DEI Visiting Professors
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Visiting Professor Days
October 4, 2024 – Michaela A. West, MD, PhD
We were very happy to welcome Michaela A. West, MD, PhD, as our fourth annual DEI Visiting Professor on October 4, 2024. Dr. West is Trauma Research Chair at North Memorial Health in Minneapolis. She is Professor of Surgery at the University of Minnesota and Emeritus Professor of Surgery at UCSF. She has authored or co-authored more than 270 peer-reviewed papers and other publications concerning sepsis, surgical infections, and a variety of other topics. More recently, she has also focused on diversity issues in surgery and medicine.
September 8, 2023 – Selwyn Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH
Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at University of Chicago Medicine Dr. Selwyn Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH, was our third annual DEI Visiting Professor. Dr. Rogers is the founding director of the trauma center at University of Chicago Hospitals and executive vice president of community health engagement. A prolific researcher, Dr. Rogers’ work includes research examining the impact of race and ethnicity on surgical outcomes. He is committed to improving the understanding of disparities in surgical care to close the quality chasm for underserved populations and provide the most patient-centered care possible.
2022 – Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD
The Department of Surgery’s second annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Visiting Professor Day took place on November 4, 2022. We were very happy to welcome trailblazing pediatric surgeon Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD, Dean of Howard University College of Medicine and Chair of Surgery, as our visiting professor. Dr. Hayes Dixon is the first female Dean and first female Chair of Surgery at Howard. She was also the first Black woman in the nation to become board certified in pediatric surgery. Dr. Hayes Dixon is an internationally recognized pioneer in pediatric surgery and pediatric oncology.
2021 – Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA
In November 2021, the Department of Surgery was honored to host internationally renowned heart-lung transplant surgeon Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, as the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Visiting Professor. Former Surgeon-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Higgins assumed a new role as President of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in December 2021. He was the first Black physician to chair any department in the medical school at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Higgins began the day by giving grand rounds and ended it with a moving keynote address.
