Meeting with university officials is a regular occurrence while balancing a neuroscience curriculum for third-year Morrill Scholar Alexander Abreo. An invitation into a vice provost's office became surprising only when he found out it was to honor him with a Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award.
The Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award celebrates diversity efforts at The Ohio State University and rewards five individuals and groups for their commitment to the university's shared values, especially the values of diversity and innovation, and inclusion and equity. Abreo will be honored with the award on May 4 for his abundance of work toward equity and fairness. “It was a complete surprise and shock [to receive the award],” Abreo said. “I am incredibly honored for being recognized by the university and being able to have the platform to stress the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion when talking about health and well-being of our Columbus community.”
Though Abreo's list of accomplishments is long, one of his most recent triumphs was a partnership between the podcast-creating student organization he started — BREACH (Buckeyes Racial/Ethnic Equity Awareness Centered in Healthcare) — and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in an art show on campus to highlight voices and disparities during Black History Month. Abreo said the group is one of his greatest accomplishments thus far. “I started this organization to begin answering the questions I had about the health disparities that were impacting my loved ones and my community,” he said. “The positive reaction from my community on the initiative is a testament to the importance of the issues I hope to further ameliorate as a future physician.”
Dr. Yolanda Zepeda, interim vice provost for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), was one of three to recommend Abreo for this award and highlight the impactful work Abreo has done with BREACH. “The podcast makes a meaningful contribution toward a culture of inclusion by raising critical questions about how we understand and deliver care, structural inequality and implications for public health policy, and centering populations that have been underserved or marginalized in health care,” Zepeda said.
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In addition to his work with BREACH, Alexander has been an active supporter of ODI's programs and mission. He served as student ambassador for alumni and donor engagement activities, and in his junior year, he mentored two Morrill Scholars who wished to pursue a career path similar to his. “It is clear that Alexander's ambitions are fed by a passion for social justice and equity. Wherever his career paths leads, he will continue to apply his creativity, his drive to achieve, and his intellectual curiosity toward ameliorating inequities in medicine and healthcare,” Zepeda said. “During his years as an undergraduate, Alex has already had a remarkable impact on our learning communities and reflects the university's shared values of diversity and innovation, inclusion and equity, and care and compassion.”
Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola, adjunct professor at the College of Medicine and College of Public Health, also spoke to Abreo's compassionate approach to work and opportunities, highlighting the level of professionalism and humility he brings to each of BREACH's episodes and work on the path to becoming a physician. “Alexander is extremely determined and brings an incredible level of rigor to everything he does. To be a part of the rewarding curriculum, projects and activities in which he is involved, one must be humble and also display inclusivity, integrity, graciousness, empathy, commitment — and above all — passion,” Olayiwola said. “These are all qualities Alexander possesses and I know that they are urgently needed in our next generation of physicians and public servants.”