Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award

2023 Winners Spotlight

Gina Northington Gynecology and Obstetrics

“Dr. Northington has made significant contributions in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department of gynecology and obstetrics and is considered a leader on the national level. Within the department, she developed the inaugural Gynecology and Obstetrics DEI committee, hosted events at her home to create space and support for underrepresented in medicine resident candidates during recruitment cycles, and served as division director for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery where she has recruited faculty members from almost every minority group on her team at some point during her leadership. After driving DEI efforts at the institutional level, Dr. Northington’s expertise was sought by national organizations looking to lead DEI efforts. In 2020, Dr. Northington was appointed by the President of the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) to develop a Presidential Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, of which she was the inaugural chair. She assembled a task force of AUGS members, immediately began work editing and rewriting official statements on diversity and inclusion, conducted a nationwide climate survey, completed analysis of the results, and led a sub-group of this task force on writing. Additionally, Dr. Northington set forth to replace the longstanding J. Marian Sims lectureship of AUGS, which she successfully replaced in 2021 with the inaugural endowed Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy, et al (ABLE) Lectureship. This effort sought to honor the Black enslaved women upon whom many gynecologic procedures were performed and perfected. Its impact was transformative and necessary.”

Naadira Upshaw Pediatrics

“Dr. Upshaw is unwavering in her commitment to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through her service on Emory’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences DEI Subcommittee, CHOA’s Diversity and Inclusion Physician Council, and Chair of the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorder’s DEI Committee. At a national level, Dr. Upshaw works to improve awareness on the lived experiences of minoritized healthcare professionals and related racism and discrimination through invited talks, panel discussions, and conference organization. At the intuitional level, she has collaborated on developing a training presentation to teach faculty and staff to become diversity discussion facilitators within Emory and the community, and then developed a training curriculum to support the standardization of skill development for psychology postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Upshaw has also initiated and led content development and disseminated a presentation series on “How to Talk to Kids About Race,” trained 10 psychology facilitators who collectively provided 26 talks across the division and CHOA, and adapted the training and presented it to community audiences. Through scholarship and research, Dr. Upshaw improves awareness of effective mentorship strategies for Black trainees through peer-reviewed publications and is conducting foundation-funded research to advance equity for minoritized faculty in academic medicine. At a community level, Dr. Upshaw is an Executive Committee Member for the Atlanta Behavioral Health Advocates that generates initiatives to promote social justice within the Atlanta community. Dr. Upshaw has a tireless spirit and effort to improve equity and impact – it is this unique combination of qualities that allows her to navigate getting into “good trouble” and courageously speak out against acts of racism and inequity in the workplace.”

Zanthia Wiley Medicine

“Dr. Wiley is imbued with a drive and a passion for a just and equitable healthcare system that promotes health and wellness for all. Since joining Emory over 20 years ago, Dr. Wiley’s professional activities and community-engaged leadership skills have combined to reshape the DEI landscape on the issues of limited pipeline of underrepresented minorities in medicine and low participation of communities of color in clinical trials. At the peak of the pandemic, Dr. Wiley was among the few trusted voices embraced by communities of color to communicate information about COVID-19 testing and vaccination at a time when misinformation was rampant. In addition to her increased clinical demands, she led and participated in over 30 community service outreach events targeted at minority populations to eliminate disparities in access to life-saving interventions. She appeared in more than 40 media interviews, promoting COVID-19 vaccination and access, including the widely disseminated joint interview with her aunt by the New York Times “In Minority Communities, Doctors are Changing Minds About COVID-19 Vaccination” in 2021. One can only imagine the impact of these efforts in terms of lives saved due to increasing uptake in community COVID-19 testing and vaccination.”

Previous Awardees

2022

Tracey Henry, MD, MPH (medicine)
Randi Smith, MD, MPH (surgery)

2021

Amy Chen, MD, MPH (otolaryngology)
Modele Ogunniyi, MD, MPH (medicine)

2020

Wendy Greene, MD (surgery)
Jason Schneider, MD (medicine)

2019

Jodie Guest, PhD, MPH (family and preventive medicine)

2018

Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH (emergency medicine)

Nomination Process

The Emory University School of Medicine (EUSOM) is committed to ensuring a climate of inclusion and organizational equity by leveraging the varied attributes of diversity in our community. The EUSOM believes it is imperative that we train, recruit, retain, and employ faculty, staff, and learners who relate to, engage with, and meet the needs of the multicultural and international communities we serve. Organizational culture rich in diverse attributes and life experiences enhances our ability to deliver equitable, cross-cultural healthcare and lead the effort to eliminate health inequities and improve health outcomes locally, regionally, and globally.

The EUSOM Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award has been established by the School of Medicine Recognitions Committee on behalf of the Dean to recognize EUSOM faculty who have made significant contributions to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

One faculty member will be honored with the Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award in 2023.

Deadline

Nominations are closed for 2023.

Eligibility

All faculty with a primary appointment in the EUSOM. Those who have received this award in the past 3 years are not eligible.

Nominations

Faculty must be nominated by a faculty member, staff member, or trainee of Emory University. The nomination should consist of a concise narrative (500 words or less) describing how the nominee demonstrates excellence in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion to the benefit of the Emory community and/or the patients we serve. It should include specific examples of the individual’s outstanding achievements and contributions towards inclusive excellence by means of service, leadership, research and/or education. Outstanding examples of excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion can include, but are not limited to:

Promoting an environment that is welcoming, supportive, and nurturing to all faculty, staff, and learners within EUSOM
Improving awareness related to diversity, equity, inclusion, bias, and/or healthcare disparities within EUSOM
Engaging in the community with a focus on advancing health equity and/or reducing barriers to accessing care
Leading efforts to eliminate health inequities and improve health outcomes locally, regionally, or globally
Mentoring individuals from historically underrepresented groups (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc.)
Demonstrating leadership in diversity, equity, and/or inclusion activities within EUSOM
Initiating innovative approaches to creating diversity, ensuring equity, and/or fostering inclusion and social justice through research, innovation, education, and advocacy

Submission

Must use the online Award Nomination Form and include the following:

Nominating letter (500 words or less)
Nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae
Optional materials: One additional letter of support (500 words or less)

Decision

Will be made by the School of Medicine Recognitions Committee with input from the Chief Diversity Officer and approved by the Dean. The faculty member should be in good standing within their respective Department.

Award

Recipients will be announced and honored during the annual Celebration of Faculty Eminence.

Questions should be directed to SOM Office of Faculty Academic Affairs and Professional Development at somfde@emory.edu.