Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Awards

Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD

We are thrilled to announce Dr. Myra Parker as the UW 2025 MLK Distinguished Service Award Recipient. There is no one in our School and across Health Sciences working more tirelessly to serve Native people than Myra Parker. She serves as a leader, mentor, thought partner, organizer and do-er who has a genuine love for Native people. Dr Parker has been doing this work in the community for over 30 years and continues to teach and hold herself up as a role model. 

Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health in the School of Public Health and in the American Indian Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.  She holds degrees from Stanford University (BA), the James E. Rogers College of Law (JD), the University of Arizona (MPH) and the University of Washington (PhD.) 

Dr Parker embodies Dr King’s legacy of service and truth telling and she does this through her mentoring, her research, her teaching, her science and her traditional practices. In terms of impact, Dr Parker is it! 

Myra heads the 7 Directions Center for Indigenous Public Health housed within the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington. 7 Directions connects research, practice, policy, and organizers in urban and tribal communities that have the health and wellness of indigenous people at the heart of their work. Dr. Parker has worked on tribal public health program implementation and coordination with tribal communities and tribal colleges and universities throughout the United States. Her research experience in public health involves Community Based Participatory Research, cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions, and disparities research. 

She is also challenging academia through her teaching.  She leads the first indigenous health class in the School of Public Health and is poised to help mentor and collaborate on even more curriculum development around indigenous public health.  She is a mentor to other faculty, especially Native colleagues, and she always gives a hand to support colleagues in need of guidance and support. When a public health student pointed out the need to have a course on Indigenous Public Health, Myra stepped up and worked with others to help make this happen. This course is serving as a first step in the journey towards indigenous health excellence. 

In addition to her critical leadership role at 7 Directions and her leadership in instruction, Dr Parker is a parent, an enrolled member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes and auntie to so many students. A colleague who nominated her shared that they “have learned so much from Myra and would love nothing less than for her (as well as all our indigenous colleagues in 7 Directions) be recognized for the work they do.” 

School of Dentistry

Delbert Oxborrow

Delbert Oxborrow was selected by the UW School of Dentistry to receive this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award because of his leadership, tireless volunteerism, advocacy, and deep commitment to improving the lives of others, particularly those from marginalized communities. Delbert is known as a servant leader who consistently volunteers many hours of his time to developing and implementing programs that improve the human condition. For example, he serves as the lead for dental student volunteers who provide direct patient care at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, and he led the School’s first collaborative effort to provide care in partnership with Caring Hands Worldwide. In addition to partnerships with these two organizations, his nomination highlighted his collaborations with other service-oriented organizations including the Arcora Foundation, the Latino Center for Health, Mary’s Place, University District Street Medicine and UW SHIFA. Another area in which he provides service is by volunteering at the Crisis Connections suicide hotline where, since his first year in dental school, he has provided crucial emotional support to individuals in crisis.

Delbert is very active in the School of Dentistry’s community, holding leadership roles with the Student Council, Student Professionalism and Ethics Association, American Student Dental Association, Medicine in Motion, and he is a founding member of the Climate Action and Sustainability Team (CAST) that leads initiatives promoting environmental sustainability at the School. Beyond our local community, Delbert is involved with advocating for change at the state and national levels to protect the profession and improve access to dental care as another part of his volunteerism. Internationally, Delbert helped implement a World Health Organization oral health training program in Kenya and conducted a qualitative study on public health resiliency. He is a student who truly “walks the talk” in support of improving access to healthcare, promoting the importance of mental health and ensuring environmental sustainability! 

School of Medicine

Emma Cremeen

It is with great pride that UW School of Medicine award Emma Cremeen, a UWSOM Spokane Student, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award. Emma’s dedication to serving unhoused and underserved populations, her leadership in addressing systemic barriers, and her compassionate approach to community health embody the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy.

Emma’s commitment to underserved populations is rooted in her upbringing and early career experiences. Growing up in Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Alaska, she was exposed to diverse communities and witnessed the challenges of accessing equitable healthcare. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, Emma moved to her grandmother’s Alaskan hometown of 600 where she worked at a federally qualified health center for two years before attending medical school at the UW School of Medicine in Spokane.

In Spokane, Emma continued her advocacy by working with the unhoused population at the Trent Resources and Assistance Center (TRAC). Starting in November 2023, she immersed herself in TRAC to identify the most pressing needs. Emma collaborated with three unhoused, disabled women in their 60s. She wanted to better understand the upstream systems that could lead to individuals being unhoused at this stage in their life. After listening for three months and immersing herself in the TRAC community, Emma implemented services to assist with the most pressing needs by creating a pop-up resource library. The resource library addressed non-medical barriers, such as navigating Social Security benefits and housing applications – tasks that require a phone, persistence, and basic knowledge of social systems. Two to three times per week, Emma coordinated medical students to staff the resource library accounting for more than 650 hours of volunteering. She spearheaded educational workshops when the Spokane Housing Authority reopened its Section 8 housing list, helping 20 unhoused community members successfully apply.

Recognizing transportation as a major obstacle, Emma and her colleagues secured a grant to distribute 500 Spokane Transit day passes, enabling individuals to access healthcare, employment, and other vital community resources.

Emma’s work at TRAC reflects her holistic approach to community health and her ability to empower marginalized populations. Through her efforts, she not only connected individuals to critical resources but also provided medical students with a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health. Emma’s dedication to serving minority and underserved populations, from rural Alaska to urban Spokane, makes her an exceptional candidate for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award.

School of Nursing

Joycelyn Thomas, DNP, MN, FNP-BC

The UW School of Nursing is proud to announce that Dr. Joycelyn Thomas, DNP-track lead for the Family Nurse Practitioner program, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.

This distinguished honor recognizes individuals who exemplify Dr. King’s principles of service through a commitment to addressing community needs—particularly for communities of color and low-income populations—and by empowering others to improve the human condition. Dr. Thomas’s extensive scholarship, clinical expertise, and community leadership make her a fitting recipient of this award.

Dr. Thomas’s scholarship focuses on racial health disparities and improving patient-provider communication, particularly with African American women. She collaborates with the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on research addressing racial disparities in preterm birth, NIH clinical trials on pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS, and the “Wait One Year Program,” a project developed with UW Maternal Fetal Medicine providers and Registered Nurses. She also contributes to the Center for Anti-Racism in Nursing, championing equity and social justice through research and advocacy.

With over 25 years as an RN and 10 years of clinical experience as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Thomas has worked across the lifespan in collaboration with specialty healthcare providers. She has served as a resource in high-risk inpatient settings in the Puget Sound Region, demonstrating a deep commitment to serving the most marginalized communities.

Dr. Thomas’s leadership extends into the broader community, where she has served as President of the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization and Board Chair of African Americans Reach and Teach Health (AARTH). Her work has created pathways for improved healthcare access, education, and empowerment for Black and Indigenous communities, aligning closely with Dr. King’s vision of equity and justice.

School of Social Work

Alex Chuang

As a second-year MSW student and grassroots organizer, Alex embodies Dr. King’s commitment to anti-racist, anti-capitalist struggle for collective liberation through community empowerment, language justice, and organizing in Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID).

I met Alex through Eggrolls Mutual Aid, a project that disrupts charity models to practice solidarity, providing hot meals at ChuMinh Tofu for all in need—people experiencing homelessness, immigrants, and low-income residents. Beyond food, Eggrolls Mutual Aid organizes against city sweeps and the criminalization of poverty, building a CID community that resists carceral control and displacement.

Since 2020, Alex has also organized with the Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP), advancing immigrant and worker rights by supporting Chinese massage workers. Their work with MPOP is rooted in cultural and language accessibility, addressing language barriers that exclude immigrant workers from information and resources. Through their role, Alex coordinates translation services and develops political education curricula for MPOP members.

As the Language Justice Coordinator with the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, Alex has built equitable, accessible language systems for the state’s immigrant hotline and rapid-response network, providing essential support for immigrants to navigate legal and social systems effectively, ensuring that they are informed and protected. The impact of this work—especially during the COVID-19 crisis, when Alex helped distribute millions in relief to undocumented immigrants—demonstrates dedication to social justice.

Globally, Alex volunteers their language justice skills to the International Migrants Alliance, advancing self-determination for those impacted by displacement, forced migration, and imperialist exploitation.

In clinical practice as an intern with Perfectly Queer Counseling they guide clients toward personal empowerment, addressing both internal and external struggles from a place of liberation.

Alex’s presence in the UW SSW community deepens our commitment to collective liberation and anti-racism. I’m honored to be Alex’s classmate, and to nominate them for this award!

School of Pharmacy

Keiann Simon

Keiann Simon is a PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington and a committed advocate for equity and inclusion. Her community service spans mentorship, outreach, and leadership roles, with a focus on creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. Keiann has served as a mentor to aspiring scientists, led diversity initiatives, and organized educational outreach programs to inspire young minds in STEM. Through her involvement in organizations such as the UW School of Pharmacy Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council and The UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars, Keiann promotes equal access to education and mentorship. Her volunteer efforts also include initiatives addressing social justice and public health issues, from organizing women empowerment and domestic violence awareness campaigns to supporting underserved communities.

I believe in the transformative power of education, mentorship, and service to uplift individuals and communities. By creating opportunities and fostering inclusion, we not only empower others but also build a foundation for lasting change.

School of Public Health

The International Student Success Program

The International Student Success Program is the School of Public Health MLK Community Service Awardee this year.

The International Student Success Program (ISSP) has made a notable impact on the experience of international students, primarily from the continent of Africa, arriving to study at the University of Washington. It has offered them a community of friends and supporters, and in some cases, a roof over their heads as they arrive in the USA and Seattle from international destinations.

In the days and weeks before starting school, the challenges of international students arriving can be out of sight of the university. Without advantage of familiarity with the US system, cell phones with the right sim card, an understanding of the local transportation system, a social security card or bank account to get an apartment lease, and with all of their belongings contained in the two bags allowed on international flights, arriving and settling into our lovely city can be difficult.

The original student board of ISSP graduate students collected these stories of literal rough landings in Seattle and set out to change things. They applied the public health approach of identifying an issue; assessing it to uncover the key factors; developing a pilot intervention and evaluating and tweaking their model and then scaling it to serve a larger population. We are lucky to have such a committed group of students who moved to action and have transformed the experience for their fellow international students.

ISSP offers a number of specific services that are key, including: communicating directly with newly enrolling students early in the summer before they arrive to provide information; creating and distributing a web-based handbook for newly arriving international students to the US, including how to open a bank account, secure health insurance, and all the other difficult elements that our students first face when they arrive in the United States; providing airport pickup service, a welcome care package and temporary housing for newly arriving international students in need; creating a furnishings donation bank so international students can furnish their new living arrangements; offering ‘office hours’ to advise and assist new international students on relevant topics and issues. Beyond services, ISSP builds and cultivates community by engaging with love and a sense of community care. They host a welcome potluck each fall; call the larger community to celebrate the joy of international students’ academic and personal achievements; invite the engagement of international students to volunteer services and continue to shape and grow ISSP; and host an end of the year “SPH Black Graduation Celebration,” equipped with a photobooth and a jollof rice cookoff!

In heartfelt nominations of ISSP, we heard that: “ISSP has never turned a student away. Over 90 new international graduate students of color have been supported through the variety of ISSP’s services over the last three years” and ISSP “provides both the critical services and the sense of community that can be so important to international student success—a place that feels like home despite being miles away from their own.” About the student leaders of ISSP, they have “fostered a safe, nurturing environment where students feel heard, seen, and supported, and “[t]hey remind us that no one should feel alone and that no challenge is insurmountable when a community stands behind you.” Their work” is a living example of how a well-conceived and passionately executed program can uplift lives and create lasting change.”

ISSP was founded and supported by SPH graduate students, notably Jacinta “Ify” Azie, Hiwot Zewdie, Alison Wiyeh, Patience Jaman, and Mohamed Albirair.

Valley Medical Center

Teresita Oliveros, RN

The vocation Teresita chose started at a younger age to fight for equality, independence and fairness regardless of your status, color, race in life. At a very young age she was a recipient of injustice and nepotism that left a traumatic experience when she was told that she wouldn’t amount to anything in life. This experience helped her to aspire to work harder, treat everyone equally, and to achieve her goals and dreams. Teresita always does her best to help the care team with her vast knowledge and experience in healthcare. She’s a team player, professional RN, patient centered, and always available to support her colleagues. Teresita is very thankful to all the guidance and mentorship given from people who had help her achieve her goals. She is especially thankful to her son for being her rock. 

UW Medical Center

Kemi M. Doll, MD, MCSR

Development and Implementation of Programs to Improve the Human Condition
Dr. Kemi Doll is a physician scientist and Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology who has done foundational research to understand and address root causes of the major healthcare disparity for black women with endometrial cancer and made important contributions to recruiting and supporting BIPOC trainees and faculty at UW SOM and nationally. Endometrial cancer has the most disparate outcomes for American Black women of any cancer type. And this is remarkable as endometrial cancer is often thought of as a relatively survivable cancer with an early symptom (abnormal or post-menopausal bleeding) that can provide an opportunity for early diagnosis. Yet, Dr. Doll has shown that Black women are less likely to recognize bleeding as abnormal, and even when they do present to their doctor with symptoms, are less likely to have an appropriate work-up and diagnosis. Furthermore, they have a higher fraction of biologically more aggressive sub-types. She has shown that the typical clinical algorithm for work up of postmenopausal bleeding is less sensitive for identifying endometrial cancer in Black that White women, leading to a change in the standard of care for clinical evaluation and fewer missed diagnoses, ultimately saving many lives. Dr. Doll has carefully teased out the contribution of these various factors and is working on understanding and addressing each one of them.

Empowering Communities
In all her research endeavors, Dr. Doll seeks out Black women’s voices via deliberate community engagement. Early in her research, she realized that there was no advocacy group for Black women with endometrial cancer. She founded ECANA: Endometrial Cancer Network for African Americans, which is now a thriving national non-profit that educates Black women on the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer and supports those living with endometrial cancer https://www.ecanawomen.org/). She is the principal investigator of the PCORI-funded (PCORI AD-2020C1-19210) SISTER Study: Social Interventions for Support in Treatment for Endometrial Cancer and Recurrence, a national community-engaged randomized controlled trial to study the impact of social support to improve treatment completion and social isolation among Black women with endometrial cancer. This work has benefited from deep engagement with Black endometrial cancer stakeholders from its inception, supported by PCORI Engagement and Conference (PCORI 7128-UW, PCORI EAIN-00012) awards.

Commitment to Addressing Community Needs
Dr. Doll has an important portfolio of work that seeks diversity, equity, and inclusion in biomedical research among those who lead the conduct of that research as well as the systems that support them. She is a leading voice in the national discussion on addressing structural inequities in healthcare and health research due to racism, which substantially contributes to inequitable mortality for US Black populations. She has been recognized nationally for her impact, named by Medical Quality Forum as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. While she was only hired in 2016 to her first faculty position at UW, she has had a massive impact with almost 100 peer-reviewed publications and rapid promotion to full Professor. She has been well-funded from the NIH, PCORI, NCCN, and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. She founded the GRACE (Gynecologic Research and Cancer Equity) Center at UW to study benign and oncologic healthcare disparities.
Outstanding Efforts to Protect and Empower All Individuals

Dr. Doll does not just identify a problem, she actively works to build solutions both through her rigorous research, and simultaneously through community engagement. Similarly, she has been a tireless voice at UW advocating for hiring and supporting more diverse trainees, scientists, and physicians. She was the first UW SOM Associate Director of URM Faculty Development. She actively coaches women of color in STEM including high school students, undergraduates, graduates, medical trainees, and peer physicians. She founded a company to provide coaching to women of color in academic medicine and public health across the country called Get that Grant® and always has a long waitlist. She has an active social media presence which she uses to engage the public and policy makers and to support women of color. Dr. Doll is inspirational to all who know her, including senior leadership.

UW Medical Center

Ying Zhang, MD, MPH and Amber Pattison, RN, MSN, C-EFM (on behalf of the CBC team)

UWMC would like to recognize Amber Pattison, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Ying Zhang, MD, MPH from the Childbirth Center at NW campus for the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr Community Service Award. Over the past couple of years, Ms. Pattison and Dr. Zhang have worked tirelessly with the CBC team to change their culture, knowledge and clinical practice around caring for mothers with substance use disorder.

They achieved recognition in 2024 as a Center of Excellence for Perinatal Substance Use from the Washington State Hospital Association. Ms. Pattison and Dr. Zhang formed a multidisciplinary committee with representatives from pharmacy, family medicine, lab, lactation, social work, the OB team and more to work on implementing this new approach at UWMC. The program involves multiple screenings for substance use disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, utilizes preventative medication to treat opioid use disorder, ensuring birth parent and infant are together, and an extensive staff education effort.

With this team, they rolled out an approach called Eat, Sleep, Console. It is a new and evidence-based way to assess infants on their ability to cope with withdrawal. In addition to medication, there are non-pharmacologic interventions, such as reducing lights, keeping the baby warm, letting the baby rest while feeding, and much more. The program also includes patient and family education. The results have been spectacular, reducing time in the hospital and use of morphine. In Ms. Pattison’s words, “The experience for staff has been rocky road at times. Decreasing the stigma & fear, trauma informed care, trusting the process, bringing the parents in. Taking it slow. The program is going well.” I’m truly impressed and inspired by Ms. Pattison and Dr. Zhang’s work in this area that has been historically rife with bias. The team is making a tremendous impact! I have attached a snapshot of the program as well.

Harborview Medical Center

Fasika W. Getahun

Fasika Getahun, who works in Environmental Services at Harborview, was a featured panelist at our November 12, 2024 Schwartz Rounds, which had a theme of “Living the Mission Beyond Harborview.” During the panel discussion, Fasika shared about her amazing work in the community. Out of her small home, she cooks food for unhoused persons and often donates food and clothing to individuals within the Ethiopian Community. She reserves a portion of each paycheck to support individuals who are less fortunate than her, especially children. This is something she learned from her Mother while growing up in Ethiopia. At Christmas and at Easter, Fasika is known to feed up to 300-400 people. Fasika exemplifies a deep commitment to addressing community needs. Congratulations to Fasika on this well-deserved honor.

Harborview Medical Center

Lanisha Sherwood, RN and Malaika Edwards, RN

Over the past year, Lanisha and Malaika have implemented and facilitated Equity in the Moment on 9E at Harborview (the Burns, Plastics and Pediatrics ICU). For Lanisha, the impetus for EIM was a slow burn fueled by years of witnessing and experiencing microaggressions on the unit. Staff of color, despite having worked on 9E for years, would have their names mispronounced or find themselves confused for one another by white colleagues. Lanisha recalled feeling very disheartened by a senior staff’s dismissal of the microaggressions she experienced. Lanisha and Malaika saw in EIM a chance to have a safe space to discuss these issues and the possibility of being heard by their coworkers. They have used their voices to lift others up by bringing all staff in to have difficult and crucial conversations regarding Equity, Inclusion and Justice. They facilitate these conversations by guiding members through various topics that have arisen on their units. Their ability to call people into conversation, lead by example through reflection and accountability, and work toward action, are truly impressive and admirable. Their work is an exemplary example of justice in action.

Another nominator had this praise for Equity in the Moment:

I think this institution has many resources available to staff to explore equity, introduce areas of growth for both individuals and our workspaces, and have honest discussions/hold space for people to share their lived experiences. However, due to the nature of shift work, these resources are just challenging for a lot of people to access or attend. Holding forums that are open space for people to discuss microaggressions that are witnessed at work helps reach shift workers more. It feels honest and genuine to start with our own (work) community issues to tackle change. It is relatively easy to proclaim advocacy for a change in our greater systems and laws, but I think the hard and true work starts with empowering ourselves to have the important conversations in the moment, with the people we work alongside. And normalizing that none of us are getting it all right all the time! We can help each other and support change together.

Congratulations to Lanisha and Malaika for bringing EIM to their unit and for embodying the values of MLK.

UW Medicine Primary Care

Adewunmi Nuga, MD, PhD

UW Medicine Primary Care would like to recognize Dr. Ade Nuga for the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr Community Service Award.

Dr. Nuga champions EDI efforts and challenges our primary care clinics to embrace diversity and inclusion. Under her co-leadership, the PC clinics have implemented inclusive spaces and practices.

Dr. Nuga first joined UWMPC at the end of 2021. Within her first few weeks of seeing patients, a family shared that she had called them after hours to see how their baby was doing (she had seen the baby earlier as a same day appt). They were a young couple and first time parents, and were so grateful for Dr. Nuga’s care and empathy as a provider. This was my first impression and one that set the tone for what Dr. Nuga would (and continues to) bring to UWMPC. In 2023, Dr. Nuga became the physician lead and co-chair for Primary Care’s EDI committee. She approaches each discussion w/ great care and compassion and encourages us all to push past our comfort zones. She gracefully challenges us to consider history while fostering an environment of honest reflection, growth, unity, and hope for the present and future.

Dr. Nuga’s dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion extends past UW and into the community. Earlier this year, despite having prior engagements, Dr. Nuga showed up to a community event that advocated for BIPOC families to explore the outdoors. She effortlessly and joyfully connected with the community. She has also supported and uplifted the community at multiple Kirkland Health & Wellness Fairs and Seattle’s Dr. for a Day designed to inspire and encourage students of color to pursue careers in healthcare. Dr. Nuga is mindful and committed at every level, from the artwork displayed in clinic to the team members that support and care for our diverse population. She not only exemplifies MLK’s principles but inspires us all to do the same.

Dr. Ade Nuga is the Provider Lead for UWMPC’s EDI efforts. In this role, she co-leads a monthly EDI committee that brings together members of UWMPC’s network. As a white woman, I have greatly appreciated Dr. Nuga’s approach to EDI efforts, which feel wholly inclusive and designed to truly foster a learning environment regardless of where anyone is on their EDI learning journey. I have also had discussions with Dr. Nuga about her practice philosophy, and it is so obvious how she integrates inclusive care into each patient she encounters. She has also been a proponent on how we can better integrate EDI questions into our provider interviews, bringing an improved approach where there are not specific “EDI Questions” but rather an approach that better evaluates a provider’s commitment to serving vulnerable populations through incorporating EDI values into our whole interview.

As a colleague of Dr. Nuga, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand her unwavering commitment to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment, alongside her exceptional patient care and leadership skills.

From the onset of her career as an attending physician, Dr. Nuga has demonstrated a remarkable ability to lead with compassion and integrity. Her dedication to creating a more inclusive workplace has been evident through her active involvement in various initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and equity. She has not only participated in these efforts but has also taken on leadership roles to drive meaningful change, influencing both policy and culture within our organization.

Dr. Nuga’s commitment to patient care is equally commendable. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure her patients receive the highest standard of care, approaching each case with empathy, professionalism, and a deep sense of responsibility. Her patients frequently express their gratitude for her attentive and compassionate nature, highlighting her ability to make them feel valued and understood.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Nuga is a wonderful colleague and friend. She fosters a supportive and collaborative environment, always willing to lend a listening ear or offer guidance. Her positive attitude and genuine care for others make her an invaluable member of our team.

Sponsored by the UW Health Sciences Services and the UW Medicine Office of Healthcare Equity.