LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Governments, health care systems and other institutions have failed minority populations when it comes to researching racial equity, a University of Kentucky executive said.
Danelle Stevens-Watkins, assistant vice president for research in diversity and inclusion, is forming an advisory board of faculty members to create a research initiative to recruit and retain racially diverse faculty, staff and students and to invest in research focused on racial health equity, social justice and racial justice.
Danelle Stevens-Watkins (Courtesy of UK.)
“We are hoping that the UNITE Research Priority Area, the research that we will conduct and we plan to do will reinvest in those communities and actually have a positive impact instead of just taking from those communities,” said said.
The research priority area is among new measures the university announced over the summer to address diversity and inclusion, according to a story by LEX18.
Stevens Watkins said she plans to include faculty from a variety of disciplines.
“Individuals maybe with a background in business or economics have common goals wanting to improve racial equity similarly to a researcher in sociology or psychology,” she said.
Stevens-Watkins also plans to create a board of community members.
Copyright 2020 WDRB Media and LEX18. All Rights Reserved.
