Ohio State Mansfield Coordinator Honored with Maxwell Award

The Ohio State University at Mansfield’s Michelle McGregor, coordinator for disability services, has been honored with the 2019 Dick Maxwell Award for outstanding contributions to the Office for Disability Services.

The Dick Maxwell Award recognizes contributions made to significantly improve or enhance the quality for the higher education experience in ways that make a substantial difference for a student with a disability, as well as, the Office for Disability Services.

Associate Dean at Ohio State Mansfield Dawn Kitchen praised McGregor’s hard work on the campus. She says, “You will see (Michelle) at so many student events. She runs our pantry and coordinates our contacts in the community that provide our students with food and sometimes housing.”

“She has supervised our diversity coaches and was a huge player in our Black History Month celebrations. She is also an advocate for the veterans on our campus. Thus, her reach is farther than just her job title.”

The award is named for Richard Maxwell, a 1969 Ohio State University graduate who was paralyzed when he broke his neck scoring the winning touchdown at an intramural game in 1963. Maxwell helped found Creative Living, a nonprofit that provides housing for disabled students near the Columbus campus. He later became an administrator at the university’s disability services office, advocating for wheelchair ramps and other necessities on campus to allow access for disabled students.

In 2018, McGregor won the Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award, and Best Buddies won the Student Organization of the Year. Best Buddies creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to have one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development. Finally, in the absence of a full-time Coordinator for Diversity and Inclusion, she has assisted with programmatic responsibilities and supervising two student Diversity Coaches to help widen the reach to our diverse students on campus.