Diversity Advisory Committee

Founded in 1999 the Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC) explores and addresses the diversity needs of the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. The committee of residents, fellows, and faculty has multiple aims including cultural psychiatry curriculum development, enhancing cultural psychiatry research, recruiting underrepresented minority trainees and faculty. DAC works closely with the UC Davis Health Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to achieve these goals.

This innovative program received the Creativity in Psychiatric Education Award for 2007 from the American College of Psychiatrists and the 2010 American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training Model Curriculum Award for Cultural Psychiatry.

The Luke and Grace Kim Endowed Professorship in Cultural Psychiatry is the only endowed cultural psychiatry professorship in the nation. Dr. Ruth Shim, the holder of the professorship, is a national leader in mental health disparities research and social determinants of mental health, holds the current professorship. The Luke and Grace Kim Professorship supports teaching, research and public service within the department with the goal of fostering academic excellence and innovative research in the field of cultural psychiatry.