Fostering Change: ACMG’s New Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee with Katy Phelan, PhD, FACMG

• This talk will introduce the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and discuss the need to increase diversity among ACMG members. While ACMG currently offers activities specifically for minority students, the DEI seeks to increase participation in these activities and ensure that trained geneticists are available as mentors for the students who participate. The DEI committee seeks to foster diversity, equity and inclusion within the college at all levels: as ACMG members; participants at the annual meeting as presenters, moderators, panelists; as committee members, and on the board of directors. Through several workgroups within the DEI, we will tackle a number of issues from attending meetings for minority students to charting a long-term course to increase DEI conversations within the college.

  

  Only the live session qualifies for CEUs but when possible, we host the recordings on our website and NSGC recommends participants to use their personal email instead of work email addresses to ensure they receive their CEU certificates.

  

  Ambry Genetics is approved as a provider for continuing education program by NSGC and ASCLS P.A.C.E ® Program.

Katy Phelan, PhD, FACMG | Presenter

Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, American College of Medical Genetics

Director, Cytogenetics, Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute

Katy Phelan is Director of Cytogenetics at Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute in Fort Myers, Florida. She is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and serves on the Board of Directors of ACMG. She serves on the Conflict of Interest (COI) Committee and is chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee of the College. She earned a BS in Biology from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL, and a PhD in Human Genetics from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical cytogenetics at the Greenwood Genetic Center in South Carolina. For the past 30 year she has concentrated on the study of individuals with 22q13 deletion syndrome (now called Phelan-McDermid syndrome).

Sarah Campian, MS, CGC | Moderator

Genomic Science Liaison, Ambry Genetics

Sarah Campian joined Ambry Genetics in 2018 as the Oncology Genetic Specialist for the Great Lakes territory. She previously worked as a clinical genetic counselor at the Grosfeld Cancer Genetics Center at Beaumont Health. Her research interests include Lynch syndrome and identification of gene mutation carriers in minority populations. Sarah received her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from Saginaw Valley State University. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from Wayne State University and is certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.