Council
琼斯LaTanya爱,MD
Executive Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity UTHealth Houston
Dean of Educationad interim
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
McGovern Medical School
at UTHealth Houston
Diversity Champions
Lisa D Cain, PhD
Associate Dean for Professional Development and Faculty Affairs
Professor, Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences
UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry
Amy Franklin, PhD
Associate Dean for Student, Faculty, and Community Affairs
Associate Professor
UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics
Pedro Mancias, MD
Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Adriana Blood Professor in Neurology
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Elda Ramirez, PhD, RN
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professor, Department of Graduate Studies
Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston
Cherilynn R Shadding, PhD
Associate Dean of Diversity, Career Development, and Alumni Affairs
MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, PhD
Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Development and Diversity
Associate Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences
UTHealth School of Public Health, Brownsville campus
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council
After a series of tragic socio-political events across the country in the summer of 2020, UTHealth Houston administration, faculty, and learners joined together to ensure the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts of our university are congruent with our mission. On July 10, 2020, the first meeting of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force convened with diversity champions including students, faculty, and staff from each of our six schools, plus representatives from University Classified Staff Council, Interfaculty Council, Student InterCouncil, and central administration. The first objective for the student, faculty, and administration subcommittees was to develop DEI recommendations. Less than three months later, task force members presented a total of nine recommendations to UTHealth Houston President Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, who strongly encouraged the task force to become a standing committee. Through consensus, the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force was renamed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and voted Elda Ramirez, PhD, RN, as the council’s first chair and Elahah Ashtari, PsyD, as chair elect.
Council Members: Schools
