In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library was pleased to provide a weekly profile of female Deans via Instagram. Please take some time to read about the exceptional women of WesternU and how they have contributed to this year’s theme of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
Contribution to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) involves actively fostering environments where people of diverse backgrounds feel valued, respected, and included. It is important to listen and amplify voices to understand experiences and perspectives of marginalized groups. This involves creating platforms for these voices to be heard and taking action based on their feedback.
Meet Dr. Gail Evans Grayson, Acting Dean for The College of Health Sciences and the College’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Grayson’s background in management and health sciences has inspired leaders to be agents of change in the WesternU community and beyond.
A native of South-Central Los Angeles, Dr. Evans Grayson is the Acting Dean for the College of Health Sciences. Dr. Grayson joined WesternU in 2008 as an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Grayson was promoted to Department Chair for the Health Sciences Program in 2017. In addition, Dr. Grayson has served as Interim Chair for the Medical Sciences Program and the Executive Vice Dean. Gail was appointed the college’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. Grayson completed her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne. She received her Master of Arts Degree in Behavioral Sciences from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Health Education with a minor in Biology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Gail has obtained certifications from Cornell University, University of South Florida Muma College of Business, and the Ken Blanchard Companies.
Dr. Grayson has over 25 years in leadership and management in health education, behavioral health, social services, and compliance management. Dr. Grayson has worked in academia for over 20 years. Gail has presented and attended over twenty conferences both national and international including National Association of Minority Medical Educators, National Staff Development and Training Association, National Academies of Practices and the State of California and Nevada Health Department.
Dr. Grayson considers herself to be a paradigm of service through being a collaborator and a change agent. Dr. Grayson is a mixed-methods investigator in professional and personal leadership development. She uses a leadership framework that creates a theoretical lens that addresses organizational change in communities. Dr. Grayson focuses on improving the systems that directly affect people’s daily lives, specifically through leadership and public health education. Dr. Grayson enjoys collaborating with future leaders of today in supplying opportunities and resources to teams that enables them to shift their mindset and view the world differently through the lens of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
