The mission of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Society for Epidemiologic Research is to foster the diversity of our membership and work towards the engagement of all members, from diverse backgrounds at all stages of their careers, in the Society’s activities, with the intent of enhancing discovery in public health.
Representation and inclusion among members and affiliates of the Society for Epidemiologic Research: Findings from the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Survey
We conducted a representation and inclusion survey among SER affiliates in 2021, following up on a similar 2018 survey. In 2021, we observed broad representation from diverse groups across multiple dimensions. However, across both surveys we found persistent underrepresentation of several marginalized groups, including Black or African American and Hispanic/Latinx people. Some groups reported feeling excluded in both the 2018 and 2021 surveys, and there was disproportionately high representation from a subset of higher-ranked US academic institutions. Opportunities to work towards achieving SER’s diversity and inclusion aims include increasing outreach to epidemiology trainees and Minority Serving Institutions, addressing cultural and financial barriers to participation through programs like SERvisits and international conferences, and improving access for epidemiologists with disabilities.
Statement on Racism from SER
The Society for Epidemiologic Research condemns racism and anti-Black violence in all of its forms. We are committed to working toward racial justice and equity in the field of epidemiology, in our communities, and in society as a whole.
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Stefania Papatheodorou
Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chair
Stefania Papatheodorou, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a trained obstetrician and gynecologist. She previously served as a lecturer in epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Contact
Rutgers School of Public Health
Address: 683 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Email: sp2599@sph.rutgers.edu
Phone: 781.228.0004
Wendy Nembhard
Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chair
Dr. Wendy Nembhard is a tenured professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Fay W Boozman College of Public Health, and a tenured professor in the UAMS College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is also the director of the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. She is the current chair of the Board of Directors for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the National Conquering Congenital Heart Defect Association
Contact
Professor and Chair
Department of Epidemiology
Fay W. Boozman College
for Public Health
University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences
4301 West Markham Street
Slot #820
Little Rock, Arkansas 72223
Email: wnnembhard@uams.edu
Phone: 501-614-2145
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MEMBERS
Alexis Reeves
Ayana April-Sanders
Camila Tomkins
Charles Hall
Collette Ncube
Domonique Reed
Dougie Zubizarreta
Eleanor Hayes-Larson
Erika Meza
Felicia Pugh
Honor Bixby
Jean Liew
Kevin Martinez-Folgar
Kieran O’Brien
Lidia Minguez Alarcon
Marynia Kolak
Moin Vahora
Molly Rosenberg
Nour Makarem
Pauline Mendola
Sharia Ahmed
Sophie Selbe
Yu-Han Chiu