The weather on June 28 is bright and sunny, a perfect fit to commemorate former UTD alumnus and director of the Multicultural Center Bruce August Jr. through a new reflection space near the Sciences building.
This wide-reaching community collaboration is a testament to how beloved August was to UTD administration and faculty. Multiple administrative offices took part in creating not just the reflection space, but also a new fund and award named after August possible, such as The Office of Campus Resources and Support, Staff Council, Facilities and Economic Development, the Black Faculty Staff Alliance, Development and Alumni Relations and the President’s Office.
“Bruce was a touchstone for what UTD staff should aspire to be like,” UTD Vice President and Chief of Staff Rafael Martin said. “He was resourceful and kind.”
August, the late director of the former Multicultural Center, was a cornerstone in promoting inclusivity on campus as a founding member of the Black Faculty Staff Alliance. The reflection space currently resides where students and staff would celebrate Juneteenth before the holiday’s national recognition, which August never failed to help organize. August’s work and disposition makes it apparent he wanted one thing for everyone on campus: the feeling of being welcomed and appreciated.
Heather Ulman, a representative for Staff Council, called August the “mastermind of last year’s staff appreciation [event]” modeled after a casino night. Staff members in the audience reminisced aloud to each other at the mention of that staff appreciation day, remembering how much fun it was.
August was also very vocal in his appreciation for his colleagues. Yvette Pearson and Tineil Lewis-Moore, respectively the former ODEI vice president and the director of student development, who both worked with August, recounted in separate interviews with The Mercury that August routinely stressed his appreciation of them. August also made this sentiment apparent in his work ethic, always showing up when his colleagues asked something of him.
“I’d send a message at 10 p.m. and he’d respond saying ‘I’m on it!’ and I’m like, ‘No, go to bed,’” Pearson said. “He was always there.”
August was not just a pillar within the workplace, but for the community at UTD. Lewis-Moore, who worked closely with August prior to her promotion as director of student development, reminisced on their over 15-year-long sibling-like friendship, consisting of meals shared in her home, as they lived within close range of each other and shared encouragement of each other’s work — especially as Lewis-Moore worked to receive her position as director.
August’s dedication to promoting welcomeness on campus also shone during his time as a UTD student. Dillion Mius, a UTD alumnus, met August while they were both brothers at the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and felt honored to speak at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, as August was a pivotal person in Mius’ life.
“He always told me to never pour from an empty cup,” Mius said. “He always told me, as much as you want the world to be better, you have to make sure that you are OK first.”
