Ann Arbor Times

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) alum Victoria Fields has been awarded the 2025 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, which honors graduate students poised to become leaders in higher education with a focus on equity, community engagement, and academic innovation.

Fields graduated summa cum laude from EMU with a bachelor's degree in communication and sport management. Reflecting on her time at the university, she remarked, “EMU means so much to me. It truly laid the foundation for my leadership, academic engagement, and passion for undergraduate teaching.”

After EMU, Fields secured a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed her master’s degree in communication in 2021. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies while serving as an Instructor of Record in the university's Department of Communication. Her research focuses on race and gender dynamics within social movements, society, and sports.

During her time at EMU, Fields was actively involved as a McNair Scholar, member of the Honors College, vice president of the Sport Management Club, student manager for the Women’s Basketball Team, and Athletic Marketing Intern. These roles were instrumental in developing her leadership abilities.

Her academic achievements include receiving the Outstanding Student in Sport Management Program Award and being named “Scholar of the Year” by the McNair Scholars Program in 2019.

At Illinois, Fields co-founded a symposium for women of color through the National Communication Association and collaborates with the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education on equity-focused initiatives.

She attributes much of her success to mentors at EMU like Dennis O’Grady, Kathleen Stacey, Heather Neff, Ray Quiel: “Each of them poured into me with their feedback, kindness, and expertise,” Fields expressed gratitude towards them.

Fields was honored with the Ebony Excellence Award for Instructor of the Year by Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center in 2023 and became a fellow for National Women’s Studies Association’s Women of Color Leadership Project in 2024.

Regarding her recent accolade from K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award program: “It inspires me to continue work inside/outside classroom...help build confidence...encourage use voices enact lasting change society.” She encourages current students to embrace opportunities: “My advice is never stop learning...be good collaborator...lift as climb.”

This recognition underscores Fields' commitment towards advancing equity/innovation education—showcasing leadership potential power transformative impact EMU education provides.

About Eastern Michigan University:

Founded 1849—second oldest public university Michigan; serves nearly 13k students; offers over 300 programs; recognized nationally excellence/diversity/applied education commitment.