Our very own Charese Jackson, Assistant Director of the Urban Health Program, has been named the inaugural recipient of the UIC College of Nursing Julie and Mark Zerwic Diversity Award. On December 2nd, 2019, Charese received this award in the company of many friends, family, and cohort.
The annual award recognizes UIC College of Nursing faculty, students or staff who have made a significant contribution to support diversity and foster equity and inclusion within a department, college, university and/or the community. Julie Zerwic was formerly Executive Associate Dean at UIC Nursing where she implemented a strategic plan aimed at increasing diversity among faculty, staff and students, and is now Dean of the University of Iowa College of Nursing.
Charese has worked with the Urban Health program for 10 years now, spearheading programs and mentorship to recruit, retain, and graduate underrepresented minority students from diverse backgrounds in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Specifically, events include culltural workshops, job fairs, high school community outreach, summer seminar courses, and advising realtionships. Charese also overlooks Graudate Assistant positions that work heavily with the students specific to learning nursing skills and content either in the community or UIC Colleges.
Charese's future plans are to work closely with UIC's new Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion; and to continue to address culturally relelvant topics such as systemic health care racism, suicide rates in ethnic/minority communities, and the resources available for gender dysphoric children.
