Paula J. Brown is the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, and Community Employment Liaison in the Office for Equal Opportunity at Rush University Medical Center. She is responsible for programs related to diversity and inclusion, affirmative action, and disability rights. Chief among her duties at Rush is compiling faculty, student, and house staff statistics for Rush University. During her tenure at Rush, Paula was responsible for co-chairing a Task Force that led to the creation of a Language Interpreters Program at Rush. Ms. Brown has been the chair of the Rush ADA Task Force since 2012. The Task Force, established in 1991, is known as a national leader in programming, accommodations, and initiatives related to people with disabilities. A major program of the Task Force is the Eugene J-MA Thonar, Ph.D. Award, held annually in October, which celebrates people with disabilities. The recipient of the award does not have to have a disability, but they must have promoted disability awareness either inside or outside of Rush. Ms. Brown was honored to have received this award in 2008. Paula has also contributed to a poster presentation for the American Public Health Association’s 142nd Annual Meeting and Exposition, an article for the Journal of Nursing Administration [in process], and conducted a webinar, all in support of people with disabilities through the Rush ADA Task Force. Ms. Brown is also chair of the Diversity Leadership Council’s Committee on Training and Communication, which is responsible for creating initiatives and programming to consistently improve the culture of competence and inclusion within the medical center. Her committee creates an annual Diversity Week, which promotes education across cultures and lifestyles, re the benefits it creates for enhanced interpersonal relationships, and it how it affects the delivery of healthcare. Paula received her MBA from Roosevelt University, and did her undergraduate work at Chicago State University. She participates in the South Side Alumni Chapter of Roosevelt University, and is a Trustee at Third Baptist Church of Chicago. Ms. Brown has been a formal mentor to many, and is currently involved in the formal mentoring program at Rush.

• Roosevelt University - MBA, Business
• Chicago State University - B.S., Business