Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 16, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 13 O U T S TA N D I N G W O M E N I N B U S I N E S S - 15th anniversary F O C U S BY ISABEL TEHAN WBJ Staff Writer I t was a somewhat windy road that brought Marlina Duncan to a career as a chief diversity officer. She first thought she wanted to be a medical doctor, pursuing a degree in biology from Westfield State, but realized it wasn't for her. Instead, she found a passion for science education and broadening participation among underrepresented groups. "I didn't see a lot of teachers that looked like me," Duncan said. Additionally, she noticed a lack of stu- dents from marginalized backgrounds pursuing science. ese experiences led her to pursue a doctorate in science education, and she launched her career, which has brought her to the top of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at UMass Chan Medical School. Elevating the profile of DEI initiatives in medicine, in particular, is important. "So many studies show that patients have better outcomes when caregivers share a background," Duncan said. "If we want more innovation and insight, it makes sense to have people with different experiences and perspectives at the table." Before she came to UMass Chan in 2020, Duncan was an associate dean at Brown University in Providence and director of diversity initiatives and education and outreach at the Broad Institute in Cambridge. She has excelled as a change agent with a steady calmness and commit- ment, said Bruce Birren, director of the Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases at the Broad Institute. "She enters some messy situations fearlessly," said Birren. Without casting blame about institu- tional challenges related to DEI, Duncan invited scientists across the Broad to think seriously about the consequences stemming from a lack of inclusivity in a supportive manner. She empowered people to change. Duncan uses her experiences, her education, and her demeanor to get peo- ple excited about putting in the work to achieve institutional change, said Birren. "She brought this wealth of knowledge and raised everything we did by several notches by asking amazing questions that got us to think about why we did things one way and how it could go better," he said. Exploring how to make situations bet- ter for people of all backgrounds is what Duncan continues to do in her career. Now at UMass Chan, Duncan is working to solidify DEI as an institu- tional priority. She's made some signifi- cant headway in her three years there. In February 2022, UMass Chan made diversity, equity, and inclusion a pillar in its strategic plan, recognizing the need to prioritize resources in the pursuit of equality. "It's an integral part of the institution now," said Duncan. "We realized we needed to operationalize this work and make it a priority." Under Duncan's tenure, the number of staff positions in the DEI office has been increased, and the university has added more affinity groups for staff members and students. While progress has been made steadily, there's a need to recognize change is an ongoing process and the work is not done. at work is hard, she said. "e biggest challenge is change. Change is hard for everyone. is work is asking people to reimagine what has been done for such a long time," Duncan said. is education and exposure takes time, she said. While it's tempting to be in a rush to make changes once the rec- ognition of problems is there, it needs to be balanced with allowing time to learn and to feel, said Duncan. To move forward, Duncan takes her role of guiding this progress seriously. "We are creating opportunities for folks to engage in difficult conversations and listen to what's holding them back," she said. "Being there, being flexible, being open makes the difference." Duncan helps people reimagine situations differently, think about how some face the world in ways that are dif- ferent than what they have experienced themselves, and address how to move forward, said Birren. "at's an amazing talent," he said. Duncan enters messy situations fearlessly Marlina Duncan Vice chancellor, diversity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer UMass Chan Medical School, in Worcester Residence: Whitinsville Education: Bachelor's degree in biology from Westfield State University; doctorate in science education from UMass Amherst Who's career would you most like to emulate? Joan Fuller, former director of the urban education program at Westfield State University; and Sandra Petersen, professor at UMass Amherst and former executive di- rector for the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate. Both were life-changing administrators, and women who made an impact while serving as posi- tive role models and mentors. What are the main obstacles women face to success in the workplace? Lack of representation and biases in business. Women are often striving alone in industries and businesses dominated by men. Many women, especially women of color, are facing a double bias. This in turn creates difficulties when it comes to advancement, obtaining funding, establishing partnerships, and networking. What advice would you give to a woman just entering the workforce? "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." - Maya Angelou W PHOTO | CHRISTINE PETERSON

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