13 Honored for Making UCSF a ‘More Inclusive Place’
Judith Greer Essex, PhD, beams with pride as her daughter Gwen Essex, EdD, MS, thanks her for being a wonderful role model and mentor as the younger Essex accepts her Chancellor Diversity Award. Photo by David Hand
More than 200 members of the UC San Francisco community gathered Oct. 30 to celebrate 13 honorees of the second annual Chancellor Diversity Awards, which recognize faculty, staff, postdocs, students and trainees who make UCSF a more inclusive place.
Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, welcomed recipients, their colleagues, family and friends to the awards ceremony held at the Millberry Union Gymnasium.
UCSF’s diversity really captures the spirit of who we are as a world-class academic institution,” Hawgood said. “The people who are honored with the Diversity Awards truly embody the best of UCSF, and I am proud of all of them.”
Vice Chancellor Renee Navarro, MD, PharmD, presents the Chancellor's Diversity Award to Bliss Temple, MD. Photo by Elisabeth Fall
Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, poses for a photograph with Diversity Award winner Flora Rutaganira, second from right, and her supporters, clockwise from top left, Chris Novotny, Michele De Coteau, Flora's father Thomas Rutaganira, Flora's mother Veronique Bikoba, and Julia Clark. Photo by Elisabeth Fall
Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Outreach J. Renee Navarro, MD, PharmD, also celebrated the honorees. Her office serves as the campus leader in building diversity in all aspects of UCSF’s mission of advancing healthcare worldwide through ongoing assessment, development of new programs and building consensus.
“The Chancellor’s Diversity Awards are an acknowledgement of what each one of the awardees brings to campus through their work and life experiences,” Navarro said. “This award is also a recognition of the changes that have taken place at UCSF to become a more equitable and inclusive community.”
These outstanding individuals are leaders, activists and pioneers in their respective fields and to the communities in which they serve.
They gave heartfelt speeches recognizing mentors, family members and friends who have been instrumental to their success.
The award recipients are recognized in the categories of Advancement of Women, Disability Service, GLBT Leadership, and Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Diversity.
The honorees, previously featured in a Diversity Month story, include:
- Advancement of Women: Diane Havlir, MD; Cathy Garzio; and Crystal Nyitray
- Disability Service: Maxine A. Papadakis, MD; Bliss Temple, MD; and Bruce Flynn
- GLBT Leadership: Gwen Essex, MS, EdD; Paul W. Day, IV; and Todor Stavrev, DDS
- Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Diversity: Carol Miller, MD, Rena J. Pasick, DrPH; Winifred (Winnie) Kwofie; and Flora Rutaganira
For more internal-facing stories from the UCSF community, please visit Pulse of UCSF.
Diversity Award Winner Paul W. Day, IV, center, poses for a photo with his supporters, from left, his father Paul W. Day III, Scott Hunt, Wilson Hardcastle, Shilpa Patel, Paul's mother Sharon Day, Jennifer Stokes, Mijiza Sanchez and Sharon Freeman. Photo by Elisabeth Fall