understood his journey . Taveras ’ s interest in supporting students was largely sparked , she says , by accompanying Garcia on his path to becoming a scientist .
“ When Dio was getting his PhD , I would visit him in the lab when he worked late and spent a lot of time around his peers and other grad students ,” she says . “ I started to see how different the journey at Brown was for him than it was for his colleagues . It really helped me to understand some of the gaps in higher education .”
In 2020 , Taveras joined Brown ’ s Initiative to Maximize Student Development as a program coordinator . With funding from the National Institutes of Health , IMSD has enhanced the academic skills and preparation of PhD candidates from underrepresented backgrounds in doctoral programs throughout Brown ’ s Division of Biology and Medicine and School of Public Health for over a decade .
During the two years she worked there , the turmoil of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement were throwing health disparities and social inequities into stark relief , including for IMSD students . “ Working with those grad students showed me the difference I can make and the importance of the work ,” Taveras says . “ It fueled me to do more and better work in the DEI space .”
Today , Taveras is director of Brown ’ s Health Equity Scholars program , a selective scholarship and leadershipdevelopment initiative established in 2020 for students entering the School of Public Health ’ s Master of Public Health program . Like IMSD , the program takes aim at health inequities by fostering a more diverse public health workforce — one that includes perspectives as diverse as the populations it serves . Health Equity Scholars enter through one of three pathways : as graduates of historically black colleges and universities or Hispanic-serving institutions , or as Rhode Islanders who want to serve their community .
In addition to full tuition , the scholars receive leadership training , funding for research assistantships and practicums , networking opportunities , mentoring , and coaching . “ We take care of each student in an individualized way , celebrating who they are and what they bring ,” Taveras says . “ We create spaces where they can be their authentic selves .”
While their coursework is the same as other MPH students , Health Equity Scholars apply a health-equity lens to their studies , whatever their area of concentration .
“ We pack a lot into the two years to make sure these scholars have a full understanding of public health , whether it ’ s the veteran , LGBTQIA , low-income , Black , Latino , or other vulnerable community ,” Taveras says . Diversifying STEM fields ( science , technology , engineering , and math ) is essential to improving public health and health outcomes , she adds : “ Representation and cultural awareness are important . When you ’ re working with someone who has a deep understanding of the community , you can build trust . It propels the work forward .”
To date , the program has 31 graduates . They have gone on to work in pharmaceutical and health insurance companies , health-related nonprofits , and state and federal health agencies , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Others are pursuing medical , doctoral , and nursing degrees . Three are practicing birthing doulas .
“ It just goes to show that with the right support and scaffolding ,” Taveras says , “ students can thrive .”
A TEAM EFFORT While the programs Garcia and Taveras run , and others like them , are thriving at Brown , DEI initiatives are under attack across the country , a result of the backlash against the racial justice efforts of recent years . Bills attempting to abolish DEI programs have been introduced or passed in half of America ’ s 50 states .
Some conservative activists frame DEI efforts as tantamount to anti-white discrimination , but Garcia and Taveras don ’ t see it as a question of skin color . Rather , Garcia says , it ’ s a matter of the access these programs provide to those who might not have it otherwise . “ We have to ensure that [ educational and professional ] pathways become clearer , less restrictive , and as humanistic as possible ,” he says .
At home in Pawtucket , where Garcia and Taveras live with their two children , ages 7 and 13 , along with three dogs , a cat , and a yard full of fruit trees that Garcia loves to cultivate , the couple brainstorms and compares notes in what she describes as a “ team effort ” to enhance their work . “ We try to be innovative in our approaches while learning from each other ,” Taveras says . “ It ’ s nice that it ’ s collaborative , because it ’ s going to take a lot to shift the systems that are in place .”
Indeed , while the student populations they work with are different , the goals they are working toward are the same : Build community , create a sense of belonging , and share what they have learned on their own respective journeys .
“ At the end of the day ,” Garcia says , “ what you ’ re really looking for is somebody who feels like home .” HD @ B
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