The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has selected Anne L. Wright, PhD, senior associate dean of faculty affairs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, for its 2013 Vision Award.
Dr. Wright was honored during the CSW Vision Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, February 20, 2014. She was nominated for her long standing commitment to campus diversity goals and her work in support of the CSW, demonstrating strong support, encouragement and vision for equity within the College of Medicine (COM).
Since its establishment at the University of Arizona in 1992, the CSW has advocated for a just, equitable and inclusive campus, proactively implementing programs such as expanded child care options for employees and students and advocating for equitable compensation for women.
Dr. Wright, a professor of pediatrics, oversees all aspects of the COM Faculty Affairs Offi
Dr. Wright receives her award from Shelley McGrath, PhD., M.B.A., chair of the CSW.ce. She designs and implements career and leadership development programs; oversees faculty promotion; monitors and works to enhance faculty diversity; fosters initiatives to increase faculty engagement; and evaluates the effects of these efforts. She is committed to creating a climate where faculty feel welcome, valued and engaged.
She was one of the architects of the GRACE Project, an in-depth analysis of gender disparities at the COM. This project succeeded in reducing disparities in academic rank, attainment of leadership positions and compensation.
The Women’s Liaison Offer for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) at the COM, Dr. Wright actively assists in the development of programs to facilitate the success of women faculty. She recently partnered with the AAMC to produce and disseminated an e-seminar on unconscious bias as it relates to hiring of faculty and leaders to all US medical schools.
A medical anthropologist, Dr. Wright has led projects that resulted in sustained change in both health behaviors and the status of women. Dr. Wright has been an employee of the UA College of Medicine since 1979, and her research on the epidemiology of asthma in childhood is nationally and internationally known.
During the ceremony, Shelley McGrath, PhD., M.B.A., chair of the CSW, read quotes of the mentorship, inspiration and leadership that Dr. Wright displays as a champion for equity.
“She has 
been a solid, sustaining, calming and strong voice for equity. She does not shy away from complex situations, and through her guidance all benefit from diminished drama and clear and wise movement towards an equitable and synergistic path. She is an incredible resource for career and professional development, and a stabilizing "port" in what is sometimes a rough cultural/climate sea,” Mindy Fain, MD, co-director of the Arizona Center on Aging.
“Dr. Wright is a true and skillful champion of diversity, inclusion, equity, and professional development, and her focus on diversity, particularly in women’s issue is evident in all the projects she so aptly touches,” Francisco Moreno, MD, Deputy Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the COM.
“She is known at the COM as a smart and dedicated leader who sets the bar high not just for herself but for others. Her work is significant in creating and sustaining a workplace that values diversity, civility and respect for all the various groups on campus including: faculty, staff, and students,” Sofia Ramos, PhD, MBA, administrator of leadership development at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Faculty, appointed personnel, classified staff, graduate and undergraduate students are invited to enhance gender equality and the advancement of women at the UA by volunteering for the CSW. To learn more, please visit http://csw.arizona.edu/.