NEOUCOM honors 3 for improving diversity

The awards recognize the importance of diversity in education and the workplace.

ROOTSTOWN — Three individuals have been honored for their demonstration of commitment to advancing and improving diversity within the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy and the health professions.

Dr. Robert Flora, vice chair of the NEOUCOM Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, director of global health delivery for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Monilla Dent, a member of the NEOUCOM Class of 2008, were recognized at a recent Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner at the Ralph Regula Conference Center.

The awards are given in association with the Colleges’ Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

“We must keep the dream alive for everyone who aspires to be a physician or pharmacist, and supporters of the NEOUCOM Diversity Leadership Awards help us reach that goal, as proceeds benefit scholarships for individuals who might not otherwise be able to pursue a career in health professions,” said Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, NEOUCOM president and dean for the College of Medicine.

“Helping to creating a more diverse learning environment also benefits the quality of education we deliver to all of our students,” she said.

The 2008 Diversity Leadership Awards are:

Faculty/Staff Leadership and Excellence Award: Presented to Dr. Flora, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a clinical associate professor of urology at NEOUCOM. He is a practicing urogynecologist with Summa Health System’s Continence Center, medical director of Summa’s Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Program and director of Summa’s OB/GYN Residency Program.

He actively recruits a diverse pool of residency applicants, and the current class of residents and recent graduates reflect his commitment to diversity, including residents and graduates from India, Haiti, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iraq, Thailand and many other countries. They also include a resident who is more than 50 years of age and a veteran of the U.S. Armed Services.

Alumni Legacy Award: Presented to Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, who oversees the Gates Foundation’s efforts to expand access to effective health solutions in developing countries. The foundation’s Global Health Delivery team coordinates late-stage development of foundation-funded health technologies and interventions through clinical trials and regulatory approval. The delivery team also identifies ways to ensure adequate financing to purchase vaccines and drugs, strengthen health supply and distribution systems, address shortages of health workers and increase public awareness about health.

Before joining the Gates Foundation, Dr. Venkayya served as special assistant to the President of the United States and senior director for biodefense for the White House Homeland Security Council.

Rising Star Student Achievement Award: Presented to Monilla Dent, who earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Kent State University in 2004. She received numerous merit-based scholarships, was a member of the Honors College and was inducted into Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society for black undergraduates at Kent.

She has served as the NEOUCOM chapter vice president of the Student National Medical Association and also as an SNMA NEOUCOM chapter chairwoman. She serves as a peer mentor, co-editor of the 2008 yearbook and a member of the 2008 Oath Committee and the Medicine Admissions Committee. She has been active in the community through her employment at Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities and volunteering her time to Habitat for Humanity and the Fresh Air Summer Camp.