D&I Diaries Camilla Frost-Brewer

This month, Camilla and Tobias are joined by Dr. Dayle Davenport who is an Associate Professor of Medicine specializing in Emergency Medicine and the Associate Dean for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) for the Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Davenport has a breadth of experience in diversifying the medical field, publishing on best practices in the DEI space, and working with colleagues to improve recruitment and retention efforts. 

As our National Minority Health Month special episode and guest, Dr. Davenport shares with us the importance of mentorship, having faculty from marginalized groups, and leading by example. As an expert in diversifying the medical student, house staff, and faculty populations, Dr. Davenport is committed to promoting health equity and providing quality healthcare for our South Side community.  

Tune into this episode to learn about how Dr. Davenport defines belonging, relates to her patients to ask the more difficult medical questions, and creates brave spaces for all learners and faculty to discuss topics of equity and inclusion. 

To learn more about Dr. Davenport, her academic and HEDI work, and her research, visit her Pritzker School of Medicine webpage. 

 

Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 10: An Interview with Dr. Dayle Davenport was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  

  

Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  

“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
https://www.soundofpicture.com/  

Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0.

This month, Camilla and Tobias are joined by Dr. Christina Roman who is the other Program Manager for Diversity & Inclusion in the BSD! Dr. Roman works in the Dean’s Office and with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in the BSD to recruit and retain URM grad students and postdocs. 

As 2024 began, Camilla and Tobias wanted an opportunity to reflect on the first year of D&I Diaries: what were some of the challenges, where did the podcast excel, what it was like to be a guest on the podcast, and where is the podcast headed. 

Tune into this episode to hear from Camilla, Tobias, and Tina about what went well, what were some challenges faced in the first year of D&I Diaries, and the importance of imagination in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. 

 

As mentioned in this episode: 

Dr. Christina Roman’s episode of D&I Diaries: An Interview with Dr. Christina Roman 

In one definition provided by the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Afrofuturism “...expresses notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life.” 

LeVar Burton is an award-winning actor, director, television host, podcast host, and activist known most for his roles as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots, and Reading Rainbow. 


LeVar Burton Reads is a 3D immersive audio podcast where LeVar Burton reads short fiction. 

Reading Rainbow “...premiered in 1983 as a wildly successful approach for using television to inspire children’s love of reading and build lasting connections between kids and books.” 

Janelle Monáe is a singer-songwriter and actress. She released her third studio album, Dirty Computer, in 2018 with an accompanying 48-minute sci-fi film of the same name. 

Octavia E. Butler was a science fiction and fantasy writer whose novels and short stories with a theme of Afrofuturism have earned her many accolades and recognition. 

Curious City is a podcast produced by WBEZ that explores listener-submitted questions about Chicago, the region and its people. 

Beginning in January 2023, Dean Mark Anderson led the charge to create a new Mission, Vision, and Values framework to unite and guide the work of the Biological Sciences Division, Pritzker School of Medicine, and UChicago Medicine. 

 

Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 9: A Reflection on the First Year was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  

  

Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  

“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
soundofpicture.com  

Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0. 

Join Camilla Frost-Brewer for a special episode where five BSD colleagues will reflect on their experiences reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This novel contends with the history, presence, and legacy of race and racism in America through the lens of Coates writing a letter to his son. From Coates' website: "In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis."
Camilla is joined by:
Luis Alcantar, MDiv, Assistant Director for Quality Unit, Clinical Trials Support Office, Comprehensive Cancer Center Barrett Fromme, MD, MHPE, Section Chief for Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics Adam Hammond, PhD, Faculty and Curriculum Director, Biophysical Sciences Program Jorden Lane, Immunology PhD Candidate Aspen Schwind, Senior Education and Training Program Manager, Clinical Trials Support Office, Comprehensive Cancer Center Give this episode a listen to hear about how these five individuals engaged with the book, what they may have learned about themselves or the world around them, and what they are taking away from the book to incorporate into their personal and professional lives.
 
Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 8: BSD Reflections on Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  
Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  
“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
soundofpicture.com  
Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0. 

This month, Camilla and Tobias are joined by Jorden Lane, who is an Immunology PhD candidate. Originally from Waldorf, Maryland and having received a BS in Biology from Towson University, he is currently with the Esterházy Lab studying gastrointestinal lymphatics. Jorden shares with us the importance of science education to translate research and findings to the public, representation of marginalized communities in the scientific workforce, and the recognition of the impact of research on humanity. 

Give this episode a listen to learn about how Jorden continues to reckon with the historical lack of knowledge about and access to academic possibilities beyond a certain level of education for marginalized communities, cultivates authenticity in his communities, and honors his family by persevering in science as an underrepresented minority and staying curious. 

As mentioned in this episode: 

The Gordon Research Conferences® “...provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, physical and engineering sciences and their interfaces.” 

Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing, UChicago Associate Professor, Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity 

Dr. Raven (Baxter) the Science Maven, who is a science educator sharing all types of science careers through various social media platforms. 

The South Side Science Festival, created in 2022, brings the South Side and UChicago communities together for a day of fun outdoor science exploration, inspiring exchanges with faculty and student researchers, live experiments and demonstrations, food, and music. 


Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 7: An Interview with Jorden Lane was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  

  

Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  

“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
soundofpicture.com  

Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0. 

 
But I'm still a scientist... 

This month, Camilla and Tobias are joined by Dr. James Hagerty, a postdoctoral scholar in the Staley Lab working to understand circular RNA biogenesis and regulation. They received their BA in Biology and PhD in Molecular Biology (with a focus in Parasitology) from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.
Dr. Hagerty shares with us how he interacts with RNA splicing, stands in his identity and wholeness as a scientist, works to understand the costs and harms of institutional oppression, and the power of therapy for addiction recovery and safety.  

Tune into this episode to learn about how Dr. Hagerty leads with empathy and accountability, centers vulnerability as a bedrock of creating equitable safe spaces, and balances living on the South Side and working at UChicago. 

 Content warning: violence, addiction 
 

To learn more about the Staley Lab and the work they accomplish, visit the lab website. 

 

As mentioned in this episode: 

The UChicago BSD DEI Training Certificate Course for Postdocs, offered through the BSD Office of Postdoctoral Affairs with a curriculum offered by the BSD Office of Diversity and Inclusion 

Atlanta, the FX television show chronicling Earnest “Earns” Marks and Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles as they traverse the Atlanta hip hop scene 

Season 3, Episode 8 “New Jazz” guest starring Liam Neeson as himself 

Racism Without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva 

POSE, the FX television show about New York City’s LGBTQ ball culture in the 1980s and 1990s 

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks 

 

Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 6: An Interview with Dr. James Hagerty was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  

  

Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  

“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
soundofpicture.com  

Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0. 

To round out Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Camilla and Tobias interview Dr. Candice Norcott, who is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, for this installment of D&I Diaries. 

As our MMHA special episode and guest, Dr. Norcott discusses diversity of thought as a piece of well-being, science benefits from various experiences and viewpoints, and how involvement increases investment in your communities.  

Tune into this episode to learn about how Dr. Norcott creates synergy across her academic, clinical, research, and administrative roles; breaks down conflations of race and socioeconomic status to give voice to all patients/research participants; and views belonging as a place of growth, care, and accountability. 

 

To learn more about Dr. Norcott and her clinical work and research, visit her departmental website here. 

As mentioned in the episode, The Nap Ministry is an organization founded in 2016 by artist and theologian Tricia Hersey to “...create sacred spaces where the liberatory, restorative, and disruptive power of rest can take hold.” Additionally, the Apple TV+ show Severance and the 1988 film They Live, starring Rowdy Roddy Piper, were mentioned. 

 

Access the full transcript here. This transcript for Episode 5: An Interview with Dr. Candice Norcott was prepared by a transcription service and edited by an individual. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated.  

  

Sound effect “record start” by Tim Kahn. Available for use under the CY BY 4.0 license, at https://freesound.org/.  

“Ultraviolet” 
Podington Bear 
soundofpicture.com  

Sound effect “record end (squish beat)” obtained from https://freesound.org/. The sound is dedicated to the public domain under CC0.