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ABE Featured Member - April/May 2025
Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz Belmont University | What are your name and title/rank? Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz, PhD Chair & Professor of Pharmaceutical, Social & Administrative Sciencesedgar.diaz-cruz@belmont.edu How long have you been a member of ABE, and what attracted you to the organization? I have been a member of the association for 6 years, The idea of learning alongside other educators who shared such deep commitment to advancing biochemistry education in health professions attracted me to join the organization. Looking at your time with the association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you looking forward to? I have deeply enjoyed the camaraderie among the association members and their commitment to student learning and success. I truly enjoyed my time as a member of the ABE Executive Board, especially helping the association create a vision to advance diversity and inclusion through my involvement as a member of the inaugural Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I am looking forward to the next in-person meeting in Santa Fe, and having the opportunity to serve in one of the association's committees.Tell us more about your ABE conference contributions. If you aren't presenting, what are you most excited about engaging in? In 2019, I presented a short talk and a poster on "Using Biochemistry to Educate Students on the Causal Link Between Social Epigenetics and Health Disparities." In 2023, I presented the education discussion group session titled: "ABE, JEDI, and SWOT: Leveraging ABE's Strengths, Recognizing our Weaknesses, Seizing our Opportunities, and Safeguarding Against Threats". In 2023, I presented a short talk and poster on "Creating an inclusive biochemistry learning environment". I am excited about engaging with other biochemistry educators in Santa Fe to discuss strategies for biochemistry content curricular integration and pedagogical approaches to pharmacy students success. If people would like to follow you on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc), what are your handles? www.linkedin.com/in/edgar-diaz-cruz-431697257 What interesting things are you working on outside of the association right now? Research, presentations, hobbies, etc. I am currently completing an academic leadership fellows program through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. I am leading the strategic planning for the Belmont University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, and developing standards of leadership excellence using the transformational leadership framework for the college's faculty and staff. And in my free time, I take advantage of the therapeutic benefits of building lego sets (LOL). |
