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FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
By: Michael T. Sheppard, CPA, CAE | Posted on: 01 Sep 2022
As you know, the AUA is continuing to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization itself as well as the larger urological community. To that end and following the recommendation of the AUA’s Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, we have created a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. The committee will identify and advise on potential solutions to meet diversity gaps within the AUA organizational programs; advise AUA Program Councils on the implementation of diversity initiatives and advise on methods to recruit, support and retain diverse AUA leaders and volunteers.
Earlier this summer, the AUA selected Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA, to serve as the inaugural chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and Chief Diversity Officer for the AUA (Figure). She will advise the Board on shaping and executing diversity initiatives.
 Figure. Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA, inaugural chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and Chief Diversity Officer for the AUA. |
Dr. Bresler was chosen for her impressive track record of understanding and advancing diversity and inclusion and education initiatives in various leadership roles. Nationally, she sits on the Federal Women’s Task Force that helps promote equity and inclusion for federal workers and she recently completed her term as senior consultant of Urology Basics and Core Topics with the AUA’s Core Curriculum Committee. She has also participated on the AUA’s Practice Guidelines Committee. Regionally, Dr. Bresler is a member of the North Central Section (NCS) of the AUA’s Board of Directors, Long Range Planning and Education Committees and chairs the NCS Women in Urology (WIU) Committee. Locally, she has championed diversity initiatives as the President of the Chicago Urological Society.
Under Dr. Bresler’s direction, the NCS WIU Committee has expanded its role beyond women to diversity and inclusion in general. The committee developed a Support On the Spot program geared to women and underrepresented minorities to have the ability to reach out for rapid advice in navigating complex work situations and to provide a sponsor to expand underrepresented minorities and WIU opportunities for involvement in professional societies, meetings and leadership prospects.
An active member of AUA since 2003, Dr. Bresler is an associate professor of urology, obstetrics and gynecology at the Loyola University Medical Center. She obtained her MD from Oregon Health and Sciences University, completed her urology residency at Loyola University Medical Center and completed the AUA leadership program in 2019. Dr. Bresler is a board certified acupuncturist as well as a resilience and wellness coach. She has published over 50 papers and book chapters and has received numerous honors and awards, including multiple teaching awards, the Best of AUA (Female Urology) and Illinois Magazine’s Top Urologist 2021-2022.
Dr. Bresler has championed diversity throughout her career, and she has built a legacy paving the road for underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ+ persons and women. I look forward to working with her and I’m confident in her ability to help AUA advance diversity and inclusion initiatives in the urology community while improving urological care throughout the world.