YWCA will honor WesternU associate vice provost
Western University of Heath Sciences Associate Professor of Anatomy and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Development Elizabeth Rega, PhD, will be one of nine women to be honored by the YWCA San Gabriel Valley during its 30th annual Women of Achievement Awards.
The YWCA this year is honoring “Women of Achievement in the Field of Health Care: Honoring Passion, Dedication, and Accomplishment” during its awards event on June 12, 2014 at The Pavilion in the Industry Hills Expo Center, City of Industry.
Scott Scoggins, WesternU community outreach coordinator for American Indian Health Career Ladder and director of the Native American Summer Pipeline to College program at Pitzer, said he nominated Rega because she has leadership and vision, and has shown a strong commitment to community health care and programs such as WesternU’s Health Career Ladder (HCL).
“She has reached out to the underserved local American Indian community to offer and provide health care programs. Students from Sherman Indian High School come regularly for the Health Career Ladder sessions, and health career programming at WesternU is an essential part of the college prep program Pitzer’s Native American Summer Pipeline to College Program,” Scoggins said.
Rega implemented the Pomona Health Career Ladder program in 2007 with Pomona Unified School District and Cal Poly Pomona. The program brings together middle and high school students and their parents with teachers, professors, health professionals and graduate health professions students to explore health professions career pathways and science through hands-on activities. HCL sessions are held during Saturday academies and collaborative multi-week summer academies. WesternU expanded the HCL program to COMP-Northwest in Lebanon, Ore. in 2011, to serve disadvantaged rural students and families.
Rega also founded the American Indian Health Career Ladder, which unites Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, Calif., Pitzer College, and WesternU. Patterned after the Pomona Health Career Ladder, it gives Native American students a vision and goals for the future, and an opportunity to make significant contributions to society. To further advocate for Native Americans, Rega partnered with Scoggins and Pitzer College’s Native Summer Pipeline to College to provide on-campus college life experience for native high school students to build self-esteem, become motivated to complete high school, prepare academically for college, and connect to their native knowledge and culture.
Founded in 1935, the YWCA San Gabriel Valley has been a long-standing community partner, working at individual and community levels to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
For tickets or more information please call Natalie Clark-Wilson at (626) 214-9444 or visit www.ywcasgv.org
