Timeline of Diversity & Inclusion at UT Southwestern

• Dr. Edward Cary, empowered by Karl Hoblitzelle and other civic leaders, establishes Southwestern Medical College, the 68th medical school in the United States.

• Southwestern Medical College becomes part of The University of Texas System.

• St. Paul Hospital is the first hospital in Dallas to admit African American physicians on staff.

• Dr. Emmett J. Conrad becomes the first African American surgeon on the staff of St. Paul Hospital.

• St. Paul Hospital facilities become racially integrated.

• Barbara Cambridge, Ph.D., becomes the first African American full-time faculty member at UTSW when she’s appointed Social Services Director for the Division of Community Women’s Health Care. She would lead in a variety of roles at UTSW over the next 44 years.
• Catalina E. Garcia, M.D., becomes the first Latina graduate of UTSW. Dr. Garcia would later co-found the Texas Women’s Foundation.

Ellen Vitetta, Ph.D., becomes a professor at UTSW and later, the Director of the Cancer Immunobiology Center. She would go on to become one of the most recognized researchers and inventors in her field.

Helen Redman, M.D., joins the UTSW faculty. She becomes the first female president of both the Texas Radiological Society and the Radiological Society of North America and a founding member the American Association for Women Radiologists.

UTSW creates the Office of Equal Opportunity and Minority Affairs.

Space Shuttle Columbia orbits the Earth, conducting medical experiments designed by Lynda Lane, M.S., RN. She served as a Senior Research Scientist at UTSW from 1980–1996 and a Clinical Nurse Specialist onboard NASA’s reduced gravity plane in 1988.

The Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC) launches at UT Southwestern.

UT Southwestern establishes its Committee on the Advancement of Women.

UT Southwestern takes over operation of St. Paul and Zale Lipshy University Hospitals from University Medical Center Inc.

Roslyn Goodall, Assistant Director of Community Recruitment Initiatives at UT Southwestern, is honored by the Texas Diversity Council with the DiversityFIRST award for her work with individuals and programs that demonstrate diversity and an inclusive environment.

The Office of Faculty Diversity & Development launches in January as the result of one of UTSW President Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky’s strategic initiatives for the Medical Center.

UT Southwestern students, faculty, and staff are invited to UTSW’s 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Ceremony for Community Service.

The Office of Women’s Careers at UT Southwestern is established.

Diane Jeffries, M.Ed., Director of Faculty Diversity and Development (FDD), is honored by the Texas Diversity Council as a DiversityFIRST Award recipient.

UT Southwestern begins supporting the Dallas Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program, an eight-week, paid summer internship program that introduces Dallas public high school students to careers and employment opportunities.

UT Southwestern is the recipient of the DiversityFIRST Corporate Leadership Achievement Award, recognizing the institution as a true advocacy leader for diversity and inclusion.

UT Southwestern’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Minority Affairs is restructured, expanded, and designated as the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Opportunity.

UT Southwestern, in partnership with the Texas Diversity Council, hosts the Greater Dallas Healthcare Diversity Summit, “Beyond Diversity: Becoming a Culture of Inclusive Excellence.”

UT Southwestern’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Opportunity hosts annual campus-wide commemorative events to celebrate culture, inclusion, and identity on campus.

UT Southwestern, in partnership with the Texas Diversity Council, hosts the Greater Dallas Healthcare Diversity Summit, “Regulatory Compliance and Diversity Initiatives.”

UT Southwestern launches a new employee campaign called “I Am Diverse” to encourage the campus to remember there is more to diversity than meets the eye.

UT Southwestern holds its inaugural “Tribute to Veterans” event, honoring faculty, students, and staff who are veterans and active service members.

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Opportunity partners with the Employee Advisory Council (EAC) to coordinate UT Southwestern’s participation at the North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Celebration of Excellence Awards Gala.

UT Southwestern holds its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration. Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., President and Dean of Morehouse School of Medicine, serves as the keynote speaker.

UT Southwestern hosts the Greater Dallas Healthcare Diversity Summit for the third consecutive year.

UT Southwestern hosts the 2016 Black History Month Lunch & Learn, featuring keynote speaker Orlando Richard, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Organizations, Strategy and International Management at UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Marc Nivet, Ed.D., MBA, then the Chief Diversity Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges, serves as the keynote speaker at UT Southwestern’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration.

UT Southwestern hires Dr. Nivet as Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

UT Southwestern and DiverseMedicine Inc. debut “Black Men in White Coats,” a program that seeks to increase the number of Black men in the field of medicine through exposure, inspiration, and mentoring.

UT Southwestern holds its second annual Tribute to Veterans celebration.

UT Southwestern creates the new position of “Veteran Acquisition Partner” to focus exclusively on veteran hiring at UT Southwestern. UTSW also creates a unique website designed just for military veterans.

UT Southwestern hosts the inaugural UT Southwestern Adaptive Sports Expo. Free to the public, this event is designed to raise awareness about the benefits of adaptive sports for people with mobility, cognitive, or visual impairments.

UT Southwestern hosts its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration.

UT Southwestern holds its inaugural Latino Heritage Month celebration, an event honoring the enduring contributions of individuals whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Speaker is Orlando Richard, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Organizations, Strategy & International Management at UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management.

UT Southwestern launches four business resource groups (BRGs) for African Americans, Hispanic-Latinos, Veterans, and LGBT employees.

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Opportunity is renamed the Office of Institutional Equity & Access.

UT Southwestern marks 25 years of participation in the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program. Since 1993, UTSW has placed more than 200 college students, primarily from underrepresented backgrounds, into medically related internships on campus.

UT Southwestern makes 2018 Forbes’ list for the Best Employers for Diversity. Each year, Forbes highlights organizations that have cultivated cultures of inclusiveness and support for all workers. The list was compiled by surveying 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. Respondents were first asked to rate their organizations on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation equality, as well as that of general diversity. In 2018, UT Southwestern was among Forbes final list of 500 employers that not only received the most recommendations, but also boasted the most diverse boards and executive ranks and the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) for the first time.

UT Southwestern’s Office of Institutional Equity & Access adds a fifth employee Business Resource Group (BRG) for Asian-Pacific Islanders.

UT Southwestern’s Office of Institutional Equity & Access launched the campus’s Summer Earn & Learn (SEAL) program, a statewide initiative to offer paid summer employment opportunities to high school students with disabilities.

UTSW named to list of Top 100 Hospitals to Work For in 2019 by HospitalCareers.com.

UTSW named a Top Hospital for Diversity by BlackDoctor.org.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) for the 2nd time.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

UT Southwestern women faculty members selected as AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors. Drs. Julie Mirpuri, Danielle Robertson, Nina Niu Sanford, and Kirsten Tulchin-Francis are among 125 women nationwide selected as AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors based on applications from academic institutions, companies, and organizations. UT Southwestern is tied with Stanford University for the highest number of Ambassadors from an academic institution. The program is a national initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Lyda Hill Philanthropies to encourage girls’ interests in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. The IF/THEN title comes from the phrase: “IF we support a woman in STEM, THEN she can change the world.” Ambassadors were chosen based on contributions to their STEM-related field, experience, and abilities in STEM communication and public engagement via media, classrooms, and public programs, and commitment to inspiring middle school girls to be the next generation of STEM pioneers. Through the initiative, Ambassadors will connect with girls in person and through various media platforms. The program gives them access to skill-building, media training, and engagement opportunities through February 2021.

MLK Celebration: On January 24, 2019, the commemoration at UT Southwestern Medical Center of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. highlighted the importance of service to the community, diversity in science and medicine, and promoting justice in various aspects of society, including health care. The event opened with a welcome by Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern, followed by a vocal performance of “Rise Up” by first-year Medical School student Rudy Fernandez-Criado. Dr. Podolsky reinforced in his remarks the importance of diversity in society and on campus, as well as the timeliness of Dr. King’s message of both service and social justice. Hannah Valantine, M.D., the first Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), shared her inspiring story of becoming an acclaimed cardiologist in London in the 1980s despite the many barriers she encountered as a black woman. Following Dr. Valantine’s remarks, Drew W. Alexander, M.D. Assistant Dean of Community Engagement and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Chair of the scholarship committee, presented the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for Community Service Awards to recipient Priya Mathew, a second-year medical student; and finalists Emily Kromann, a second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student and Thanos Rossopoulos, a second-year Medical School student. Ms. Mathew received a $5,000 scholarship; Ms. Kromann and Mr. Rossopoulos received $500 awards.

Black History Month Celebration: On February 6, 2019, UT Southwestern celebrated Black History Month with a lunchtime event that honored the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout American history. The event opened with an inspirational song from the Dallas Street Choir, a nonprofit organization that is comprised of members of the local homeless community. Founded in 2014, the Choir aims to provide members with musicianship training, an environment to promote accountability, and a community that offers compassion and hope. The event was highlighted by a keynote speech given by Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., founding Dean of Morehouse School of Medicine and 17th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush. Dr. Sullivan’s talk, titled “The Long Road to Health Equity in America,” explored the gaps in health equity between African Americans and other groups in the United States, as well as the need for more black physicians. The event concluded with a rousing performance of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the Dallas Street Choir.

In February of 2019, in conjunction with DiverseMedicine, UT Southwestern hosted the “Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit,” which provided students with a day of hands-on activities and networking with health care professionals from diverse backgrounds. DiverseMedicine, Inc. was founded by Dale Okorodudu, M.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine. The mission of DiverseMedicine is to inspire individuals from underrepresented minority groups and economically disadvantaged backgrounds to become highly effective clinicians and scientists. UT Southwestern faculty, residents, and students participate both as mentors and protégés.

Three UT Southwestern faculty members receive “Women Who STEAM” Awards. On April 30, 2019, the Dallas Chapter of The Links, Inc., presented UT Southwestern faculty members Dr. Amy McIntosh, Dr. Shawna Nesbitt, and Dr. Kirsten Tulchin-Francis with 2019 Women Who STEAM awards. The Links, Inc., is a service organization of more than 15,000 women with 288 chapters nationally and internationally. The honorees were recognized as phenomenal leaders in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics while also serving, teaching, excelling, aspiring, and mentoring in the community.

Pride Month Celebration: On June 27, 2019, UT Southwestern hosted its inaugural Pride Month celebration. Marc Nivet, Ed.D., MBA, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement, opened the program and expressed gratitude that our institution is continuing to recognize the diversity of the campus and the community UT Southwestern serves. The celebration revved up as Chris Jacobson-Chism from Cathedral of Hope church gave a rousing performance of “Visible,” an original ballad he wrote encouraging the LGBT community to shine. Cathedral of Hope, located in Dallas, is known to have the world’s largest gay congregation, with over 4,000 members. David Weigle, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Executive Sponsor of the LGBTA Business Resource Group, introduced the keynote speaker, Roberto de la Cruz, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Dr. de la Cruz’s speech was entitled “LGBTQ+ Health: Where We Are Today, Where We Can Be Tomorrow, and How You Can Help Us Get There,” and provided a timeline of significant moments in the medical, political, social, and pop culture history of the LGBTQ community in America.

Hispanic Heritage Celebration: October 14, 2019, marked the culmination of the 2019 Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month celebration, with a lunchtime event honoring the enduring contributions of individuals whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Before the speaker introductions, Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern, underscored the institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The keynote speaker was Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Prevention at the American Heart Association. Dr. Sanchez, a 1988 alumnus of UT Southwestern Medical School, is a first-generation American who was born in Vermont and then raised in Texas. Dr. Sanchez offered a compelling reflection of his personal journey as a son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. After closing remarks by Rudy Rodriguez, Manager of Technology Development Compliance and Chair of the Hispanic-Latino BRG, the audience was treated to a musical performance from UTSW employee Judith Ramos, accompanied by a mariachi band. The event ended with a reception featuring more mariachi music and a variety of Hispanic-Latino foods.

UT Southwestern receives SACNAS award for community outreach. In November 2019, The UT Southwestern Graduate School chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was awarded the 2019 SACNAS Outstanding Community Outreach Award. SACNAS is an organization dedicated to helping Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans as they pursue advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM fields. The organization serves over 6,000 members and has 115 student and professional chapters throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Through a series of outreach events in 2018–2019, the UTSW chapter connected with more than 1,500 people.

UT Southwestern’s Office of Institutional Equity & Access launches a 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report: https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/about-us/diversity/assets/annual-report.pdf

UT Southwestern’s Office of Institutional Equity & Access adds a sixth employee Business Resource Group for Women & Allies.

UT Southwestern’s Office of Institutional Equity & Access launches its staff Diversity & Inclusion Informational Video to all new UTSW employees as an integral part of New Employee Orientation. https://youtu.be/HRtOIktZK3U

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, UTSW institutes a multitude of new initiatives focusing on addressing disparities throughout our community and hosted anti-racism lecture series and campus-wide events such as “White Coats for Black Lives,” and “A Fireside Chat with UTSW’s Police Chief Marcus Lewis,” and gathered institutional leaders to hosts public forums on an Inclusive Path Forward.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic operational shifts, all institutional Diversity and Inclusion signature event programming transitios to virtual platforms.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access partners with the LGBT & Allies Business Resource Group to host UTSW’s first ever Painting with Pride Event in virtual celebration of PRIDE Month.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access partners with UTSW’s employee Business Resource Groups to host UTSW’s first Celebration of Diversity Week.

UTSW welcomes Quinn Capers, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine to our Faculty and Staff in the Office for Faculty Diversity & Development as Associate Dean for Faculty Diversity and Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access launches its first Business Resource Group Mentorship Program, matching more than 100 mentor and mentee pairings.

UTSW receives Best of Best Employer Recognitions from Hispanic Network Magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, Black EOE Journal, and Professional Woman’s Magazine.

UTSW institutes an anonymous bias reporting system that allows employees and students a mechanism to report.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) for the 3rd time.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s 2020 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

UTSW is named to Top 100 Hospitals to Work For list in 2020 by HospitalCareers.com.

UTSW surpasses 2,000 employees who are members of Business Resource Groups (affinity groups) on our campus.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access partners with UTSW’s employee Business Resource Groups to host UTSW’s Second Celebration of Diversity Week.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access secures speaker Anne Chow, CEO of AT&T for UTSW’s inaugural Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access’ Division of Diversity & Inclusion launches YouTube Channel.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access’ Division of Diversity & Inclusion launches its staff-facing D&I Events Email list serve, reaching 4,000+ employees.

The Office of Institutional Equity & Access launches its second annual Business Resource Group Mentorship Program – matching more than 150 mentor and mentee pairings.

As a part of the mentorship program, OIEA launches the “Leadership Circles Initiative” featuring insights from members of the President’s Executive Team: Marc Nivet, Ed.D., MBA, Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Courtney Rottman, JD., Chief of Staff.

UTSW provides more than 300+ internships to undergraduate students in District 23 through the Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program.

UTSW is recognized by the North Texas chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives with their inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Award in recognition of embodying and promoting values focused on diversity and inclusion.

UTSW makes Forbes’ list for Best Employers for New Graduates 2021 – ranking #3 in the nation.

UTSW makes Forbes’ list for Best Employers for Women 2021– ranking #38 in the nation.

UTSW receives Insight Into Diversity’s Health Professions 2021 HEED award for the 4th time.

UTSW receives prestigious Insight Into Diversity’s 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

UTSW is named to Top 100 Hospitals to Work For list in 2021 by HospitalCareers.com.