Shifting From Diversity and Inclusion to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM Education
Panel Discussion with Deldelp Medina, Tong Zhang and Carlos Crespo
Deldep Medina
Executive Director
Black & Brown Founders
I’m a Thinker, Leader, and Speaker. Not necessarily in that order. I am the Executive Director of Black and Brown Founders. I have worked on creating systems for equity in the startup ecosystems for the last nine years.
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Yes, Deldelp is a unique name. I am the daughter of painter Delfina Bernal and writer/historian Alvaro Medina. My name is in tribute to my mother. It is pronounced Deldel. Yes, the “p” is silent. My family is from Barranquilla, Colombia. I consider San Francisco, California my home.
Tong Zhang
Executive Director
Oregon Mesa
Tong is a first-generation American who immigrated from China to the US as a small child. She attended Title I schools throughout her elementary years and credits the dedicated teachers and well-rounded education she received for shaping her career interests and fostering her academic success. Tong is passionate about the MESA mission of engaging underserved students in STEM in her home state of Oregon and beyond. She comes to Oregon MESA with a background in working with organizations to create meaningful and sustained social impact. Previously, she was a founding staff member and COO of Thread, an organization providing wrap-around support to high school students in Baltimore city. Prior to her work in non-profit management, she worked on developing cancer vaccines. She has a Ph.D. in Immunology from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington.
Carlos Crespo
Vice Provost
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Dr. Carlos J. Crespo is a Professor at the Oregon Health and Science University and Portland State University Joint School of Public Health, and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Training in Biomedical Research at Portland State University. He graduated from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico and has a Master of Science in Sports Health from Texas Tech University and a Doctor of Public Health in Preventive Care from the Loma Linda University.
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Previous work experience includes working for the National Center for Health Statistics, and as a Public Health Analyst for the National Institutes of Health. His main area of research involves the epidemiology of physical activity in the prevention of chronic diseases and research on minority health issues. He lists
more than 100 publications and has been a contributing author to five textbooks on minority health and sports medicine,