The Office of Institutional Equity & Access’ Division of Diversity & Inclusion and the Hispanic Latino BRG invite you to register for the Annual Signature Event on Wednesday, October 12 from 12-1 p.m., featuring a panel discussion with community leaders entitled Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.

REGISTER HERE!

Panelists include Dr. Roberto Gonzalez, Principal Biomedical Preparatory at UT Southwestern; Dr. Larissa Velez, Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at UT Southwestern and, Dr. Carlos Girod, Associate Vice President of Parkland Health & Hospital System Affairs. 

This hybrid event will take place in D1.502 (South Campus) with live streaming available. The celebration will include cultural performances and remarks from executive leadership at UT Southwestern. There will be a light reception before the event at 11:30 AM and the program will begin promptly at 12 noon. All UTSW faculty, staff, students, residents, and visitors are welcome to attend.  

About the Panelists:

Dr. Roberto Gonzalez: Dr. Gonzalez has served Dallas ISD families since 2006 and is the principal of the new Medical District PK-8 Biomedical School. Born and raised in Colombia, Dr. Gonzalez graduated from the Universidad de Cartagena and his first career was as a medical doctor in underserved communities; he served the public and private health system in Colombia.

Principal Gonzalez has served Stevens Park Elementary in Oak Cliff for the past four years. In his first year as a Principal, Stevens Park achieved a TEA distinction in the area of Science. Before joining the Stevens Park Elementary team, Gonzalez served as a bilingual teacher, grade level chair, Math and Science Instructional Coach, and Assistant Principal. During his service as Assistant Principal, he helped the school achieve five TEA distinctions.

Larissa Velez, M.D: Dr. Velez, who joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2001, is a Distinguished Teaching Professor and serves as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Emergency Medicine and as the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at UT Southwestern.  She also is a clinical toxicology staff at the North Texas Poison Center.

She has received the Emergency Medicine Department’s Teaching Excellence Award three times and in 2018 was honored with a Leaders in Clinical Excellence Mentoring Award for her work with residents and junior faculty. Dr. Velez was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for 2018, 2020, and 2021.

Carlos Girod, M.D: Dr. Girod is the Associate Vice President of Parkland Health & Hospital System Affairs. He previously served as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for Parkland Health & Hospital System.

A pulmonologist and highly regarded clinician, Dr. Girod graduated from the University of Pennsylvania before earning his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan. He completed his internship and residency at UT Southwestern, followed by a clinical fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and a research fellowship at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center. In 2015, he was the recipient of the Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine, UT Southwestern’s highest clinical honor. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1997.