Biographies

2011 Champions of Health Professions Diversity Award Honorees

Charles J. Alexander, Ph.D.

A pioneer of pipeline programs designed to increase diversity in the health professions, Charles Alexander is currently the director of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). AAP supports students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, including first-generation college students and students from low-income families and underrepresented populations. At UCLA, Alexander also serves as the associate vice provost for student diversity in the Division of Undergraduate Education, and as an associate adjunct professor in the Division of Public Health, School of Dentistry.

Alexander oversees AAP programs, including academic advising, peer learning, mentoring, research opportunities and scholarships. Previously, Alexander was the associate dean for student affairs in the School of Dentistry at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He founded UCSF’s Dental Careers Program, which offered the nation’s first dental post-baccalaureate program. Prior to that, Alexander created and ran student diversity programs at Marquette University and Brandeis University.

A past president of the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Alexander received UCSF’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for leadership and inspiration in advancing social and economic justice goals. He has also served as chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Dental Pipeline Project II Advisory Committee. He is a member of many organizations, including the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Alexander received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland, a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and a doctorate in sociological foundations of education from Marquette University.

José Ramón Fernández-Peña, M.D., M.P.A.

After José Ramón Fernández-Peña immigrated to the United States, he discovered how complicated it was to relicense as a physician here. About 10 years later, Fernández-Peña founded the Welcome Back Initiative (WBI) to assist foreign-trained health professionals overcome barriers to licensure and employment in the U.S. health sector. He is currently the executive director of WBI, an associate professor of health education at San Francisco State University (SFSU), and co-director of Community Health Works of San Francisco, a partnership program of City College of San Francisco and SFSU. Fernández-Peña is also a senior fellow at the Center for the Health Professions at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Established in 2001, WBI addresses the nation’s critical need for linguistically and culturally competent health services by building on existing community assets: immigrant health professionals who are already living in the United States. WBI is a national model with affiliated centers in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, New York, Texas and Colorado. Previously, Fernández-Peña was the director of health education at Mission Neighborhood Health Center in San Francisco. Prior to moving to California, he was an associate director for quality management at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City.

Fernández-Peña is an executive board member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and serves as chair of APHA’s Latino Caucus policy committee. He was a board member of California Pan Ethnic Health Network and an advisory board member of UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. Born and raised in Mexico City, he received a medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a master’s degree in public administration from New York University.

John T. Matsui, Ph.D.

For nearly two decades, John Matsui has advocated for increasing access to higher education among all individuals, particularly those from underserved, underrepresented groups who historically have not participated. He co-founded and serves as director of the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). BSP is a national model for supporting low-income and first-generation students in science and health careers. Matsui is also the assistant dean for biological sciences at UC Berkeley.

Matsui has identified several key elements of success for programs such as BSP, including relevant and timely academic advice, a community environment, strong mentoring and early involvement in research. Students receive comprehensive support based on their individual needs, such as financial support or academic and professional development. In addition to his work at UC Berkeley, Matsui assists institutions nationwide interested in establishing adapted versions of BSP. Previously, Matsui worked in administration at the Student Learning Center at UC Berkeley, and served as a faculty member and administrator at Santa Barbara City College.

Matsui was awarded the Leon A. Henkin Citation for Distinguished Service at UC Berkeley, which recognizes faculty members for exceptional commitment to the educational development of underrepresented students. He has testified before the Sullivan Commission and the California Legislature. Raised in West Berkeley, California, Matsui is a product of the California Community Colleges and University of California systems. He attended Merritt College in Oakland and then transferred to UC Berkeley, where he received a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. He received a doctorate in science education at the University of California, Santa Barbara.