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Inclusive Excellence Award

The Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes colleagues who promote a welcoming and supportive environment to benefit the Emory community.

Faculty member accepts glass award on stage with dean

2025 Award Winners

Jason Cobb Medicine

Dr. Jason Cobb is a thought leader in inclusive community engagement both at the institutional and national level. He has been a major advocate and champion of inclusivity initiatives and has made tremendous contributions to fostering inclusivity in education, research, clinical care, community outreach, and national policies.

As the Associate Program Director for the Renal Medicine fellowship at Emory 2017-2025, and now as the Fellowship Program Director, Dr. Cobb has incorporated QI projects within the Emory Renal Fellowship Program specifically looking at health disparities. Under his guidance, the fellows are encouraged to have their patients at Grady participate in dialysis modality education classes. Not only is the participation high with involvement of all the nephrology fellows, but patients choosing home dialysis therapies far exceeds anything that has been done previously. This is important because patients on home dialysis therapies tend to have favorable outcomes.

At the medical school level, Dr. Cobb has involved Emory medical students in community fairs, screening for high blood pressure and kidney disease among minorities. Dr. Cobb has been educating these young students about the benefit of early timely intervention.

Jason Cobb headshot

Salathiel Kendrick-Allwood Pediatrics

Dr. Salathiel Kendrick-Allwood exemplifies inclusive excellence through her leadership, scholarship, advocacy, and mentorship in advancing health equity.

As Director of the Developmental Progress Clinic, Dr. Kendrick-Allwood leads a multidisciplinary team providing compassionate, evidence-based care to NICU graduates and children from underserved communities expanding access, addressing social determinants of health, and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Dr. Kendrick-Allwood chairs the pediatric subcommittee for Faculty/Fellow Education, where she developed impactful initiatives that have empowered faculty and trainees to recognize and address inequities in healthcare and education. Her mentorship through EMPACT and personal outreach have guided numerous learners from underrepresented backgrounds. Both have been informed by her lived experience as a single mother of neurodivergent children.

Dr. Kendrick-Allwood’s transformative leadership—spanning education, clinical care, advocacy, and global outreach are outstanding.

Salathiel Kendrick-Allwood headshot

Tommy Thomas Neurology

Dr. Tommy T. Thomas has made numerous transformative contributions to inclusive excellence across clinical care, education, research, and community engagement.

Dr. Thomas has led national inclusivity efforts as Chair of the Inclusion in Neurocritical Care Committee of the Neurocritical Care Society, developing educational content and international partnerships. His founding of the HEARD Center reflects visionary leadership in advancing global health disparities research. A dedicated mentor, Dr. Thomas supports underrepresented learners through the EMPACT Mentorship Committee and Morehouse School of Medicine’s Reach One, Each One initiative offers guidance and clinical exposure that inspire students to pursue medical careers.

His community advocacy includes board service with Wholesome Wave Georgia, addressing food insecurity, and leadership in public health campaigns like Black+Cross and Big Facts, Small Acts, promoting COVID-19 awareness in BIPOC communities.

Dr. Thomas exemplifies inclusive excellence and is richly deserving of this honor.

Tommy Thomas headshot

Previous Awardees

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018



Nomination Process

One or more faculty members will be honored with the Inclusive Excellence Award in 2025. Those who have received a similar award in the past 3 years are not eligible.

Deadline

Nominations will be accepted through July 10, 2025.

Eligibility

All faculty with a primary appointment in the SOM.

Nominations

Faculty must be nominated by a faculty member, staff member, or trainee of Emory University.  The nomination should consist of a concise narrative (500 words or less) describing how the nominee demonstrates inclusive excellence to the benefit of the Emory community and/or the patients we serve and learners we teach. It should include specific examples of the individual’s outstanding achievements and contributions towards inclusive excellence by means of service, leadership, research and/or education. Outstanding examples of inclusive excellence can include, but are not limited to: 

  • Promoting an environment that is welcoming, supportive, and nurturing to all faculty, staff, and learners within SOM
  • Engaging in the community with a focus on advancing health equity locally, regionally, or globally
  • Mentoring
  • Demonstrating leadership in inclusive culture within the SOM
  • Initiating innovative approaches to foster inclusion through research, innovation, education, and advocacy

Submission

Use the online Award Nomination Form and include the following:

  • Nominating letter (500 words or less)
  • Nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae
  • Optional materials: One additional letter of support (500 words or less)

Decision

Will be made by the School of Medicine Recognitions Committee with input from Dr. Heron’s Office and approved by the Dean. The faculty member should be in good standing within their respective Department.

Award

The recipient of the School of Medicine Inclusive Excellence Award will be honored during the annual Celebration of Faculty Eminence.

Questions should be directed to SOM Office of Faculty Academic Affairs and Professional Development at somfde@emory.edu.