Five proposals focused on health inequities and health justice in marginalized communities will be funded for the second cohort of the Cluster Hire in Racism and Social Inequality in the Americas program.
Provost Elizabeth Chilton initiated the cluster hire program in 2020 to address systemic racism and increase diversity and scholarship across the WSU system. The program’s first cohort of five faculty members are set to join WSU in the fall.
The latest call for proposals garnered 25 submissions across eight colleges and three campuses. The five successful proposals are:
- Black Families, Kinship, and Reproductive Justice (Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies)
- Advancing our Understanding of Development among Indigenous Populations (Department of Human Development)
- Inequities in Maternal-Child Health (Department of Psychology)
- Health Justice in Marginalized Communities (Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences)
- Health Equity for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander People (College of Nursing)
Recruitment of faculty for these positions will begin this summer.
“I am pleased and encouraged by the University’s response to each of the calls for proposals, and I’m excited to see the impact these faculty members have on our campuses and in our communities,” Chilton said. “We are aiming to continue the program for at least three years to build a critical mass of scholarship in the area of racism and inequality and a strong and dynamic network among the cohorts.”
Lisa Guerrero, associate vice provost for inclusive excellence, said there were many outstanding proposals submitted and the selection process was very difficult.
“We continue to be impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the proposals submitted by our colleagues across the WSU system,” said Guerrero. “We’re delighted to continue building our faculty ranks and expanding our University’s scholarship in areas that will serve our students, our state, and the world.”
The call for nominations for the Fall 2023 program will go out later this year, and all departments and campuses are encouraged to submit proposals.
