Initiative – Community Engagement

In 2022-2023, RTA fellows formed an interest group on belonging and community engagement, which was granted working group status in 2024. This was based on a survey of our membership that demonstrated the need for RTA to engage and enhance efforts in our membership institutions to increase access for those who have been traditionally underrepresented, and to enhance belonging of all the faculty, staff, and students that make up our colleges, both in their college and in the profession.

As our Community Engagement working group moves forward, below is the structure for our movement forward.

Three-year plan:

  • Year 1 (2025-2026) – Strategic framework and implementation
  • Year 2 (2026-2027) – Curriculum expansion and mentorship
  • Year 3 (2027-2028) – Evaluation and sustainability
Interested in Joining

Community Engagement Initiative Fellows

7 & 420 & CE Local Representative: Alberta Arviso PhD University of Arizona [UA]
32 & 421 & CE Local Representative: Munashe Chigerwe BVSc, MPH, PhD, DACVIM University of California-Davis [UCD]
33 & 422 & CE Local Representative: Po Yen Chou BVM, MS, DACVS-SA University of California-Davis [UCD]
69 & 423 & CE Local Representative: Rachel Halsey DVM, GCertEdRes Washington State University [WSU]
70 & 424 & CE Local Representative: Adam Harris DVM PhD Colorado State University [CSU]
84 & 425 & CE Local Representative: Malika Kachani PhD, DVM Western University [WU]
94 & 426 & CE Local Representative: Andrea Lam DVM, DACVD, MEd University of California-Davis [UCD]
104 & 427 & CE Local Representative: Christy Martin DVM University of Arizona [UA]
120 & 428 & CE Local Representative: Teresa Morishita DVM, MPVM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV Western University [WU]
126 & 429 & CE Local Representative: Naomi Nishi PhD Colorado State University [CSU]
134 & 430 & CE Local Representative: Erin Pinnell DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM) Washington State University [WSU]
145 & 431 & CE Local Representative: Lisa Schlein DVM PhD MBA Colorado State University [CSU]