Jann Murray-García receives national honor for pioneering work in cultural humility
By Rebecca Badeaux
Founding School of Nursing faculty member recognized for decades of work advancing health equity in education, healthcare and communities
(SACRAMENTO)
Jann Murray-García, founding faculty member and clinical professor emerita at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Alma Dea Morani, M.D. Renaissance Woman Award.
The national award is the highest honor given by the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. It recognizes women physicians and scientists whose work has made a lasting mark on medicine and helped shape its future.
Murray-García is a pediatrician who spent more than a decade teaching nursing students in a master’s degree program. As an educator and advocate for health equity, she is best known as co-creator of the concept of cultural humility, a framework recognizing that we never stop learning from the people and communities we serve.
“I am so humbled and grateful to receive the Alma Dea Morani Award from the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. There are so many, many women physicians who deserve this level of recognition for how they serve and teach and research every day,” Murray-García said.
Beyond her national influence, Murray-García helped cultivate the culture of the School of Nursing itself since its inception in 2009. Through initiatives such as team agreements and inclusive excellence efforts, she fostered an environment where belonging, respect and shared accountability became foundational to how the school community learns, leads and works together.
Building a legacy at UC Davis and beyond
For Murray-García, creating a fairer health system has never been limited to the classroom. Throughout her career at UC Davis, she has brought together students, health care leaders and community members to examine how lived experiences, history and power shape health. It means creating opportunities for people to listen to one another, challenge long-held assumptions and understand how history and social conditions shape health.
“Jann's influence can be felt throughout the School of Nursing,” said Dean Stephen Cavanagh. “She has challenged us to listen more deeply, examine our assumptions and learn from the experiences of others. The culture of belonging and respect she helped foster continues to shape how we educate future health professionals and engage with our communities.”
Jann Murray-García, front, developed a bus trip along Highway 99 to show students the challenges and strengths of those living in the Central Valley.
She also founded the Interprofessional Central Valley Road Trip, an immersive learning experience along Highway 99. Participants travel by bus into communities often discussed through statistics and policy reports, learning directly from residents about the challenges and strengths that shape life between Stockton and Bakersfield.
Her commitment extends beyond campus. She has been recognized for her volunteer work promoting dialogue about race and social justice in Davis public high schools, including mentoring students who developed a history course on race relations.
Together, these initiatives reflect Murray-García's belief that the work she’s so passionate about belongs not only in classrooms, but in communities, health systems and everyday interactions. That philosophy, first articulated nearly three decades ago, continues to shape education and healthcare globally.
A pioneering idea with worldwide influence
In the late 1990s, Murray-García and fellow physician Melanie Tervalon introduced the concept of cultural humility. Their work challenged the idea that understanding another person's culture is something health professionals can fully master through training alone.
“Dr. Jann is an exceptional scholar who seamlessly thrives at the intersection of vision, science and the importance of honoring, respecting and valuing each other — not as a nice thing to have, but as a fundamental requirement for a functioning and healthy society,” said Piri Ackerman, associate dean for Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence at the School of Nursing.
At its core, Murray-García’s work is about approaching others with curiosity, respect and a willingness to learn. The framework has influenced health professions education and efforts to improve care worldwide.
“There are, of course, generations of women on whose shoulders I stand, especially but not exclusively Black women. Their hope and hard work, often against daunting and disrespectful circumstances, mean we were able to achieve beyond what some of them could imagine,” Murray-García said. “I am committed to continue making dreams become realities for aspiring and current women health professionals.”
Join the virtual celebration
Murray-García will receive the award Nov. 5 at a virtual event hosted in partnership with the New York Academy of Medicine. She will deliver a keynote address, “Cultural Humility: Interrupting Scripts of Inequality.”
