"Loyce Stewart brought quiet exuberance, integrity to pursuit of equity at UB"

Birthdays in the UB Office of Equity, Diversity, and Affirmative Action Administration, without Loyce Stewart, will never be the same.

Stewart, who died last Monday at the age of 60, served as director of the office since 1999, defending social justice on campus while enforcing laws against various types of discrimination.

According to co-workers, Stewart took a special joy in celebrating every aspect of the lives of those close to her, with a special emphasis on birthdays.

"Loyce loved to celebrate birthdays," said Barbara Burke, assistant director of the office. "We always had to have a special cake for each individual. It got to the point where we almost ran out of flavors."

Along with a high standard of integrity, Stewart's rare generosity and a willingness to concern herself with the personal problems of her coworkers made her a highly effective and beloved leader, according to colleague Sharon Nolan-Weiss.

"I've heard Loyce referred to as 'the conscience of the university,' and I just think that phrase is so appropriate," said Nolan-Weiss, who worked under Stewart as assistant director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Affirmative Action Administration. "She was all about integrity, about doing the right thing simply because it's the right thing."

The "right thing" for much of Stewart's career at UB, which began in 1992, was a promotion of true equity on campus. Stewart's goal, according to Burke, was not just the acceptance of minorities, but also a culture of reciprocated value and mutual respect amongst an integrated campus community.

Stewart was instrumental in attacking the difficult issues of campus diversity, according to Faculty Senate Chair Peter Nickerson. During the 1990s, Stewart helped lead a presidential task force on the status of women at UB, and also was involved with the UB Affirmative Action Committee.

"All universities today would like their faculty to be representative of the surrounding community and the campus community," Nickerson said. "Loyce Stewart worked closely with the Senate in working on a handbook on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities."

The work Stewart did to generate diversity among UB faculty members has proven greatly influential according to Barbara Bono, executive director of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender.

"My greatest regret is that (Stewart) didn't live to see the inevitable jump in the hiring of women full professors that I anticipate in the next five years at UB," said Bono, an English professor.

Beyond fighting for equity, Stewart was active in outlining, with the Faculty Senate, a definitive policy on sexual harassment. Once the policy was set by then-President William Greiner in 2000, Stewart and her office took on the unenviable task of educating the campus on sexual harassment.

"These issues have been treated so differently in the past, especially, say 50 years ago, so a good portion of what Ms. Stewart's office needed to do was train people on the new policy," Nickerson said. "She had a great deal of patience and knew that in order to make UB great, she had to go beyond the policy and do the training, and she did."

While the office of equity and diversity will continue its training, Stewart's presence will be sorely missed, as she was a natural teacher who extended herself beyond her job description and served as a mentor to students, Burke said.

"Loyce mentored many students, now graduated, who've gone on to be very successful," Burke said. "They're spread everywhere, some in other countries, but they've kept in contact over the years and it always made Loyce, and all of us, happy to hear about their progress and their careers."

Beyond mentoring students, Stewart was also a teacher in the workplace, especially considering the sensitive nature of the job.

"The work we do is sensitive, confidential, and demanding," Burke said, referring to the office's handling of sexual harassment and social inequity allegations. "(Stewart) had a great sense of proportion. It was rarely black and white for her. She understood the human side of things, and the great care and sensitivity with which she dealt with these issues helped teach our office how to deal with them."

Like any great teacher, Stewart was respectful and welcoming of other people's ideas, a quality that, according to Nolan-Weiss, allowed people who worked with Stewart to grow and develop.

"You got the feeling that she would be let down if you weren't speaking your mind," Nolan-Weiss said. "When someone came to me with a difficult allegation, I'd go see Loyce and Barbara, and we'd just talk it out. I enjoyed that so much, having her council and perspective no matter what the issue."

According to Nickerson, he often asked Stewart if she ever took the more difficult aspects of her work home with her, to which she invariably replied, "no."

"I never could figure out how she didn't take it home with her, but she insisted," Nickerson said.

According to her co-workers, the ability to leave the office's problems in the office was a result of Stewart's genuinely positive attitude, a willingness to share her troubles with her colleagues, and a penchant for celebration.

"Loyce grabbed me in the hall one afternoon and told me we were going up to see Peter Nickerson on the fourth floor," Nolan-Weiss said, remembering a surprise baby shower. "We got up there and the door opened and there were all these people and balloons. I still don't know how she pulled it off."

Whether celebrating or combating inequity, Loyce Stewart lived life with an honesty and integrity that was admired by her peers, and that won't soon be forgotten.

"She had courage, she was a truth teller, and that can get you into trouble sometimes," Burke said. "But in Loyce's case, she received great respect because it was so genuine."