Six faculty members received the Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum last month. The award recognizes faculty’s efforts in integrating equity, diversity and inclusion concepts into their courses and curricula.
Up to five awards are given out annually. The recipients receive a $2,500 cash award and a recognition plaque.
The winners are:
James Egan and Abimbola Fapohunda, School of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, for creating a course within the recently launched Bachelor of Science program in the School of Public Health that actively involved students in identifying and critically examining health disparities through lectures, guest speakers, readings and multimedia resources. Evolving since 2021, the course now integrates a final communication plan for a group presentation. Additionally, the format has shifted to live discussions centered around readings, promoting an environment where students are encouraged to pose questions
Linda DeAngelo, School of Education, Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy, for modifying a course to focus on change management within higher education. The shift in emphasis transitioned away from managing change within higher education, lacking equity, justice and inclusivity. Instead, the approach pivoted from a transactional leadership framework in strategic planning to one with a central focus on equity and inclusion. These adjustments recognize students as active agents of change who prioritize and understand the importance of equity and inclusion.
Jill Demirci, School of Nursing, Health Promotion & Development, developed a curriculum on frontloading lactation with an equity focus to offer undergraduate nursing students a practical and low-pressure learning setting. The course introduces fundamental lactation knowledge, fostering critical thinking and enhancing nursing management skills. The goal is to heighten awareness, comfort, and familiarity among students regarding lactation support for diverse patient groups.
Orquidia Torres, School of Medicine, Pediatrics, Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, for creating the Antiracism Curriculum to increase awareness of racism in child and adolescent health, increase proficiency in trauma-sensitive skills during clinical encounters, and promote anti-racist practices in the workplace. Ongoing adjustments since 2020 have aimed to expand the program’s reach, improve accessibility, and ensure sustainability. Grant funding has been secured for Pediatrics and Internal Medicine to acquire relevant books and remunerate guest speakers. The program has been showcased at national and local conferences through poster abstracts and platform presentations. A manuscript on the program has also been published in the Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development.
Kurt E. Beschorner, Swanson School of Engineering, Bioengineering, implemented changes to a statistics course by integrating technical content with socially relevant discussions to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. The objective is to enhance students’ proficiency in implementing inclusive research design practices. The lectures feature examples illustrating how health inequities can arise from the absence of inclusive research and best practices for conducting inclusive research. This approach aims to foster an environment where engineering students are encouraged to learn and engage more comfortably in discussions related to race and gender