The Equity Advisory Council is an external body of world class scholars and practitioners who are invited to provide advice to the CHMI Community (leadership, researchers, and staff) on all facets of our work through the lens of equity, inclusion and diversity.

The role of the Advisory Council will be to meet with the staff and leadership for no more than two and a half hours, three times a year, to review, discuss, and advise us on efforts we are making, or considering, regarding all or any facet of our work through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Occasionally, we may reach out to members of the Council to connect with their networks regarding opportunities at CHM/HMI, interest in potential research collaborations, and findings from current work. The role is intentionally set up not to be onerous, as we recognize that chosen Council members have other significantly important commitments to juggle within their already demanding professional lives. Council members are not considered staff, and thus will not be enlisted to serve in roles and responsibilities typically held by key staff. The expertise, experience, and lived backgrounds of Equity Advisory Council members is needed in order to help us move forward in our efforts to be a more equitable and inclusive community, and for our work to be reflective of the commitment to equity and inclusion nationally and globally.

Membership on the Advisory Council is set for one year and current members can be found on the CHM website.

Other opportunities to which support is sought from individual or groups of Council members will need to be negotiated directly with those members, and may be outside of their designated role as Advisory Council members.Please route communications and requests for the Council through Isa Dolski.

Members of the Equity Advisory Council

2023-2024 Cohort

• Dr. Alex Gee is the Lead Pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church, a multiracial, multigenerational, and multi-class congregation in Madison, Wisconsin. He recently launched “Justified Anger”, a movement encouraging the community to rethink racial disparities in Madison.
• Dr. Michelle Aihina Inkinsh Holhpokunna Johnson-Jennings (Choctaw Nation Enrolled Tribal Member) is a license eligible clinical health psychologist and serves as the Canadian Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Community Engaged Research and associate professor in Indigenous Studies and Associate in Community Health and Epidemiology in Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada).
• Dr. Laura Rendon is currently as a Professor Emerita at the University of Texas-San Antonia. She is also an educational consultant and often a featured speaker at higher education institutions and conferences throughout the nation.
• Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai is currently the Head of Research and Chief Accessibility Officer at CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). The focus of his work is cancer research with a specialization in clinical genomics and variant interpretation, molecular diagnostics, translational drug development and hematology/oncology.
• Dr. Julian F. Thayer is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California Irvine. His numerous accolades include the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award, the most prestigious honor granted by the organization.

2022-2023 Cohort

• Dr. Norman B. Anderson currently works as the Assistant Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs at Florida State University (FSU) where he is also a Professor of Social Work. At FSU he created and now directs the Faculty Leadership Program which helps faculty in various stages of their professional careers. Before this he was the second-longest serving CEO and Executive Vice President of the American Psychological Association.
• Dr. Alex Gee is the Lead Pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church, a multiracial, multigenerational, and multi-class congregation in Madison, Wisconsin. He recently launched “Justified Anger”, a movement encouraging the community to rethink racial disparities in Madison.
• Dr. Michelle Aihina Inkinsh Holhpokunna Johnson-Jennings (Choctaw Nation Enrolled Tribal Member) is a license eligible clinical health psychologist and serves as the Canadian Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Community Engaged Research and associate professor in Indigenous Studies and Associate in Community Health and Epidemiology in Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada).
• Dr. Laura Rendon is currently as a Professor Emerita at the University of Texas-San Antonia. She is also an educational consultant and often a featured speaker at higher education institutions and conferences throughout the nation.
• Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai is currently the Head of Research and Chief Accessibility Officer at CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). The focus of his work is cancer research with a specialization in clinical genomics and variant interpretation, molecular diagnostics, translational drug development and hematology/oncology.
• Dr. Julian F. Thayer is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California Irvine. His numerous accolades include the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award, the most prestigious honor granted by the organization.

2021-2022 Cohort

• Dr. Norman B. Anderson currently works as the Assistant Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs at Florida State University (FSU) where he is also a Professor of Social Work. At FSU he created and now directs the Faculty Leadership Program which helps faculty in various stages of their professional careers. Before this he was the second-longest serving CEO and Executive Vice President of the American Psychological Association.
• Dr. Bryan Brayboy is President’s Professor of Indigenous education and justice in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. He is senior advisor to the president, director of the Center for Indian Education, associate director of the School of Social Transformation, and co-editor of the Journal of American Indian Education.
• Dr. Alex Gee is the Lead Pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church, a multiracial, multigenerational, and multi-class congregation in Madison, Wisconsin. He recently launched “Justified Anger”, a movement encouraging the community to rethink racial disparities in Madison.
• Dr. Michelle Aihina Inkinsh Holhpokunna Johnson-Jennings (Choctaw Nation Enrolled Tribal Member) is a license eligible clinical health psychologist and serves as the Canadian Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Community Engaged Research and associate professor in Indigenous Studies and Associate in Community Health and Epidemiology in Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada).
• Dr. Laura Rendon is currently as a Professor Emerita at the University of Texas-San Antonia. She is also an educational consultant and often a featured speaker at higher education institutions and conferences throughout the nation.
• Dr. Laurie Santos is a Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. She is also the Director of Yale’s Comparative Cognition Laboratory, and Director of Yale’s Canine Cognition Lab. In January of 2018, one of her courses, Psychology and the Good Life, became the most popular courses in Yale history.
• Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai is currently the Head of Research and Chief Accessibility Officer at CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). The focus of his work is cancer research with a specialization in clinical genomics and variant interpretation, molecular diagnostics, translational drug development and hematology/oncology.