people of color in the program . Garcia soon took an active role in interviewing prospective graduate students , and before long had helped to recruit two women of color to the program . Over time , he says , he became a source of support for more and more “ students who were as lost as I was .”
Garcia , who is now assistant professor of orthopaedics ( research ) at The Warren Alpert Medical School and one of Brown ’ s first Dominican American faculty members , says : “ I found there was something incredibly fulfilling about being the person I wished I had had when I was at that stage . I found a passion , a flame , a purpose .”
That sense of purpose has led him to mentor and advocate for hundreds of students — in the Diane N . Weiss Center for Orthopaedic Trauma Research , which he co-directs ; in his medical school roles as assistant dean for diversity and director of the Center for Student Belonging ; and as co-chair of the Department of Orthopaedics ’ DEI Committee .
To this long list of titles Garcia recently added another : founder and director of the Department of Orthopaedics Research Summer Academy Leadership program ( see story , page 8 ). Supported by a Rhode Island Foundation grant , DORSAL enables between seven to 10 local , low-income high school students each year to explore the field of orthopedics through a fully funded internship . According to Garcia , it does much more .
“ We cannot expect kids to come into a subspecialty like orthopedics if they have no clue it exists ,” he says . “ The
Taveras , left , hugs Health Equity Scholar Khiara Lee at the 2023 HES Commencement Celebration .
“ Representation and cultural awareness are important . When you ’ re working with someone who has a deep understanding of the community , you can build trust .”
DORSAL program is intended to ensure that kids from these communities are not only exposed to orthopedics , but provided the networking opportunities , mentorship , and the basic underpinnings of what it takes to be successful in college , in addition to being able to do real-world research with real-world [ principal investigators ] in a real-world environment .”
Garcia notes that , like many of his mentees , the young people in DORSAL tell him about challenges most students at an Ivy League institution never have to face , like food insecurity , feelings of inadequacy , or guilt over pursuing an education while their parents struggle to pay the bills — all of which he has experienced , too .
“ It ’ s not academic ,” he says . “ It takes walking that path to recognize and understand it .”
A SPACE TO THRIVE As Garcia forged his path through academia , he had a powerful ally who shared his roots and
18 HEALTH DISCOVERIES @ BROWN l WINTER 2025