Diversity & Inclusion
Future Physicians Summer Enrichment Program (FPSEP) is a two-week intensive summer camp experience for high school students who want to explore their interest in medicine as a career opportunity. FPSP applications for June 2020 will be available soon.
Beaumont Future Medical Scholars (BFMS) program is a collaboration between OUWB and Cranbrook Horizons Upward Bound. The program includes a summer in-residence experience on the Cranbrook campus and an academic year Saturday experience, with rigorous academic attention in English, mathematics, science and ACT preparation.
The Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP), co-sponsored by the Beaumont Research Institute, is an advanced, six-week, research-intensive program that teaches students about the mechanics of medical research. An important and beneficial component is when participants work side-by-side in laboratories with Beaumont research mentors assisting them with their current medical research.
The Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) Medical Explorers camp introduces middle school students to science investigations that reveal the way the environment affects human health and genetic makeup. This program fosters awareness of the multiple pathways that might lead to a career in medicine and health care.
Dinner with a Doctor was created as a way to connect Beaumont physicians with our medical and pre-medical students through storytelling. The narrative-driven event allows medical and pre-medical students to ask participating speakers about their own journey to becoming a physician.
Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Drive occurs every October in conjunction with Gift of Life, the Medical Library, Student National Medical Association and the Minority Association of Premedical Students. The event addresses the dire need for more individuals to register as bone marrow and organ donors.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Fair and Taste Fest with Chandler Park Academy is our largest outreach activity and has become an annual event. Our partnership with Chandler Park Academy engages the greater Harper Woods community in preventative health education.
Deirdre Pitts, Ph.D., SCP-IPMA
Interim Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty Affairs and Diversity & Inclusion
Assistant Professor of Foundational Medical Studies
Deirdre G. Pitts, Ph.D., is the Interim Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty Affairs and Diversity & Inclusion. She is also an Assistant Professor of Foundational Medical Studies. Her professional background includes more than 30 years of human resources and labor relations experience in the areas of retail management, health care administration, municipal government and higher education. Dr. Pitts joined Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in 2011 as the founding Director of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development.
Dr. Pitts provides leadership in the expanding areas of Faculty and Academic Affairs and supports the school's efforts to incorporate best practices in faculty governance, recruitment, search committee training, faculty orientation, mentorship programs, faculty outcomes research and evaluation. She plays a major role in the implementation of several goals and recommendations contained in the school's strategic plan and provides support to more than 1,400 faculty members.
Dr. Pitts earned a B.S.B.A. from Central Michigan University, a Masters in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University and her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Oakland University.
Thomas Guerrero, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Dean, Diversity & Inclusion
Professor, Radiation Oncology
Dr. Thomas Guerrero completed his M.D. and Ph.D. (biomedical physics) from the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine in 1997 and residency training in radiation oncology at Stanford University in 2002. He received his initial certification by the American Board of Radiology in 2003. He joined the thoracic radiation oncology faculty at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in 2002, founding an NIH funded translation imaging research laboratory. Since 2014, he has been Vice Chair for Translational Research and Professor of Radiation Oncology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. He holds a secondary appointment in diagnostic radiology. His research efforts are focused on deformable image registration and its applications, as well as mathematical modeling of pathophysiological processes and the development of imaging derived biomarkers. He has developed novel, noninvasive imaging methods to better understand lung function for personalized cancer therapy. He was awarded the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award in 2010. He is principal investigator on multiple NIH grants focused on thoracic malignancies. He is internationally known for his clinical skills and research. As one of the Assistant Deans for Diversity and Inclusion at OUWB, he will be leading efforts to support our medical students by expanding and sustaining a culture that embraces and celebrates the multiple dimensions of diversity.
Dr. Taylor joined Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in August 2014 as Associate Professor of Microbiology. She teaches microbiology and infectious diseases to M1 and M2 students. Dr. Taylor served as Vice Chair of the OUWB Department of Foundational Medical Studies from January 2018 until August 2019. She has served as an Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion since August 2019.
Prior to joining OUWB, Dr. Taylor was an Assistant, and then Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Microbiology at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where she taught microbiology to M1 and M2 osteopathic medical students.
Dr. Taylor received a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology from the University of Calgary, Alberta, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Western Ontario, London.
In 2014, the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners appointed her to its National Faculty in the Foundational Biomedical Sciences in the Division of Microbiology and Immunology. She served as vice president for the American Society for Microbiology, Missouri branch, and is a member of the International Association of Medical Science Educators and the National American Society for Microbiology.
Dr. Taylor’s main research areas are medical education research, and microbiology and pathogenesis. She is specifically interested in the use of online learning modules for microbiology laboratory teaching, medical student peer assessment, investigation of the quality of life of Polio survivors; how the aquatic bacteria Plesiomonas shigelloides cause diarrhea and other infections in humans, and infections (including the antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or (MRSA) among populations that are experiencing homelessness.
Dr. McClowry joined Beaumont Health in January of 2018 as core faculty at the Beaumont Grosse Pointe Family Medicine Residency and was appointed Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in April of that same year.He received his BS in Physiology from Lyman Briggs College and the Honors College at Michigan State University. For medical school, he attended Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, where he graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and Gold Humanism Honor Society. He completed his residency training, including being Chief Resident, in Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He later worked in community LGBTQ+ health prior to returning home to Michigan.
He firmly believes that addressing health inequities includes the celebration of diversity and the promotion of inclusion in medical education. Dr. McClowry was appointed Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at OUWB in August of 2018. Dr. McClowry has particular interest in addressing and eliminating stigma and bias in health care. Dr. McClowry's clinical care spans all ages of primary care with special interests in LGBTQ+ health, HIV care, adolescent health, and hospital medicine.
Caryn Reed-Hendon, M.A., Ph.D.
Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Caryn Reed-Hendon obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, her Master of Arts Degree from Eastern Michigan University, and most recently, her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Oakland University.
Dr. Reed-Hendon came to the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine from the University of Michigan-Dearborn where she served as Assistant Director for Orientation Programs for over five years. She has over ten years of higher education experience specifically in the area of Student Services. She has served on a number of professional educational committees and has worked collaboratively to present materials at regional and national conferences.
Dr. Reed Hendon oversees the day-to-day operations of programs, diversity and inclusion survey and research information and is responsible for recruitment and outreach programs that include pipeline and outreach initiatives. She also showcases diversity and inclusion topics and hosts school-wide events for students, staff and faculty.
Tiffany Williams, Ed.M.
Coordinator, Diversity & Inclusion
Tiffany Williams obtained her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Michigan University, a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Administration from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and a post-Master's Graduate Certification in Higher Education from Oakland University. Ms. Williams is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership with a specific focus in higher education leadership and access.
Tiffany came to the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine after serving for seven years as assistant director for Pre-College Programs at Oakland University where she worked to inspire both pre-college aged and college-level students to continuously pursue post-secondary opportunities and graduate programs. She has more than 10 years of experience in administrative management roles related to student programming and student affairs with a focus on improving preparation, access, and retention for diverse student populations. Her research interest includes college readiness, social justice and equity issues, retention and student sense of belonging among underrepresented student populations.
Ms. Williams oversees the outreach programs that include pipeline and outreach initiatives, as well as diversity and inclusion hosted school-wide events for students, staff and faculty in OUWB.
