FAU Among Three Finalists for National Degree Completion Award

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) selected Florida Atlantic University to be one of three finalists for its national Degree Completion Award. A winner will be selected during the APLU’s annual meeting that takes place Nov. 15-17.

UCI receives 5-year, $5 million CIRM award for training of diverse researchers

The University of California, Irvine has received a five-year, $5 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to support a comprehensive doctoral, postdoctoral and clinical researcher training program to prepare the current and next generation of leaders in stem cell biology, gene therapy and regenerative medicine.

Long Island Institutions Model the Future of Diverse STEM Education

In pursuit of diversifying the STEM education system, academic and research institutions on Long Island have come together to support emerging STEM professors from underrepresented minority groups. The newly formed collaboration, called the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Predominately Undergraduate Institutions (PUI), includes Stony Brook University, Suffolk County Community College, Farmingdale State College, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Moffitt Participating in National Pilot Project to Increase Diversity in Clinical Trials

Moffitt Cancer Center is participating in a national pilot project being conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). The pilot project is testing a research site self-assessment tool and an implicit bias training program focused on increasing racial and ethnic diversity among cancer treatment trial participants.

UCI to welcome inaugural Doctor of Pharmacy class at White Coat Ceremony

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 14, 2021 – The inaugural class of Pharm.D. students at the University of California, Irvine will begin their journey Sept. 24 at a White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage marking the transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences. The white coat is universally recognized as a symbol of the commitment students are making in joining a trusted health profession.

How do state laws affect hospital nurse staffing? Study compares three approaches

Across the nation, states are grappling with alternative approaches to address the heightened problem of low nurse staffing in hospitals. A new national study finds that while legislation to mandate hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios is associated with a significant increase in nurse staffing, two other popular approaches – mandating public reporting of nurse staffing levels and hospital staffing committees that include frontline nurses – have had little or no impact on nurse staffing levels. The study appears in a special supplement to the October issue of Medical Care focused on Health Workforce Equity. Medical Care is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Columbia University and Pfizer to Establish Clinical Trials Diversity Initiative

Columbia University Irving Medical Center, its Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Pfizer Inc. have established the Columbia-Pfizer Clinical Trials Diversity Initiative, with the aim of reducing health disparities by increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in clinical trials and enhancing the diversity of clinical researchers.

UCI is among inaugural US cohort to adopt Okanagan Charter

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 1, 2021 – The University of California, Irvine is among the inaugural U.S. cohort of eight “health-promoting universities and colleges” to adopt the Okanagan Charter and will join the others in a virtual signing ceremony today. The Okanagan Charter calls on institutions of higher education to infuse health and well-being into the campus environment and lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.

Equity in STEM can be driven by scientific societies

In a new paper published in The Anatomical Record, authors Dr. Melissa A. Carroll (The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences), Shawn Boynes (American Association for Anatomy), Dr. Loydie A. Jerome-Majewska (McGill University), and Dr. Kimberly S. Topp (University of California San Francisco), discuss how scientific societies can be drivers of change in academia, focusing on the American Association for Anatomy as a case study.

Student equity scholar Frances Contreras named dean of UCI School of Education

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 18, 2021 — Frances Contreras, who is widely acclaimed for her research on academic diversity and access from preschool to the Ph.D., has been appointed dean of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. She will assume her new role on Jan. 1, 2022. Contreras is currently associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as professor of education studies, at the University of California, San Diego.

Fellowship directors could be key to increasing diversity among cardiologists, Wayne State-led study shows

Underrepresented minorities, specifically African American, Native American, Hispanic and/or Pacific Island physicians comprise only about 12% of the cardiology workforce. There are cardiology fellowship programs in the U.S. that have never trained an underrepresented minority fellow until recently, said study author Arif Musa, a fourth-year medical student at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Advanced practice nurse and philosopher Mark Lazenby named dean of UCI nursing school

Irvine, Calif., July 27, 2021 – Mark Lazenby, advanced practice nurse and philosopher, has been appointed dean of the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. He will assume his new role on Jan. 1, 2022. Lazenby is currently a professor of nursing and associate dean for faculty and student affairs in the School of Nursing at the University of Connecticut, where he’s also an affiliate professor of philosophy.

FAU Nursing Faculty Member Receives NIH K01 Grant for Breast Cancer Research

Tarsha Jones, Ph.D., principal investigator and an assistant professor of nursing at FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, has received the National Institute of Health (NIH) K01 Career Development Award, a five-year, $772,525 award for a project titled, “Decision Support for Multigene Panel Testing and Family Risk Communication among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Young Breast Cancer Survivors.”

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Accelerates Drive to Diversity, Announces First Biomedical Laureates

Less than eight months after unveiling its Biomedical Laureates Program, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announced today the first Laureates to join its academic faculty, delivering on an institutional commitment to drive diversity and enhance mentorship opportunities. Both Laureates will start in July.

Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Issue Features Undergraduate Research in Community Colleges

The spring 2021 issue of Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research (SPUR), the academic journal of the Council on Undergraduate Research, focuses on dynamic programs and initiatives advancing undergraduate research in community colleges.

UCLA Health Receives $750K Department of Commerce Grant to Fund COVID-19 Innovation That Prioritizes Health Equity

UCLA Health has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to scale healthcare innovations for COVID-19 response and recovery and to support health equity through BioFutures, a new LA County workforce development program for diversity in the biosciences.

4DMedical Teaming with ATS Diversity Fund to Improve Access and Equity in American Health Care

The American Thoracic Society is recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion and is respected as a powerful advocate protecting the health of the American people by encouraging increased investment in public health care. During the ATS 2021 International Conference starting May 14, respiratory imaging disruptor 4DMedical is partnering with the ATS to make better health care technologies accessible to those who need it the most.

Roswell Park, Wilmot Cancer Institute Collaborate on First Large Study of Immunotherapy in Black Cancer Patients

A new collaboration between two Western New York cancer research leaders will help oncologists learn whether Black and white cancer patients respond differently to a game-changing immunotherapy treatment, and seeks to improve the safety and effectiveness of these newer drugs in diverse populations.

Corporate Employees Learn New Strategies for Helping Youth While Building Workforce of Tomorrow at CFES Brilliant Pathways Training

Corporations concerned with cultivating and recruiting the workforce of tomorrow due to the dramatic effects of COVID-19 on America’s youth are turning to CFES Brilliant Pathways for answers.

Lack of diversity in genomic databases may affect therapy selection for minority groups

Low representation of minority groups in public genomic databases may affect therapy selection for Black patients with cancer, according to new Mayo Clinic research published in npj Precision Oncology.

The researchers investigated the use of genomic databases and found that tumor mutation burden was significantly inflated in Black patients compared to White patients.

As a result of the study, clinicians who are using public genomic databases need to be aware of the potential for inflated tumor mutation burden values and how that may affect therapy selection and outcomes, especially for patients from underrepresented groups.

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING ANNOUNCES NEWLY ENDOWED CHAIR AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

The new positions reflect MSK’s commitment to expanding patient access to cancer care and supporting ongoing research aimed at reducing cancer disparities that stem from racial, ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers.

Dr. Damon A. Williams to Speak at AACN’s Diversity Symposium

Dr. Damon A. Williams, a visionary and inspirational leader, and one of the nation’s most recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility, and organizational change, will be the featured speaker at AACN’s Inaugural Diversity Symposium. This virtual event will be held on December 2-3, 2020. Dr. Williams will speak on “Understanding Inclusive Excellence”, addressing nursing school’s diversity and inclusion efforts at the core of institutional functioning.

Baylor Scott & White Health Recognized for Commitment to Supporting Veterans and Service Members Pursuing Civilian Careers

Baylor Scott & White Health recently received VIQTORY’s 2021 Top Military Friendly® Employer designation, the only health system in Texas to be ranked in the top 10. The health system ranked No. 4 in the government/non-profit organizations category and was recognized for exceeding benchmark standards for the Military Friendly® designation. The 19th annual list of Military Friendly® Employers has been released on militaryfriendly.com and will be officially published in the December 2020 issue of G.I. Jobs® Magazine.

ATS/CHEST Foundation Award First Research Grant in Diversity

Thomas S. Valley, MD, of the University of Michigan has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the ATS/CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Diversity. The focus of the research grant is clinical research that contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiology of treatment of conditions related to pulmonary, critical care, or sleep medicine that disproportionately affects underrepresented minority patient groups.