We strive to promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in a supportive learning and work environment.
The College of Health Professions prioritizes the core value of individual dignity. We strive to promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in a supportive learning and work environment. We are committed to creating a community that embraces and honors students’, staff, and faculty members’ diverse backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. We aim to reflect the full breadth and depth of diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia in terms of race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, and disability identity.
Every student deserves an exceptional education that includes learning to effectively serve individuals and communities that reflect the rich diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Faculty and staff are responsible for creating an educational and research environment that is welcoming and inclusive of all students. Faculty and staff use instructional approaches that foster intellectual contributions while encouraging critical thinking and freedom of expression. Our faculty have the expertise to lead efforts in ensuring patients, consumers, community members, families, and communities receive high-touch, respectful, and humanizing support within the context of evolving health care technology.
We commit to this statement because it is consistent with the values of both the College of Health Professions and of Virginia Commonwealth University. A climate of inclusion and diversity aligns with an overwhelming body of evidence-based health care and decades of health and workplace research. Finally, a culture of inclusivity and diversity is imperative to meet our College’s responsibility to train effective health care professionals and generate the highest quality scientific research that advances health.
DEI News | Upcoming DEI Events | DEI Past Events | DEI Committee | Resources
The Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions has received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions has named Rev. Marilyn J. D. Barnes, M.P.H., BCC as interim associate dean of inclusive excellence and belonging, effective Sept. 1.
Joe Bamisile launched a new social media mental health app called Maunda as part of his interdisciplinary studies capstone at VCU.
Bamisile, who graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from University College, is now pursuing a master’s in rehabilitation and mental health counseling in the College of Health Professions.
"Braving temperatures in the mid-20s and a stiff west wind — and launched by the Black Awakening Choir‘s “Faithful, Faithful is Our God” — some 150 people joined in VCU Health‘s community walk to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The VCU College of Health Professions has released its inaugural biennial inclusive excellence report, highlighting its efforts to advance inclusion and belonging through College-wide initiatives and within each of its nine departments. In addition to featuring various programs, initiatives, and outcomes, the report also highlights various members of the CHP community – students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
The Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions has received the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
Two Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions students in the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, were selected through a competitive process for a mentorship and leadership development program designed for students and early careerists through the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE). NALHE is the premiere professional society for healthcare leaders who identify as Latino, Latina, Latinx, or Latine, as well as their allies.
At the beginning of 2023, NAHSE and the VCU Department of Health Administration announced a three-part webinar series offered in partnership to advance the department’s inclusive leadership education initiative. After receiving positive evaluations of the three-part webinar series from students, faculty, and early careerists across the nation, Lisa Mallory, PhD., chief executive officer of NAHSE and Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, FACHE, FAAN, executive director of inclusive leadership education for the Department of Health Administration, and the NAHSE education committee decided to offer an “encore” webinar tackling a topic that has never been addressed through the leading professional associations for healthcare leadership.
The College of Health Professions Department of Nurse Anesthesia recently hosted the inaugural Nurse Anesthesia Faculty Associates (NAFA) RVA conference. The four-day event featured continuing education activities on diverse and clinically-relevant anesthesia topics. At the culmination of the conference, faculty participants had the opportunity to engage with students, alumni and CRNAs.
The College of Health Professions Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee provides access and opportunities to platforms for learning, engaging and sharing around issues of social justice, equality, equity, and access.
Creating an equal and welcoming learning environment is the responsibility of all of us. The College of Health Profession is committed to providing opportunities and resources to promote changes that impact our students, staff, faculty, and learning environment. The CHP diversity statement echoes this call.
The DEI committee is composed of VCU faculty, staff and students who foster a supportive and welcoming workplace environment in which employees and students of all backgrounds and demographic characteristics can work together.
Director of Outreach and Professional Affairs
Phone: (804) 828-8662
Email: bwayers@vcu.edu
Full bio for Beth Williamson Ayers, MS »
Affiliated Department(s): Dean's Office, Health Administration
Rev. Robert B. Lantz, Chair
Associate Faculty
Phone: 804-828-3578
Email: barnesmj5@vcu.edu
Full bio for Rev. Marilyn J. D. Barnes, MS, MA, MPH, BCC »
Affiliated Department(s): Patient Counseling
Program Manager
Phone: 804-828-0540
Email: brownbl@vcu.edu
Affiliated Department(s): Patient Counseling
Director of Communications and Marketing
Email: mgburkett@vcu.edu
Full bio for Malorie Burkett, MS, CDMP »
Affiliated Department(s): Dean's Office
Director of Recruitment and Student Programs
Email: garycs@vcu.edu
Affiliated Department(s): Dean's Office
Associate Professor
Director of Distance Education
Phone: 804-828-0766
Email: bgeorge@vcu.edu
Full bio for Beverly George-Gay, DNP, MS, MSN, AGPCNP-BC »
Affiliated Department(s): Nurse Anesthesia
Assistant Professor
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
Phone: 804-828-1575
Email: kaneae@vcu.edu
Full bio for Audrey E. Kane, PhD, OTR/L »
Affiliated Department(s): Occupational Therapy
Faculty - Radiography
Email: battenj@vcu.edu
Full bio for Jessica Koroma, BS, RT(R)(VI) »
Affiliated Department(s): Radiation Sciences
Assistant Professor
Email: lacym@vcu.edu
Full bio for Michael Lacy, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM »
Affiliated Department(s): Medical Laboratory Sciences
Evaluation Coordinator
Phone: 804-828-2231
Email: jhmathews@vcu.edu
Full bio for Jenni Mathews, BS »
Affiliated Department(s): Virginia Center on Aging
