Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
About
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has leveraged diversity and inclusion to drive the school’s mission and vision of inclusive excellence in medical education, delivery of care, and scholarship. The department has reimagined a culture of inclusion, representation, pathways, and belonging for empathetic patient-centered care as a strategy for inclusive excellence.
Consistent with LCME Standards 3.3 and 3.4 among others, the department champions diversity, cultural humility, representation, and inclusion as core values central to its mission and operational measurables. DEI policies improve the health of our nation, and the patient population in the City of Fort Worth.
Defining DEI
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is TCU’s commitment to creating an environment where students, faculty and staff thrive, and a campus community that is welcoming and respectful of all.
Diversity reflects a broad range of identities and perspectives: race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, religious beliefs, age, disability status and political perspective. Greater diversity produces more robust, creative, and relevant outcomes in scholarly processes, academic and social programming, and community engagement.
Equity is creating opportunities for equal access and success for historically underrepresented populations. It requires proactive steps to address and transform the current culture.
Inclusion exists when all members of a community feel welcome, respected, and valued regardless of their social identities and when all experiences and cultures are validated and cherished equally.
Inclusion requires listening to other viewpoints and embracing differences. Feeling included and connected elevates engagement and a sense of belonging for everyone on campus.
Establishing a Culture of Inclusion as a Strategy for Excellence
Mission:
To foster a culturally humble, curious learning environment that promotes inclusive excellence in medical education, patient care, anchored in selflessness and professionalism. We are committed to cultivating integrity, empathy, innovation, collaboration, and servant leadership among our richly diverse empathetic scholars.
Vision:
Promoting cultural humility integrated within the fabric of the institution develops inclusive excellence and graduates patient-centered compassionate Physicians. Empathetic scholars today create a culturally humble workforce with better health outcomes tomorrow. Together.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
“This is an Inclusive Learning Environment”
At Burnett School of Medicine, we are committed to the creation and maintenance of an inclusive learning environment. These are places of learning where you will be treated with respect and dignity and where all individuals are provided equitable opportunities to participate, contribute, and succeed.
Here at the School of Medicine, the dimensions of diversity that students bring to class are a resource strength and benefit. Dimensions include sex, race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, income, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic status, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style and other diverse identities. The intersection of these experiences and characteristics are valued in our community.
Your success at the School of Medicine and beyond is enhanced by the innovation and creativity of thought that inclusivity facilitates. The success of an inclusive learning environment relies on the participation, support, and understanding of you and your peers. We encourage you to speak up and share your views and understand that you are doing so in a learning environment in which we all are expected to engage respectfully and with regard to the dignity of all others. We are committed to working together to build a community that is anti-racist, diverse, and equitable, grounded on inclusion and committed to social justice.
Names and Pronouns Statement
Everyone has the right to be addressed by their preferred name and pronouns. Pronouns are the parts of speech we use to refer to someone instead of using their name. Using the right pronoun, like using someone’s correct name or title, is a way to show respect. Non-sexist pronouns and other unbiased references are expected. See these links for further information:
Appropriate Pronoun Usage
Stereotypes and Biased Language
Meet the Team
Lauren J. Rainey, J.D., M.S.
Lauren J. Rainey is an attorney and serves as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Anne Marion Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University.
Celebrating a year of inaugural firsts with the institution, Dean Rainey reimagined a culture of inclusion, representation, pathways, and belonging for empathetic patient-centered care as a strategy for inclusive excellence and strategic deliverables.
To that end, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion unapologetically leveraged diversity and inclusion to drive the school’s mission and vision of inclusive excellence in medical education, delivery of care, and scholarship.
Consistent with LCME Standards 3.3 and 3.4 among others, the department champions diversity, cultural humility, patient-centered care, representation, and inclusion central to its mission and operational measurables.
As we know, DEI policies improve the health of our nation, specifically the patient population in the City of Fort Worth and DFW metroplex. Notably, post-SCOTUS and beyond ensued a chilling effect nationally, challenging capacity to advance critical lifesaving initiatives, like the undermining attack on DEI. Dean Rainey is no stranger to advocating for justice and equity.
Dean Rainey served as Legal Counsel to the New Jersey Attorney General and was Assistant District Attorney for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. She teaches nationally on Public Policy, Justice, Strategy, Implicit Bias, Criminal Law & Investigations, and Health Equity.
As Legal Counsel, Dean Rainey implemented the Department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. She conducted statewide implicit bias training for deputy attorneys general and assistant prosecutors. Dean Rainey was Deputy Attorney General of the Division of Criminal Justice, she conducted specialized trainings and taught litigation skills to prosecutors through the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute.
Dean Rainey served as the Attorney General’s liaison on the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and led a significant number of committees, task forces, working groups, and community partnerships.
When Dean Rainey was Assistant District Attorney in the Family Violence/Sexual Assault Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office she prosecuted countless complex trials. She is a lecturer on law, race, implicit bias, public policy, women’s and gender studies, and health equity.
She is Faculty for the National Attorneys General Training & Research Institute, leading training and research throughout the government, legal, law enforcement, prosecutorial arenas and specialized disciplines including diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dean Rainey earned her B.A. in English and Women’s and Gender Studies with an emphasis in African-American Studies from The College of New Jersey, a Master’s degree in Social and Community Relations, and a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law. She is barred to practice law in the great States of New Jersey and Texas, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Lauren J. Rainey, J.D., M.S.
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Arnold Hall, 4th Floor, Office 421A
Jacqueline Navarrete, M.Ed.
Jacqueline Navarrete serves as the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Anne Marion Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University and brings a wealth of experience from her extensive career in K-12 education. Her roles as a teacher, coach, advocate, and district-level administrator in both private and public education, along with her position as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Fort Worth ISD, where she oversaw enrollment, choice programming, and numerous other initiatives, serve her well in this leadership role.
Jacqueline also has significant experience working with College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) and has collaborated with various organizations, including the TCU advising corps, T3, Boys and Girls Club, Bell Textron, and Texas Instruments, among others. This experience has equipped her for her transition into higher education and continuing her work with developing partnerships. Her focus is fostering strong communities, developing pathways, and establishing opportunities for underrepresented populations.
As a passionate advocate for DEI, she has been delivering presentations on the subject for over twenty years at various locations. Fort Worth has an incredibly diverse and growing population that requires access to quality healthcare, and the DEI office recognizes the need for more diverse, culturally competent, and patient-centered physicians in medicine to support these communities.
Jacqueline has been associated with TCU for more than 30 years. She attended TCU as an undergraduate, obtained her M.Ed. in Science Education there, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at TCU.
Jacqueline Navarrete, M.Ed.
Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Arnold Hall, 4th Floor, 421B
Mendel Folefac, MBA
Mendel Folefac is our Coordinator for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He joins us from Newman University where he was the Director of Resident Housing and Assistant Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team.
He championed diversity initiatives for faculty, staff and students. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master’s in Business Administration in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Newman University in Kansas.
Mendel Folefac, MBA
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator
Arnold Hall, 4th Floor, 422H