Lihini I. Aluwihare

Since her appointment in 2001, Lihini Aluwihare has been dedicated to introducing young women and underprivileged students to science at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, officials said. She received a National Science Foundation grant, which allowed Scripps to create two annual high school summer internships. The grant ensures that a diverse group of high school students are given opportunities for hands-on experiences in scientific research. Of the eight high school students who have been involved in her lab over the last five years, Aluwihare’s first student recently graduated from UCSD and is now pursuing graduate study in earth sciences.

Aluwihare’s professionalism and compassion make her a unique and powerful role model for minorities and women in science, officials said. As the only woman of color in a faculty position in her department, she also embodies diversity at Scripps, they added.

Michael P. Bloom

Mike Bloom is a true champion of affirmative action and equal opportunity -- at all levels -- for the department of psychiatry, officials said. He meets with the faculty on a regular basis and consistently urges them to find ways to attract more minorities to apply for positions in the department and to interview all qualified minorities who apply. He has helped increase diversity at the staff, faculty and trainee levels within the department. He also reminds faculty to encourage qualified trainees to keep in touch after their training, in an effort to retain them. In addition, Bloom urges staff to take classes to improve their qualifications and accelerate promotions.  

Russell L. Chapman

Russell Chapman has been the acting diversity coordinator at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and has consistently made an effort to reach beyond the scope of Scripps to benefit the diversity efforts of the entire UCSD community. He established an interaction between UCSD and Howard University and the University of Maryland Baltimore County -- both institutions with strong minority-serving programs. He also initiated UCSD’s participation in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Programs Research Conferences in 2006 and 2007. This year, Chapman visited Hampton University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Howard University and the University of Maryland Baltimore County to promote Scripps’ summer undergraduate research and graduate programs for under-represented students. He also is the coordinator of the Scripps Diversity Team, actively involved in the Scripps Grassroots Diversity Action Working Group, a mentor for STARS students and has taken the lead in providing content for the “Diversity at SIO” website.

Jesse Adlai Dubler  

Jesse Dubler is a remarkable student who has contributed greatly to the UCSD community, officials said. When Dubler transferred from Palomar College, he learned that UCSD’s association for students with disabilities was inactive. He led efforts to create a new association, the Students with Disabilities Coalition. He recruited a core group of student members, arranged for the association to be officially recognized and led efforts to find ways to improve opportunities for students with disabilities at UCSD. As a representative to the Student Affirmative Action Council, Dubler has contributed to the deliberations of the Diversity Council and has fostered better understanding of the talents of students with disabilities and of the academic accommodation resources they need.

Dubler recently also received the All People’s Celebration recognition for “time, energy and effort to increase multicultural understanding and for the advancement of dialogue, communication and diversity.”

Patricia East

Dr. Patricia East is passionate about empowering women and their families and providing them with resources to make positive, healthy choices, officials said. Through her research, she is determined to identify the factors that influence the disproportionate rate of teen pregnancy on minorities, as well as to develop appropriate interventions. Her nationally known research on the effects of adolescent childbirth helped launch a statewide program that served approximately 5,000 California youth, 87 percent of whom were Latino or African American. East’s commitment to diversity extends well beyond research, officials said.  By hiring a diverse staff, her team has been able to effectively translate her research findings into community-friendly and culturally viable programs and services across Southern California. East’s contributions towards ending the cycle of teenage parenting through research, policy and service are truly exemplary of the UCSD Principles of Community, officials said.

Regina Fortune

Regina Fortune-Grady was promoted to lead teacher at the Early Childhood Education Center in 2004. She has been an active advocate for promoting and integrating greater awareness of diversity ever since, officials said. Fortune-Grady oversees a literacy program, which allows Preuss School students to interact weekly with ECEC preschoolers. 

Fortune-Grady has served two terms as executive vice president on the PTA Board of the Preuss School, which has allowed her to promote the needs of the school with visiting legislators, community outreach centers and the Board of Education. Her immediate concern was the lack of representation of African-American culture. She initiated a cultural day event for Black History Month. She also developed opportunities for the students to recognize the service of Honored Marine Corps Airmen recently returned from their tours of duty in Iraq. She also was instrumental in organizing fundraising events that linked families, faculty, students and the UCSD community with local partners. Fortune-Grady’s positive and enthusiastic attitude infuses all that she does, officials said.

Jorge Huerta

When Jorge Huerta was the UCSD chief diversity officer, he also taught and developed the next generation of theatre directors and professors. Huerta is the first chief diversity officer to come from faculty and began his assignment in January 2005. Through careful consultation with various administrators, faculty, staff and students, he determined that focusing first on problems in faculty diversity would create a foundation to better address student and staff diversity issues. He has facilitated numerous faculty meetings that have resulted in increased awareness of departmental hiring trends for women and faculty of color; the adoption of new proposals for faculty hiring; the creation of an administrator to focus on matters of faculty equity; and ongoing training for deans and department chairs. He took on a very difficult challenge and used his grace, wisdom and a touch of diplomacy to help this campus move more confidently in the direction of equity and inclusiveness, officials said.

Tim Johnston  

Tim Johnston’s commitment to equal opportunity and diversity started more than 30 years ago when, as a young college student, he joined the civil rights movement in Alabama when it was not a popular thing to do. Now, as assistant dean of Graduate Studies, Johnston has been indefatigable in his pursuit of increasing the number of under-represented minority applicants to UCSD, and increasing the number of admitted under-represented minority students, officials said. He has done this by effectively staffing specific diversity-based outreach and recruitment activities; through grants to support additional under-represented minority applicants; and through the initiation of a diversity coordinator in each of his departments. Johnston is continually educating colleagues and faculty about the importance and positive advantages of diversity to the university, officials said. He does not just advocate equal opportunity and diversity, he embraces and lives it, they added.

Dr. Christopher Mathews

In his almost 30 years on the UCSD medical faculty, Dr. Christopher Mathews has demonstrated a passionate commitment to excellence in medicine and respect for the dignity of every patient, officials said. When the Owen Clinic was established, Mathews recruited an all-volunteer team of health care and support-services providers, who devoted their evenings and Saturdays to providing medical care to San Diego’s underserved gay and lesbian community. His international HIV work includes teaching and clinical training in Ethiopia and the eastern cape of South Africa. Since the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Mathews has served on many local, state, national and international committees, including serving as founding president of the San Diego Association of Human Rights, the local organization of gay and lesbian physicians, Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s AIDS Advisory Committee and most recently, the World Health Organization.

Susan A. Rappoport

During the past year, Susan Rappoport has served as the president of the Community Advocates for Disability Rights and Education staff association and has demonstrated leadership in involving the group in several diversity education efforts. Rappoport’s contributions to the UCSD Health & Wellness lecture series, the Staff Association Picnic and the annual Celebration of Abilities have been instrumental in educating the UCSD community about issues affecting people from all walks of life, officials said. One of Rappoport’s greatest accomplishments is her commitment to collecting school supplies through the UCSD Staff Council for distribution to San Diego schools. As a result, a wealth of needed supplies has been donated. Rappoport has achieved great success in advocating for all members of the UCSD and San Diego communities, officials said.

Thérèse E. Rymer

Therese Rymer is the Director of the UCSD Medical Center’s Emergency Preparedness and Response program. She has developed and facilitated disaster preparedness training for all levels of staff. Her ability to organize and empower diverse individuals to realize their potential and react when called upon, is truly worthy of recognition, officials said. As deputy team commander of Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Rymer responded to the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami that devastated Indonesia. Her ability to communicate and educate diverse groups of people earned her an invitation to teach an international group in Singapore. Rymer always includes in her training sessions the importance of recognizing and respecting diversity and emphasizes that disaster victims needs often extend beyond medical treatment.

Dr. Dean E. Sidelinger

Dr. Dean Sidelinger is a devoted mentor and advocate for diversity and cultural competency, officials said. As an assistant adjunct professor and physician, he fosters commitment to community empowerment and social justice in the next generation of physicians. He was one of the lead faculty who created and taught medical students enrolled in the Health Equity Program in Medical Education. He encourages students to challenge historical biases and to understand complex cultural and health dynamics within a variety of marginalized groups. A few of his many contributions include being a principal investigator for a program focused on health education for Latino parents in the South Bay; providing developmental screening for children with learning delays; and volunteering as the co-medical director for the Teen Outreach Mobile Clinic, which serves homeless and at-risk adolescents. Also, Sidelinger has mentored eight students from diverse backgrounds in the past five years. In all aspects of his life, Sidelinger embodies the UCSD Principles of Community with genuine respect and appreciation for all, particularly those who are marginalized, officials said.

Brett S. Wellington

As assistant director of special projects in the Early Academic Outreach Program, Brett Wellington works at local low-income housing sites, providing educational outreach to disadvantaged students. Wellington works closely with college student tutors and mentors at these locations. He offers leadership, while also serving as a role model to those tutored. Wellington constantly goes beyond his job description, thinking of new and interesting ways to inspire and motivate students to achieve more than they have ever dreamed, officials said. He created a scholarship workshop this year, which resulted in two low-income students receiving college scholarships worth a combined $50,000. Recently, Wellington contributed to a major campus event, “Dare to Dream,” where more than 500 African American students and their families came to campus to learn about UCSD. 

Anita K. Williams

As co-founder, master teacher and coordinator of the Research Methodology Training Laboratory at the UCSD School of Medicine, Anita Williams embodies the UCSD Principles of Community. Since 1988, Williams has helped design and implement a variety of programs that have provided more than 400 disadvantaged students with the skills necessary to advance through the science pipeline. All of Williams’ students are from socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. In all, 96 percent of Williams’ high school students enroll in college, 89 percent of her community college students transfer to UCSD, 100 percent of her undergraduates graduate on time and 53 percent of graduates have completed or are currently in graduate or professional degree programs. She has successfully brought her vision of diversity to reality through her dedication to the UCSD Principles of Community, officials said.

Division of Community Pediatrics

The division of Community Pediatrics is best described by its motto: “Join us in discovering new ways to improve community health!” The division achieves its mission and adheres to the Principles of Community while working in concert with 225 community partners that contribute to the design and implementation of community-based programs. In all, 40 percent of faculty members come from minorities traditionally under-represented in the fields of health science and 70 percent are female; for staff, 63 percent are minorities and 79 percent are female. By 2006, the division’s achievements included educating 253,000 Latino families and 5,000 African American families about the importance of physical activity and nutrition. Also, the division successfully trained 182 pediatricians in cross-cultural competent health care delivery and informed and offered nutrition education for 80,000 minority students in fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. The division also processed 10,521 applications for subsidized health insurance and 19,612 referrals in multiple languages for uninsured children.

Early Academic Outreach Program

Representation and placement of women, people of color and traditionally underserved and under-represented populations is the daily charge of the Early Academic Outreach Program. The EAOP is the largest campus employer of female students and students of color. These student employees are trained by a culturally diverse staff to work as tutors and mentors in the San Diego community serving disadvantaged and under-represented middle school and high school students. According to this year’s survey of high school seniors working with EAOP, 76 percent will be furthering their education at a college or university following high school graduation. This year in particular, EAOP paved the way for the next generation of students of color by helping increase Academic Performance Index scores through work at Gompers Charter Middle School and by voluntarily sponsoring new initiatives like the Parent Center at Lincoln High School and the California Native American Day Essay Contest.

UCSD World AIDS Day Committee

The UCSD World AIDS Day Planning Committee brought together people of diverse perspectives and experiences to recognize World AIDS Day Nov. 30. The event itself puts a face and establishes a real-life connection to an epidemic that is sometimes still just about numbers, places and others, officials said. UCSD recognized World AIDS Day with a public viewing of portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt that was created by San Diego organizations and individuals from early years of the epidemic to the present. In addition, a candlelight vigil took place and red ribbons and condom “roses” were handed out at the Price Center along with prevention and educational materials. The committee also coordinated numerous additional events across UCSD and throughout the community, bringing information to the public and providing a perspective on just how much AIDS affects the lives of members of our community.

Academic Affairs: Jon Welch

Jon Welch is the director of the Office of Academic Diversity and Equal Opportunity. In this position, Welch manages the academic personnel affirmative action program for the entire UCSD campus. Over the past 17 years, he has been extremely committed to UCSD’s goal of developing a more diverse academic workforce and goes beyond the call of duty to achieve this objective, officials said. 

Welch has developed a set of “best practices” to help academic departments develop diversified applicant pools for faculty recruiting. He meets annually with all academic departments to discuss these practices and to assist them in achieving their affirmative action goals for faculty recruiting. Welch has also amassed and maintains a large inventory of recruitment resources, tailored by discipline, to assist academic departments in their recruitment efforts. As a result, there has been a sizable increase in the number of women and minorities in applicant pools for UCSD academic positions.

UCSD is viewed by the Office of the President as having a model affirmative action plan, which Welch prepares each year, officials said. He is often asked to share the UC San Diego plan with other UC campuses and private universities because it has been an outstanding management tool.

Business Affairs: UCSD Bookstore

The UCSD Bookstore employs a diverse multi-generational work force to serve its diverse, multi-generational customers, officials said. Of nearly 300 career and non-career employees, 54 percent are women and 52 percent are people of color. Many veterans and people with disabilities are also members of the bookstore staff.

The importance and value of diversity is evident in activities and events sponsored and co-sponsored by the bookstore, such as the diverse window and store book displays that feature special celebrations throughout the year, official said. The bookstore also has actively recruited people with disabilities and supported their retention and the retention of people who have become disabled after being hired. One such example is an employee who began to lose her hearing. To accommodate her initially, a loud ringer and flashing light on the phone were placed on her phone. Later on, as more assistance was needed, the employee was encouraged to explore getting an assist dog. It took about 18 months to complete the dog’s training on the job. However, with the assist dog, the employee was able to work several more years until she was ready for retirement. This retired employee continues to work part-time at the bookstore.

Student Affairs: Admissions and Enrollment Services Department

The admissions and enrollment services department is perhaps the most important unit when it comes to ensuring diversity on campus, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Penny Rue said during Thursday’s ceremony. The department does an outstanding job and runs outreach programs not just at a local level, but also throughout the state, Rue went on. Under the leadership of Mae Brown, assistant vice chancellor, the unit also is extremely creative, coming up with many new initiatives, she said. The department is currently working to provide more research opportunities for undergraduates early on and is partnering with the International Center to provide scholarships to study abroad.

“Admissions is only half the battle,” Rue said. “Financial aid is essential, too. That affordability is so critical.”

Admissions and Enrollment Services also continues their strong tradition of hiring a diverse staff at various levels. This diversity helps represent the university as UCSD recruits a diverse student body. The department has expanded efforts at cross-training staff. They cross-train their administrative assistants to assist other areas during peak periods. In addition to providing better services to students and other staff, this training increases the skill base of the staff, providing them with further opportunities for advancement.

Marine Sciences: Serena Moseman and Elisa Maldonado

It has been said that to get something done, you should ask a busy person. We also know that students are often the very best ambassadors for any academic program. Two very busy doctoral students at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have proven both adages quite correct: they have been marvelous ambassadors for, and proponents of, diversity at Scripps and UCSD, officials said.

Serena Moseman and Elisa Maldonado have helped promote outreach to under-represented students and make the environment at Scripps welcoming and supportive for students from diverse backgrounds. Both Moseman and Maldonado have served as graduate advocates for undergraduate students participating in the STARS summer research program.  Most of these students are from under-represented groups. In addition to mentoring these students, they both have helped maintain contact with them and facilitated their involvement in Scripps outreach activities. Both Moseman and Maldonado have helped recruit STARS students and potential Scripps graduates at various venues including the annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, as well as at the annual meetings of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. They not only helped sign up interested students, they also contacted interested students and provided informational materials.

Their commitment to diversity and their personal efforts while pursuing their doctoral research and studies have garnered the praise and respect from faculty and staff at Scripps, officials said.

Health Sciences: Dr. Antonio De Maio

Dr. Antonio De Maio believes in challenging stereotypes and likes to encourage people who might not typically pursue careers in science to reach for their dreams, official said. Of the 44 people that De Maio has mentored during his scientific career, almost half have been under-represented minority students, many of whom are earning graduate degrees and plan to pursue careers in medicine and research. During his two years at UCSD, Dr. De Maio has been heavily involved in recruiting under-represented minority students interested in pursuing doctorates as a way to increase diversity on campus. He is an active member and participant at the annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Sciences and regularly attends the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.

This year, De Maio took his commitment to diversity a step further by submitting a grant application in response to the National Institutes of Health Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity. He is currently in active discussions with NIH about this application, which could result in as much as $2 million to help fund a program that will combine the diversity efforts of several departments across campus.

In addition, the men and women who make up De Maio’s research group come from all over the world. They represent six countries on four different continents, speak several languages and have personal backgrounds as varied as the colors of their national flags. In the De Maio lab, there is no such thing as an under-represented minority student. In his lab, you’re just one of the gang, officials said.

UCSD Medical Center: Senior Behavioral Health

The Senior Behavioral Health Unit, 7 East, continues to promote cultural awareness with their ongoing “Divers-a-Days” program, which involves year-round activities in celebration of UCSD’s diverse cultures for the past three years. The “Divers-a-Days” activities are enjoyed by all of the staff and their patients as well. Their diversity luncheons and “diversity corner,” which includes displays of awareness and appreciation for their staff, patients and their patients’ families, create a true sense of community and compassion across the unit, officials said.

The UCSD Senior Behavioral Health Program is an inpatient, outpatient and community-based program that offers an integrated psychiatric and medical approach specifically designed for seniors. The program helps patients gain new insights, enhance self-esteem and build coping skills while also addressing their physical problems. The program offers the most advanced psychiatric and medical care based on a combination of individual, group and family therapy, including occupational therapy, exercise groups and education.

External Relations: Information Technology and Financial Systems

Information Technology and Financial Systems has demonstrated a tremendous spirit of inclusion this year in their hiring practices, officials said. During the 2006-07 fiscal year, 56 percent of the department’s hires were people of color. Also, 50 percent of the employees in IT&FS are people of color and 75 percent of employees are female, of which half are people of color.

But statistics tell one part of the story, officials added. This group really celebrates diversity and places a high value upon it, not only in their hiring practices but in their day-to-day work together, they said. By promoting cross-cultural interactions in the department through increased diversity, these amazing groups of people are achieving great things, officials also said.