The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted its annual Women in Medicine & Science Promotion Reception—celebrating women promoted at the end of 2022—at the Wallace Tumor Institute on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

This joyous occasion was opened by Anupam Agarwal, M.D., Interim Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, who commended the distinguished honorees for their hard work and dedication, comparing them to Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. He noted that the 47 honorees—12 of whom were promoted to the rank of professor and 35 to associate professor—had made invaluable contributions to medicine, academia, and research.

Agarwal called attention to the fact that while women make up approximately 50% of the medical student population, only about 15% make it to senior leadership positions—making events such as this critical to building an inclusive and representative workplace.

Breaking Barriers: Dr. Fouad Sets the Stage for Women's Advancement

Mona Fouad, M.D., MPH, Associate Vice President for UAB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Senior Associate Dean for Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion, made her opening remarks in which she set the scene for this occasion, mentioning her gratitude for the university's support and admiration for each of the women honorees.

Fouad reiterated this much-needed event to highlight women's contributions in advancing medicine and science.

Honoring Excellence

The ceremony included heartfelt remarks, and even laughs, from each of the promoted professors' Department or Division Chairs. After each speech, the women were presented with a gift from Heersink ODI and had their picture taken with Fouad, Agarwal, and their department or division leader. The women honored include:

• Monica Agarwal, M.D.
• Margaret Boozer, M.D.
• Heather Bruns, Ph.D.
• Maio Danila, M.D.
• Jayleen Grams, M.D.
• Kimberly Hendershot, M.D.
• Morissa Ladinsky, M.D.
• Farah Lubin, Ph.D.
• Nina Terry, M.D., J.D.
• Stephenie Wallace, M.D.
• Parekha Yedla, M.D.
• Nabiha Yusuf, Ph.D.

Next, to celebrate associate professor promotions, Fouad read the list aloud as each woman stood when their name was called. Heersink ODI team members distributed gifts to each woman as they were recognized. Those women include:

Recognizing and Celebrating Impact

Closing remarks were given by Dr. Fouad, who thanked everyone for their attendance. Events like this are essential to the Heersink School of Medicine as they celebrate women's achievements in medicine and science and showcase their positive impact.

The reception offered opportunities for the honorees to network with one another and members of Heersink leadership while they enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres. They also had the opportunity to have a new professional headshot made to use as they begin their work as newly promoted faculty at the school.

This year’s Women in Medicine and Science Promotion Reception was a celebration of the achievements by these brilliant women at our school. This annual event stands a reminder that we can all reach great heights in our careers with hard work, dedication, and perseverance.