Jason Stephenson named associate dean for multicultural affairs for health professions learners

In this role, he will provide leadership, vision, and oversight to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the school’s five health professions degree programs and accredited residency and fellowship programs administered by UW Health and the school.

“I am most excited about the opportunity to provide additional ways to support students in their pursuit to become highly skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate care providers,” Stephenson said. “The national events of the preceding year have compelled me to seek more active ways to affect positive change in our community and beyond. My goal is to promote growth and stimulate thoughtful discourse on topics of equity, inclusion, and cultures as they relate to our learning environments and to our shared institutional values of service, scholarship, science, and social responsibility.”

Stephenson earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri in 2004. He completed both a diagnostic radiology residency and musculoskeletal radiology fellowship at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He then became the director of the musculoskeletal imaging fellowship program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2012, he joined the School of Medicine and Public Health as an assistant professor of radiology and director of the radiology medical student clerkship. He is known as a highly regarded teacher, clinician, and mentor. He has been promoted to associate professor and named director of musculoskeletal computed tomography (CT) and director of medical student education in the Department of Radiology.

Stephenson was selected as a Centennial Scholar and now is a member of the Centennial Scholars and Centennial Clinicians Program Steering Committee. The program provides resources and professional development to diverse faculty. He has been a Shapiro Research Mentor and is currently a mentor for the Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM) program, an initiative aimed at increasing mentoring skills for diverse faculty scholars and providing mentorship to medical students.

He is heavily involved in student education and plays a major role as a block leader in the school’s ForWard medical curriculum. He also teaches physician assistant and physical therapy students, as well as residents and fellows. He serves on several school committees responsible for educational policy, curriculum, assessment, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, authored curricula for several health professions programs, and given scientific talks on local and international stages.

Stephenson’s work has been recognized with numerous awards for teaching, mentoring, and service. He received a Dean’s Teaching Award in 2018. In 2020 he was inducted into the Gold Humanism in Medicine Society and selected by the School of Medicine and Public Health to receive the Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. It is one of the school’s highest recognitions for outstanding compassion in the delivery of care and respect for patients, their families, and one’s colleagues.

“Dr. Stephenson has been deeply committed to providing outstanding educational leadership and enhancing learner outcomes at our School of Medicine and Public Health for many years,” said Elizabeth M. Petty, MD, senior associate dean for academic affairs. “He is a strong and thoughtful advocate for learners at all levels, across all professions; a passionate and tireless champion for diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion; and is highly respected and well-liked by students, staff, peers, and supervisors. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Stephenson join us in this important role.”