When Vicki Haywood Doe walks into the Diversity Outreach and Development office, you can’t miss her.

“If she came in here she’d be loud and boisterous,” said Daniel Nilsson, director of the DOD office and a colleague of Doe. “She has an energy that is just never ending. She’s fun, she’s direct and she’s just really passionate.”

In 2014, Doe was brought on as the diversity catalyst in the Office of Diversity Outreach and Development in the College of Education, Health and Human Services. Her role was to “help connect students to community members and other resources,” according to Nilsson.

In addition to her work within the college, Doe has created her own health and wellness consulting company, Haywood Doe Consulting Co., LLC, and does work under the name Vicki Doe Fitness.

“We develop lifestyle intervention programs,” Doe said. “We also develop interactive workshops, for example, we’re having one on Type 2 diabetes. So we talk about Type 2 diabetes and the things that you can do to help control it through your lifestyle management.”

Doe also created a syndicated radio talk show in 2002 called “It’s All About Health and Fitness,” which has since been turned into syndicated podcast episodes. She has also been writing for “Metro Monthly” for the past 13 years, according to a press release issued by the College of EHHS.

Doe is one of seven alumni that will be honored during the College of EHHS 7th Annual Hall of Fame event on Friday. She will be recognized as the 2016 Distinguished Service Award recipient.

“I was pleasantly surprised [to find out I would be recognized,” Doe said.

Nilsson, who nominated Doe for the award, has worked with Doe for the past year and recognized the work that she continues to put forth in the college.

“She is somebody who wants to give back, and I think that’s what makes her deserving, she does all those things, and she does it with a lot of grace,” Nilsson said. “Our tagline in our office is ‘holding it down’ and she’s always ‘holding it down’. This office is really proud to partner with her and have a relationship with her; she’s a friend, she’s a colleague, she’s everything.”

Doe will be recognized alongside six other alumni, including Charles Fensch (Centennial Alumni Award), Greg Jarvie (Distinguished Alumni Award), Tara Pringle Jefferson (Recent Alumni Award), Adelaida Santana Pellicier (Diversity Alumni Award), Lennise Baptiste (International Alumni Award) and Philip Wagner (Alumni Leadership Award).

“They’re all so successful,” said Anne Alfano, graduate assistant in the Office of the Dean. “We have a variety, and it’s not all education-based. I really like the diversity aspect of the whole thing and being able to look at all their accomplishments.”

The Hall of Fame will be held at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center and is expected to have about 90 guests, according to Alfano. In addition to the award ceremony, dinner will also be provided for those in attendance.

Contact Adriona Murphy at [email protected].