Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI)

Dr. Tonia Guida, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, has compiled a curated list of Resources for Continued Learning.  The resources cover a wide range of topics, including DEAI in the pharmacy field.

View Resource List

Students in the Pharm.D. program at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy have the opportunity to take courses designed to enhance their understanding and awareness of global cultures and cultural diversity.  The courses highlighted below have been designated with special flags related to the enriching experiences that these courses provide.

Global Cultures Flag
PHM 380T Global Health (Dr. Joseph Brewster)

Cultural Diversity Flag
PHM 283L Health Behavior and Health Outcomes (Dr. Carolyn Brown)

Read the Spring 2023 edition of DiversiTEA Corner, the newsletter about topics and events regarding inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility at the UT College of Pharmacy.

Past Issues:

DiversiTEA Corner - Fall 2022

DiversiTEA Corner - Spring 2022

DiversiTEA Corner - Fall 2020

DiversiTEA Corner - Spring 2020 

DiversiTEA Corner – Fall 2019

The UT Austin College of Pharmacy aims to cultivate a culture of care for every individual within our college and the communities we serve.  The programs below demonstrate a commitment to providing a supportive and collaborative approach to student and trainee success by creating greater opportunities for individuals from underrepresented and undersupported communities.

View Training Programs

The College of Pharmacy periodically hosts the DiversiTEA Readers' Roundtable to bring attention to DEAI topics of particular interest to the pharmacy community.  Information about previous events is available below.

March 24, 2021 - Guidance for Male Mentors to Support the Safety and Success of Female Mentees

Event Details:
The UTCOP community, with an emphasis on the participation of interested BOOT mentors, gathered virtually for a facilitated discussion by Drs. Lucas Hill and S. Andrea Lagaudo on March 24^th from 12-1pm.  They discussed their paper and strategies surrounding, “Guidance for male mentors to support the safety and success of female mentees.”

Additional Information:
Please view the full paper written by Drs. Lucas Hill and S. Andrea Lagaudo titled, “Guidance for male mentors to support the safety and success of female mentees.”

Also, please visit this resource for additional anti-bias information.

A recent article in Chemical & Engineering News also offers relevant information regarding harassment in a laboratory setting, including the experiences of those harassed, administration response, and lasting impacts.

January 27, 2021 - Moving Beyond Cultural Competency to Achieve Cultural Safety with Andrew Wash, PharmD, RPh

View Cloud Recording:
If you would like to view the recording of the DiversiTEA Readers' Roundtable from January 27, 2021, please click the button below:

View Recording

Related Readings:
Please use the links below to explore readings related to the presentation and discussion.

Why Cultural Safety Rather Than Cultural Competency Is Required to Achieve Health Equity: A Literature Review and Recommended Definition

The United States Does CAIR About Cultural Safety: Examining Cultural Safety Within Indigenous Health Contexts in Canada and the United States

Cultural Safety: Exploring the Applicability of the Concept of Cultural Safety to Aboriginal Health and Community Wellness

It is with great pleasure that the College of Pharmacy's Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI) committee announces the winners of the 2022-2023 Dr. Carolyn Brown DEAI Champion Awards. The nomination and decision process is highly selective, and each of this year’s awardees received glowing nominations and praise.

These DEAI Champions have demonstrated exceptional efforts and continue to make significant contributions to creating a more diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive culture within the college and beyond through their excellent service, teaching, research and/or academic endeavors.
 

Champion Awards

Dean John Richburg
Faculty Award Winner

Over the course of his tenure as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Richburg has consistently demonstrated a passion for DEAI and desire to continue learning about it.

The Office of DEAI considers him an invaluable partner, as he leads and co-leads various programs that support the college's DEAI values. While heading the Leadership Through Engagement for the Advancement of Diverse Educational Research (LEADER) program, he has built meaningful relationships with the program's participants, who come primarily from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Additionally, he is committed to bringing diversity to Texas Pharmacy programs such as the Building Our Own Talent (BOOT) program and the Provost's Early Career Fellowship program.

Dr. Morgan Stewart
Faculty Award Winner

Dr. Morgan Stewart's commitment to serving underserved and underrepresented communities is evident in her pharmacy practice at a Federally-qualified Health Center. It is through this work that she engages with people and patients from all walks of life and is dedicated to providing them with the highest quality, evidence-based healthcare possible. Through this practice, she demonstrates care and concern for each individual, widening access to care for members of minority communities. Additionally, she is an enthusiastic and passionate educator and role model for best practices in DEAI and consistently discusses the best ways to implement DEAI into the College of Pharmacy curriculum.

Charity Crockett
P3 Student Winner

In the area of DEAI, Charity Crockett is an exemplary student leader. In addition to her role as Pharmacy Council DEAI Chair, Charity goes above and beyond to create a more diverse and inclusive environment within the College of Pharmacy. She frequently organizes events to celebrate culture and difference within our college and is dedicated to promoting diversity through her work and service to the community. She actively represents Texas Pharmacy well by embodying the values of DEAI that are woven throughout the institution.

Appreciation Awards

Jennifer Tran
P2 Student

Since Jennifer’s first year, her passion for DEAI has been evident. Jennifer's goals are to bring the words she says into reality for the college and community. She has an inclusive attitude and works to ensure that everyone feels welcome in the institution. In addition, she encourages others to participate in DEAI activities. Through pharmacy, she wishes to bridge gaps and provide better care to those in underserved communities. Her positive attitude, daily efforts and dedication to expanding our DEAI programming demonstrate her commitment to DEAI.

McKenzie Erwin
P2 Student

As part of the Texas Pharmacy community, McKenzie Erwin consistently demonstrates leadership within the realm of DEAI. Serving as co-chair for the 2022 New Student Orientation committee, she focused primarily on DEAI initiatives, working closely with the Office of DEAI. She shows continuous interest in expanding the DEAI conversation across the college and within the community. McKenzie’s service reflects her dedication to not only incoming P1 students, but to faculty and staff as well.

We would also like to acknowledge our nominees:

• Johnny Salinas – Administrative Program and Division Coordinator and Vice Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee
• Varsha Nair – Graduate Student
• Vanessa Esparza – P2 Student
• Sarah Hilzendager – P2 Student
• Brianna Earskine – P2 Student

Please join us in congratulating and celebrating each of the awardees and nominees for their dedication to the College of Pharmacy’s DEAI initiatives this academic year!

The College of Pharmacy's Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI) committee announces the winners of the 2021-2022 Dr. Carolyn Brown DEAI Champion Awards. The nomination and decision process is highly selective, and each of this year’s awardees received glowing nominations and praise.

These DEAI Champions have demonstrated exceptional efforts and continue to make significant contributions to creating a more diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive culture within the college and beyond through their excellent service, teaching, research and/or academic endeavors.

Dr. Jamie Barner
Faculty Award Winner

During Dr. Barner’s tenure with the College of Pharmacy, she has consistently demonstrated a strong passion for DEAI and desires to make sure all are included. She has been a mentor for numerous junior faculty members and students of color and continues to be a strong role model within her position as the head of the Division of Health Outcomes. She is currently co-advisor for the college's Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter, an advisory board member of the Building Our Own Talent (BOOT) program, and a member of the university's Council for Racial and Ethnic Equity and Diversity (CREED).

Rebecca Schwarz
Staff Award Winner

Rebecca Schwarz works with a very diverse student and research population in the college's Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery (MPDD). Her interactions within MPDD and throughout the college have always been welcoming and friendly. In 2021, Rebecca initiated an art series known as the Global Social Club’s Brown Bag Art Lunch. This has helped faculty, staff and students with various backgrounds build a community and attend to their mental well-being.

Megan Yeung
Student Award Winner

Megan Yeung is a third-year student pharmacist and an active member of the DEAI committee. As a committee member, she constantly advocates for her peers and participates in various activities to promote DEAI. In addition, she is also the leader of the Project Collaborate Initiative within the Pharmacy Council and the College of Pharmacy. Through these efforts, she has overseen health screenings that have served nearly 10,000 members of the Austin community.

The College of Pharmacy's Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (DEAI) committee announces the winners of the 2020-2021 Dr. Carolyn Brown DEAI Champion Awards.

Dr. Ashley Garling
Faculty Award Winner

Dr. Bryson Duhon
Staff Award Winner

Grace Akinyemi
Maria Lourdes (Lou) Tames
Student Award Co-Winners

The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy received the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award—a national honor recognizing colleges and universities in the United States that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—the UT College of Pharmacy was featured, along with 45 other recipients, in the December 2020 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

“The diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion work that I lead in the College of Pharmacy is genuinely borne of my philosophical charge that educators in all disciplines across the expanse of the K20 spectrum work to transform every space into an intentionally inclusive one—for our learners, for our colleagues, for ourselves,” says UT College of Pharmacy Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Skyller Walkes, Ph.D. “These efforts are incentivized by the belief that when we strive for inclusive excellence in our curricula, our pedagogy, and among our community members, we are actively transforming the environment for the better.”

The UT College of Pharmacy has sought to advance its commitment and demonstration to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through the mediums of intentional engagement, open and authentic dialogue, and an integrated curriculum. Through these efforts, the college hopes to inspire, prepare, and empower our 21st century learners to be the innovative and culturally competent pharmacy leaders of tomorrow.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees—and best practices for both—continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” says Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

For more information about the 2020 Health Professions HEED Award, visit Insight Into Diversity's website.