inside.hokiesports.com 7 Virginia Tech’s André Davis and Reyna GilbertLowry have been selected as recipients of the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference UNITE Award, which was created to honor individuals affiliated with the league who have made an impact in the areas of racial and social justice. The UNITE Award is presented annually by the ACC’s Committee for Racial and Social Justice to individuals who: • Best exemplify ACC CORE’s mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy; • Have helped create meaningful, lasting change by improving systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes; • Have been a pioneer and/or helped pave the way for minorities either at the institution or in the community Davis shined as a two-sport star in Blacksburg from 1998-2001 as a wide receiver for the football program and a sprinter in track. The Upstate New York native caught 103 passes for 1,986 yards and 18 touchdowns during his four seasons at Lane, while also winning a total of four outdoor and four indoor Atlantic 10 championships in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Davis continued his athletic career professionally after being selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, eventually finishing a prosperous career with four teams that spanned nine seasons in 2011. In 2014, Davis co-founded the 2LiveBeyond Foundation, which focuses on the care of disadvantaged children, in the mission to share both domestically and internationally that children are able “2LiveBeyond ourselves so others may dream beyond their circumstances.” Davis has also worked with Africa New Life Ministries in efforts to provide medical and dental care to children in Kigali, Rwanda. Davis committed an undisclosed philanthropic gift in 2016 to the football program and Hokies’ leadership institute to assist with providing resources for a Leadership Culture speaker series and a Global Leadership study abroad program for Hokie student-athletes. He currently serves as the Director of Student-Athlete Support and Community Engagement within the Virginia Tech Department of Athletics, promoting the mission of student-athletes preparing for life after graduation. Davis lives in Delaware with his wife Janelle and four children Daylen, Bryce, Laila and Noelle. Gilbert-Lowry, who was recently promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Inclusive Excellence and Alumni Engagement, has led the call to inclusive action within Virginia Tech Athletics. Furthermore, she has shown specific care for Tech student-athletes in their journey to curate their feelings into expressing their voice and turning their voice into action. In 2020, she spearheaded the #LOVE Project, the department’s program to amplify the voices of VT student-athletes to send a message of unity to the student-athletes, campus, staff and community. Her efforts continued in spring of 2022 with #LOVE: Our Black Community, a collaboration with the external team to highlight Black History and culture within the New River Valley. In the fall of 2022, Gilbert-Lowry launched the Black Athlete Alumni Network with the goal of providing comprehensive opportunities for Virginia Tech’s black student-athlete alumni to engage with one another, Virginia Tech Athletics and the campus community. Gilbert-Lowry has also worked to support the VT Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s student-athlete-led Awareness to Action Unity Walk during ACC Unity Week in October 2021 and the Rise and Unite Student Leadership Panel discussion in April 2022, which featured Hokie student-athletes and student leaders from across the Virginia Tech community. In addition, she has collaborated with campus partners in the Cultural and Community Centers and Office of Inclusion and Diversity to host town hall discussions and educational workshops for student-athletes, coaches, and staff that focused on race, diversity, equity, allyship, and microaggressions in an effort to enhance the culture of inclusion within the department An employee of Virginia Tech since 2008, Gilbert-Lowry resides in Blacksburg with her husband Spencer and two daughters, Brooklyn and Harlow. DAVIS, GILBERT-LOWRY named 2022 ACC UNITE AWARD recipients Award honors those who make an impact in the areas of racial and social justice DAVIS GILBERT-LOWRY
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