ABOUT THE AWARD
The Kevin Carreathers Award for Impact and Service is an award designated for a Texas A&M University System faculty member or employee who did not attend Texas A&M as a student, but has contributed significantly to the advancement, well being, and excellence of Black students at Texas A&M.
About the namesake:
The Kevin R. Carreathers Award for Impact and Service acknowledges a Texas A&M former or current staff, faculty, or administrator with long-term, pivotal, and comprehensive contributions to the development, mentoring, advocacy, education, leadership, and success of Black Aggies and has been instrumental to the advancement of the Black Aggie experience during their time at Texas A&M University and beyond.
The award is named for Mr. Kevin R. Carreathers who, in 1987, became the first person to lead what became the Department of Multicultural Services at Texas A&M University. Under his leadership, Texas A&M maintained its highest freshman retention rate for minority students for 10 consecutive years. The Department of Multicultural Services was also recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for creating a positive campus climate amongst public universities and colleges and received the Noel/Levitz Retention Excellence Award.
Mr. Carreathers is a founder of the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC), the largest student-run conference in the south, Excellence uniting Culture, Education, & Leadership (ExCEL), and founder of the Multicultural Affairs Institute. He served as a strategist to assist Texas A&M and other Texas state universities to find alternative solutions to maintain minority recruitment and retention programs following the Hopwood decision. His areas of expertise include campus initiatives, program development, mentoring and student retention.
Mr. Carreathers has received recognition for the following awards: Texas A&M Association of Former Students Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award in Individual Student Relationships, the John J. Koldus Faculty/Staff Achievement Award, the Young Black Achiever in Houston, Who’s Who in Black America and the Outstanding Educator Awards InRoads Houston. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education. His hobbies include collecting African American art, listening to jazz and reading literary works by African American authors. Mr. Carreathers is married to Marilyn Hilliard Carreathers, and is the proud son of the late Dr. Raymond E. Carreathers and Ernestine T. Carreathers.
Mr Carreathers is currently the Director of Student Services at Lone Star College-University Park. His previous work experience includes serving as the Director of Diversity Planning at the University of North Texas, Assistant to the Provost/Director of Diversity at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, Associate Dean of Students at The University of Memphis, and Director of Multicultural Services at Texas A&M University- College Station, TX. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from The University of North Texas, and a Master of Education in guidance and counseling from Prairie View A&M University.
The Aggie Impact Gala Chairs and appointed Black former students will select recipients of the award, who may or may not be a Texas A&M former student.
Additional Info:
The Kevin Carreathers Award for Impact and Service award winner will be selected by The Black Former Student Network and Aggie Impact Gala Steering Committee.