Mentoring for Inclusion and Diversity Award
The NORCH Mentoring for Inclusion and Diversity Award recognizes a faculty member who has provided meaningful, sustained mentorship to young investigators from underrepresented in medicine (URM) backgrounds in the fields of nutrition, obesity, and metabolism.
The 2023 Award deadline is Friday September 29, 2023. Decisions will be communicated to the awardee and nominators by Friday, October 13th, 2023.
Now Accepting 2023 Nominations!
2022 Recipient
Mary E. Evans, PhD
Director, Special Projects in Nutrition, Obesity, and Digestive Diseases Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition NIDDK National Institutes of Health
From Dr. Evan’s nominations:
Dr. Mary Evans is truly a force of nature. Within NIDDK and all of the institutions it supports, she has been able to put diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the forefront of consideration. Perhaps what is most intriguing about Dr. Evans is her quiet power. Never forceful in her approach to addressing inequities, she commands people to not only listen but to actually make a change. It was indeed Dr. Evans who took the leap to support the first cohort of Diversity Scholars in the NORCH. Her initial investment in this work has spun into an entire enterprise in which the 12 NORCS now each have diversity champions. Additionally, there is a NORC-wide executive committee that works to create change in this domain- year round. Finally, particularly as a recent recipient of the new U24 which seeks to improve the careers of those underrepresented in nutrition and obesity research, she has demonstrated a long-term commitment to equity. I am thankful Dr. Evans for leading the way and for allowing people who look like me the opportunity to thrive.
2021 Recipient
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
From Dr. Stanford’s nominations:
“I personally consider her to be a major influence on my success because she believed in me and motivated me at times when I doubted myself.”
“Although Dr. Stanford is the hardest worker I have ever met and continues to craft new pathways in academic medicine, she prioritizes and appreciates the art of mentorship and deeply cares about her mentees.”
“I would not be where I am if not for her mentorship, support, and persistent inspiration.”
2020 Recipient
Josiemer Mattei, PhD
Donald and Sue Pritzker Associate Professor of Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
From Dr. Mattei’s nominations:
“…Dr. Mattei not only includes minority voices in the academy; she is at the forefront of ensuring our metabolic and behavioral understanding of chronic disease risk progresses because of it. …”
“…She works harder than anyone I know to raise others up. …”
“… To me, she has been a voice, an ear, and an inspiration. A voice, because through her work, she shares powerful messages that empower underrepresented populations; an ear, because the ensures that in her diverse team, all opinions and perspectives are heard and – most importantly – valued; and an inspiration, because every detail in her projects reflects her passion and commitment to the communities she works with. …”