Swan Receives Strand Diversity Award

Ronald Swan, Chief of the Illinois State University Police department, is the 2008 recipient of the David Strand Diversity Achievement Award at Illinois State University.

Swan is the 15th recipient of the award, which was established and endowed by President Emeritus David Strand to honor a faculty or staff member whose efforts result in heightened sensitivity to diversity on campus. Swan will be honored Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Founders Day Convocation in Braden Auditorium and will receive a check and his name on the Strand Diversity Achievement Award plaque on the Wall of Fame in Bone Student Center.

Before coming to Illinois State, Swan was chief of police at Monticello and in Beverly Hills, Mo.  He graduated from the Municipal Police Training Academy of St. Louis County, the Major Case Squad Training School of Greater St. Louis, The Dignitary Protection School of the U.S. Secret Service, the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, the National Institute Against Hate Crimes and Terrorism at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, Calif., the Plenary Session National Institute Against Hate Crimes and Terrorism at the New York Tolerance Center and Advanced Training School of the Anti-Defamation League in Washington D. C.

Swan was elected to the law section of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences in London, England.  He received his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri, a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies/criminology from the University of the State of New York, a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a master’s degree in urban affairs from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.

Swan is the recipient of such awards as the Police Medal of Distinction from the City Council of Monticello, Illinois;  Life Saving Commendation from the Jewish Employment and Vocational Services of St. Louis;  Letter of Commendation from Scotland Yard;  Diploma of Honor and Veteran of Labor Medal from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;  Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the Sons of the American Revolution;  Medal of Excellence in Service to Russia 1 & 2 Order;  Distinguished Alumnus Award 1993, Hannibal-LaGrange College; Medal of Yuri Gagarin and Medal Freedom of Russia; and the List of Honor by the Ministry of the Interior of Russia for saving the lives of three Russian citizens in 1993. Swan received the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award in the Social and Natural Science Division from Richland Community College and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Relations Award from the City of Bloomington.  He is an active member of the Bloomington/Normal Branch NAACP.

Past recipients of the Strand Diversity Achievement Award are Alison Bailey, Nancy Tolson, Christopher Horvath, Kim Pereira, Marilyn Boyd, Maria Canabal, Madeleine Hoss, Ming-Gon John Lian, Maura Toro-Morn, Louis Perez, Ron Strickland, Julia Visor, Savario Mungo and Paula Ressler.