Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) announces the appointment of Vetta Sanders Thompson, PhD, as the inaugural Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Sanders Thompson is the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity at Washington University’s Brown School, where she also leads the school’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and she is an integral part of the Institute for Public Health as co-director of the Center for Community Health Partnership & Research.
According to the Siteman announcement, in her additional role, Sanders Thompson will “guide SCC in fulfilling National Cancer Institute expectations that the membership and leadership of NCI-designated cancer centers reflect across the nation. [She will] implement plans to enhance diversity among SCC’s research workforce, leadership, and advisory boards as well plans to support career-enhancing research opportunities for early and mid-career researchers, including those from diverse backgrounds. Key priorities will include expanding the pipeline of members of diverse backgrounds through training or mentoring opportunities; leveraging institutional commitment and infrastructure to enhance diversity of SCC’s membership and leadership; and establishing criteria for monitoring and evaluating progress of diversity.”
The announcement goes on to say that Sanders Thompson will work with the cancer center’s associate vice chancellor and associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the School of Medicine, “to advance shared goals and foster strategic focus in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”
Sanders Thompson will continue her roles with the Institute for Public Health and Washington University in St. Louis.