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Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action & Diversity Award Nominees
February 20, 2007
Universitywide Nominees
Leanne Besachio
Leanne Besachio is the Residence Life Liaison in the Department of Housing and Dining Services. She has been a champion of equal opportunity and diversity on campus since she was hired in August of 2003. Leanne provides service and assistance to many students with various special needs. Specifically, she has organized the departmental response to its students with disabilities and transgender issues, which include developing departmental procedures and a website. In addition, Leanne has developed sensitivity training sessions on the topics of disabled and transgender needs, and provides these sessions to Housing and Dining Services managers and supervisors. Leanne’s proactive approach to creating a caring environment for UCSD’s diverse student population includes the strong working relationships she has built with the Office of Students with Disabilities, the six undergraduate colleges and the residents. Because of Leanne’s diligence, Housing and Dining Services is able to provide a sensitive and educated department for customers and employees who might not otherwise have a voice.
Dr. Shelia Broyles
Dr. Shelia Broyles knew from an early age that she wanted to use her love for science to aid people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over the past 17 years, Dr. Broyles has accomplished this by directing programs such as the Hispanic Center of Excellence, which promotes the recruitment and retention of Hispanic doctors and medical students. She also administers the UCSD Export Center, which promotes research on health disparities, recruits people of color for clinical trials, and prepares students from all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups to work and conduct research in a culturally diverse society. San Diego Head Start Centers requested that Dr. Broyles design a health nutrition curriculum for early childhood providers in the South Bay, and also invited her to establish and direct, “NEAT at 2,” a community and university partnership program that instructs Latino caregivers on nutrition and physical activity. Dr. Broyles also facilitated the hiring of four new employees from underrepresented groups and developed a diverse applicant pool for two job searches. Some people simply and quietly do their work. They do not seek the limelight, but through their efforts, others shine. This describes Dr. Broyles. She is truly a diversity champion and advocate whose work demonstrates that using university and community resources to improve the health of our diverse population is both the right and smart thing to do.
James Burns, Jr.
James Burns, Jr. grew up in the projects of Watts, Los Angeles during the race riots of 1965 and later joined the Marines to get himself off the streets. James had become a hardened individual because of his life circumstances. All of that changed though, when he met Dr. Richard Peters from the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. Dr. Peters saw potential in James and became his mentor and advisor. James educated himself by taking various job assignments and eventually became an MSO in the Department of Veterinary Services. With the encouragement of his mentors, Dr. Peters and Dr. Georgia Sadler, James received his bachelor’s degree. James is now a mentor himself. He works with African American and Hispanic young men in the community and he encourages them to earn money in constructive ways through self-employment or becoming staff members here at UCSD. James is also a member of the Black Staff Association. This year, James is working on bringing a very important person to speak at a Black History Month Celebration event which will include other groups, such as the Chicano/Latino Staff Association. Through mentoring, example and education, James has allowed people to become better than they had ever imagined. He has also personally demonstrated the endless possibilities of working at UCSD.
Dr. Joseph Caperna & the Owen Clinic
Dr. Joseph Caperna has been with the Owen Clinic since 1995, and has been involved in HIV Healthcare since 1992. Dr. Caperna is a diversity champion who carries his commitment to diversity into his personal life. He applies his expertise in hematology and oncology to the community in many ways, including working at the San Ysidro Health Center and making house calls to immobile patients throughout the community. Dr. Caperna, as well as other Owen Clinic physicians, has traveled to South Africa as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief, where he has assisted in training HIV/AIDS caregivers. Dr. Caperna clearly has a passion for his patients and his work, treating each with dignity and respecting their cultural differences.
Dr. Caperna’s efforts as an individual represent just a small portion of the outreach projects that UCSD provides to those in our community affected by HIV and AIDS, especially through the Owen Clinic. The Owen Clinic was established in 1982, headed by an all-volunteer medical staff which provided healthcare to San Diego’s gay and lesbian community. As the AIDS epidemic struck San Diego, the Owen Clinic rapidly evolved as a major center for HIV care. The clinic currently serves more that 3,000 patients; taking responsibility for the care of 50% of the San Diego County HIV and AIDS patients. The Owen Clinic’s dedicated doctors and staff, headed by Dr. Chris Matthews, is comprised of true role models who are as diverse as the people they serve. Dr. Joseph Caperna and the Owen Clinic’s work complements UCSD’s mission as they demonstrate “The Power of Excellence” and the impact it can have on a community.
Helen Doakes
Helen Doakes is a dynamic supervisor who values diversity in the Office of Post Award Financial Services. Helen has encouraged interview panels to strongly consider candidates’ transferable skills when evaluating an individual’s suitability for positions in her department; which has helped to further diversify her department’s workforce. Helen consistently demonstrates her value for each member of her team and their individual and unique talents. She never hesitates to recognize the vital roles that each team member contributes. She encourages individuals to take advantage of opportunities for training, growth and development, while providing a positive work environment for those skills to take root. Helen has a wealth of knowledge about the university and her job, which she eagerly shares with her team. Helen is a member of the UCSD Black Staff Association, as well as a sustaining member of the UCSD Staff Association. She is also committed to community service and bringing people together through her participation on the Usher Committee at Bayview Baptist Church and as a Board Member of the Bayview Community Development Corporation. Helen’s fair treatment of others and giving spirit are an example to all.
Ken Duff
The Marine Science Development Shop is the main machine shop for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and also performs a number of tasks for the upper campus. When Ken Duff assumed supervisory responsibilities in this area, the work force was comprised of almost all white males. However, in the past several years, Ken has hired a number of machinists who are from diverse backgrounds and bring multiculturalism into the workplace. Through his fairness in hiring practices, Ken has employed a number of young men of Latino-American backgrounds and has subsequently hired a group of Cambodian immigrants who have contributed in every way to the success of his team. Ken is a true diversity champion; his team alone speaks to his value and integration of diversity at UCSD.
Jessica Chapin-Geipel
Jessica Chapin-Geipel consistently refers to the UCSD Principles of Community in evaluating her day-to-day actions at the Women’s Center. She values diversity in her recognition that gender issues are inherently connected to all social justice issues. She makes certain that the Women’s Center Library has materials that represent diverse people and viewpoints. She has been active in supporting the administrative oversight of the Lactation Services program and has recently started a Mother’s Group to support the needs of campus mothers with children under 2 years old. Jessica’s recognition of the needs of a diverse society makes her a true diversity champion.
Nicole Jackson
Nicole Jackson is currently in the process of implementing online tutoring programs to first generation, economically disadvantaged and classically underserved populations of middle school and high school students in San Diego. With the support of the Early Academic Outreach Program and Student Educational Advancement, Nicole has set up computer labs and has hired college students as tutors to work with these students online. Nicole has initiated the use of video cameras in the computer labs as tools to enhance the visual elements of learning and for the students to feel more closely connected with their tutors. Nicole is enabling effective cross-cultural interactions between students and their tutors, resulting in effective learning for these culturally diverse groups and increasing their chances for a college-bound future. Nicole’s efforts will ultimately add cultural diversity to the UC system and post-secondary education at large.
Martin Kaplan & Vanessa Mapula
As program managers of the alumni chapters and constituent programs for the UCSD Office of Alumni Relations, Martin Kaplan and Vanessa Mapula have worked together to revitalize the previously struggling chapters that serve the African American and Chicano Latino Alumni communities. They have more than tripled their annual support and budgets through their own efforts and by stimulating the integration of their work with the efforts of their counterpart student and faculty/staff organizations. On behalf of the UCSD alumni chapters, they have created community graduation ceremonies, hosted special career networking events and sponsored targeted student activities. They have found that focusing programs on mentoring, advocacy, and student recruitment can be very successful in these communities. Currently, Martin and Vanessa are in the process of launching new alumni chapters within the Native American and Philipino-American communities. Under their leadership, the Alumni Association sponsors a number of on-campus activities and student organizations that support diverse communities, including UJIMA, La Raza, the Black Staff Student Union, the Cross-Cultural Center, the LGBT Center and the Women’s Center. The current and ongoing efforts of Martin and Vanessa have demonstrated the positive impact of a dedication to the Principles of Community and the importance of working with diverse communities.
Saundra Kirk
Saundra Kirk is a natural at directing communications between students in the UCSD School of Medicine, Post Baccalaureate Program to improve their comprehension and appreciation of the diverse backgrounds of different people. With her guidance, students are able to recognize and integrate different teachings from diverse parts of the world to better prepare themselves for the bigger world that awaits them. She dedicates much of her time and efforts to connecting each one of us. She has made a great impact on her students through group activities in the program and by providing individual assistance. Saundra helps students to recognize the realities of the broader world by increasing their sensitivity and providing greater understanding about important global issues. Through Saundra’s guidance, students and faculty gain deeper appreciation of different cultures and are able to rejoice and celebrate one another.
Steven Lau
Steven Lau has sought to improve Asian and Pacific Islander healthcare during his time as a medical student at the UCSD School of Medicine. He enthusiastically serves as a student advisor to the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association chapter at UCSD. He is currently working with other students to revive the chapter, which was set to disappear without his leadership, and to educate, motivate and organize the medical student body. Steven plays a primary role in coordinating hepatitis B virus screening efforts and also plays a part in recruiting minorities to register as bone marrow donors. As a result, the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Association’s award-winning success has been recognized by the National Marrow Donor Program. In addition, he is involved in creating a medical Chinese language course for medical students with the ultimate goal of improving patient access to culturally appropriate healthcare. Steven has also worked as a Research Coordinator for the National Executive Board of the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association. In this capacity, he has collected data for a project entitled “The Role of Ethnicity in Clinical Clerkship Performance,” detailing the racial disparities in medical school performance nationwide. Steven has used academic avenues to shed light on healthcare issues specific to Asian Pacific Islanders at the national level.
Dr. Mark Lawson
Dr. Mark Lawson is an Assistant Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the UCSD School of Medicine. He has made extraordinary efforts to increase the diversity of our campus. He collaborates regularly with the Office of Graduate Studies to recruit underrepresented students to the Biomedical Sciences Program and other science programs on campus. He has also worked with Victor Chavez, Valita Jones and Tim Johnston at the Office of Graduate Studies in a variety of underrepresented minority student recruitment activities. He consulted with the Office of Graduate Studies on their National Institute of Health, Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity grant proposal and participated on the Initiative’s Advisory Committee. Mark also has a long-term commitment to the Consortium of High Schools, Undergraduate & Medical Schools and the Preuss School programs. His membership on the Endocrine Society Minority Affairs Committee and Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in Science gives UCSD a presence and direct link to these groups. Mark is a great asset to the Biomedical Sciences Program, the Office of Graduate Studies and the UCSD Campus. His interaction, cooperation and support for diversity efforts are exceptional examples of positive working relationships between the Office of Graduate Studies and UCSD Faculty.
Erin Malone
Erin Malone is a passionately committed doctoral student in the Communications Department who consistently goes beyond the traditional requirements of a graduate student. As the graduate community intern for the past two years, Erin has set up workshops and a club for LGBT graduates. She has also created a guidebook and forum for all graduates to help them make the most of their time at UCSD and in the San Diego area. To list some of her many campus contributions, Erin has helped coordinate activities for the Bioengineering Department, the Raza Student Association’s Annual End of Year Pachanga celebration, Grad Amazing Race and Java Jams. Recently, some students wanted to create an online podcast that voices the important concerns of Native Americans in academics; Erin supported them by acting as their technical support person. Erin has made this campus community her own, and everyone in it is her friend; regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
Auxiliary and Plant Services
With the leadership of Assistant Vice Chancellor Gary Matthews, staff members
Brian d’ Autremont, Robert Defendini, Cynthia Wade, Cynthia Wong of Parking and Transportation Services and Jim Ruby and James McCoy of Fleet Services have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring that UCSD faculty, staff and students with disabilities can access the classrooms, labs and offices in which they work, teach and learn. Gary Matthews has led the development of new supplemental transportation accommodation services for qualified faculty and staff with disabilities. Gary has shown that he and the staff of Parking and Transportation Services are interested in contributing to reasonable accommodation solutions that foster increased diversity among UCSD community members. The members of the Parking and Transportation Services Department and those of Fleet Services have responded to requests for accommodations quickly and effectively. As a result, several faculty and staff members have expressed appreciation for having been provided with the assistance they need to be able to work, learn and teach. The offering of these supplemental transportation services has contributed to the view that UCSD is becoming more responsive to the needs of community members with disabilities. As a result of these efforts, people with disabilities are likely to feel more welcome at UCSD and will have more opportunities to contribute to our diversity goals.
Auxiliary and Plant Services, Human Relations Department
Under the umbrella of Auxiliary and Plant Services, the Human Relations Department of Auxiliary and Plant Services is part of the Business Affairs vice chancellor unit on the UCSD Campus. This Human Relations Department supports and administers the employment, labor and employee relations, benefits, classification and compensation services of six business units. The core business units that are within A&PS are: Business and Finances Services, Information Technology, and the Human Relations Department. The mission and value statement of this professional organization is “People Providing Excellent Services.” Over 53% of the total number of full-time employees hired by Auxiliary and Plant Services were people of color and 46% of all placements were of the “met goal” category, adding to the diversification of the workforce as stated in the most recent Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Annual Progress Report. These are the best statistics reported within the Business Affairs vice chancellor unit. The Human Resources manager, Andrea Balestrieri, continuously instills cultural diversity in all aspects of Auxiliary and Plant Services’ “best practices approach” in dealing with and serving internal and external customers. She strongly supports staff development and encourages her team to seek and serve the “greater good” of all Auxiliary and Plant Services departments while providing excellent service to all.
Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women
The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women was established in 1987 and has been actively working to improve the environment for women on the UCSD Campus for the past 20 years. The committee is comprised of a diverse group of representatives from the UCSD faculty, staff and student body and includes consultants from the Women’s Center, the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy, Equal Opportunity/Staff Affirmative Action, the Student Safety and Sexual Assault Resource Center, and the Cross Cultural Center. The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women is charged with identifying and analyzing problems that affect the well-being of women at UCSD, informing and educating the campus community about such problems, and advising the Chancellor regarding policies to ameliorate these conditions and ensure equality for all women on campus. Examples of accomplishments and activities of the Committee include: the first faculty gender equity study that was conducted in the late 1980’s, and repeated in 2005; co-founding the UCSD Women’s Center in 1996, aiding in the recruitment and retention of women faculty, staff and students, and establishing and continuously supporting the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) subcommittee. The WISE subcommittee provides programs on topics of interest to women in science and engineering and advises the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women concerning the general climate for women scientists on the UCSD campus. The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women promotes diversity and equal opportunity for all women at UCSD and consistently practices the Principles of Community.
Early Academic Outreach Program
The staff of the Early Academic Outreach Program are Luis Clement, Mario Aguilar, Thomas Gilkison, Brett Wellington, Joyce Chastain, Kim Sykes and Rafael Hernandez. Their core mission is, “to support and enhance cultural diversity in the post secondary education arena.” Amidst budget cuts and political struggles, the Early Academic Outreach Program has served first generation, low income and a classically under-served student population of San Diego; providing them with greater opportunity for a college-bound future. The Early Academic Outreach Program hires tutors and academic mentors to work on-site and one-on-one with middle and high school students. The Early Academic Outreach Program is founded on the principles of “valuing diversity” - hiring a diverse student employee pool that includes African American, Asian and Chicano/Latino American college students and tutoring these populations within the community. The Early Academic Outreach Program helps students adapt to diversity by introducing them to the collegiate atmosphere and by offering employment where cultural diversity is viewed as an asset. The strength of The Early Academic Outreach Program is indicative of the dedication and passion of the staff to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Faculty Search Committee, Department of Structural Engineering
The faculty search committee for the Department of Structural Engineering consists of Ahmed Elgamal, Benson Shing, Joel Conte, Jose Restrepo, Chia-Ming Uang and Qiang Zhu. The efforts of this search committee resulted in the successful recruitment of the first female in the history of the department and in an underutilized category in Engineering. Their outreach efforts included many letters to other institutions, e-mails to targeted minority organizations and announcements in seven publications, which resulted in a much larger applicant pool than in past years. The Faculty Search Committee chose a diverse short list from which the final candidate was selected. This department has shown leadership in bringing diversity to the faculty even with the limited availability pool in engineering.
Department of Ethnic Studies
The Department of Ethnic Studies is the youngest department in the Division of Social Sciences, and also the leading contributor of faculty diversity hires in the Division. Based on information from the Office of Academic Affirmative Action, 91% of their ladder rank faculty are minority and 63% are women. During the 2005-06 recruitment cycle, they were successful in hiring an Asian male Assistant Professor, an Asian female Assistant Professor and an Indian male Professor. Ethnic Studies utilizes best practices strategies as a successful tool in meeting UCSD’s equal opportunity/affirmative action and diversity program goals for the academic workforce. Ethnic studies is also the home for California Cultures in Comparative Perspective, which represents a diverse interdisciplinary cluster of hires dealing with race and ethnicity in California and other areas undergoing comparable demographic, socioeconomic, political and cultural transformation. In addition, they have also developed proposals for Indigenous Studies and the African Diaspora. These proposals will span multiple divisions and are likely to lead to even more diverse hires. These broad and targeted outreach efforts have generated diverse applicant pools, which have enabled the Ethnic Studies Department to hire highly qualified and diverse faculty members. The practices of the Department of Ethnic Studies reaffirm UCSD’s commitment to being an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer with a commitment to excellence through diversity.
Infant Special Care Center
Because of minimal availability of Spanish interpreters in the Hillcrest Medical Center, the Infant Special Care Center, led by a group of nurses known as the Discharge Teaching Team, came together to address the limited teaching and support of their Spanish speaking families. As a result, they recruited RN’s within the unit that are proficient in the language to work on a standardized approach to discharge teaching for Spanish-speaking families, including a review of the required information for teaching material in Spanish and a curriculum for specialized discharge teaching classes to be taught in Spanish. In addition, they have brought extended families of Spanish speaking patients to classes to learn how to care for their premature and special care babies. Furthermore, the Infant Special Care Center has hired exclusively Spanish-speaking nurses to support the 55% Spanish speaking patient population. The unit has sponsored eight nurses and secretaries in the UCSD Extension Immersion Program who are now confident in their knowledge to do bedside discharge and answer patient’s questions in Spanish.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is a small department within the School of Medicine that consists of 34 employees. Over the past year, the department has strived to ensure equal opportunity in employment, and has made a tremendous effort to be cognizant of under-representation. Each supervisor was made aware of the under-representation in their respective units as well as the Department as a whole. As a result, over the past year, thirteen new staff employees were hired that include nine women and four men. Of the new hires, there are five whites, five Asians, one African American, one Hispanic and one American Indian. Of the women hired, three are in administrative roles and six are Staff Research Associates or Laboratory Assistants. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will continue to strive to ensure diversity and explore all avenues of outreach to obtain a diverse pool of candidates as the department grows.
Senior Behavioral Health Program, 7 East
Senior Behavioral Health’s goal is to develop and maintain a culture that respects and develops the potential of each team member. They accomplish this with an on-going program entitled “Divers-a-Days.” This program celebrates cultures and groups which include: the Asian American culture, Northeast USA culture, African American culture, Mexican American culture, Southeast USA culture and Euro American culture. During the celebrations, the unit is decorated with photographs and special items that are specific to the culture or group that is being recognized. Poster boards, trivia, music and videos are used to enhance the experience. Patients and staff join together to bring awareness and appreciation to the diversity of the group. The highlight of the celebration is the potluck luncheon which involves the participation of the entire staff. This program increases the understanding of different cultures from within the unit and accomplishes their goal of creating a better place to work through the appreciation of diversity.
Student Affairs and Admissions of the Office of Graduate Studies
Student Affairs and Admissions of the Office of Graduate Studies is a highly diverse unit with outstanding representation of women and people of color. Among its current members are Assistant Dean Tim Johnston, April Bjornsen, Carol Uribe, Marybeth Ward, Kevin Gallagher, Maggie Hundley, Valita Jones, Stacia Solomon, Juanita Oleson, Erin Malone and Iris Ruiz. The creative outreach programs directed by the Student Affairs Unit have been instrumental in increasing the diversity of the graduate student body. The unit reaches thousands of underrepresented students annually who are prospective recruits to the graduate programs, and provides peer mentoring, support and workshops for minority students once they have matriculated at UCSD. The unit has also recruited at least one diversity coordinator from every graduate program and department, and has established the Diversity Outreach Collaboration, which involves current students, postdoctoral fellows, staff and faculty in visiting institutions with large enrollments of underrepresented undergraduates and making presentations at national conferences and graduate fairs. The efforts of the Student Affairs and Admissions Unit have resulted in more than a 34% increase in the number of minority graduate students over the past five years and substantial gains in minority student retention. In the past year alone, underrepresented minority enrollments have increased by more that 12%. Student Affairs and Admissions of the Office of Graduate Studies has continuously upheld the UCSD Principles of Community and places the highest possible value on enhancing the diversity of our campus, both among staff and graduate students.
Blanca Melendrez
This is Blanca Melendrez’s, fifth year as the Latino 5 a Day Campaign Coordinator. Blanca has created a bilingual CD to support Latinos in being active and eating nutritionally balanced foods. She has adapted the state-based, Latino 5 a Day resources to specifically meet the needs of San Diego’s local culture by using culturally appropriate music, dance, games and outreach methods to most positively impact the community. Blanca recruits, trains and is able to retain high-quality health educators for outreach at festivals, flea markets, large Latino events and retail stores. Blanca and her team have received numerous awards from the Mexican Consulate and Assemblyman Juan Vargas. Through her advocacy, Blanca was instrumental in having Univision radio donate brand-new bicycles for low-income community members. Blanca’s passion and commitment to the Latino community has led her to oversee the finalization of a Latino Policy Brief and supported the development of a bicultural retail and merchandising program for retailers who serve the Latino community. Blanca is a leader in the Latino community throughout California and is an example to others in a culturally appropriate way.
Chuck Morgan
As manager of Building and Landscape Services, Chuck Morgan leads a highly diverse group in Facilities Management. In this division, there are individuals from various ethnic backgrounds, religions and national origins that speak at least seven different languages. These individuals come together in a common goal to serve the University community. Chuck is a leader who respects and values differences in people and encourages, through social activities such as picnics and quarterly barbeques, the celebration of diversity. He supports the English as a Second Language program of Housing and Dining Services by ensuring that all of his employees who are interested in the program are able to attend by making accommodating work schedule modifications. In addition, he applauds efforts by other team members to learn the Spanish language in order to foster better working relationships. He is adamant about using the Principles of Community as a fundamental guide in the workplace and as a tool for leadership and performance issues. Chuck is the Vice Chair of the Faculty and Staff Christian Fellowship, a group that meets weekly for spiritual enrichment and consists of management and staff. Chuck embraces diversity and the Principles of the Community. His character is one that is rich in understanding and respectful appreciation.
Jocelyn Pacheco
Jocelyn Pacheco has served as Chair and Vice-Chair for the Pan-Asian Staff Association since 1999. Her many accomplishments in that role include: sponsoring the Leadership Education for Asian Pacific forum for the National Policy Roundtable Series; organizing workshops, including “Multiracial Identity, Relationships and Census 2000,” co-hosting the “Celebration of Colors” with the LGBT Resource Center, coordinating the annual holiday PASA party and toy drive for the past seven years, and sponsoring numerous cooking demonstrations. Jocelyn has also conceptualized and organized the first multi-cultural lunch “Diversity on a Plate,” the event included food from different cultures and performances of ethnic dances. She also spearheaded the holiday scarf collection for the UCSD Mother, Child and Adolescent HIV Program, where scarves are collected and given to program participants who are either infected or affected by HIV. Jocelyn believes strongly in celebrating UCSD’s cultural differences, reaching out to include all groups in PASA events and promoting good-will among all staff members.
Paradorn Thiel
Paradorn Thiel is the Clinical and Research Fellowship Coordinator and Immigration Specialist for the Department of Radiology. In this capacity, Paradorn coordinates the academic appointments and immigration paperwork of Radiology’s scholars from around the world. He is bilingual in English and Thai, but it is the language of patience, professionalism and friendship that Paradorn truly speaks to the numerous scholars whom he welcomes to the department. His thoughtful and thorough processing of their immigration paperwork and academic appointment provides each international scholar with a smooth transition to the UCSD campus. He has researched and studied the customs and immigration policies of the diverse community that he works with and has individualized his orientation for each scholar. Paradorn has provided additional cultural and immigration education at weekly departmental HR staff meetings which has enabled the groups to better serve the multi-cultural community of scholars. The international scholars have often remarked that one of the most positive aspects of their experience at UCSD has been working with Paradorn Thiel. Paradorn is an outstanding example of the Radiology department’s commitment to valuing diversity.
Academic Enrichment Programs
The UCSD Academic Enrichment Program, under the leadership of Dr. David Artis and his staff, are true diversity champions. The Academic Enrichment Program is comprised of eight programs that seek to prepare UCSD undergraduates for graduate or professional school. Serving over 2,500 students every year, the Academic Enrichment Program is the embodiment of diversity and excellence. Many of the programs serve low-income, first generation college students and underrepresented minorities. The department has some unique programs that keep students of color, women and low income students committed to finishing college. The highly successful eight different programs are specifically designed to inspire and encourage students at UCSD. Dr. Artis and the coordinators of the programs continually serve to inspire and encourage the students at UCSD.
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