On Friday, February 3, the School of Medicine’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion will celebrate Diversity Day with Diversity Grand Rounds, featuring special speaker John Ruffin, Ph.D., followed by the School of Medicine’s first annual Diversity Fair in the late afternoon.Ruffin will present “Diversity and Inclusion Are What Drives Innovation” to School of Medicine faculty, residents and students at Margaret Cameron Spain auditorium at noon. A leader and visionary in the field of minority health and health disparities research, Ruffin recently retired from federal service as the founding director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). He holds 10 honorary doctor of science degrees, and is a recipient of the National Medical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as numerous other honors. He will be addressing the topic of diversity in medicine. Boxed lunches will be available for the first 150 attendees.
Following Diversity Grand Rounds, the School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion will host its first Diversity Fair from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the lobby of the Wallace Tumor Institute. The fair will feature performances by the Birmingham Girls’ Choir, international musicians and slam poets. School of Medicine departments will staff multicultural food booths, and local artists will display their work. Attendance at the Diversity Fair is free, and is open to all faculty, staff and their families.
“The intention of the Diversity Fair is to showcase and celebrate the incredible wealth of diversity we enjoy at the UAB School of Medicine,” says Mona Fouad, M.D., MPH, senior associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Medicine. “People from all countries, backgrounds, and cultures come together to make the School of Medicine an exceptional institution. The Diversity Fair is an opportunity to enjoy this reality through music, art and multicultural food.”
These events coincide with second look weekend, during which departments within the School of Medicine invite promising residency candidates back to UAB for a “second look.”