I am excited to be your new Chief Diversity Officer. Diversity is not only about class composition, it’s about our willingness to understand people who are different from ourselves, to cultivate empathy, and to be inclusive. Conversations about diversity, inclusion, and equity should not be side topics; instead, they should represent key behaviors necessary for providing the best optometric care for all patients. I am delighted that I will be working with all of you and the faculty and staff to develop ways to learn about and celebrate diversity as an integral part of optometry. For example, this month Jen Bennett and I will be hosting a book club about racism and I sincerely hope you will join us as we learn together and work together to understand health disparities, racism, implicit biases, learn tools to mitigate harmful behaviors, and discover ways to be better allies. Thank you!