Awards

Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

The Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion is bestowed upon an individual or group exemplifying UMass Chan Medical School's diversity and inclusion values: 

Diversity is inherent in UMass Chan's mission to advance the health and well-being of the people of the commonwealth and the world. As a leading academic health sciences center, we are preparing tomorrow’s physicians, nurses and scientists to serve and relate to a multicultural society by:

• Building an inclusive culture characterized by anti-racist and inclusive policies and processes across UMass Chan.
• Increasing access and equity within recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented groups.
• Improving the cultural competence and empathy of our workforce through diversity education and programming.
• Advancing health equity by making a significant impact on reducing disparities
  through research, service and practice.

Download nomination form here.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Semester of Service Student Award

UMass Chan is proud to sponsor the Martin Luther King Jr. Semester of Service Student awards for the 15^th year. These awards are designed to support student-driven service projects in the communities that surround the UMass Chan campus. Students from the T.H. Chan Medical School, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences are invited to submit proposals outlining community service projects they hope to undertake in the spring semester. The top four ideas will receive funding awards of $500. These awards are supported by the Diversity and Inclusion Office and the Office for Community and Government Relations.

Proposals for the 2025 awards are due by midnight on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Winners will be announced during the 37th MLK Day celebration and recognized by the Dean and Chancellor on Jan. 27, 2025. Awardees will be selected by members of the Service Subcommittee of the CEOD. 

Priority will be given to projects that meet the following criteria:

• Enhance or strengthen existing relationships with the Worcester community 
• Address both community needs and student learning objectives
• Provide opportunities for a diverse range of UMass Chan community members to work together
• Increase the number of students, staff and faculty engaged in with community
• Include opportunities for learners to reflect on their experience engaging in community centered work
• Contribute to health equity and the elimination of health disparities by addressing social determinants of health, including issues of racism, bias and discrimination

How do I apply?

Applicants must be current UMass Chan students in good academic and professional standing who wish to organize and run a community service project during the spring 2025 semester. Students are encouraged to partner with a local organization that is a non-profit with 501c3 or other tax-exempt status. For assistance connecting with a community partner or to learn more about the award, interested students can speak with Lynn Hernández or Che Anderson, co-chairs of the CEOD Service sub-committee.

Please submit an application containing all of the items specified below.

1. Student name(s), school, class; please identify one primary student contact with name, email and phone. Note that the funds will be distributed to this person.
2. Community-based organization name(s), contact name, email and phone
3. Narrative (no more than three pages) that includes:

• • Project overview
  • Explanation of community needs/assets being addressed
  • Student learning objectives
  • Proposed activities and timeline
  • Description of target audience and participants
  • Plan for recruiting and training of participants
  • Plan for reflection and evaluation of results
  • Budget narrative – detail how money will be spent

How do I submit my proposal?

Email completed proposals to the Diversity and Inclusion Office.

What is the deadline?

All proposals are due by midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2025. Late proposals will not be considered.

What is expected of students who receive Student Awards?

All students who receive an award are expected to plan and execute a community service project during the spring semester. All materials created in the execution of the project should bear the UMass Chan logo. A brief final report documenting the use of funds, number of participants, outcomes of the project and lessons to be shared with future awardees will be requested at the end of spring semester. Recipients will also be asked to submit a progress summary detailing lessons learned and outcomes accomplished to be published in the UpNext! newsletter.

2024 Winners

1.     Empowering Wellness within Worcester’s African Communities clinic - The aim of our proposed project is to collaborate with local African restaurants and churches in Worcester to provide general health check-ups. The project's focus will encompass providing blood pressure checks, blood glucose checks, as well as education on essential health information such as healthy BMI, nutritional diets, and resources on getting vision, and dental care.
Students: Elizabeth Osa-Agbontaen, DNP1 Class of 2026, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing.

2.     Improving Access to Immunizations for Non-English-Speaking Pediatric Patients in Worcester- To meet the urgent vaccination needs of a primarily non-English speaking patient population and improving communication with non-English speaking patients.

Student: Ariba A. Memon, SOM, 25, Joshan Niroula, GSN 24, Danielle Heims-Waldron, SOM 25, Neel Patel, SOM 26, and Christina Nguyen, SOM 26.

3.     Marie’s Mission - This non-profit community-based organization provides diapers and other health supplies to low-income families across the Worcester community. They are Worcester’s largest diaper outreach program and Massachusetts only national diaper bank, distributing thousands of diapers monthly to families who cannot otherwise afford them.
Students: Jose Garcia-Chope, SOM 27, Fiona Splaine, SOM 24, and Jillian Belgrade, SOM & PhD Candidate.

4.     Growing the Worcester Islamic Center Social Services (WICSS) Clinic - To obtain phlebotomy laboratory services, physical diagnosis equipment, and medications, and continuing our flu vaccine clinic efforts. Promote cultural sensitivity and developing health education and community enrichment sessions about relevant topics for patients, and help patients address language barriers via hosting English classes and drop-in sessions, translating and printing new patient education materials.

Students: Melanie FU, SOM 27 and Sahar Peerzarde, SOM 24