Dr. Carolyn Tucker’s Statement of Commitment to Social Justice
In my research, teaching, service, and administrative roles, I do all that I can to promote awareness of and a commitment to social justice and diversity— a commitment about which I am truly passionate. Evidence of this commitment include that:
- I teach an undergraduate internship course on health disparities and health promotion research that has a core focus on empowerment;
- my research on culturally sensitive physical and mental health promotion and my research on culturally sensitive health care are anchored in health empowerment theories, including my own published empowerment theory, and aim to foster the health justice aspect of social justice;
- my service and administrative work includes serving as a co-chair of the Research Subgroup for the Council of Florida Medical School Deans Graduate Medical Education Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group, which includes a major focus on supporting social justice policies and research that aim to increase underrepresented students, residents, and faculty in medical schools throughout Florida;
- my Health Disparities Research Teams, which include large numbers of graduate students, undergraduate students, and community members, are culturally diverse, and include a focus on empowering these individuals for culturally sensitive leadership to foster social justice in health promotion, health care delivery, and health research; and
- nearly 50% of the graduate/doctoral students and minority students that I have mentored and served as their thesis and/or doctoral committee chair are minority students, which is reflective of my passion for and commitment to mentoring culturally diverse students.