Sipriano Michel and Alyce Gloria Harris—Paul G. Ramsey, M.D. Endowed Scholarship
Please address your letter to:
Dr. and Mrs. Farr
Andrew Farr, Ph.D., UW professor in the Department of Biological Structure, joined the faculty in 1982. In addition to conducting research in developmental and molecular immunology, Farr taught a number of classes for medical students until his retirement in 2013. His teaching responsibilities included chairing the histology and immunology courses for first-year students in the M.D. program.
In the late 1990s, Farr began teaching a special section of the histology course as part of the School of Medicine’s pre-matriculation program for students from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in medicine or are non-traditional. Teaching the “Pre-Mat” histology course became one of Farr’s favorite teaching experiences and introduced him to many of the students who inspired him to establish this endowed scholarship.
The name of the endowment honors the families of two students in particular—Eriberto Michel (E2010) and Chisula Chambers (E2011)—but the scholarship is dedicated to many students Farr has known over the years who have overcome significant barriers to pursue careers in medicine and advance health equity. “For each Eriberto Michel and each Chisula Chambers, there are ten more like them who have taught me as much as I’ve taught them, and who inspire me every day,” says Farr.
When asked to describe what qualities Michel and Chambers exemplify, Farr mentions strength, integrity, kindness and academic ability. He also describes their deep involvement with service learning projects that address health disparities in the community, such as poor access to health care and education. For example, as a medical student, Michel has been a leader in the Latino Medical Student Association and served as clinical director of the Student Health Initiative for Access (SHIFA) clinic for day laborers at Casa Latina. Chambers serves on the board of the UW chapter of the Student National Medical Association, a student group for African-American medical students. She is also part of the group Student Physicians for Social Responsibility, through which she initiated the Rainier Valley Greenways Group to advocate for more bike lanes, wider sidewalks and greenways to serve this low-income, urban community.
Farr sees them both as inspiring examples of “agents of change” in medicine—those who are pursuing careers in health because they want to give attention, advocacy and a voice to people in underserved communities. Speaking of how personal experiences can influence this commitment, Farr says: “These students and many others like them are part of larger communities they are strongly attached to and will likely continue to work in. It is exciting to watch them grow and mature, and to see them really blossom. We need more students like them, more students who will be agents of change” for these communities.
Farr witnessed both Michel and Chambers overcome great personal loss during the first year of medical school: Eriberto lost his father, Sipriano Michel, and Chisula, her grandmother Alyce Gloria Harris. In different ways both Michel’s father and Chambers’ grandmother were instrumental in inspiring them to pursue medicine, and in particular to focus on the need for better health care and stronger advocates for underserved communities.
By naming this scholarship in honor of Sipriano Michel and Alyce Harris, Farr acknowledges the importance of family members in fostering the dreams that make this important work possible. “Spiriano and Alyce, played an important role in bringing these two remarkable people forward,” says Farr. “The scholarship is for all people who have made sacrifices and have spurred their children or grandchildren on to great futures. Their achievements are their mentors’ achievements.”
