Women at UT Southwestern – Leading the Way
Appointments, mentoring programs, and initiatives expand opportunities within UTSW’s leadership
Women have shaped the history of UT Southwestern since its founding in 1943. That year, Gladys J. Fashena, M.D., one of our institution’s most distinguished faculty, was one of five women on campus. With women making up 45% of faculty and holding 66% of leadership positions across all missions, we’ve come a long way from those early days.
Currently, women comprise two-thirds of UT Southwestern’s workforce and management ranks. The Medical Center has among its top priorities a commitment to inclusive environments across its missions to help further promote opportunities for advancement.
Female leadership at UTSW
Of UT Southwestern’s roughly 21,000 employees, about 68% are female, and women make up about 66% of leadership categories, including executives, department and center chairs, directors, managers, and supervisors. Continuing a positive trend dating back to 2015, UTSW has experienced increases in the representation of women across the institution in all aspects measured, including leadership roles. From 2015 to 2020, for example:
- Overall representation of women went up 2 percentage points to 67.5%.
- In director roles, representation increased 8 percentage points to 61%.
- Among supervisors, there was a 1 percentage-point gain to 71%.
- Women of color make up 47% of all leadership roles, including managers and above, a 6 percentage-point gain.
Gains among UTSW’s female faculty
In addition to overall increases among leadership roles across the campus, UT Southwestern has nearly doubled the number of female faculty candidates for promotion and tenure in the last decade. This has led to increasing numbers of and percentages of female faculty members being promoted:
- 2009: 34 female faculty candidates with an 85% success rate for promotion.
- 2022: 79 female faculty candidates with a 91% success rate for promotion.
The greatest gains by rank have been seen in center directors, chairs, professors, and associate professors. Greatest gains by track have been seen in tenure-accruing positions and clinical scholars.
“Inclusion at every level across our campus is foundational to the ultimate success of our Medical Center,” said W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean, UT Southwestern Medical School. “Academic medicine has historically experienced gender disparities in review processes, compensation, and career advancement, and UT Southwestern is mindful of those historical challenges. We recognize that gaps remain and demand our continued and consistent attention. But we have made progress and are working diligently to identify and address these matters across departments and the University collectively.”
UTSW’s female faculty includes seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, four members of the National Academy of Medicine, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, three Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, and 69 who hold endowed chairs. Appointments include seven vice presidents, eight department chairs, and three directors of endowed centers. Women holding dean titles – 14 currently – are up from 15% in 2015 to 33% in 2022, including our Vice Provost and Dean of Basic Research.
“These individuals bring valuable perspectives that had previously been absent,” said Shawna Nesbitt, M.D., M.S., inaugural Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. “But that effort is ongoing, and we all recognize there is more progress to be made to fully nurture the welcoming and comforting culture to which we aspire.”
Celebrating women’s success
“Many of those who choose UT Southwestern – whether for care, for their careers, or their education – indicate ‘the feeling of belonging’ is instrumental to their selection. It is important to ensure our UTSW community reflects our broader community and the larger world of academic medicine,” said Holly Crawford, M.B.A., Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, who is the first female executive vice president at UT Southwestern. “As we make progress on this journey, we need to bring visibility to the successes of women at UT Southwestern, while continuing to identify, address, and advocate for opportunities for improvement.”
UTSW’s “Celebrating Breakthroughs Together” reflects that commitment. The multimedia display unveiled in 2022 highlights the accomplishments of trailblazing women at UT Southwestern – a first-of-its-kind project to raise the historical and current visibility of these achievements. The wall features more than 60 contributors along with a video timeline at the west end of Eugene McDermott Plaza and Lecture Halls on South Campus, accompanied by an online component.
The ongoing project is designed not only to honor groundbreaking women at UTSW but also to inspire learners to pursue careers in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) fields. Funded by the UTSW Office of the President and Office of the Provost as well as a grant from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and its IF/THEN Ambassadors program supported by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the inspirational display was initiated by Julie Mirpuri Hathiramani, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Helen Yin, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Office of Women’s Careers, Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Professor of Physiology and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. Two other UTSW IF/THEN ambassadors, Nina Sanford, M.D., a Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Danielle Robertson, O.D., Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, are co-recipients of the AAAS grant.
A streaming video next to the wall features a timeline component that traces the contributions of women throughout UTSW’s history, including, among others, Dr. Fashena. The accompanying website will be updated regularly to display the accomplishments of more women on campus. Plans from Drs. Mirpuri and Yin further incorporated an annual fireside chat between students and female faculty honorees, with the first held last summer with invitees from the STARS (Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern) and SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) programs. The two hope the project also resonates with UTSW’s early-career female faculty members, making them even more passionate about achieving their career goals.
Additional efforts to raise visibility include:
- Statues of UTSW female faculty as part of the #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit in Washington, D.C., an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies
- Women in Medicine celebrations, which honor the contributions of women whose efforts drive the future of health care forward while compassionately serving the present needs of the community
- Designation as a Mother-Friendly Worksite by the Texas Department of State Health Services
- UTSW’s inclusion among the top 40 Best Employers for Women (2021) nationally by Forbes/Statista, based on criteria including the likelihood of recommendation, atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, salary and wages, workplace diversity, parental leave, family support, flexibility, and the share of women in executive management or board positions.
The Medical Center also has made a concerted effort since the 1990s to build structural components that help further success and ensure equal access to resources, funding, and promotions, which include the Women & Allies Business Resource Group; Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee; Committee on the Advancement of Women; Office of Faculty Diversity & Development; and Office of Women’s Careers.
Yet, as national studies across academic medicine have demonstrated, historic gender inequities continue, and ongoing efforts must continue to seek opportunities to impact that historical imbalance.
“UT Southwestern is committed to drive opportunity as well as innovative support to ensure a diverse and inclusive environment – one where employees across our enterprise can perform at their best and grow their careers,” said Ms. Crawford, who oversees more than 15 departments including Human Resources, Information Resources, facilities and construction, finance, as well as the University’s $4.6 billion budget. “We have come a long way, but there is still much work to be done.”
Initiatives to address imbalances
- President’s Council on Institutional Opportunity:
The Council was formed in 2016 to engage faculty, staff, and the student body through education and training to ensure that they develop the cultural awareness competency required to effectively serve the mission of UT Southwestern.
- The Office of Women’s Careers (OWC):
Founded in 2012 as a division of the Office of Faculty Diversity & Development, the Office of Women’s Careers provides a coordinated approach to the recruitment, career advancement, and professional development of UTSW women faculty. The Office promotes the professional development and career advancement of UTSW female faculty and trainees to:
- Promote women’s professional development
- Advocate for family-friendly initiatives to improve career-life balance
- Improve the recruitment, promotion, and retention of women faculty
- Empower women to increase their representation in academic leadership positions
- Champion for equity in pay and access to institutional resources
- Celebrate International Women’s Day and National Women’s History Month through an OWC-sponsored symposium
- Women & Allies Business Resource Group
The Women & Allies BRG is a platform and community for women at UT Southwestern who are seeking professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities, and assists in better connecting with key consumer groups, enhancing community engagement, and increasing opportunities for employee development, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing.
- Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC)
WISMAC is a UT Southwestern Medical Center institutional standing committee composed of appointed representatives of the faculty, administration, fellows, and student body that provides guidance and initiatives on issues related to women in science and medicine, with the ultimate goal to improve UT Southwestern for everyone. Supported by the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the mission of WISMAC is to promote, support, and advocate for the advancement of women in science and medicine at UT Southwestern to:
- Enhance the visibility and recognition of women in science and medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Create a collegial and supportive environment through promoting initiatives that support faculty career advancement
- Provide inspiration and career guidance to the next generation of women in science and medicine
WISMAC initiatives include:
- Women Faculty Networking: The Office of Women’s Careers hosts monthly Women Faculty Networking Lunches. During these lunches, women faculty hold informal networking discussions to become better acquainted and share their experiences. Lunches are held once a month, noon-1 p.m. at the A.W. Harris Faculty-Alumni Center unless otherwise stated.
- Celebration of Women in Science Poster Session: Graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and junior faculty are encouraged each year to submit an abstract and present a poster. The first year in 2018, over 100 abstracts were chosen to be presented after the Visiting Professorship University Lecture Series, and two were selected as the winners. Winners of the Poster Session were awarded $700 each to put toward their travels to scientific conferences.
- The Women in Science and Medicine Guide: The online Women in Science and Medicine Guide to information resources on the UT Southwestern Health Sciences Digital Library and Learning Center website was developed in collaboration with WISMAC and lists websites, books, and databases arranged under headings such as Biography and History and Career Guidance/Management.
- Other resources include a Fall Female Faculty Reception, Mentoring Series for Female Graduate Students and Postdocs, and Funding Opportunities for Women listings, designed to offer links to websites for research funding information specifically for women.
- Alliance of Woman Scientists for Female Graduate Students and Postdocs (AWS)
The Alliance of Women Scientists at UTSW is a group of women in STEMM who provide networking opportunities, career seminars, and workshops focused on promoting and supporting female trainees. Monthly seminars feature female speakers in a variety of careers: teacher, professor, entrepreneur, industry, consulting, core director, and administration, to name a few. AWS also partners with a local all-girl’s STEMM high school to mentor female students and inform them about potential STEMM careers via monthly career panels.
- Family-friendly initiatives
Family-friendly initiatives include cohesive resources to promote child care availability and affordability, favorable parental leave policies, and lactation rooms, which were identified in the Six-Year Plan as an important component for gender diversity since women disproportionately bear responsibility for child care.