Kevin Johnson, meet Kevin Johnson.

That is Kevin Johnson, professor of law and Chicana/o studies at UC Davis, and Kevin Johnson of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and of St. Hope Academy fame.

Both advocates for diversity issues were on hand late last month as the campus recognized a handful of individuals -- from campus and beyond -- for contributing in substantial ways to "the development and well-being of the campus's diverse and evolving community."

Sponsored by the offices of the chancellor and provost and the Office of Campus Community Relations, the Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community have been held since 2001. But this is the first year someone from off campus was recognized. "As a part of our various efforts to promote and improve campus/community relations, it was decided to honor someone from the general community," said event co-coordinator Tammy McNiff.

Former NBA player Kevin Johnson earned the inaugural Community Achievement Award.

He was among some 50 campus community members who gathered Jan. 26 at the Chancellor's Residence, where awardees also included a third-year law student, a learning skills center counselor, a native American studies professor, a community-involved active undergraduate and an ethnogeriatrics specialist from the medical center.

Kevin Johnson founded the St. Hope Academy in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento in 1989 while still an NBA basketball player with the Phoenix Suns. The academy was designed to supplement the public schools and offer a structured environment for educational opportunities, leadership training, character development, spiritual growth and physical well-being. St. Hope's mission has expanded to also involve community development and economic revitalization.

In 2003, St. Hope Public Schools earned charter status for Johnson's alma mater, Sacramento High School. The school is now home to six small learning environments, focused on arts, business, math, public service, health sciences and journalism. UC Davis is an active partner and participates with St. Hope in the preparation of underserved and underrepresented students for college.

Other awardees were:

Erica Alfaro, who earned the Graduate/ Professional Student Award. A third-year law student, her contributions include working for the past two years as the coordinator for the Special Transitional Enrichment Program's pre-law program for freshmen from underrepresented communities. She also has served as chair of the La Raza Law Student Association and has helped head up efforts to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to consider law school.

Joaquin Galvan, who earned the Staff Award. Also an alumnus of UC Davis, Galvan has worked on campus for more than 20 years, serving both with the Chicana/o studies program and as a retention coordinator at the Learning Skills Center. He works as a student adviser, leads workshops and is heavily involved in the campus's Special Transitional Enrichment Program, which helps incoming freshmen adjust to college life academically and socially. Galvan also volunteers as the leader of the UC Davis Chicano/Latino Alumni Chapter and is active in outreach to Latino alumni.

Ines Herhanadez-Avila, who earned the Academic Senate Award. A professor in the Native American Studies department and director of the Chicana/Latina Research Center -- a UC Davis campus-based research center that serves the entire UC system and the state. Hernandez-Avila also has been a central figure in the establishment of the UC Davis Native American Studies Graduate Program. During her tenure as director of the CLRC, the center has grown into a research organization that offers support for research projects, seminars, colloquia, cultural programs, workshops and pre-college outreach activities.

LeVale Simpson, who earned the Undergraduate Student Award for, among other things, his work promoting community and diversity on campus and in Davis. As an elected senator for the ASUCD, his accomplishments include the implementation of the first annual Generation Sex week to promote gender and sexuality awareness. He also helped lead the creation of the first African and African American themed on-campus housing program and is a key organizer of this year's Principles of Community week, set for Feb. 28 to March 4 (See next week's Dateline for event details.)

Hendry Ton, who earned the Academic Federation Award, was lauded for his substantial accomplishments in just two years with the School of Medicine. His teaching introduces first-year medical students to concepts of cultural competence, and through the Doctoring Steering Committee he has been helping to develop a longitudinal cultural competence curriculum. He also has been a consultant for Ethnogeriatrics Online, which helps students examine the intricate relationships of culture, geriatrics and medicine. Ton has served as vice chair of psychiatry's Diversity Advisory Committee and established a cultural consultation service for Sacramento County psychiatric care providers to improve treatment for diverse populations.