Mission
The Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) serves as a national forum and recognized resource to support the efforts of AAMC member institutions and academic medicine at the local, regional, and national levels to realize the benefits of diversity and inclusion in medicine and biomedical sciences.
Purpose
The GDI aims to unite expertise, experience, and innovation to inform and guide the advancement of diversity and inclusion throughout academic medicine.
Exemplary Leadership Award
The GDI Steering Committee established the GDI Exemplary Leadership Award to increase recognition of diversity and inclusion leaders. This award recognizes the impact of a leader or leadership team responsible for developing and implementing an innovative, highly effective program that demonstrates evidenced-based best practices for enhancing diversity and inclusion in academic medicine, academic health systems, and the biomedical sciences.
Eligibility
To qualify for this award, the program must have been established for at least 5 years. All GDI Representatives and other AAMC affinity group representatives at medical schools, teaching hospitals, or academic societies are eligible for nomination as part of the program's leader or leadership team. Nominations may be submitted by any representative from an AAMC member community, which includes councils, groups, and organizations. Nominations must be submitted for a specific program or initiative, recognizing the leader(s) who played a key role in its development and success. Self-nominations will not be accepted. However, we encourage nominators to work closely with the program's leader or leadership team to gather all required materials for the submission process.
Nomination and Submission
Completed nomination materials must be uploaded by the nominator to the AAMC online application Cadmium by Friday, May 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST and include the following, submitted as separate files:
1. Nomination Letter:
- Must be submitted on institution letterhead.
- Should state the rationale and justification for the nominated program leader(s), clearly outlining their contributions and impact.
- Format: double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and not exceeding two pages.
2. Program Goals and Outcomes:
- Provide a short statement of up to three key program goals and outcomes, which demonstrate alignment with enhancing diversity and inclusion in academic medicine, academic health systems, and biomedical sciences.
- Format: double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and not exceeding two pages.
3. Appendix: Summarize the evidence for the program's key outcomes related to the stated goals.
- Innovation:
- Evidence that distinguishes the program (e.g., using the SMART goals methodology or a logic model).
- Key program innovations.
- Impact:
- Metrics used to evaluate the program.
- Outcomes and impacts using quantitative and/or qualitative data.
- Format: double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and not exceeding six pages.
4. Short Bio:
- Include a 125-word bio for each leader(s) (for programs with multiple leaders).
5. Headshot:
- Submit a color headshot for each leader(s) (for programs with multiple leaders).
Award Selection
The GDI Steering Committee will review, discuss, and select a leader or leadership team. This award will be given at the discretion of the GDI Steering Committee and may not be bestowed every year. The committee will not review additional materials. Late nominations will not be accepted.
Award Recognition
Award recipient(s) will be recognized at the 2025 Learn Serve Lead: The AAMC Annual Meeting (November 1-5) during the GDI Business Meeting and Award Celebration. The recipient(s) will be expected to give brief remarks during the award recognition ceremony. An award and $2,500 will be presented. The GDI Steering Committee will also invite recipient(s) to present at the 2026 Group on Diversity and Inclusion Professional Development Conference.
Questions
For assistance, contact Ana E. Núñez, MD, FACP, and Michelle Oliva, AAMC Director of Constituent Engagement, at gdi@aamc.org.
2024 Honoree
Regina D. Richards, PhD, MSW
Vice Chancelor, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement
Anshutz Medical Campus
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
2023 Honoree
John Paul Sánchez, MD, MPH
Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for DEI
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Professor and Vice Chair for DEI, Emergency Medicine
University of New Mexico School of Mexico School of Medicine
2022 Honoree(s)
Jada Bussey-Jones, MD, FACP
Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Emory University School of Medicine Department of Medicine
Assistant Dean, Professional Development Emory at Grady
Kimberly D. Manning, MD, FACP, FAAP
Professor of Medicine and Associate Vice Chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Emory University School of Medicine Department of Medicine
2021 Honoree
Mary J. Owen, MD (Tlingit)
President, Association of American Indian Physicians
Director, Center of American Indian and Minority Health
Endowed Professor, Native American Health
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health
University of Minnesota Medical School
2020 Honoree
Quinn Capers IV, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, College of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Transradial Coronary Interventions
Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center