Current Scholars

Class of 2024

Traevia Morris

Project Title: Institutional Pathways to Operationalize Diversity Initiatives

Year 1: Developed partnership with Columbia University’s Summer Pipeline Program, educating undergraduates from various ethnic minorities about different careers in healthcare where ethnic minorities are underrepresented. Topics discussed included who genetic counselors are, the role of a genetic counselor within a healthcare team, and the intersection between ethics and genetic counseling.

Year 2: Exploring dynamics related to Black program leadership through informational interviews with key individuals within the genetic counseling community about their thoughts on important aspects to consider when creating a genetic counseling program at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). These interviews will hopefully result in the creation of a resource that will inform the larger genetic counseling community of the unique implications of creating a program at an HBCU. 

Kathleen Garvey

Project Title: Liberation Calendar

Liberation Calendar is an electronic calendar available to students, faculty, and staff at Columbia University that provides education about the people, events, injustices, and movements that have inspired the growth in healthcare reform and civil rights of today. World holidays and celebrations are also represented as a way to learn about various cultures, religions, and beliefs systems.

Class of 2025

Amrita Sivia

Project Title: Culture Chats

Critical Culture Chats is a space for celebration, education, and discussion of diverse identities. In small groups, students share their unique identities with their peers, allowing everyone to learn about various identities and social justice issues related to these identities. Culture Chats are a fun, interactive way for students to get to know each other better and to become more culturally aware genetic counselors.

Cal Burns

Project Title: Equity Challenge

The equity challenge is a competition in which genetic counseling students, instructors, and clinic supervisors earn points by engaging with various forms of equity including race, gender, and socioeconomic class. For example, students can earn a point for using organ-based, rather than gendered, language and an instructor can earn a point for ensuring a diversity of contributors to course material. This engagement takes place individually, interpersonally, and professionally. The goal is to create an environment that values learning about and engaging with equity work and seeks to ensure all students and faculty are equipped to be diversity leaders in their future places of work.