Miller School Honored for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion

With its powerful initiatives promoting diversity and addressing health disparities, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine was honored today with the prestigious 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

“I am proud to serve an institution that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and racial justice,” said Nanette Vega, Ed.D., executive director for the Miller School’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (ODICE). “It is crucially important that we continue to challenge ourselves. We will never reach our fullest potential until all learners, staff, and faculty feel valued and can add value.”

Through ODICE, the Miller School offers summer programs for high school and college students designed for underrepresented minorities interested in pursuing a career in medicine and medical research. The school’s Medical Scholars Program helps underrepresented students from across the country become competitive medical school applicants. Other programs focus on academic enrichment and promote racial justice, diversity and inclusion on campus.

Honoring commitment to diversity and inclusion

The Miller School was one of 46 recipients of the HEED Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The HEED Award program is the only application-based national recognition honoring colleges and universities that show an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion across their campuses.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

For more information about the 2020 Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, HEED Award, INSIGHT Into Diversity, Lenore Pearlstein, Miller School of Medicine, Nanette Vega, ODICE