Our Commitment • Diversity • Penn Nursing

General goals

What does diversity mean to us? We broadly define it as encompassing (at minimum): racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage; gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation; socioeconomic status; nation of origin; veteran status; disabilities; religious affiliation, beliefs and observance; and scholarly discipline.

We are working to increase the diversity of our incoming classes at all levels, and continuing to grow the diversity of our faculty through both local and global outreach efforts. We envision an environment that thrives on the diversity we cultivate here, and we invite anyone interested to become involved with our efforts.

Our Diversity Action Plan

There are four main tenets of our diversity action plan:

To change the face of academic nursing so that it reflects the diversity of our global society.
To foster a climate that attracts, retains, and promotes diverse faculty members, with a special focus on groups who are traditionally underrepresented in academic nursing.
To make our school a preeminent model of diversity and inclusivity among top-tier institutions.
To support the integration of inclusivity, social justice, gender sensitivity, and cultural knowledge into nursing science, education, and practice.

Download the full plan (PDF)

Diversity and Inclusivity Committee

The Diversity and Inclusivity Committee (DIAC) serves as an advisory committee to the Dean and also as a catalyst for creating an inclusive School of Nursing environment.

Dr. Jamille Nagtalon, Faculty Co-Chair
Associate Director, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program, Advanced Senior Lecturer
Gina Conway, Staff Co-Chair
Administrative Coordinator, Family and Community Health
Dr. Margo Brooks-Carthon, Faculty Representative
Associate Professor
Amani Abdallah, Research Staff Representative
Project Manager for Community Engagement
Lucia Dinapoli, Administration Representative
Director of Strategic Initiatives for Administration
Rosario Jaime-Lara, Graduate Student Representative
Heather Kelley, Staff Representative
Deputy Director, RWJF Future of Nursing Scholars Program and Chair, Penn Professional Staff Assembly
Dr. Bart De Jonghe, Ex-officio
Associate Professor
Dr. Lisa Lewis, Ex-officio
Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusivity
LaShauna Connell, Diversity Coordinator

Recent News:

Bridging the Gaps Symposium- September 14th, 2018

Bridging the Gaps is committed to forging partnerships with individuals and organizations dedicated to the promotion of health in underserved communities. The Annual Symposium is free to the public and is based on the work of students who have participated in the past program year.

Date: Friday September 14th 8:30am-12:30pm
RSVP by September 7th, 2018.
Participation is FREE!

Location: WHYY, 150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106