by Mohsina Yusuf

The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion was formed by Emory Radiology Chair Dr. Carolyn Meltzer in 2016 in an effort to develop a unifying strategy. Nationally, radiology ranked poorly in gender, racial, and ethnic diversity at the time. In a letter to future committee members, Dr. Meltzer asked that Emory Radiology continue to support our faculty, staff, and learners in building a culture that embraces and celebrates our diverse and inclusive environment. Specific work products would include establishing priorities for enhancing our diversity (defined broadly to include gender, racial/cultural, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs) and promoting an inclusive work environment through promotion of awareness; training; communication; and best practices for recruitment, hiring, and professional development.

Today, the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion continues these efforts with the following initiatives:

• Holistic Review (Derek West): How we can we transition from selecting residency applicants based on exam scores to selecting candidates that best reflect our diversity & inclusion mission?

• Metrics (Elizabeth Krupinski): How do we measure diversity and inclusion in our department, and what goals are we setting?

• Residency Video (Domnique Newallo): Diversity and inclusion testimonials in a video to present to residency applicants on their interview day.

• Part-time Faculty (Ashley Aiken): What are the features/descriptors/conditions of a “part-time” faculty position that meet our faculty’s needs?

• SEI/RLI Programming (Kaundinya Gopinath and Gayatri Joshi): Integrating diversity & inclusion into SEI and RLI

• Consent Form Gender Language (Janice Newsome): Assure our consent forms fit patients with various gender identities.

• Diversity and Engagement (Camille Dingle): Creating and planning Diversity Day activities.

Upcoming committee presentations include interfaith dialogue and ageism.

While Emory Radiology continues to play a role in diversifying the field nationally, the department also has made notable commitments locally to advance the conversation. On Wednesday, November 13, faculty and staff at all campuses celebrated our second annual Diversity Day with special Emory Radiology diversity t-shirts, stress balls, and notepads designed by the Communications and Creative Services team. There was even a contest for most creative group photo wearing the diversity t-shirts, and faculty and staff could vote for the best photo among 10 submissions.

The winning photos were:

As the department and our leadership continue these efforts, there is still a list of things the committee wants to tackle. 

“I hope we can achieve changes that will be sustained and be able to move the needle on our metrics. The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion empowers our department’s leadership to make changes in the right direction and not just talking the talk but walking the walk,” shares Dr. Nadja Kadom on what she hopes to see the committee accomplish in the future.