Diversity and Inclusion Education Series
To register for upcoming Faculty Development workshops please visit the UTRGV Training Services Website.
AY 2022-2023 Events
Fall 2022 Events
Fireside Chat Series-Paleo Oncology: How Can the Past Teach About the Future?
Speaker: Carina Marques, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, UTRGV
Date: 11/1/2022
Issues Addressed: Address the contributions of paleopathological research to the problem of cancer in past huma populations; describe the state of the art in the paleopathology of cancer and demonstrate that cancer is an old disease; highlight the potential benefit of bridging the fields of evolutionary medicine, paleo-oncology, and oncology.
Fireside Chat Series-UTRGV CampusShield Mobile App and Victim Services
Speaker: Amanda Quintanilla, UTRGV Police Department Victim Services Specialist
Date: 10/11/2022
Issues Addressed: Informative session about the UTRGV Campus Shield mobile app that students, faculty, residents, and staff can use while on any of the UTRGV campuses for police department support, e.g., reporting a crime, requesting assistance, and providing location and time information to up to three emergency contacts. Victim services available to all employees and students at UTRGV were also discussed and contact information provided.
CME GME Faculty Development Diversity Training-Equity in the Interview & Selection Process
Speaker: Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE) and Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Date: 10/7/2022
Issues Addressed: Training for Internal Medicine Department at Doctor’s Hospital Renaissance—emphasis on importance of maintaining fair and consistent practices for the recruitment, interview, and selection process; discussion of other processes that can enhance equity and diversity.
CME GME Faculty Development Grand Rounds-Equity in the Interview & Selection Process
Speaker: Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE) and Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Date: 9/30/2022
Issues Addressed: Emphasis on importance of maintaining fair and consistent practices for the recruitment, interview, and selection process; discussion of other processes that can enhance equity and diversity.
Diversity Equity Leadership: Women in Medicine and Science Series
Speaker: Chelsea Chang, MD, Interim Department Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Assistant Dean of GME
Date: 9/29/2022
Issues Addressed: Recognizing personal and career development milestones that have led to current leadership; identifying strategies that have served in building leadership; overcoming challenges in career advancement.
Sexual Harassment Reporting Education Campaign Panel Session: A Collaborative effort with the UTRGV Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, the UTRGV SOM Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE), the UTRGV SOM Graduate Medical Education office (GMEO), the UTRGV SOM Office of Student Affairs (OSA), and the UTRGV SOM Office of Faculty Affairs
Speakers Panel: Moderator-Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE) and Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education (CME); Stanley I. Fisch, MD, Associate Dean for Student Affairs; Nausheen Jamal, MD, Department Chair Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Associate Dean Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Officer; Beatriz Tapia, MD, EdD, MPH, Assistant Dean of Faculty Development
Invited UTRGV Guests: Florence Nocar, JD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Equity and Diversity Officer, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity; Cynthia Jones, PhD, Founding Director-Office for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, Professor of Applied Ethics; Amanda Quintanilla, Victim Services Specialist, Police Department; Rick Gray, RN, MBA, Director of Health Services; Veronica Cano, Faculty Ombuds
Date: 9/21//2022
Issues Addressed: promotion of UTRGV SOM sexual harassment reporting education campaign; discussion with UTRGV department lead roles in addressing issues related to the learning environment and working environment, and review of the key role that employees, students, residents, faculty members, and staff have in the learning and working environments.
AY 2021-2022 Events
Summer 2022
Speaker: Jill Fleuriet, PhD, Professor of Anthropology; Associate Dean of the Honors College; Associate Dean of Faculty Success, College of Liberal and Fine Arts, UTSA
Date: 8/4//2022
Issues Addressed: History and impact of culture in the Rio Grande Valley
CME GME Health Systems Science Grand Rounds: 2 Cultural Attunement and Diversity in Medicine
Speaker: Adela S. Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE) & Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Date: 8/4//2022
Issues Addressed: Cultural Attunement and Diversity in Medicine.
CME GME Health Systems Science Grand Rounds: 3 Implicit Bias
Speaker: Adela S. Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (ODIHE) & Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Date: 8/1//2022
Issues Addressed: Implicit Bias
Fireside Chat Series: Violence as a Public Health Threat
Speaker: Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity; Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education / Diana Chapa, MD, Interim Department Chair, UTRGV SOM Department of Psychiatry / Luis R. Torres-Hostos, PhD, Founding Dean and Professor, UTRGV School of Social Work / Alicia Noyola, EdD, Superintendent of Schools, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD)
Date: 7/12/2022
Issues Addressed: Violence (mass shootings) as a Public Health Threat
Fireside Chat Series: Intersectionality in the LGBTQIA+ Community
Speaker: René Salazar, MD, Chief Equity Officer, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Member Broad Institute Executive Leadership
Date: 6/2/2022
Issues Addressed: Intersectionality within the academic and clinical LGBTQIA+ communities
UTRGV SOM Resident Orientation on Equity
Speaker: Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity; Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education
Date: 5/27/2022
Issues Addressed: Clinical equity and patient care
Spring 2022
Speaker: Adela Valdez, MD, MBA, Associate Dean Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity; Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education
Date: 4/7/2022
Issues Addressed: career transition shared experiences
Fireside Chat Series: International Women’s Day
Speaker: Kelsey Baker, PhD, Interim Assistant Dean of Educational Affairs, Pre-Clerkship Year 2, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, UTRGV SOM
Date: 3/8/2022
Issues Addressed: career transition shared experiences
Faculty Development Diversity Series: Understanding Islam: The Role of Women
Speaker: Naweed Hayat, MD, PGY 2, Psychiatry Resident, UTRGV SOM; Tamara Al Rawwad, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, UTRGV School of Social Work; Faryal Haidary, MA, American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan
Date: 2/25/2022
Issues Addressed: Introduction of Islam and the role(s) that women play within the religion
Fireside Chat Series: Black History in South Texas
Speaker: Ray Howard, MBA, MPH, PhD Candidate, Chair, Black Heritage Celebration Sub-Committee Village in the Valley (ViVA)
Date: 2/17/22
Issues Addressed: The rich history and contributions in the economic and cultural development of Black/African Americans in South Texas.
Diversity Equity Leadership Series: EDA & EEO Training
Speaker: Florence Nocar, JD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Equity and Diversity Officer, UTRGV; Cynthia Jones, PhD, Founding Director Office for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, Professor of Applied Ethics, Advocacy, and Violence Victimization, Ethical Theory, UTRGV
Date: 1/27/2022
Issues Addressed: Equity Diversity Advocate (EDA) / Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Training
Fall 2021
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Reconceptualizing Culture and Valuing Uniqueness in Patient Care
Speaker: Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez, PhD., LCSW, MSW, Assistant Professor UTRGV SSW
Date: October 20, 2021
Issues Addressed: Engaging in self-awareness about one’s culture and uniqueness; learning how to reconceptualize a patient’s culture and uniqueness; practicing how to consider a patient’s uniqueness in the delivery of care
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Allyship & Bystander Intervention Strategies Workshop, Part III
Speaker: Diana Lautenberger, MA, Director of Faculty and Staff Research, AAMC Gender Equity Initiatives, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Date: October 15, 2021
Issues Addressed: Reflect on one’s own power, privilege, and identity; Discuss how workplace microaggressions create hostile environments; Explore allyship strategies that support everyone and create more respectful and inclusive workplace environments; Explore bystander intervention strategies to create more respectful and inclusive environments.
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Allyship & Bystander Intervention Strategies Workshop, Part II
Speaker: Diana Lautenberger, MA, Director of Faculty and Staff Research, AAMC Gender Equity Initiatives, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Date: October 8, 2021
Issues Addressed: Reflect on one’s own power, privilege, and identity; Discuss how workplace microaggressions create hostile environments; Explore allyship strategies that support everyone and create more respectful and inclusive workplace environments; Explore bystander intervention strategies to create more respectful and inclusive environments.
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Allyship & Bystander Intervention Strategies Workshop, Part I
Speaker: Diana Lautenberger, MA, Director of Faculty and Staff Research, AAMC Gender Equity Initiatives, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Date: October 1, 2021
Issues Addressed: Reflect on one’s own power, privilege, and identity; Discuss how workplace microaggressions create hostile environments; Explore allyship strategies that support everyone and create more respectful and inclusive workplace environments; Explore bystander intervention strategies to create more respectful and inclusive environments.
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: The State of Women in Academic Medicine 2018-2019: Exploring Pathways to Equity
Speaker: Diana Lautenberger, MA, Director of Faculty and Staff Research, AAMC Gender Equity Initiatives, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Date: September 30, 2021
Issues Addressed: Discuss the State of Women in Academic Medicine 2018-2019; Discuss the AAMC’s Call to Action Initiatives that address seven types of inequities; Review Recommendations for Leadership to address and eliminate gender inequities
WOMEN IN MEDICINE AND SCIENCE SERIES: Featuring Sarah Williams-Blangero, PhD, HEB Distinguished Chair in Diabetes & Genomics, Director South Texas Diabetes And Obesity Institute
Speaker: Sarah Williams-Blangero, PhD, HEB Distinguished Chair in Diabetes & Genomics, Director South Texas Diabetes And Obesity Institute
Date: September 28, 2021
Issues Addressed:
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SERIES: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month featuring Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD
Speaker: Francisco Cigarroa, MD, Director of Pediatric Transplantation, UT Health San Antonio
Date: September 23, 2021
Issues Addressed: Dr. Cigarroa’s academic, professional, and leadership experience as a Hispanic in medicine and academia
WOMEN IN MEDICINE AND SCIENCE SERIES: Legacy of Leadership During COVID-19
Speaker: Susan R. Bailey, MD, Immediate Past President, American Medical Association
Date: September 20, 2021
Issues Addressed: Dr. Bailey’s and the AMA’s role in promoting and supporting the heroic and lifesaving efforts of physicians over the past year, the important fight to stand up for science, evidence, and data to help end COVID-19.
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Texas Medical Association LGBTQ Health Section: How to Join and How to Advocate
Speaker: G. Sealy Massingill, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Immediate Past Chair, TMA LGBTQ Section
Speaker: Maria Monge, MD, MAT, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Internal Medicine, Division Chief, Adolescent Medicine Dell SOM, TMA LGBTQ Health Section Chair
Speaker: M. Brett Cooper, MD, M.Ed, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center - Children's Health Dallas, TMA Chair-Elect and TMA Board of Trustees Member
Date: September 14, 2021
Issues Addressed: Gaining an understanding of the TMA LGBTQ Health Section mission; Gaining tools to help people advocate for themselves and/or their patients to advance their needs; Understand current stressors to the LGBTQ community
WOMEN IN MEDICINE AND SCIENCE SERIES: Featuring Nausheen Jamal, MD, Associate Dean Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Officer
Speaker: Nausheen Jamal, MD, Associate Dean Graduate Medical Education; Designated Institutional Officer
Date: September 9, 2021
Issues Addressed: Reflecting on and recognizing personal and career development milestones that led to current leadership; identifying strategies that have served in building leadership; overcoming challenges in career advancement
AY 2020-2021 Events
Summer 2021
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: US History: Juneteenth Observance “Let Freedom Ring”
Speaker: Ray Howard, MBA, MPH, PhD Candidate; Chair, Black Heritage Celebration Sub-Committee / Village in the Valley (ViVA)
Speaker: Debra L. Stark, MSW, MPH, DrPH, ViVa Member
Date: June 14, 2021
Issues Addressed: The historical context for Juneteenth and its importance; Learn who some of the key local, regional, and national organizational leaders in the Juneteenth Observance are and their work; Examples of typical Juneteenth traditions, celebrations, and activities in the Rio Grande Valley and the nation.
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Understanding Islam
Speaker: Lubnaa Abdullah, PsyD, HSP, Clinical Neuropsychology & Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, UTRGV SOM
Speaker: Naweed Hayat, MD, PGY 2, Psychiatry Resident, UTRGV SOM
Speaker: Ali Mahmood Khan, MD, PGY 3, Psychiatry Resident, UTRGV SOM
Date: June 8, 2021
Issues Addressed: Learn the definition of Islam as a faith and as a culture; Muslim community in the Rio Grande Valley; Involvement of the Muslim community in various community events; speakers’ personal experiences (negative or positive, tolerance, discrimination, and more); Important holidays and events celebrated within the community; Shared values with other cultures around the world.
Spring 2021
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Forensic Mental Assessment for Humanitarian Immigration Cases
Speaker: Eugenia Curet, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, UTRGV SOM
Speaker: Jenifer Wolf Williams, EdD, LPC-S, Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health (HOME)
Date: May 14, 2021
Issues Addressed: Identify common mental health issues related to migration and to immigration policy; Describing the role of forensic assessment immigration cases and immigration wellbeing; Consideration of opportunities for additional training and practice
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Human Rights—American Bar Association: South Texas Pro-Bono Asylum Representation Project (PROBAR)
Speaker: Brenda Pinero, ESQ., Director of Programs, Pro-BAR
Date: May 26, 2021
Issues Addressed: Provide information and background on the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR); Discuss and learn about immigration trends focusing on human rights and due process; Learn about the interdisciplinary approach to immigration cases; Highlight opportunities for advocacy and engagement with ProBAR
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Conducting Mental Health Assessments for Asylum Seekers: A Workshop for Mental Health Practitioners
Speaker: Olivia Shadid, MD, Psychiatry Resident, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Speaker: Shawn S. Sidhu, MD, FAPA, DFAACAP, Associate Professor, University of California San Diego Medical Center; Training Director, UCSD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program; UCSD Medical Center / Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego; Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Date: May 21, 2021
Issues Addressed: Identify core criteria qualifying individuals for humanitarian relief; Identify the core components of a mental health evaluation or immigrants fleeing torture and persecution; Perform a culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed interview with a survivor of torture; Write a mental health evaluation to serve as a forensic document in court
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Interrupting Racism, Discrimination, and Microaggressions in Health Care Settings
Speaker: Robert Nelson, JR., MD, MS, FAAP, Senior Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Innovation Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UTRGV SOM
Speaker: Beatriz Tapia, MD, EdD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics and founding Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, UTRGV SOM
Date: May 6, 2021
Issues Addressed: Elevate awareness surrounding racism, discrimination, and microaggressions (RDM) occurring in our own educational, clinical, and professional spaces; Share concepts associated with RDM so that we can speak a common language. Label these instances; minimizing becoming the perpetrators; Practice communication tools and share ways to respond.
DIVERSITY EQUITY LEADERSHIP: Civil War in the Rio Grande Valley
Speaker: Roseann Bacha-Garza, Program Manager of the Community Historical Archaeology Project with Schools (CHAPS) Program, UTRGV
Date: May 4, 2021
Issues Addressed: Learn about the Civil War in the Rio Grande Valley; Learn about the UTRGV CHAPS Program; Learn about the design, development, and production of the Regional Cultural Heritage Tourism and Education Project
CME-DIVERSITY HEALTH EQUITY GRAND ROUNDS: Engaging With Communities to Address Health, Social Determinants of Health, and Social Justice in Turbulent Times
Speaker: Luis R. Torres, PhD, Founding Dean and Professor, UTRGV School of Social Work
Date: March 25, 2021
Issues Addressed: Review the impact of COVID-19, the economic collapse, racial/civil unrest, and weather disasters, on the health, mental health, and everyday functioning of our RGV Communities; Describe the role of community engagement, community-engaged research, and community-academic partnerships in preventing, preparing for, and coping with, and recovering from challenges like the ones we have experienced last year; Discuss strategies for addressing these challenges locally, regionally, and nationally.
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Movement Is Life
Speaker: Erick M. Santos, MD, PhD, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Founder South Central Texas Bone & Joint Center
Co-Moderator: Kevin J. Orellana, MS2, UTRGV SOM
Date: March 12, 2021
Issues Addressed: Learn about Movement is Life; Gain knowledge about how the Movement is Life organization helps to address the effects on the musculoskeletal health of Black and Hispanic populations who lead a sedentary lifestyle; Learn about the reasons why Movement is Life is important to the Rio Grande Valley.
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: Black History in South Texas
Speaker: Ray Howard, MBA, MPH, PhD Candidate; Chair, Black Heritage Celebration Sub-Committee / Village in the Valley (ViVA)
Date: March 8, 2021
Issues Addressed: Provide a cursory overview of the RGV African American historical/Afro-Mexican landmarks and other significant places/areas; Discuss ongoing research and documentation efforts to identify, document, preserve, and promote RGV African American/Afro-Mexican Heritage and Culture; Review emerging collaborative partnerships to increase Valley-wide awareness and capacity to observe and celebrate Black history, culture, and traditions.
FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES: The Power of Story
Speaker: Utibe Ralph Essien, MD, MPH, General Internal Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh SOM, Core Investigator, Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Date: February 23, 2021
Issues Addressed: Describe the history of racism in health and in health care; Examine the influence of racism on patient care, research, and medical education; Identify strategies that academic medical centers can take to be anti-racist.
Fall 2020
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SERIES: COVID-19 and the Impact on Medical Education
Speakers: Alison J. Whelan, MD, Chief of Medical Education, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Date: November 5, 2020
Issues Addressed: Description of the impacts of several significant 2020 events on medical education across the US; Interpret how these events are impacting learning environments including learners, faculty, and staff; Determine how available resources can be used to support the local UTRGV learning environments
STRUCTURAL COMPETENCY: IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING SERIES “Integrating Structural Competency into Training and Practice of Healthcare Providers”
A partnership between the Office of Diversity and Inclusion—TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion—UTRGV School of Medicine, and TUFTS School of Medicine.
Speakers: TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Faculty Affairs, & Development, and Educational Affairs
Date: October 28, 2020
Issued Addressed: Increase awareness of implicit bias and how to reduce its impact at the SOM
DEVELOPING DIVERSITY CURRICULUM WORKSHOP: Developing Anti-Racism Curriculum in Medical School
A partnership between the Office of Diversity and Inclusion—TCU and University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) School of Medicine, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion—UTRGV School of Medicine, and TUFTS School of Medicine.
Speakers: Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, TUFTS School of Medicine;
Anthony Schlaff, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health Program, TUFTS School of Medicine; Fernando Ona, PhD, MPH, Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, TUFTS School of Medicine
Date: September 30, 2020
Issued Addressed: The AAMC has charged an expert Equity Diversity Inclusion Advisory Committee to help write and refine Equity and Diversity educational competencies, that includes anti-racism curriculum. This workshop provided the opportunity to review the TUFTS School of Medicine Anti-Racism curriculum that was implemented two years ago. The presenters reviewed their program, its implementation, and the lessons learned. Q&A Session included.
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SERIES: A U.S. Surgeons General Roundtable: “Health Disparities Coming to the Forefront in the Era of COVID-19”
Speakers: Antonia Novello, MD, 14th US Surgeon General; Dr. Joycelyn Elders, 15th US Surgeon General; David Satcher, MD, PhD, 16th US Surgeon General; Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th US Surgeon General; Vivek Murthy, MD, 19th US Surgeon General
Date: September 24, 2020
Issues Addressed: Racial inequity I healthcare and how it can be addressed. Q&A session.
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SERIES: Online screening of documentary “Open Season: Racism and Health Disparities: The Two Deadliest Diseases in America” film by Crystal R. Emery p.g.a.
Speaker: Crystal R. Emery, Producer, Writer, Director, Filmmaker, and Activist
Date: September 24, 2020
Issues Addressed: Current state of emergency and inspire people to go beyond perceived limitations and become active participants in shaping the future of America.
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SERIES: Women in Medicine—The State of Women in Academic Medicine 2018-2019
Speaker: Diana Lautenberger, MA, Director, Women in Medicine and Science at the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Program Leader for the Group of Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) at the AAMC
Date: September 10, 2020
Issues Addressed: Review and discussion of the recent publication of “The State of Women in Academic Medicine—Exploring Pathways to Equity”; Call to Action Initiatives at the AAMC to address seven types of inequities; Recommendations for leadership to address and eliminate gender inequities.
FIRESIDE CHAT: LGBTQIA Series: Sex and Gender
Speaker: Aaron Hinojosa, Program Coordinator, Student Life, UTRGV Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDEI) and DREAM Resource Center (DRC)
Date: September 3, 2020
Issues Addressed: Understanding the difference between sex and gender; learning about gender identity, expression, and attraction; how society can re-learn what we know and how we interact with others
FIRESIDE CHAT: LGBTQIA Series: Gender Pronouns 101
Speaker: Isha Mittal, MPH, MS2 (UTRGV SOM), President of LGBTQIA+ and Allies in Health
Date: August 24, 2020
Issues Addressed: Gain an understanding of Transgender and Gender non-conforming terminology; learn what gender pronouns are, why they are important, and how to use them; identify next steps that allies can take in supporting the gender diverse community
FIRESIDE CHAT: Anti-Racism
Speaker: Chiquita Collins, PhD, Vice Dean for Inclusion & Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer, UT Health San Antonio
Date: August 13, 2020
Issues Addressed: Discuss current racial discrimination and anti-racism, especially in the Black community; discuss the proposed national agenda for the group of diversity and inclusion to address anti-racism; Dr. Collin’s perspectives on how Texas Higher Education should be responding to the racism crisis
FIRESIDE CHAT: Racism and Microaggressions: Implications on the Physical and Mental Health on People of Color
Speaker: Eugenia Curet, PhD, MSW, UTRGV SOM Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Date: August 4, 2020
Issues Addressed: Gain an understanding of the different and prevailing types of racism existing in our society; understand how microaggressions impact the mental health and self-worth of individuals; review of mental health resources available for students, residents, and staff at UTRGV
