President David Carlisle’ s 2020 State of the University Address:
President David Carlisle’ s 2020 State of the University Address:
MOVING FORWARD IN A CHANGING WORLD
Previous State of the University addresses have been delivered by President David Carlisle with the visual presence of CDU academic officials and key local decision makers on hand as a representative body of unified leadership. This year, presenting virtually, he continued his theme of present achievement and the anticipation of the challenging work ahead.
This year’ s event featured Dr. Carlisle in the setting of his home office, the place from where his weekly University Forum videoconferences have emanated in recent months. The President’ s message was delivered with same passion, erudition and emphatic motivating spirit in a manner that the CDU community has come to appreciate and rely on. This year’ s address focused on how the University has continued to build a world-class institution by tapping into its advanced levels of knowledge and expertise in the fight to eradicate health care disparities and inspire other organizations to follow its lead.
It is by now a well-known fact that COVID-19 has affected people of color in numbers disproportionately representative of society as a whole. Dr. Carlisle surmised that the pandemic has a decidedly Black and Brown face by virtue of those most affected. That happenstance, coupled with the numerous protests of people struggling for social justice across the world, has created the need for a timely call to action. Given the current tenor of national public opinion, he forecast the possibility of a longer struggle for resolution.
He thanked University leaders for their work, including COM Dean Deborah Prothrow-Stith, and site managers Dr. Sheila Young and Dr. Jimmy Hara. Dr. Roberto Vargas was recognized for his leadership in the research effort. Volunteers manning the site day-to-day, as well as community outreach workers, were also saluted. On the Development front, CDU raised over $ 8 million— against a $ 5.1-million goal— to advance new facility upgrades, CDU scholarships, student and career services, alumni engagement and other campus services. For fiscal year 2019-20 the Annual Mission Maker Campaign raised $ 137,500, which exceeds the stated campaign goal of $ 135,000.
CDU received two five-year, grants totaling $ 6 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration( HRSA) to fund two new Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students( SDS) programs. The first went to COSH and will provide $ 500,000 per year to students pursuing the Master of Public Health( MPH) in Urban Health Disparities program.
The second went to the Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing( MMDSON) and will provide $ 650,000 per year to support students in MMDSON’ s two-year Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing program.
Meanwhile, amidst this upheaval, the world has discovered CDU as never before. Eminence and Distinction were words that President Carlisle used to demonstrate how far the University has come. It is an apt time for CDU to be recognized. As exemplar, he noted how the genesis and operation of the onsite COVID-19 testing facility has brought worldwide attention.
President Carlisle thanked the partners in the testing site effort, which has become a national model. The County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Martin Luther King Community Hospital Outpatient Center were notably lauded. He offered a special shout out to 2nd District Supervisor Mark-Ridley Thomas for providing the necessary, continuous resource support to keep the work moving forward.
CDU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | PG. 03