WEBINAR SERIES—Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): Storytelling: Celebrating Hidden Figures in Physiology

APS Members: Watch On-demand

During Black History Month, APS celebrates achievements of Black physiologists. This webinar will focus on Black researchers who have made contributions to physiology but who may not have been visible despite their leadership in academia, research and mentorship. Speakers will share personal stories and highlight contributions to physiology and medicine by APS members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Corey Reynolds, PhD, will give a historical perspective of APS awards in physiology and a general overview of the meaning behind hidden figures.

Moderator

Corey L. Reynolds, PhD, is a native of Tennessee, where he graduated from Tennessee State University and, earned a doctorate in physiology and biophysics at the University of Louisville. Reynolds is active in APS having served on the Porter Physiology Development & Minority Affairs Committee (now known as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee). He is a member of the Animal Care & Experimentation Committee. Reynolds works for Merck on the cardiovascular and metabolism team as a regional medical scientific director.

Panelists

Pamela Gunter-Smith, PhD, is president of York College of Pennsylvania. She previously served as the provost and academic vice president of Drew University in New Jersey and was the Porter professor of physiology at Spelman College in Atlanta. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Spelman College and a doctoral degree in physiology from Emory University. Gunter-Smith has served on numerous committees that address science education and the underrepresentation of minorities in science. She is president of the William Townsend Porter Foundation and serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Gunter-Smith is a former APS Porter Fellow (1973-1976).

Irving Joshua, PhD, is a professor and the chairman of the department of physiology at the University of Louisville. He has been involved in scientific research and teaching of professional and graduate students for over 40 years. For the last 30 years, he has directed an NIH support summer research training and mentoring program for underrepresented minority undergraduates. Joshua’s research has dealt with cardiovascular changes associated with cardiovascular diseases. Joshua is the past president of the Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology and a former Councilor of APS.

Evangeline Motley-Johnson, PhD, is interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research and a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and physiology at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. She obtained her doctorate degree in physiology and biophysics from Howard University in Washington D.C., and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. She has served on the APS Porter Physiology Development Committee and is an advocate for increasing the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing scientific careers in physiology at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Motley-Johnson is a former APS Porter Fellow (1989-1990).

Nathaniel G. Pitts, PhD, is a retired National Science Foundation (NSF) senior executive. He received a doctorate degree in neurophysiology from the University of California, Davis, worked at Rockefeller University in New York and was acting director of the division of behavioral and neural sciences, and director of the Office of Science and Technology Infrastructure and director of the Office of Integrative Activities at NSF. Pitts served on the NSF Director’s Policy Group, represented the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to the Federal Demonstration Partnership, and was chair of the Academic Research Infrastructure Sub-Committee for the White House National Science and Technology Council. He also served as a science advisor for Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Pitts is a former APS Porter Fellow (1972-1973).