Four UT Southwestern leaders shared motivational stories, experiences, and advice during the Office of Institutional Opportunity’s second annual “She Talks” forum celebrating Women’s History Month. Modeled after “TED Talks,” the campus event highlighted the unique perspectives and backgrounds of these women as they empowered the audience with uplifting words of wisdom.

The speakers, in order of appearance, included Tamia Harris-Tryon, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology and Immunology; Briana Witherspoon, D.N.P., APRN, ACNP-BC, Assistant Director of Advanced Practice Providers for the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute; Holly Crawford, M.B.A., Executive Vice President for Business Affairs; and Melanie S. Sulistio, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Harris-Tryon shared advice she would give the younger version of herself.

“Let the boldness of your words translate into bold actions,” she said. “Keep moving with care on your crafted path and start the practice of hearing your own voice. The sooner you listen to her, the clearer the path will become.”

Dr. Witherspoon spoke about her “shero,” Brené Brown, Ph.D., an acclaimed research professor whose talk on the power of vulnerability is one of the most-viewed online TED Talks worldwide.

“Dr. Brown inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and lead with empathy and authenticity. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but a way to measure courage,” Dr. Witherspoon said. “The courage to show up, be seen, and take risks is what it takes to truly lead a meaningful life.”

Ms. Crawford offered advice for women in the workforce, emphasizing the importance of building a career plan, raising your hand, and demonstrating accountability.

Although she faced detours to her original career plan, Ms. Crawford said, anytime an opportunity arose to learn, she raised her hand. This allowed her to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to prepare for her next opportunity. Ms. Crawford also expressed the importance of owning your mistakes.

“You can still wind up where you want to be, even if you take a different path. If at first you’re not successful, try again,” she said. “Always do the right thing, hold yourself accountable, and have a high level of integrity.”

Dr. Sulistio said the most valuable lesson in medicine is that it is a practice of shared humanity and it encompasses kindness, compassion, empathy, and care.

“We need to protect and promote the critical part of medicine, which is humanity,” she said. “Humanity is warmth to the cold facts of science. It’s the difficult and necessary conversations about what is and isn’t possible for a patient. It’s bearing witness to another’s suffering and the privilege of walking alongside a patient and their loved ones during difficult times. It is an essential part of medicine.”