Restructuring of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

New faculty and staff members will now manage various parts of the ODEI mission. Their responsibilities are as follows:

Crystal Cash, MD, Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Provident Hospital of Cook County and Loyola Residency Faculty for Family Medicine Clerkship

Dr. Cash will be the primary ambassador for diversity efforts to Stritch faculty and staff, and prioritize faculty needs across all departments. She will focus on building peer mentoring and leadership programs for new, mid-career, and advanced career faculty and oversee the development and implementation of faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion training initiatives.

Freager Williams, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Williams will be the primary ODEI ambassador for all current and prospective medical students. He will serve as a central student advocate and advisor, including serving as the faculty advisor for Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Student Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (SACDI). He will also help with the recruitment of students from populations underrepresented in medicine (URM) and promote diversity in research across campus.

Patricia Robinson, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology

Dr. Robinson will be the primary ODEI ambassador to residents and fellows, and handle diversity efforts related to graduate medical education. She will help grow partnerships within clinical departments to increase communication, leadership training, and support for current house staff. She will also work to establish URM clerkships and other pipeline initiatives to increase resident and fellow diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Mark Torrez, MEd, Program Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mark will be the full-time ODEI staff representative and manage central office operations and communication. He will oversee and advance Stritch’s core diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—including its URM medical student pipeline programs—with a focus on bolstering community partnerships, cultural competence education, and student leadership, mentorship and professionalism. He will also work to redevelop the ODEI website, establish policy frameworks, and manage diversity-related institutional assessment and reporting.