Every year an undergraduate receives the Terry Alexander Award, honoring the mother of Courtney Alexander, a Women’s Studies major who graduated in 2006. Terry was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1982, and she worked to raise awareness about the disease until her death in 2006. This award is given annually to a graduating major in Women’s and Gender Studies, who has completed the Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health track, and is interested in a career in health care and/or health advocacy.

Photo on left is of Terry Alexander and on right is Isha Joshi, winner of the Terry Alexander Award in 2019, with Courtney Alexander.

Professor Nancy Hiemstra presents the 2020 Terry Alexander Award:

This year, we are delighted to present the Terry Alexander Award to Nic Grima. Nic is graduating this spring with a BA in WST, having completed the Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health track as well as a Chemistry minor.

I had the great pleasure of having Nic as a student in two classes, and in both Nic really distinguished themself for insightful, thoughtful contributions to the class. All instructors in our department who had Nic in class had glowing remarks about them. As part of their GSPH track, Nic completed an internship with Stony Brook’s LGBTQ Services in 2017.

For the research seminar in WGSS, they wrote an excellent and really important paper entitled “Transitioning Care: Structurally Competent Trans* and Gender Nonconforming Healthcare in a University Setting.” Nic presented this work at URECA. Nic has been in communication with folks at SBU medicine about implementing some of this research into ways to improve care for transgender and gender nonconforming people at SBU. After graduation, Nic plans to pursue further education and work in the health professions, with special interest in health care for trans and gender nonconforming individuals.

Congratulations, Nic, we are proud of you!