Medical school awards second cohort of Dean’s Diversity Champions

Seven faculty, staff, and students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine have been named Dean’s Diversity Champions. This is the school’s second year of recognizing individuals for significant achievements toward developing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.

“Our core values see diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to excellence, mutual respect, and humanism,” said Lee Learman, dean of the school. “I commend this year’s awardees for helping create an inclusive environment and making diversity a priority so that all may thrive.”  

Students, faculty and staff nominated the recipients, who were then selected by the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion team. Award winners were selected for organizing training and educational events geared toward underrepresented populations, volunteering at organizations such as the Bradley Free Clinic, organizing an interfaith series to explore how religion and medicine intersect, and much more. Details of their nominations are available on the Dean’s Diversity Champion Award webpage. 

This year’s awardees are:

Class of 2025

• Chloe Lessard
• Mosufa Zainab

Class of 2024

• Casey Engel

Faculty

• Vydia Permashwar, associate professor of pediatrics
• Tarin Schmidt-Dalton, associate professor of family and community medicine

Staff

• Ryan Anderson, photo and video communications manager
• Elvir Berbic, student affairs manager