Rich Salas, Ph.D., chief diversity officer at Des Moines University, was one of six individuals honored by dsm magazine, in collaboration with One Iowa and American Equity, with its LGBTQ Legacy Leader Award. He was honored as an ally for his work to improve health care for LGBTQ patients through more inclusive education and advocacy.
He and the other honorees will be recognized for lifetime achievement at a special event on Sept. 14, 2023, at the River Center, 340 SW Third St., Des Moines. Event details will be announced in the summer.
Salas joined DMU when the university established an Office of Multicultural Affairs in 2012. Previously associate director of El Centro and Greek life in the Division of Student Affairs at Colorado State University, he brought to DMU broad experience in education, advocacy and community engagement relating to DEI. His work at the university helps achieve DMU’s efforts to diversity health care by:
- Providing scholarships to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the health care workforce.
- Preparing all students to provide culturally competent care and leadership.
- Offering students opportunities to work directly with underserved populations.
Salas has worked diligently with faculty to help them incorporate cultural literacy content into curricula, and he greatly expanded programming to enhance cultural competency of students and employees. With his leadership, the university created a Faculty and Staff Diversity Council to assist in recruiting diverse employees and students and help ensure students’ successful matriculation.
He established the Multicultural Affairs Student Advisory Council of students and faculty working together to promote diversity and cultural competency at the university and in the community. MASAC sponsors a variety of events, speakers and entertainment throughout the year and encompasses DMU’s Seeking Justice Series, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Pride Alliance.
A past member of the West Des Moines Human Rights Commission, Salas has provided training to a variety of organizations and community groups and has been a speaker and panelist at numerous events and celebrations in Central Iowa and beyond.
Under his leadership, DMU has developed and maintains partnerships with community entities, including the NAACP, Des Moines Police Department, Latinos Unidos, Iowa Asian Alliance, One Iowa and the Des Moines Public Schools. DMU joined the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education in 2012 through Salas to use its resources and best practices in DEI. He became a NADOHE Board member in 2018.
In 2019, Salas led efforts within NADOHE to create a Health Professions Chapter for the association, comprised of members who work in health sciences education. Its mission is to lead health professions education toward inclusive excellence and to serve as a catalyst for efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in health care education. In the context that health care professionals must be able to treat every individual with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their race, sexual/gender orientation and background, the chapter serves as a catalyst and think tank where its members can learn from each other about fostering that cultural competency and humility among their students, who are going to be future health care providers.
