Culture Corner
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Trainees,
Federal judge upholds first amendment rights as they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education
In January, the U.S. Department of Education withdrew its appeal of a federal ruling that had blocked its campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by making federal funding contingent on their absence. As a result, an August 2025 decision by U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher remains in effect, holding that the government’s effort to strip funding from institutions supporting DEI programs violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. The case focused on language in the Department’s “Dear Colleague Letter” and related K–12 certification guidance, which warned schools they risked losing federal funds if they continued DEI practices in areas such as admissions, hiring, scholarships, and campus life.
Inclusion 2026 Theme
We are thrilled to share that the DoM Culture and Community Building Council selected Connection as our Inclusion 2026 theme. According to the Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley, social connection is the sense of belonging to a group and feeling close to others. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforces that strong social ties can protect against chronic disease and serious illness and are associated with longer, healthier lives. This year, we will intentionally create and sustain opportunities for the DoM community to connect through programs, conversations, and collaborative initiatives that honor our myriad experiences and expertise.
Black History Month
This February is the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, a fantastic opportunity to recognize the enduring impact of Black clinicians, scientists, and educators on medicine. At Stanford Medicine, we honor their legacy by highlighting the leadership, scholarship, and service of our Black community members. We invite you to visit StanfordMed Pulse to engage with impactful stories and programs celebrating Black history and contemporary achievements in science and medicine.
Next week, we join the Black Staff Alliance to host a Virtual Chat on Friday, February 27th, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm PT via Zoom. Our guest speaker will be E’jaaz Mason, lecturer in Earth Systems at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, cinematographer for the Katrina Babies documentary, and co-founder of LEDE New Orleans. His journey from New Orleans to Stanford, and his dedication to community-engaged multimedia storytelling regarding the impact of Hurricane Katrina, offer transferable themes for trauma-informed care, disaster- and equity-focused health research, curricula centering lived experiences, and the cultivation of meaningful community partnerships. Register here. We hope you will join us for this timely and insightful conversation.
SMADIE Disability Champion Pilot Program
Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity (SMADIE) recently launched a Disability Champion pilot program. The Culture and Community Building Council invites faculty, staff, and trainees to serve in this capacity. As a Disability Champion, you will advocate for and advise DoM community members, helping to advance inclusive practices, shape policy, and ensure our environment is accessible and welcoming for all. If interested, please let us know by Monday, March 9th using this link.
SoM Guide for Requesting Accommodations
A new resource for navigating disability accommodations is available to School of Medicine employees and managers. Developed in collaboration with SMADIE, the Office of Employee Experience and Community Impact, Employee & Labor Relations, and disability community members, this easy-to-use, step-by-step guide helps employees with disabilities and their managers understand and navigate the accommodations process. Send any questions to somhrgeeci@stanford.edu.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to building a supportive and thriving culture in the Department of Medicine. Your engagement strengthens our shared mission and the well-being of our patients, colleagues, and communities.
In solidarity,
Hannah Valantine, Vice Chair, Culture and Community
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Culture and Community Building
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Faculty Engagement and Leadership Development
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for Culture and Community Building
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Trainees,
This October marks the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). What began in 1945 as a week recognizing workers with physical disabilities expanded in 1988 to honor people with all disabilities. In the Department of Medicine, we recognize the vital role that our faculty, staff, and trainees with disabilities play across research, education, and patient care. The Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity (SMADIE) is hosting various events throughout the month to promote awareness and inclusion.
Additionally, SMADIE is launching a Disability Champion pilot program. The Culture and Community Building Council is seeking volunteer faculty, staff, and trainees who are interested in serving in this capacity. As a Disability Champion, you will advocate for and advise DoM community members. Please use this link to express your interest by Monday, October 20th.
As we honor NDEAM, we also reflect on the many ways our community has come together recently to celebrate culture and community.
Our community shared your stories and engaged with colleagues as we celebrated Women in Medicine Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Hosted programs included annual group photo shoots, a community poetry project, an Inclusion Rounds Panel with Latina faculty, and a community event honoring Latino contributions to medicine.
Next week, join us as we recognize National Coming Out Day with an Inclusion Rounds Panel on Tuesday, October 21 from 12-1pm in the Clark Center Seminar Room S363. The panel will feature Dr. Leslee Subak, Dr. Tandy Aye, and Amy Whelan, Esq. Food and drinks will be provided. Register here.
Thank you for your commitment to building a supportive and thriving culture within the Department of Medicine!
In solidarity,
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Culture and Community Building
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Faculty Engagement and Leadership Development
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for Culture and Community Building
“The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” – Gloria Steinem
We celebrate Women’s History Month each March; beginning as a Women’s History “Week” in 1981, it became its own month in 1987. International Women’s Day (IWD) started formally in 1911 by Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark and is now celebrated worldwide. This year’s IWD theme is #AccelerateAction – “a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.”
Over the course of the month, there are events – open to all across Stanford Medicine and the University – to celebrate and recognize Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8). Please see this post for more details, including a feature on Dr. Beverly Mitchell from our department. You can also download and display our newly designed International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month Zoom backgrounds.
To all of the women: we honor and celebrate what you bring to the Department of Medicine. At a time when women’s rights are under attack, we are especially grateful to you all for your passion, hard work, and perseverance.
In solidarity,
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Diversity & Inclusion
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Faculty Engagement and Leadership Development
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for DEI Programs
Last month, we celebrated the life, legacy, and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose vision for equality and justice proved to be pivotal for the nonviolent civil rights movement and continues to be needed today.
As part of that celebration, our own Joyce Sackey, MD, FACP, joined Lerone Martin, MDiv, PhD, the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute for a fireside chat on building a more equitable and just healthcare system for all. Members of the community also came together for a screening of Dr. King’s renowned speech, "The Other America," delivered at Stanford University in April 1967. This is a powerful critique of systemic racism, economic inequality, and social injustice in the US.
February is Black History Month, a time to reflect and celebrate diversity across our department and showcase the many ways Black and African Americans have contributed and continue to contribute meaningfully to our collective health.
As an opportunity to educate ourselves and others on the experiences of Black Americans in this country, we invite you to explore the many resources and events hosted across Stanford Medicine; you can also learn about the history of Black History Month, donate blood, support a Black-owned business, or attend the Black Joy Parade in Oakland on the 23rd of February.
We hope you enjoy this month’s Black History Month Grand Rounds series, which has been running for five years. This year, the series features guest speakers from UC San Francisco and UC Los Angeles alongside our own faculty, Dr. Melody Smith. All series event recordings will be posted to our YouTube channel as soon as they are available.
Our department is also hosting a special Inclusion Rounds on February 13th with CEO and Founder of Equify Health (and Stanford patient), Sylvie Leotin; together, we will examine how common clinical practices can unintentionally contribute to health disparities. We hope you will join us in person or online for these community gatherings.
With the significant changes and challenges our country is currently facing, we want to take this opportunity to restate our ongoing commitment to building an academic community based on mutual respect, celebration of differences, and a sense of belonging for every member.
In solidarity,
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Diversity & Inclusion
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Women in Medicine
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for DEI Programs
Dear colleagues,
Happy Fall! We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and that you are now feeling re-energized as we embark on a new academic year together. As we look forward to the months ahead, we want to share our enthusiasm for the many events that will celebrate our rich, diverse community within the Department of Medicine.
First, we are excited to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) from September 15 to October 15. This month we uplift the heritage of fellow Americans who identify as Hispanic/Latine, and encourage everyone to participate in upcoming events, including Medicine Grand Rounds with AHRQ Director Robert Valdez, PhD, MHSA, on Wednesday, October 16 (to be held in Li Ka Shing Center Room 120 and on Zoom). We also invite you to catch up on the department’s written and video spotlights (we kicked off with former DoM interim chair Bonnie Maldonado), and Stanford Medicine Residency’s spotlights for National Latino Physician Day (October 1) Twitter/X campaign.
October also marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), in which we, as a community, embrace and celebrate the talents and skills of workers with disabilities and to promote the right to equal employment opportunity for all. In the spirit of this important observance, the DEI Council will host “Allyship in Action: Addressing Ableism in Medical Training” on October 29. This special panel discussion will feature trainees Maite Van Hentenryck, Zainub Dhanani, and Meaghan Roy-O'Reilly, as they share their experiences navigating medicine with disabilities.
Additionally, though September’s Women in Medicine Month (WIMM) has officially come to an end, it’s not too late to visit our DoM WIMM 2024 website and catch up on original perspectives of inspiring women, recordings from this month’s themed Medicine Grand Rounds, and our annual group WIMM photos. You can be certain we will continue to highlight the invaluable contributions of women in medicine all year long. Let Winnona Alba (winnona@stanford.edu) know if you would like to watch the Ms.Diagnosed Inclusion Rounds film panel discussion. The recording is available upon request.
Last, but certainly not least, we hope you have been enjoying our Inclusion 2024: Allyship initiatives. You may have already watched the first instances of our Acts of Allyship video series, which feature community members reflecting on what allyship means and looks like to them and sharing their most cherished memories of when people showed up for them, in big and small ways. Thus far, it has been our distinct pleasure to highlight faculty members Maria Juarez-Reyes and Tara Chang and administrative staff members Jacqueline Baliton and Nicole Corso. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know with a great perspective on allyship or a unique allyship story to tell, please contact the central communications team at domcentral-comms@stanford.edu.
We are excited about all these initiatives and look forward to celebrating our vibrant community together. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our department. As a helpful reference for your event planning, we are providing a list of upcoming religious holidays and observances.
In solidarity,
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Diversity & Inclusion
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Women in Medicine
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for DEI Programs
Upcoming Notable Dates (2024)
Access full ORSL list of religious observances
- Oct 3-12 Navaratri (Hindu)
- Oct 11-12 Yom Kuppur (Jewish)
- Oct 16-18 Sukkot (Jewish)
- Oct 23-24 Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
- Oct 24-25 Simchat Torah (Jewish)
- Oct 31 Samhain (Pagan, Wiccan)
- Nov 1 Diwali (Hindu)
- Nov 2-3 Twin Holy Birthdays: Birth of Bab/Baha'u'llah (Baha’i)
- Dec 24 Christmas Eve (Christian)
- Dec 25 Christmas (Christian)
- Dec 25-Jan 2 Hanukkah/Chanukah (Jewish)
- Dec 26-Jan 1 Kwanzaa (Pan-African)
You voted and we listened! As we embark on our fourth year of Inclusion-focused programming, we are thrilled to announce that Inclusion 2024 is focused on the theme of allyship. We are excited to explore together what allyship means to each of us and shed light on the big and small ways people have shown up for others and how others can show up for us.
What is allyship?
Guided by an understanding of allyship as a verb, not a noun; as an action, not an identity, we will spend 2024 cultivating shared spaces for the exploration of our diverse and multifaceted experiences with allyship.
As in the Association of American Medical College’s Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) report quoting Forbes, we define allyship as “a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people.” Through allyship we develop strategies that support everyone as we create more respectful and inclusive workplace environments.
We invite everyone in the Department of Medicine community to review and carefully consider the conceptual framework for allyship outlined by GWIMS below. We hope it will provide us all with a solid foundation for our joint learning journey with Inclusion programming, and a helpful reference point we can return to, again and again.
If you would like to learn more about allyship, including what it means, its history, and what has been written on the subject, check out the AAMC’s full GWIMS Toolkit, “A Guide to Allyship.”
Announcing our new Community Allyship Video Spotlight Series–Participate now!
In addition to asking our Inclusion Rounds presenters this year to engage with our annual theme, we are looking forward to Inclusion 2024’s new Community Allyship Video Spotlight Series, which will feature (faculty/staff/trainee) community members each month talking about what allyship means and looks like to them and sharing their most cherished memories of when people showed up for them, in big and small ways.
If you would like to nominate someone with a great perspective on allyship or a unique allyship story to tell, please contact the central communications team at domcentral-comms@stanford.edu.
We hope you will participate in this new series–the more voices represented, the better!
In solidarity,
Tamara Dunn & Wendy Caceres, Associate Chairs of Diversity & Inclusion
Stephanie Harman, Associate Chair for Women in Medicine
Arghavan Salles, Special Advisor for DEI Programs
