Faculty

Reducing Weight Stigma & Bias in Healthcare-March 17th

Virtual Event

March 17, 2026 @ 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm


Building Inclusive and Affirming Interactions at UW Medicine

Reducing Weight Stigma and Bias in Healthcare – As part of UW Medicine’s ongoing efforts to reduce bias in healthcare, this new course explores bias related to body weight. Framed around patient stories, this course aims to increase empathy related to weight stigma by offering a better understand of the history of society’s relationship with weight, as well as explore contemporary research that challenges stereotypes in society about health and one’s body size. This course also focuses on skills we can use in healthcare to decrease bias and improve interactions with people related to their body. 

Objectives:
1. Increase empathy through adult patient stories related to weight stigma. 
2. Understand the history of society’s relationship with weight. 
3. Increase knowledge of recent research on weight’s impact on health, weight loss interventions, and the success at maintaining weight loss. 
4. Learn skills to decrease bias and improve interactions with people related to their body. 

All are welcome to this training.

Register via Zoom

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Reducing Weight Stigma & Bias in Healthcare-January 21st

Virtual Event

January 21, 2026 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm


Building Inclusive and Affirming Interactions at UW Medicine

Reducing Weight Stigma and Bias in Healthcare – As part of UW Medicine’s ongoing efforts to reduce bias in healthcare, this new course explores bias related to body weight. Framed around patient stories, this course aims to increase empathy related to weight stigma by offering a better understand of the history of society’s relationship with weight, as well as explore contemporary research that challenges stereotypes in society about health and one’s body size. This course also focuses on skills we can use in healthcare to decrease bias and improve interactions with people related to their body. 

Objectives:
1. Increase empathy through adult patient stories related to weight stigma. 
2. Understand the history of society’s relationship with weight. 
3. Increase knowledge of recent research on weight’s impact on health, weight loss interventions, and the success at maintaining weight loss. 
4. Learn skills to decrease bias and improve interactions with people related to their body. 

All are welcome to this training.

Register via Zoom

Related Events

National First-Generation Celebration Recognition

A stack of books with a graduation cap on top.

Paving the way as the first to achieve higher education is a feat that First-Generation Celebration Day honors across the country on November 8th, led by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success. The Office of Faculty Affairs and the Office of Healthcare Equity recognized the remarkable achievements and experiences of First-Generation faculty across the University of Washington School of Medicine this month.

This event highlighted the resilience, creativity, and vibrant community of First-Gen Faculty individuals that bring invaluable perspectives, leadership, and innovation to higher education—enriching our classrooms, research, and campus culture in countless ways. We heard the unique and sometimes uncertain journeys of First-Gen faculty members as they reflected on navigating higher education as the first in their families to attain a degree. First-Generation individuals learn how to adapt, lean into challenges, and offer unparalleled creativity when it comes to forging the way as the first, embracing the unknown and crafting their bright futures.  

Thank you to our panelists for participating that included Dr. Celeste Berg, Dr. Douglas Wood, Dr. Suzanne Hoppins, Dr. Mithya Lewis-Newby, and Dr. Stephanie McLaughlin. Their stories capture the value of showing up authentically in our personal and professional lives.

Learn more from the UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity about how the UW Tri-Campus Community celebrated.

Faculty Giving Back

  • Dr. Estell Williams and Dr. Jason Deen were honored with mentoring faculty awards for their commitment to providing support to junior faculty and equipping those that follow behind them to succeed.
  • Dr. Michelle Terry facilitated a panel of junior faculty on various barriers to navigating careers in S.T.E.M. for minority faculty.
  • Dr. Estell Williams and Dr. Jason Deen pose with CMFA Chair, Dr. Mariya Sweetwyne.

Faculty at UW Medicine are focused on giving back and contributing to the communities that helped build their careers in Seattle and beyond. At the recent Fall Welcome held by the Committee for Minority Faculty Advancement (CMFA) in collaboration with the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE) and School of Medicine, two outstanding mentorship awards were shared for early-to-mid-career faculty and the cumulative impact of senior-faculty. Those awards recipients honored were Dr. Estell Williams– Executive Director for the Center for Workforce Inclusion and Healthcare System Equity (WIHSE) and Vice Chair of Equity Diversity and Inclusion for Department of Surgery and Dr. Jason Deen–  Director & Founder of the UW’s Center for Indigenous Health and a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Washington, in the Divisions of Cardiology for their excellence in mentoring.

The event highlighted the importance of representation in medicine, emphasizing that with the guidance of those that have been down a similar path, those that have been historically underrepresented in S.T.E.M. can forge a path of success with a unique and valuable lens. The purpose of CMFA is to address the professional development needs of UW Medicine faculty from underrepresented groups in medicine and sciences (URMS) by facilitating the dissemination of knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to achieve successful careers in academic medicine. In addition, this committee assists the University in highlighting the unique needs of URMS faculty to aid in the recruitment and retention of URMS faculty to increase the diversity of the medical school faculty.

CMFA Chair, Mariya Sweetwyne, PHD and Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology hosted the event and contributed on a panel alongside fellow junior faculty in providing insight into building sustainable careers that honor experiences of diverse individuals. Dr. Michelle Terry– Clinical Professor, Assistant Dean for URMS Career Development, UW School of Medicine facilitated the vibrant discussion illuminating the critical need for mentors in equipping future medical professionals to succeed in their careers.

Thank you to Pizza by Ruffin for catering.

Community-Centered Care – Mentoring Matters

A faculty member and woman pose by a poster that displays Public Health information
Dr. Leo Morales MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity, and Affiliate Professor of Public Health and Social Work at the University of Washington (UW) with Public Health student, Evelyn I. Grijalva Martin, at a recent awards ceremony presenting her research in Public Health and Nutrition.

Shared by Evelyn I. Grijalva Martine (she/her/ella)   

Research Coordinator

University of Washington | School of Public Health

—

In the summer of 2025, I had the privilege of nominating Dr. Leo Morales for an Outstanding Preceptor Award. This award recognizes a preceptor who made a positive impact during the dietetic training. This is a supervised training that must be completed to sit for the registered dietitian exam. Dr. Morales served as one of my preceptors during my dietetic internship-public health rotation, and his mentorship had a meaningful impact on my training.

From the moment I joined the UW Latino Center for Health (LCH), he created a welcoming and inclusive environment that made me feel supported and part of a team dedicated to advancing health equity for the Latine community. In my nomination, I highlighted the generosity and humility he brought to his leadership. Under his guidance, I gained confidence working on interdisciplinary projects and contributing to culturally responsive materials such as the nutrition booklet I developed for LCH. 

Additionally, I highlighted observing Dr. Morales at the Latinx diabetes clinic where I learned so much about diabetes care, patient-centered communication, and the importance of culturally responsive practice. His ability to connect with patients and advocate for community-centered care was inspiring.

Overall, Dr. Morales modeled the type of leadership, professionalism, and compassion I hope to carry forward in my own career. Nominating him for the Outstanding Preceptor Award reflected the profound impact he had on my growth as a dietetic intern and soon to be registered dietitian. 

Pronoun Competency Training – January 20th

Virtual Event

January 20, 2026 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Objective
Building Inclusive and Affirming Interactions at UW Medicine

Using individuals’ pronouns is fundamental to respectful, inclusive, and affirming interactions across UW Medicine, with our colleagues, students, and patients.  Many of our community members make mistakes at times, are corrected, and genuinely apologize.  However, to truly improve, we need structured and supportive opportunities to practice. These opportunities are not typically available in our day-to-day interactions.

This monthly training series provides ongoing opportunities to practice and receive feedback from experts and supportive colleagues to improve pronoun competency. Remember, practice makes perfect and you may attend these sessions as often as you would like. Registration for each group is capped at 20 to allow for individualized practice and feedback. The goal is to foster inclusion and belonging for every member of our UW Medicine community, with emphasis on supporting those who do not use he/his or she/her pronouns.

Register via Zoom

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Women in Medicine & Science (WIMS) — Building Effective Teams Fall Workshop Series

The Women in Medicine & Science (WIMS) Committee invites you to join them for the next session of their 2025–2026 Women Faculty Leadership Series on Building Effective Teams. These workshops are open to all, and they aim to foster career development, well-being, and leadership skills among women faculty in the School of Medicine.

Women in Medicine & Science (WIMS) Childcare Panel

Four women sitting around a table chatting in white lab coats with pleasant expressions

Join the Office of Faculty Affairs and WIMS for an overview of childcare resources available to the UW community and hear from a faculty panel on their experiences with childcare. Different childcare options such as UW-based daycares, nannies, au pairs, and summer camps. Panelists will also share how they identified what kind of childcare was the right fit for both their family and their career.

Register here.

Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 4:00–5:00 PM

Location: Virtual

Women Faculty Leadership Workshop

Leslie Walker, MD
Professor & Chair, Department of Pediatrics 
Associate Dean, UW School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer/Senior Vice President, Seattle Children’s

In this session you will hear from a leader who has lead teams across Seattle Children’s Hospital and the UW School of Medicine. In addition to sharing her experience Dr. Walker will highlight strategies for building effective teams across systems and next steps for strengthening your teams.

Register here.

Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Virtual

OHCE Deeper Dive Discussions: Social Determinants of Health – December 22nd

Virtual Event

December 22 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am

The Office of Healthcare Equity is pleased to share our newest training and education opportunity. You are invited to sign up for our Deeper Dive Discussions.

We are looking for UW Medicine community members to help us pilot and provide feedback on these discussions, as we prepare to go live with this program early next year.   

Sessions are one hour long, led by a pair of trained facilitators, with a maximum of 20 participants. To prepare for this discussion, all participants are asked to review a 30-minute e-learning didactic presentation of the foundational training topic in focus. The eLearning module link will be included in the registration confirmation.

Register via Zoom

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OHCE Deeper Dive Discussions: History of Race and Racism in Science & Medicine – December 8th

Virtual Event

December 8 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am

The Office of Healthcare Equity is pleased to share our newest training and education opportunity. You are invited to sign up for our Deeper Dive Discussions.

We are looking for UW Medicine community members to help us pilot and provide feedback on these discussions, as we prepare to go live with this program early next year.   

Sessions are one hour long, led by a pair of trained facilitators, with a maximum of 20 participants. To prepare for this discussion, all participants are asked to review a 30-minute e-learning didactic presentation of the foundational training topic in focus. The eLearning module link will be included in the registration confirmation.

Register via Zoom

Related Events

OHCE Deeper Dive Discussions: Identity, Privilege & Intersectionality – December 5th

Virtual Event

December 5 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

The Office of Healthcare Equity is pleased to share our newest training and education opportunity. You are invited to sign up for our Deeper Dive Discussions.

We are looking for UW Medicine community members to help us pilot and provide feedback on these discussions, as we prepare to go live with this program early next year.   

Sessions are one hour long, led by a pair of trained facilitators, with a maximum of 20 participants. To prepare for this discussion, all participants are asked to review a 30-minute e-learning didactic presentation of the foundational training topic in focus. The eLearning module link will be included in the registration confirmation.

Register via Zoom

Related Events