New leadership for cancer center’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

New leadership for cancer center’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

(SACRAMENTO)

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Interim Physician-in-Chief David Tom Cooke is stepping into the role of associate director of the cancer center’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEAL).

Cooke will lead the newly appointed IDEAL team that includes assistant directors Miquell Olivia Miller and Luis Godoy. Cooke replaces Luis Carvajal-Carmona as the leader of IDEAL after Carvajal-Carmona became the associate vice chancellor for the UC Davis Office of Academic Diversity.

Man in white coat facing talking with woman in black dress and another man in white coat.
David Tom Cooke, right, to lead cancer center’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility with assistant directors Miquell Olivia Miller and Luis Godoy

Cooke said he hopes the Office of IDEAL will help achieve a leadership roster that reflects the communities the cancer center serves. Overall objectives include:

  • Promoting pathways for career and leadership development opportunities for under-represented cancer center academicians
  • Developing infrastructure and policies designed to promote a culture of inclusivity, diversity equity and accessibility

“The Office of IDEAL is a mission critical facet of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, as required for our National Cancer Institute ‘comprehensive’ designation,” said Cooke. “It will lead the development of our plan for enhancing diversity, which includes increasing the number of diverse cancer center members, who are skilled clinical, translational, and basic science cancer research.”

Rounding out the Office of IDEAL team are Allyn Fernandez, chief operations officer of the cancer center, and analyst Krandalyn Goodman.

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.