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The Civic Engagement Hall of Fame is an annual program sponsored by the President and the Center for Civic Engagement that recognizes individuals for their efforts in addressing social and environmental challenges facing communities. Inductees possess sustained commitment and passion for improving and assisting organizations through their civic engagement efforts. Nomination categories include undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty, staff/administrator and alumni.
This year’s inductees and nominees are below:
Undergraduate Student Inductee, Dikate O’Neill
Dikate O’Neill (she/her) is a junior/senior psychology student at Salem State. Dikate is a dedicated mental health advocate and active in organizations to cultivate campus belonging and make sure every student feels they have a place on campus. In 2024, Dikate worked with the Center for Civic Engagement to establish and lead the SSU Mental Health Political Advocacy Coalition. Recognizing the impact of these challenging times, Dikate has been tireless in her outreach efforts to ensure that the Coalition is visible on campus and offers students outlets for inclusion, and to help them find community and a place to relieve mental stress. She has been an active member of the Bold Educated Empowered Sisters (BEES) since it was re-established in 2024, and currently serves as social media officer and co-vice president. She participated in SSU’s 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation speaking panel. Last summer Dikate completed a psychology internship working at Molo Mhlaba, an all girls primary school, in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, South Africa. After graduation, Dikate hopes to enter the Behavioral Health Service Corps at William James College, and pursue a graduate degree in the field of psychology.
Diakate’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame community partner is Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn.
Graduate Student Inductee, Erika K. Pen
Erika K. Pen is a Cambodian-American emerging student affairs practitioner and researcher. She aims to research and explore the intersection of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) cultural identity in higher education settings, how multicultural and identity-based student organizations support cultural identity growth, and increase persistence rates among AANHPI students. Her roles as a Grad Assistant for the SSU’s Center for Justice and Liberation along with Program Assistant at UML’s Asian American Center for Excellence and Engagement have allowed her to apply student development theory to practice. Finally, they are the Region I Representative for NASPA's Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge, a role that has contributed to their professional and academic growth. In her free time, you can find them exploring new places, spending time with loved ones, practicing their Khmer reading and writing skills, learning Cantonese, and of course, getting a bubble tea.
Erika’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame community partner is the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association.
Faculty Inductee, Dr. Thomas Piñeros-Shields
Thomas Piñeros Shields, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Politics, Policy and International Relations (PPIR) at Salem State University and the founding director of the North Shore Policy Lab where faculty and students engage in community-based research and learning projects. His scholarship focuses on participatory action research, youth social movements and undocumented immigration policy. For over three decades, Dr. Piñeros Shields has built university-community partnerships through community engaged research projects in Lowell, MA, New York City, East St. Louis, IL, Waltham, MA and with the Student Immigrant Movement (SIM). He previously worked at UMASS Lowell Department of Sociology where he founded the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and as a research associate at the Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy where he engaged in applied quantitative and qualitative evaluations in the areas of civic engagement and service-learning and higher-education at local, state, national and international levels. Dr. Piñeros Shields completed his doctorate in the joint Sociology and Social Policy program at Brandeis University. His dissertation was a five-year in-depth ethnographic study of the Student Immigrant Movement (SIM). He earned his undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) from Cornell University and his masters degree in the Urban and Environmental Policy program at Tufts University. He has lived in Salem with his family for over 21 years, where he currently serves on the board of the House of Seven Gables, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund of the City of Salem and supports the local Salem LUCE leadership.
Tom’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame community partner is the Luce Network.
Staff/Administrator Inductee, Dr. Kevin D. Linton
Dr. Kevin David Linton is Director of TRIO Student Support Services at Salem State University and a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Higher Education in Student Affairs graduate program. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, his work focuses on advancing college access, student success, and equity for first-generation, low-income, and historically marginalized students. He serves as President-Elect of the New England Educational Opportunity Association and previously served as President of the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association, advocating for educational opportunity at the state, regional, and national levels. Dr. Linton’s community-based research examines LGBTQ+ advocacy in higher education, and his forthcoming book explores the creation of Pride Centers at public universities in the U.S. South. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Lesley University and is a Board Certified Academic Coach (BCC – National Board for Certified Counselors) and a Certified Student Affairs Educator (CSAEd – National Association of Student Personnel Administrators). Through leadership, scholarship, and civic engagement, he works to strengthen communities by expanding access to education and fostering inclusive learning environments.
Kevin’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame community partner is The Council for Opportunity in Education.
Alumni Inductee, Tyler Carlton-Kelley
Tyler Carlton-Kelley (SSU Class of 2016) has dedicated more than a decade to strengthening civic participation in Salem and across Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Salem State and holds two master’s degrees — in Public Administration and Political Science — from Suffolk University. Since 2013, he has served as a member of the Salem Democratic City Committee and, since 2014, as a member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, including nine years on its Executive Committee in leadership roles focused on LGBTQ+ representation and organizational reform. Professionally, Tyler worked in the Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office from 2017 to 2025 under Auditors Bump and DiZoglio, and has worked at the Southern Essex Registry of Deeds under Register Eileen Duff since 2025. Across both his civic and professional work, he is committed to transparency, equity, and strengthening democratic institutions.
Tyler’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame community partner is NAGLY Salem.
2026 Civic Engagement Hall of Fame Nominees
Undergraduate Students
Victoria Dawkins
Janiela Quiñoes Garcia
Terrence Jean-Charles
Michelle Lesperance
Kara Silver
Graduate Students
Mickey McGrath
Faculty
Al DeCiccio
Lisa Delissio
Jean MacLachlan
Amanda Mack
Maria Parker
Barbara Poremba
Megan Schumaker-Murphy
Kathleen Schlenz
Staff/Administrators
Andrew Darien
Carlie Pierre
Alumni
Tina Baptista
Michael Corley
Errin Davis
Angel Alexander Garcia
Keith Knight
Erin Mayo
Dr. Jameco McKenzie
Julio Mota
Erin Pecci
Cely Rosario
Linda Saris
Brianna Silva
Tristan Smith
Katerina Thompson
Danielle Tarrell