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Cover Story: Women, Unlimited
As a high-school student, Erika Augustine was in Augustine, who specializes in the care of children
the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), with movement disorders, has been awarded
a University of Rochester School of Medicine and multiple sources of grant support for training, career
Dentistry pipeline program aimed at attracting development, and clinical research. That research
underrepresented minority students into translational focuses on developing novel therapeutics for Batten
research careers. diseases, a group of rare pediatric neurodegenerative
disorders.
Gender diversity was not a major concern as she made
her plans to become a child neurologist. As diversity officer with a national career development
program for child neurologists funded by the National
“The university made a commitment to developing Institutes of Health, Augustine pays close attention,
that pipeline a long time ago, so I knew this was an as do her colleagues in the program, to how others
environment that valued diversity and actually took perceive those in charge.
actions and steps to try to address it,” she says. “I
didn’t have the sense ever that this was a place I didn’t “We are definitely striving to put forth balanced,
belong from a gender standpoint.” representative images of our leadership,” she says.
“We are conscious of making sure young researchers
As the years went on, Augustine transitioned from resonate with the people they see as leaders.”
being a fellow at the University of Rochester Medical
Erika U. Augustine Center to a faculty member. Just as she was made aware of career-development
(MD ’03, Flw ’10) “I’m much more aware of my gender now,” she says. opportunities outside the university, Augustine
Robert J. Joynt Professor in “There are times when I am the only woman in the encourages others to apply for national programs such
as the Association of American Medical Colleges’
Neurology room.”
Associate Director at the Center leadership-development seminars for women.
for Health + Technology Maybe that’s in an advisory committee meeting. Literature suggests diverse teams produce better
University of Rochester Medical Or in a leadership group. outcomes, and that diversity, Augustine points out,
Center
But those times seem to be fewer more recently, says inevitably needs frames of reference from females.
Augustine, in large part because of the continued “It’s an important component of being and becoming
and increased attention on diversity initiatives that a first-rate, leading-edge institution,” she says. “If we
impact employment and promotion decisions, student do not fully represent a broad spectrum of origins and
mentoring, and implicit biases that may affect the way perspectives, then based on the science, we have not
colleagues work together. yet reached our full potential.”
“ We are definitely
striving to put
forth balanced,
representative
images of our
leadership.”
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