he and other SNARC personnel plan for staff members and guests from the local community.

Freeman also is being recognized for his commitment to career advancement of disabled employees, such as providing the means for a paraplegic, female employee to attend off-site training courses and participate in programs that enhanced her job skills.

Freeman promotes research collaboration between members of the center's scientific staff and women and minorities at historically black colleges and universities, including the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Freeman received bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He earned his doctorate in food science at Mississippi State University at Starkville. He resides in North Little Rock with his wife, Susan. He has worked for ARS since 1976 and has served as SNARC director since 2000.