PRISM

PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum

January 16-18, 2023

Join us as we celebrate and ignite discussions regarding diversity in the profession and the inequities in our healthcare system, the ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) invites you to participate in PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum, which debuted in January 2021. As leaders and members, we understand that the most uncomfortable conversations can be the most educational, productive, and inspiring. With this in mind, the DAC organized PRISM, a series of virtual activities that culminates with a candid conversation with a featured guest.

All events will be held virtually via Zoom and are free to attend.  The links to register are below.

2023 PRISM Events

Glenda Price Diversity in Leadership Award Online Fundraiser

January 13-18

All proceeds will go towards the Glenda Price Diversity in Leadership Award. Donations for the online auction are now being accepted through January 12. You can also donate directly to the Glenda Price scholarship by texting PRISM23 to 76278. Every donation counts!

Candid Conversation with Perry Scanlan

Monday, January 16, 7 pm ET

Dr. Scanlan was born premature weighing 2lbs 13oz. He was diagnosed with Little’s disease, specifically spastic diplegia, a condition affecting his lower legs and hips. He is chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is a professor with tenure and the program director of the Medical Laboratory Science and Phlebotomy Programs.

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Dynamic Discussion with Thomas Burke

Tuesday, January 17, 7 pm ET

Professionals with disabilities must make choices based on the realities of their own constraints, as well as societal restrictions and even discrimination. Thomas will discuss his personal experience of disability and how it shaped his career arc from a microbiologist to a specialized food safety expert. He will focus on how he used models of disability to form his identity as a person with a disability and take decisive actions that maximized his career goals in the life sciences. Themes will include disability theory, disability within DEI initiatives, and reasonable accommodation.

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Book Club Recap

Wednesday, January 18, 7 pm ET

Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body

Rebekah Taussig has given us all a gift in her book by allowing us to appreciate the needless limitations placed on those with a disability, from the viewpoint of a person dependent upon a wheelchair for mobility. The Book Club Recap will focus on ensuring attendees have appropriate vocabulary and focal points going forward to continue advocacy efforts for those living with a disability. We will review the definition of ableism, both the strict definition and that embellished by the author in Sitting Pretty. We will identify how disability studies may bring about more rapid and appropriate accommodations in the built environment, as well as more compassionate respect for those living with a disability. We will close the discussion by sharing one thing we will each pledge to do to be a better ally for those living with a disability, especially in the context of clinical laboratory sciences and the provision of healthcare.

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2022 PRISM Events

Dynamic Discussion: The ABCs of DEI: Advocacy from the Bench to C-suite with Debra BenAvram

Book Discussions

Demanding More: Why Diversity and Inclusion Don’t Happen and What You Can Do About It, by Sheree Atcheson

Candid Conversations: Scott Aikey

Link to Recording

Kyle Riding, ASCLS Secretary-Treasurer, will interview ASCLS Past President Scott Aikey. Scott is an inspirational leader and openly gay man. During his time in ASCLS and the clinical laboratory profession Scott witnessed a multitude of changes in how members of the LGBTQ+ community were seen and cared for by others. His courage, compassion, and grace towards everyone he encounters has helped pave the way for a more inclusive organization that does not require someone to hide their true selves from their colleagues.

2021 PRISM Events

Book Club Discussions

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson

Health Disparities and Cultural Humility with Dr. Robin L. Eubanks

Dr. Robin L. Eubanks, associate professor at Rutgers University Biomedical and Health Sciences – School of Health Professions in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, an interactive discussion on cultural humility and health disparities.

Candid Conversations: Glenda Price

Cheryl Caskey, past president of ASCLS, interviewed Glenda Price, first African American president of ASCLS. Glenda was considered a very inspiring mentor and leader to many. She was often the first African American or first women (and sometimes both) to hold a variety of leadership positions throughout ASCLS and academia. Some who knew her would say she was a trailblazer who spoke quietly, with honesty and measured words and tones.