Vera Dragisich, the longtime Director of Academic Programs & Graduate Studies, Senior Instructional Professor, and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Chemistry Department, has been selected as the UChicago staff member to receive the 2024 Diversity Leadership Award.
The Diversity Leadership Award “recognizes University faculty, staff, students, and alumni who, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., display leadership in fostering diversity and inclusion and advancing the cause of justice and equality in our community and society.”
Dragisich will receive her award from UChicago President Paul Alivisatos on Tuesday, January 30 at Ida Noyes Hall at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Celebration.
Vera Dragisich, PhD’90, is a senior instructional professor in the Department of Chemistry and has served as director of academic programs and graduate studies and associate director of undergraduate studies. Throughout her career, she has launched and championed a wide variety of inclusion initiatives.
Dragisich has three decades of experience advising students throughout their academic journeys and is known as an empathetic listener, trusted resource and passionate advocate for student needs. As a result, she is often called upon to provide guidance to students who are starting new outreach initiatives.
Her many contributions include developing and teaching a chemistry course, which offers professional development for Chicago Public School teachers, and establishing a laboratory outreach program with Kenwood Academy. Dragisich has collaborated with the Cognitive Development Lab to enhance understanding of student experiences in chemistry courses, spoken at Women in STEM forums and conducted workshops on mentoring.
She also developed a teacher assistant training program that has become a model for similar curricula elsewhere, further promoting diversity and inclusion in academia. She has published on the topic in the Journal of Chemical Education. She designed and taught the Advanced Training for Teachers and Researchers in Chemistry course, emphasizing the importance of building inclusive community.
Beyond academia, Dragisich is actively engaged in volunteer work, holding leadership roles in organizations focused on supporting displaced persons/refugees and on promoting cross-cultural understanding. Dragisich received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago.