Inclusive Excellence Council
A climate of inclusive excellence is crucial for the recruitment, retention, success and satisfaction of the very best faculty, staff and students. A permanent dean’s level committee, the Inclusive Excellence Council (IEC), was established in Fall 2019 to address these issues within the context of public health education. The Council is necessary to ensure our School will be well-equipped to address these needs in a strategic manner. It is comprised of faculty, staff and students from across the School. Faculty and staff were nominated by their respective departments and serve 3-year terms. Students are selected through an online application process and serve one- or two-year terms.
The IEC is responsible for:
- Monitoring and evaluating the progress of the strategic priorities listed in the inclusive excellence action plan.
- Advising on and coordinating activities that support and strengthen a climate of inclusive excellence within our School.
- Advising faculty, staff and students regarding issues of diversity and climate within the School.
- Serving as chair(s) of action plan subcommittees that lead schoolwide efforts to meet our stated goals.
- Providing updates on Council activities to their units and serving as a liaison regarding inclusive excellence.
- Periodically revising the inclusive excellence action plan as needed.
Inclusive Excellence Council Co-Chairs
 Elizabeth French, MA Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives  Kim Ramsey-White, PhD Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence  Jeffrey Simms, MSPH Assistant Professor and Director of Student Life and Alumni Relations, Department of Health Policy and Management |
Inclusive Excellence Council
 Andrea Bankoski, MPH IT Manager, Department of Epidemiology  Deborah Baron, MPH, MIA PhD candidate, Department of Health Behavior  Adrial Bryan, PhD Inclusive Excellence Program Coordinator  Monika Soria Caruso, CRA Contracts and Grants Manager and Pre-Award Administration, Department of Biostatistics  Julie L. Daniels, PhD Professor, Department of Epidemiology; Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health  Jonathan Earnest, MA, CHC, CPT Director of Admissions  Tiffany Farina, CRA, CFRA Director of Finance and Administration, North Carolina Institute for Public Health and the Public Health Leadership Program Elizabeth French, MA Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives  Annie Green Howard, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics  Jon M. Hussey, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health  Alexia Kelley, PhD Assistant Dean for Research  Manal Khan Water Institute Grants Manager  Sarah Kitchens, MaEd Awards and Funding Coordinator  Mary Beth Knight, PhD Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations  Pamela Lee, MA Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Dean's Office and Academic Affairs  Deytia Lima-Rojas, PhD Assistant Dean for Strategic Analysis and Business Intelligence (SABI)  Laura Linnan, ScD Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs  O.J. McGhee, MA Associate Director, Instructional Media Services Manager and End-user Support  Branson Moore, MA Associate Director for Strategic Marketing  Annette Raines Human Resources Consultant Kim Ramsey-White, PhD Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence  Kurt M. Ribisl, PhD Jo Anne Earp Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Health Behavior  Dana Rice, DrPH Assistant Professor, Public Health Leadership Program  Gretchen Senez, MS Assistant Dean, Human Resources Jeffrey Simms, MSPH Assistant Professor and Director of Student Life and Alumni Relations, Department of Health Policy and Management  Sarah Brill Thach, MPH Assistant Professor, Public Health Leadership Program  Kimberly Parker Truesdale, PhD, MSPH Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition  Naya Villarreal, MPH Gillings Global Health Associate Director  William Vizuete, PhD Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering |
Guatam Aggarwal, alumnus, Department of Biostatistics
Eric Brown, PhD candidate, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Katie Grimes, PhD candidate, Department of Health Policy and Management
Hillary Hecht, PhD candidate, Department of Health Policy and Management
Jessica Roe, MPH candidate, Department of Health Behavior
Natalie Rotelli, alumna, Department of Biostatistics
IEC Subcommittees
Efforts led by the IEC are organized around the inclusive excellence action plan. The current subcommittees are advocacy, curriculum, communications, diversity and training.
Purpose: Advocate on behalf of students for living wages, fairness in hiring practices and greater transparency regarding employment opportunities.
2021-2022 Members:
- Jonathan Earnest, Co-Lead
- OJ McGhee, Co-Lead
- Andrea Bankoski
- Tiffany Farina
- Jon Hussey
- Crystal Isler
- Sarah Kitchens
- Pamela Lee
- Jeffrey Simms
For more information, please contact Jonathan Earnest, earnestj@email.unc.edu and/or OJ McGhee, oj_mcghee@unc.edu.
Purpose: Develop and improve approaches to communicating about inclusion, equity and anti-racism efforts at Gillings.
2021-2022 Members:
- Branson Moore, Co-Lead
- Naya Villarreal, Co-Lead
- Elizabeth French
- OJ McGhee
- Kimberly Parker
For more information, please contact Branson Moore, branson@email.unc.edu and/or Naya Villarreal, naya@unc.edu.
Purpose: Evaluate and improve anti-racist and equity components in student learning during orientation and across the curriculum.
2021-2022 Members:
- Elizabeth French, Co-Lead
- Dana Rice, Co-Lead
- Jonathan Earnest
- Hillary Hecht
- Pamela Lee
- Laura Linnan
- Derrick Matthews
- Jessica Roe
For more information, please contact Elizabeth French, eafrench@email.unc.edu and/or Dana Rice, danarice@unc.edu.
Purpose: Evaluate and improve efforts surrounding the recruitment and retention of Gillings faculty, staff and students from diverse backgrounds
2021-2022 Members:
- Trinnette Cooper, Co-Lead
- Gretchen Senez, Co-Lead
- Guatam Aggarwal
- Crystal Isler
- Manal Khan
- Deytia Lima-Rojas
- Kurt Ribisl
- Jeffrey Simms
For more information, please contact Gretchen Senez, gmarie@email.unc.edu and/or Trinnette Cooper (she/her/hers), coopert@email.unc.edu.
Purpose: Dismantle racism and promote equity throughout the research enterprise
2021-2022 Members:
- Alexia Kelley, Co-Lead
- William Vizuete, Co-Lead
- Deborah Baron
- Eric Brown
- Monika Caruso
- Trinnettee Cooper
- Annie Green Howard
- Alexia Kelley
- Mary Beth Knight
- Kurt Ribisl
- Natalie Rotelli
For more information, please contact Alexia Kelley, alexia_kelley@unc.edu and/or William Vizuete, vizuete@unc.edu.
Purpose: Develop, implement, and evaluate trainings, including strong anti-racist and equity-driven components, for faculty, staff, TAs and other members of the Gillings community.
2021-2022 Members:
- Adrial Bryan, Co-Lead
- Mary Beth Knight
- Katie Grimes
- Annette Raines
- Dana Rice
- Sarah Brill Thach
- Julie Theriault
For more information, please contact Adrial Bryan, adbryan@email.unc.edu.
How to Join
Interested in joining either the inclusive excellence council or one of its subcommittees? For more information or to ask questions, contact the Inclusive Excellence Team at sph_inclusive_excellence@unc.edu.