Our Team
Franklin Trimm, M.D.
Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion
Assistant Vice President, Medical Affairs
rftrimm@southalabama.edu
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it
is faced.”
― James Baldwin
I am pleased to be part of a team, a medical school and a university that is committed to facing the opportunities and challenges before us. Striving for excellence, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion is facing challenges to promoting diversity, inclusion and equity as we prepare future physicians to serve a diverse community. In my role leading this office, I want to make sure that each member of our community belongs and has equitable opportunities for personal and professional growth. I enjoy conversations that help me learn how we can do better at achieving these goals.
LoRen Burroughs, MPA
Diversity Coordinator, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
lburroughs@southalabama.edu
Whiddon College of Medicine
5851 USA Drive North, MSB 1164
Mobile, AL 36688
Tel: (251) 460-7334
“Speak your truth even if your voice trembles."
― Maggie Kuhn
As the Diversity Coordinator within the Whiddon College of Medicine, my overarching goals are two-fold: 1) highlight pathways to medical school for students historically disenfranchised from STEM careers and 2) find ways to illuminate, celebrate and draw connections between the differences that make each member of the College of Medicine, USA Health, and our surrounding community unique. Every person’s story has value and when it comes to providing equitable healthcare and service delivery; it is our priority to not only value those stories and experiences but use them as means to better conceptualize the world around us.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is committed to strengthening pathways to medical education for students from disenfranchised or underrepresented groups. We are also dedicated to creating safe spaces for all within our system, across all gender, sexual, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and ability identifications. We are committed to being in a lifelong relationship with our community, trying our best to constantly be present and aware of our communities’ needs specifically as they relate to the provision of education and support.
Our lofty goals could never be attained alone. Community is what we strive for. Excellence through diversity is what drives us. Please feel free to contact me to learn more about our College of Medicine, our initiatives, and ways to contribute to our mission of excellence.
Tiquera Hall, MPA
Education and Training Specialist, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
twhall@southalabama.edu
Whiddon College of Medicine
5851 USA Drive North, MSB 1164
Mobile, AL 36688
Tel: (251) 341-4074
“The only way you can grow is to let yourself make mistakes and create contradictions.
As we learn new things, some of our old attitudes will change."
― Nikki Giovanni
I am thrilled to be the Education and Training Specialist for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Medicine. In this role, my objectives are to: 1) Develop, foster and implement training and workshops related to cultural competency, structural competency, health disparities and health inequalities related to marginalized populations. 2) Collaborate with departments in the College of Medicine and USA Health to conduct audits of curriculums to capture the current topics and teaching methods pertaining to cultural competency, structural competency, health disparities and health inequalities related to racial/ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+, and other populations. 3) Create educational toolkits and resources that help with refining and strengthening dual roles as educators and healthcare leaders in cultural competence as it continues to be an evolving process in the culture of lifelong learning.
My goal in this journey is to do my best to Educate, Promote and Inspire.
- Educate the forgotten and the unknown.
- Promote the underrepresented and underserved AND
- Inspire spaces where I'm absent, yet present.
Sherry Parnell, BSW
Whiddon College of Medicine
5851 USA Drive North, MSB 1164
Mobile, AL 36688
Tel: (251) 341-4072
“Lean into discomfort and experience as much as you can."
― Unknown
I graduated from South Alabama with a BSW and minors in Gender Studies and Sociology. I have an only child who currently attends South Alabama (Go Jags)! I have a passion for social justice issues and volunteer at the MC Metro Jail after completing a mental health rotation and working with individual and group therapy inmates.
For me, diversity is essential to our past, present and future. I enjoy being part of a team that is committed to moving inclusion forward by encouraging civic engagement, fostering tough conversations, broadening perspectives and connecting the people of the College of Medicine. Every day, I look forward to participating in the promotion of equity in any capacity necessary so that every medical student I encounter, in our space, feels welcome, experiences personal growth, thrives and walks out knowing their value.