If you haven't met Faye Gary, EdD, RN, FAAN, you should. A tiny bundle of energy, she exudes compassion while commanding a room of high schoolers or an auditorium of her peers. She rarely takes "no" for an answer, and she gets things done.
Gary, a CWRU Distinguished University Professor, is one of five nurses in the country this year to receive the American Academy of Nursing's (AAN) most prestigious designation—Living Legend.
The AAN has lauded Gary as a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion with a steadfast commitment to child and adolescent mental health, health disparities, and support for domestic violence victims.
Case CCC knows this to be true. A child of the Deep South during the Jim Crow era whose son continues to run the farm on land that belonged to once-enslaved family members, Gary is a vehement supporter of science education, particularly for children in underserved communities.
She, the CWRU Provost Scholars Program, and Zhenghe John Wang, PhD, Co-Leader of Case CCC's Cancer Genomics and Epigenomics Program, created the Emerging Researchers Program, which provides East Cleveland high school students the opportunity to study science during the summer by working in cancer research labs and receiving a stipend to do so. The eight-week program culminates in a presentation to the community at a local church.
In addition, Gary serves on Case CCC's Community Advisory Board and, two years ago, engaged the East Cleveland Concerned Pastors in a health and wellness collaboration with Case CCC. Together, Gary, Case CCC's Community Outreach and Engagement team, the Provost Scholars Program, and the pastors determined the health information needs of the community and address these at monthly seminars throughout the school year.
Congratulations, Dr. Gary, on an accolade well deserved!