Latest News from ODEI
Serving as the Director of Research Safety Committees, Williamson is currently responsible for the implementation and management of several research-related safety committees, including the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the Chemical Safety and Environmental Management Committee (CSEMC), the Radioisotope and Radiation Safety Committee (RRSC) and the committee for Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC).
"The UAB family is a small melting pot of our world at large. Getting to work toward common goals with groups of individuals from such diverse backgrounds means that our resulting “products” are vetted from many angles, are richly spiced, and are far more interesting and sustainable than those generated alone," said Williamson.
As chair, Williamson will lead the 42 members of the Commission to advise the UAB President on issues, policies, and practices that affect women; propose initiatives to ensure that the needs of women employees and students are fairly met, and report regularly to the president and UAB community on the status of women at UAB.
"I am humbled by this amazing group of recognized female leaders. Even though we all lead busy lives, we come together to work for all women at UAB," Williamson said.
Professor Mona Fouad, M.D., MPH, a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research and senior associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, will join UAB’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) as associate vice president beginning July 1.
In her expanded role, Dr. Fouad will work with ODEI to broaden and strengthen the links between the university and UAB Medicine and advance the goals of Live HealthSmart Alabama, a comprehensive plan for advocating and implementing changes to policy, systems and the built environment that promote health and wellness throughout Alabama.
Fouad’s extensive work to reduce health disparities within diverse populations, her success with DEI initiatives in the School of Medicine and her leadership development skills will be invaluable, says Paulette Patterson Dilworth, UAB’s vice president for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. “We are eager to work with Dr. Fouad and elevate Live HealthSmart Alabama as part of our overall strategic effort,” she said. “This is the natural growth and evolution of a highly successful, interdisciplinary program into one that institutionalizes our shared values of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“I am excited to expand our health disparities work and assist Dr. Dilworth and ODEI with the exceptional initiatives already underway,” said Fouad, senior associate dean of the School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion and CEO of Live HealthSmart Alabama, a bold initiative launched by UAB’s Grand Challenge in 2019.
Fouad, as director of the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine and founding director of the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center, has laid the foundation for research and public health interventions that make health care more accessible and equitable. Fouad also has played a prominent leadership role, regionally and nationally, in promoting diversity in medical education, and within the UAB School of Medicine, she has worked to attract and recruit faculty from underrepresented populations and support their development as independent scientists.
As a result of her "lifetime of exceptional work in health and medicine," Fouad was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2017.
“Given her central role in UAB’s School of Medicine, Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center, and Live HealthSmart Alabama and her national role in disparities research, Dr. Fouad is the right person to bring this added dimension to the work of the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., executive vice dean, Heersink School of Medicine.
Christopher Jones, Ph.D., has been selected as the assistant vice president for Campus & Community Engagement in the UAB Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI). Previously serving as the inaugural director for Student Multicultural & Diversity Programs in UAB Student Affairs, he began his new role on June 1, 2022.
As AVP for Campus and Community Engagement, Jones will be responsible for ensuring ODEI serves the campus and Birmingham community by seeking, establishing, strengthening and sustaining relationships with diverse groups, businesses, industry, organizations, institutions, and community partners to advance and promote equity and inclusion. He will also advise the Keystone Fellows and undergraduate students in the Multicultural Scholars Program.
“I am extremely excited to be part of the ODEI team and to add to the amazing work already being done,” said, Jones. “I love UAB and this opportunity allows me to continue working at an institution that truly values diversity and inclusion. I am grateful for the opportunity and being entrusted with such an important role within the vice president’s office.”
Jones was recognized by Minority Access, Inc. as a 2019 National Role Model for his efforts in advancing the recruitment, retention, and enhancement of underrepresented students at UAB. These efforts have included the creation of a student Safe Zone training program, a diversity programs board, and the development of an intergroup dialogue initiative designed to help students discuss issues around diversity.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a master of public administration both from Auburn University before completing his doctorate in UAB’s Educational Studies of Diverse Populations program in 2021.
Louis Dale, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, has been honored with a math award named in his honor by the University of Alabama’s Department of Mathematics. Dale, who retired from UAB in 2014 after 40 years of service, was the first African American Ph.D. student in UA’s math department, earning his degree in 1973.
The Louis Dale Medal in Mathematics is awarded to an upper-level mathematics student who displays excellence in their work. The award was unveiled during a ceremony at UA on April 6, 2022.
Dale was named the inaugural vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UAB when the position was created in 2003. Currently, he serves as program director for the Bridge to the Doctorate Program at UAB, a National Science Foundation-funded (NSF) program created to increase the number of underrepresented groups in STEM. He is also a Co-PI of UAB’s Alabama ADVANCE Partnership for Gender Equity, part of the NSF’s ADVANCE Program, aimed at increasing the participation and advancement of women in STEM.
Four individuals and one student organization were honored with the 2022 President’s Diversity Champion Award during a ceremony at the UAB Alumni House March 3.
The annual award, sponsored by the Office of the President and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, recognizes employees, students and organizations that have helped create a more culturally diverse, inclusive university community through their achievements. Nominations are solicited from the UAB community for all categories, and awards are given in several categories for projects or activities that best reflect the implementation of unit and/or campus diversity goals.
The 2022 recipients are Kristina Visscher, Ph.D., associate professor of neurobiology and co-director of the Civitan International Neuroimaging Laboratory; Zana Pascoe, regional undergraduate admissions counselor; Sachin Budhathoki, a biomedical engineering doctoral student; Micah Williams, a senior majoring in English and philosophy; and the National Optometric Student Association.
Kristina Visscher
Visscher’s research focuses on the plasticity of brain networks in adulthood. Her lab uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how brain activity and connections change with experience, specifically after experience with vision loss, and in older adults.
Visscher works to improve outreach for neuroscience to the local community, bringing diverse speakers and volunteers to the community to help broaden public perception of who can be a scientist. As a member of UAB’s Research Civitan Club, she spearheaded the SCI café seminar series with the McWane Science Center, which holds monthly seminars to educate the lay public about ongoing research in all domains of science.
For more than 10 years, she has been the faculty organizer of UAB’s Brain Awareness Week, in which graduate and undergraduate students do hands-on activities with community members to teach about the brain and brain health. She also is active with UAB’s Roadmap Scholars program to enhance engagement and retention of underrepresented graduate trainees in neuroscience and won their outstanding research mentor award in 2021.
Zana Pascoe
Pascoe earned her bachelor’s in biology at the University of Kansas and a Master of Education degree in college student personnel services. With support from her leadership and colleagues, she created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee within the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Scholarships and Campus Visits to help meet the needs of prospective UAB students in underserved communities.
Pascoe and the DEI Committee have created projects that eliminate barriers for prospective students and current students, including awarding scholarships to the underrepresented students recognized by the College Board National Recognition Programs, eliminating financial strains to these students while recognizing them for their merit. The committee also created a new, inclusive dress code policy that eliminated gender norms, allowing employees to be comfortable while expressing themselves in their own way. In her free time, Pascoe is involved in community service projects and outreach programs in the North Texas area.
Sachin Budhathoki
Born in the Himalayan country of Nepal, Budhathoki came to UAB in 2018 to pursue his doctorate in biomedical engineering.
He works in the Tissue and Organ Chip Laboratory under Palaniappan Sethu, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering. He also works in the UAB Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as the tech transfer research fellow, where he helps transfer UAB discoveries and inventions from bench to bedside.
Involved in various student organizations, Budhathoki serves as senator in the Graduate Student Government and chairs the Professional Development and Leadership Committee. He was awarded the UAB GSG Travel Grant in 2020 and Professional Development and Travel Award in 2021. Also in 2021, he was the recipient of the Blazer Way Award, designed to highlight members of the UAB community who exemplify the tenets of the UAB Creed: honor and integrity, scholarship, service, innovation and diversity.
Micah Williams
During his undergraduate career, Williams has promoted representation and the power of voicing one’s own narrative in both his activities and his studies. He is a member of several organizations dedicated to diversity, inclusion and service, including the Eta Lambda chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, the Global and Community Leadership Honors Program, the McNair Scholars Program, and UAB’s Student Advisory Board for the 2021-2022 year.
Williams also is involved in the Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs Office as a mentor in the Blazer Male Excellence Network, or BMEN, a mentorship program created to aid in the retention and representation of Black male freshmen at UAB. Recently, he received certification to teach student diversity workshops as a diversity peer educator. Williams also researches topics in African American literature, specifically protest literature, gender politics in Black women’s writing and the ethics of representation in media. After graduating in spring 2022, he plans to pursue a doctorate in English literature in hopes that he can further promote diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.
National Optometric Student Association
In 1979, the National Optometric Association sought to establish a student organization to promote service among optometry students and carry forward its mission of advancing the visual health of minority populations. In addition to fulfilling this core mission, NOA incorporated the goals of furthering the professional development of its student members and increasing the diversity in the profession of optometry by enhancing the recruitment and retention of minority students.
UAB NOSA now includes more than 50 members, with every ethnicity in the school represented. They participate in many health and career fairs, monthly vision screenings, diverse optometry initiatives, pre-optometry club activities and more. NOSA is an annual contributor to the Gift of Sight Program and strives to make a difference at UAB and in the community.