Carlton Young, MD
Dr. Carlton Young serves as the Assistant Dean for Medical Student Diversity and Inclusion at the Heersink School of Medicine, a step in UAB's ongoing commitment to combat health disparities by educating a health care workforce that meets the needs of a diverse state and nation. As part of the Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, Young is responsible for developing partnerships with undergraduate students and programs to help those students be more competitive in applying to medical school. He has been and continues to serve as a professor in the Department of Surgery since 1997, director of the pancreas transplant program and director of pediatric renal transplantation. His research focuses on health disparities in transplantation, primarily in African Americans, an interest he says will dovetail well with his current responsibilities.
Erica Brown, Ph.D.
Erica Brown serves as Program Manager II for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She is responsible for working with the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Medical Student Services (MSS) team to develop and manage student programming and support of student organizations. She also provides support and leadership for diversity and inclusion activities, working closely with MSS. Her primary responsibilities are to ensure student advocacy, mentoring and advising, leadership development, and academic enrichment. She also serves as advisor to the Student Advisory Board in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs.
Prior to joining the ODI team, Erica served fourteen years as the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Birmingham-Southern College. In this role, she worked with administration, faculty, staff and students to initiate and support diversity efforts. She has taught classes in the area of cultural diversity and presented talks at various conferences. Erica’s philosophy about Diversity and Inclusion is rooted in the Heersink School of Medicine’s concept of Inclusive Excellence and the importance of supporting students in becoming the best healthcare professionals of tomorrow.
Erica is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana but has strong ties to the South. Both of her parents were born and raised in Georgia and Alabama. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management, a Masters in Educational Leadership and is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership, Social and Cultural Studies. Erica currently resides in Hoover, Alabama. She has two sisters and is an identical twin.