Signature events
LGBTQ Luncheon
(Convocation Week)
The UMass Chan Medical School community marks the start of the academic year at Convocation and holds a series of ceremonies celebrating students and faculty achievement. Included in the slate of events is the annual LGBTQ Luncheon that brings the community together to learn about health issues members of the LGBTQ community face and to commit to eliminating barriers and resolving those disparities. This event aims to raise the level of interest in the campus’ collective commitment to fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.
View the 2021 event recording here.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
(Sept. 15 to Oct. 15)
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time when UMass Chan joins the nation in recognizing the vibrant, foundational and continued contributions of the Latinx community. This month is a time to renew and reaffirm institutional commitments that give visibility to the Latinx community and to celebrate the faculty, staff, caregivers, residents, postdocs and students of Latinx heritage who have contributed to UMass Chan organizational successes.
View the 2021 event recording here.
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Service
(January)
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Service is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by highlighting the importance of service. The theme incorporates Dr. King’s lasting message that, “Everyone can be great because anyone can serve.” It is a time to recognize the many hours of community and health service that are provided annually by members of the academic health sciencescommunity to Worcester and the global.
The celebration includes a keynote speaker who provides insights for achieving the mission of UMass Chan to increase diversity in student, faculty and staff positions; improve the cultural competence of the workforce; and eliminate health disparities through research, service and practice. At the celebration, Chancellor Michael F. Collins announces the recipient or recipients of the annual Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion. Past recipients have included faculty; administrative, clinical and support staff; caregivers; and residents, all of whom have contributed to advancing institutional excellence through diversity, civility the enhancement of cultural competence and through reducing health disparities. In addition, students are recognized with MLK Semester of Service Student Awards for community-based projects.
The Dr. King celebration continues into the month of February when UMass Chan highlights the contributions of African Americans to the fabric of the United States. The UMass Chan community seeks to illuminate the stories of everyday heroines and heroes who have worked to address issues of equity and justice in medicine.
Read about the 34th annual UMass Chan Medical School tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Women’s History Month
UMass Chan joins in the national celebration of Women’s History Month in March to recognize the achievements of women in all facets of life and particularly in science and medicine. DIO co-sponsors Women’s History Month with the Women’s Faculty Committee, Women’s Leadership Work Group and Professional Women’s Committee by hosting a speaker on the national theme.
Learners of Color Orientation
The Learners of Color Orientation is designed to welcome African American/Black, Latinx, Asian and Native American learners at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and residents. The goal is to introduce learners to the different support structures and resources available while they are at UMass Chan. The orientation was designed in collaboration with current learners at UMass Chan. This is a community building program grounded in the understandings of racialized and gendered identities and is dedicated to principles of racial and social justice.
Read more about this event.
Campus Read
Formally established in 2009 by Chancellor Michael F. Collins, the Campus Read is an academic enrichment initiative designed to provide campus-wide engagement through the reading of a book relevant to health care and health sciences education. The book discussion promotes academic discourse and critical thinking on a topic that is both timely and important for the campus community and its mission areas. For the past several years, the Campus Read Committee has chosen a book that has been aligned with our goal of increasing cultural competence. During the read, members of the academic health sciences community come together in small and large discussion groups for critical analysis of the chosen book and the themes it brings up.
Learn more about this year's Campus Read.