Two individuals from UAB Medicine and the UAB School of Nursing were honored with Leaders in Diversity Awards for 2024 by the Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ):
- André Lessears – chief diversity officer, UAB Medicine
- Somali Nguyen – assistant professor and nurse practitioner, UAB School of Nursing
The awards were presented at a luncheon downtown on March 21 and promoted in a special edition of the BBJ the following day. Now in their fourth year, the Leaders in Diversity Awards celebrate local leaders who help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their workplaces and throughout the community.
About the honorees
Lessears joined UAB Medicine as chief diversity officer in early 2021 and leads a strategy of inclusive leadership. He has 15 years of experience in implementing DEI policies at Cleveland Clinic Akron General; the city of Dubuque, Iowa; and Midwestern State University in Texas. Also for 2024, Lessears was named one of the Top DEI Leaders by ProvenBase, a developer of AI-driven software solutions for recruiters.
Nguyen is an assistant professor in the UAB School of Nursing and helps lead its Adult-Gerontology Acute Care nurse practitioner program. He’s board-certified in the specialty and has over 12 years of clinical experience as a nurse practitioner. He practices in the UAB Medicine Emergency Department, and his leadership accomplishments include implementing and managing the Comprehensive Vascular Access and Medical Emergency teams.
Congratulations to both of these outstanding professionals for honoring themselves and the diverse, accepting community that is UAB.