Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, Interim Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Kahlea Williams, Operations Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Chiwendu Mengarpuan, Project Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Cher Espina, Director of Admissions and Student Diversity
  • Helaina Sorey, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development

To make communicate a message or make an inquiry to any of the above persons, please e-mail sondei@uw.edu.

Diversity Committee

For 2022-2023 Academic Year:

  • Chair: Rebecca Wood, Grant Manager, Premera Rural Nursing Health Initiative (RNHI)
  • Student Co-Chair: Prabina Dahal

The School of Nursing Diversity Committee was founded in 2002. Under purview of the UW School of Nursing’s Shared Leadership Council, it consists of students, staff, and faculty who work cooperatively to achieve the committee’s mission and goals.

We believe a diverse community of students, staff, and faculty will enrich our lives and assist us in experiencing the growth and change that comes from learning more about others and ourselves. The wellbeing and quality of life of the UW School of Nursing—including potential students, students, staff, and faculty—and the university may be improved as a result of the work of the Diversity Committee.

The mission of the Diversity Committee is to promote an environment of respect, teamwork, and mutual understanding among students, staff, and faculty. We strive to create a safe and supportive climate that promotes diverse points of view and where every person is treated with respect and dignity.

We define diversity as the vast array of human qualities that distinguish each and every person. These qualities include core attributes such as ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical abilities/qualities, as well as attributes that result from a lifetime of experiences, such as cultural background, education, geographic location, marital status, religion, work experiences, socioeconomic status, and military service.

Goals

  • Provide a forum for continued vigilance directed toward creation, promotion, and maintenance of activities, programs, and policies that further our understanding of individual and group diversity in all areas, including student life, curriculum, teaching, programs, staffing, personnel training, research, community service, and events.
  • Foster discussion and solicit input about diversity issues from students, staff, and faculty in the School of Nursing.
  • Develop and communicate policies and promote values that discourage intolerance and discrimination.
  • Identify and assess existing diversity resources that can be accessed by students, faculty, and staff of the school, as well as by members of the greater community.

For notes from past meetings, click here.

Listserv

To foster discussion and solicit input about diversity issues, all students, staff, and faculty in the School of Nursing are encouraged to subscribe to the school’s listserv. To subscribe or post a message to the list, send an email to sondiversity@uw.edu.

Diversity Student Groups

  • Listings available here.

Future Nurses Club – photo taken April 2018

Antiracism Workgroups

As healthcare students, educators, researchers, and professionals, we know that racism is a societal ill and public health problem. To achieve the needed institutional changes to combat racism, we must be antiracist.  The following workgroups were formed to address various operational issues of the UW School of Nursing over the course of the 2020-2021 academic year.  *Please e-mail sondei@uw.edu to correct a listing below.

  1. Pledge Statement.  Co-Leads:  Molly Altman, Rebecca O’Connor.  Members:  Ash Bond, Neal Cragg, Sharon Daly, Cher Espina, April Greenwell, Brendon Lee, Kari Lombard, Keondra Rustan, Marla Salmon, Elaine Walsh, April Wilkinson, Mayumi Willgerodt
  1. Training.  Lead:  Butch de Castro.  Members:  Molly Altman, Cher Espina, Jessilyn Hong, Kari Lombard, Julie Myers, Rebecca O’Connor, Keondra Rustan, Clare Sherley
  1. Expectation of Employment.  Lead:  Helaina Sorey.  Members:  Molly Altman, Wendy Barrington, April Greenwell, Emily Lamont, Kari Lombard, Rebecca O’Connor, Keondra Rustan, Marla Salmon, Clare Sherley
  1. Trained in Diversity Best Practices for Faculty and Staff Searches/Hiring.  Lead:  Butch de Castro.  Members:  Molly Altman, Ash Bond, David Campbell, Barbara Cochrane, Neal Cragg, Cher Espina, April Greenwell, Jessilyn Hong, Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon, Emily Lamont, Kari Lombard, Julie Myers, Rebecca O’Connor, Keondra Rustan, Clare Sherley, Helaina Sorey, Rebecca Wood
  1. Teaching and Curriculum.  Lead:  Butch de Castro.  Members:  Molly Altman, Ash Bond, Neal Cragg, Kari Lombard, Julie Myers, Rebecca O’Connor, Keondra Rustan, Francisca Salazar, Clare Sherley, Elaine Walsh
  1. Clinical/Practicum Learning Space and Preceptors.  Co-Leads:  Kristine Takamiya, Rebecca Wood.  Members:  Molly Altman, Pam Barney, Barbara Cochrane, Neal Cragg, Judy Lazarus, Kari Lombard, Holly Moye, Julie Myers, Rebecca O’Connor, Sheryl Rasmussen, Jennifer Rathe, Clare Sherley, Anita Souza, Elaine Walsh
  1. Support and Retention for Students of Color.  Co-Leads:  Cher Espina, Jenny Tsai.  Members:  Adrian Acosta, Molly Altman, Sarah Gimbel, Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon, Jessilyn Hong, Judy Lazarus, Tiffany Liu, Kari Lombard, Betsy Mau, Julie Myers, Simone Nelson, Jane O’Connor, Rebecca O’Connor, Resa Regan, Keondra Rustan, Marla Salmon, Hilaire Thompson,  Patrick Tufford, Elaine Walsh, Teresa Ward, Mayumi Willgerodt
  1. Marketing and Communications.  Lead:  Shari Ireton.  Members:  Molly Altman, Paige Bartlett, Cher Espina, Tiffany Liu, Holly Moye, Casey Thompson, Kristine Wright
  1. Advancement.  Lead Team:  Abbey Norris, Jenny Vincent, Tiffany Calverly, Alex Moon.  Members:  Molly Altman, Wendy Barrington, Butch de Castro, , Cher Espina, Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon, Holly Hauck, Jane O’Connor, Rebecca O’Connor, Kerryn Reding, Keondra Rustan, Casey Thomson, Patrick Tufford, Elaine Walsh, April Wilkinson, Mayumi Willgerodt
  1. Research.  Lead Team:  Sarah Zangrillo, Colie Pilling, Joie Whitney.  Members:  Molly Altman, Maria Bleil, Rebecca O’Connor, Monica Oxford, Cynthia Price, Hilaire Thompson
  1. Evaluation of Initiatives.  Co-Leads:  Rebecca O’Connor Molly Altman.  Members:  Wendy Barrington, Barbara Cochrane, Cher Espina, Keondra Rustan, Casey Thomson, Elaine Walsh, Teresa Ward

Workgroup Outcomes and Timeline:  Summary SoN Antiacism Workgroup Outcomes draft 6.2.2021

Questions can be sent to sondei@uw.edu

Professional Nursing Organizations