bold idea, big commitment
How HOBI is Making a Difference
Whether we're engaged in research, teaching in the classroom or collaborating in the workplace, the work we do to increase inclusion, diversity, equity and access is as varied and diverse as we are. Here are some of the ways we're striving to make a difference.
Internship Opportunity
Paid internship for minorities interested in biomedical research
Minority undergraduate students with an interest in health and research are encouraged to apply for a 2023 summer internship with the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics (HOBI) in the University of Florida College of Medicine. The program, Increasing Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) summer internships, offers a paid, eight-week opportunity to work alongside leading biomedical researchers.
Great ideas
Join this HOBI Committee
Want to get more involved with the HOBI workplace and community engagement committee? Please feel free to reach out and join our monthly meetings! Our Discussion Group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and the full Committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month. For more information, contact Dominick Lemas or Donny Weinbrenner.
Community Outreach
Cook up some fun with HOBI friends at Ronald McDonald House
The HOBI DEI committee invites faculty and staff to participate in a new community outreach effort with the Ronald McDonald House of North Central Florida (RHM) visiting chef program. RHM has been providing a home-away-from-home for families with hospitalized seriously ill children since 1982.
To volunteer to cook a meal for families staying at RMH, contact HOBI faculty leads Jessica Ray and Megan Gregory.
HOBI Diversity Liaison
Lemas to serve on COM Diversity Liaison Network
HOBI assistant professor Dominick Lemas, Ph.D., was selected to serve as the HOBI Liaison for the College of Medicine’s Diversity Liaison Network. In this role, Lemas will coordinate with HOBI, the Office for Diversity and Health Equity (ODHE) and the College of Medicine Dean’s office to increase engagement of the college community in diversity, inclusion and health care equity through content, processes and initiatives led by department faculty representatives in partnership with ODHE.
Student Spotlight
Generation Next
UF undergraduate student Ismael Wane received a competitive research fellowship for undergraduate minority students through the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) GatorSTAR program. Dr. Lemas will serve as Wane’s faculty research mentor during his junior and senior years at UF.
IDEA Resources and support
Health Disparities: Required Reading
From the HOBI IDEA committee:
“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” by Isabel Wilkerson: Examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America.
“Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation,” by Linda Villarosa: Investigates the forces in American health care and society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” than their white counterparts.
UF Health News
New Diversity Officer Named
Lakesha Butler, Pharm.D., a professor of pharmacy practice and director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Southern Illinois University, has been named UF Health’s associate vice president for inclusion, diversity and health equity and chief diversity officer. She starts Aug. 22.
HOBI Workplace climate survey
Workplace Improvement IDEAS
After sharing results of the Fall 2021 HOBI Workplace Climate Survey with the department in June, HOBI’s IDEA committee began working on plans to ensure that all employees feel they have a voice and a choice in workplace matters, and that they feel safe, engaged and empowered at work. These are the cornerstones of the Servant Leadership Style the department strives to establish at HOBI. Stay tuned for more details!
Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, PhD, MPH
“Racism is a public health crisis”
Dr. Jones, guest speaker at the May 2022 HOBI Grand Rounds, presented her work on achieving health equity by naming, measuring and addressing the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nation.
Rahma Mkuu, PhD
Improving Cervical Cancer Screening Rates among Minority Women
Dr. Mkuu is using electronic health records to map cervical screening patterns in Florida and identify under-screened populations in the state.
IDEA Summer internship
Increasing Diversity in Biomedical Research
Our 10-week summer internship for undergraduate minority students focuses on improving health outcomes and equity, and diversifying the field of biomedical research.
Khairul Siddiqi, PhD
Preventing HIV among Vulnerable Women in Florida
Florida has the nation’s highest incidence of new HIV infections. Dr. Siddiqi is leveraging electronic health records to identify vulnerable women in Florida most at risk of contracting HIV who could benefit from a new medical intervention.
Timnit Gebru, PhD
Behind the Fairness Rhetoric of Machine Learning
The computer scientist and advocate for diversity in technology discussed bias in artificial intelligence during a Fall 2021 HOBI Grand Rounds.
Jiang Bian, PhD / Yi Guo, PhD
Heart Health Disparities Identified in LGB Adults
LGB adults are less likely to use beneficial cholesterol-lowering drugs than non-LGB adults, according to this HOBI study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Elizabeth Shenkman, PhD
Extra COVID Support for Minority Communities
HOBI and OneFlorida+ are part of the Florida CEAL Team — “Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities” — which provides outreach and engagement to minority communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Michelle Cardel, PhD, RD
Diversity Champion
Dr. Cardel was recently recognized for championing and promoting diversity in her research, in the classroom and in the workplace with a Superior Accomplishment Award in the Diversity and Inclusion category from UF Health.
