Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)
McGovern Medical School is committed to an institutional culture that fosters the recruitment, nurturing and retention of a diverse student body, trainees, staff and faculty that is reflective of the community we serve.
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Let's Celebrate Our Diversity!
December
Nov 29th-Dec 24th: Advent - holy season and a time of prayer in the Christian calendar
1st: World AIDS Day - day dedicated to raising awareness of AIDS pandemic
7th: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - to remember and honor the brave United States men and women who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
10th-18th: Hanukkah (Chanukah) - Jewish festival commemorating the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire; celebrated with lighting the menorah, traditional foods, games, and gifts
25th: Christmas - annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ though celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians alike; celebrated with an elaborate exchange of gifts and Santa Claus (originating from St. Nicholas)
26th: Boxing Day - a day spent with family and friends in many countries; generally originates from and revolves around giving the less fortunate food and trinkets the day after Christmas festivities
26th- Jan 1st: Kwanzaa - honors African heritage in African-American culture; culminates in gift-giving and a feast; Core Principles: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, Faith
31st: New Year's Eve - last day of the Gregorian calendar year; celebrated at evening social gatherings with dancing, food, drinks, and sometimes fireworks
January
1st: New Year's Day - first day of the modern Gregorian calendar as well as Julian calendar; originally dedicated to Janus in Rome, god of gateways and beginnings (for whom January is also named)
18th: Martin Luther King's Birthday - American federal holiday to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King; MLK was an advocate and nonviolent activist for racial equality in laws including the Civil Rights Movement
Feb 12th: Chinese New Year - year of the Ox; celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar; AKA Lunar New Year, Spring Festival
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Speaker Series recordings can be viewed HERE.
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Diversity and Equity Virtual Speaker Series Session 3
Courageous Conversations: Transitioning as a Leader in the Military
Veterans Day
November 11, 2020
Guest: Commander Amanda Fisher,
US Coast Guard
Facilitator: Ronald E. Acierno, PhD
Professor
Vice Chair For Veteran Affairs
Executive Director Of The UTHealth
Trauma And Resilience Center
Louis A. Fallace, MD Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
In her journey transitioning, Commander Fisher found her close circle of bosses, peers, friends, and the medical opportunities offered through the service generally supportive. She found a support group and gender therapist for additional support. Commander Fisher found the Coast Guard valued transgender service members and was particularly moved during the Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's proclamation welcoming trans individuals. While she hasn’t found issues with harassment personally, she, and many other trans individuals around the country, were negatively affected by the recent dismissal of trans individuals from the military. As a board member of SPART*A (Service members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All), Commander Fisher works to support the trans community and to break down barriers in the military.
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Disabusing Disability :
Demonstrating That DISability Doesn't Mean INability
September, 2020
Presenter:
Oluwaferanmi O. Okanlami, M.D., M.S.
University of Michigan Medical School
Assistant Prof. of Family Medicine, Physical Med. & Rehabilitation, & Urology
Interim Director - Services For Students w/ Disabilities, Division of Student Life
Director - Adaptive Sports & Fitness, Division of Student Life
Director - Adaptive Sports, Michigan Center for Human Athletic Medicine & Performance
Dr. Okanlami spoke on his path and work to bridge gaps between disabilities and equity. He attributes much of his success to a myriad of individuals who initially assisted in bridging the gaps to his path in medicine. These individuals assumed competence and helped him have an opportunity to be successful in medicine overcoming racial and physical inequities. He brings light to the need for more recognition and accommodations for less apparent disabilities equally to those that are more obvious especially since they tend to be more prevalent. Accommodations are not a favor rather creating equal access to those in need.
“Just because we haven’t seen how something can be done doesn’t mean it can’t be done.” ~ Dr. Okanlami
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DACA, Latinx Impact, and Future Considerations
October, 2020
Presenter
Francisco Lucio, JD
UA College of Medicine Phoenix
Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Francisco Lucio, JD joined us in October discussing DACA, Latinx impact, and future considerations. Francisco Lucio is the inaugural Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and works on a number of diversity programs at the school. Immigration issues, such as those he discussed during this talk, are close to his heart having a mother who migrated to the US when he was a child. Lucio, JD explained DACA’s history regarding immigration and provided numerical data and human examples of who is impacted by policy decisions, especially Latinx individuals and students. Individuals in the US who have the opportunity to participate in DACA typically have better SES outcomes such as salary increases and education opportunities.
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SNMA, LMSA, and LGBTQ+ Mixers
During this semester we hosted diversity mixers allowing students and faculty opportunities to connect, converse, and had a variety virtual engagement abilities!
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LGBTQ+ Poster Series, December Edition |
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For more LGBTQ+ Health resources, including all posters in the series, please click HERE.
For our next installment in the series, we have a list of easy dos and don'ts in LGBTQ+ allyship. Have you been wanting to take the next step in becoming a better ally, but aren't sure what to do first or how to proceed without being insensitive? Follow this checklist, be proactive, and don't be afraid to ask questions in the moment! The content and design for this poster are the work of Amanda Maxwell (MS2), Rachel Bergeson (MS2), Jocelyn Ursua (MS4), and Lisa Bird (PGY1).
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Faculty
Professor and Chief of Neuroradiology
Vice Chair Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
Dr. Riascos grew up and remained in Columbia through residency. One of his most cherished mentors, Dr. Ramon Figueroa, encouraged him to continue his medical career in the US. After joining UTHealth in 2014, Dr. Riascos works to keep abreast with the latest technology and participate in outreach opportunities as often as possible. He attributes much of his success to his family and many mentors.
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Resident
Department of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Chief Resident
As an adolescent, Dr. Kirsch found her draw to medicine with a love of the medical sciences and trips to Shriner's Hospital for Children performing martial arts demonstrations for the patients. Her favorite thing about UTHealth is the people and notes her Med-Peds Program is like family. She finds the need for a diverse and inclusive learning environment to successfully treat Houston's incredibly diverse patient population.
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Student
Many cumulative moments lead Spandana to where she is today in her medical education journey. They included conversations with admirable physicians, facing health disparities in cities, and her particular love for the human side of medicine. Her favorite thing about UTHealth is the student body and lifetime connections she has made here with caring individuals.
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Opportunities
Fore more opportunities, please visit our website or stop by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to look at our opportunities book.
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Articles
For more must read articles, please visit our website!
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