AUA Announces Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair

BALTIMORE, July 7, 2022 The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced that Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA, will be the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair. Dr. Bresler will begin her three-year term on August 1, 2022.

As Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Bresler will be tasked with advising the Board of Directors on shaping and executing diversity initiatives in accord with the recommendations of the AUA's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. Her responsibilities in leading the D&I Committee will include identifying and advising on potential solutions to meet diversity gaps within the AUA organizational programs; advising AUA Program Councils on the implementation of diversity initiatives and advising on methods to recruit, support and retain diverse AUA leaders and volunteers.

"Dr. Bresler's impressive and diversified experience and understanding of diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as the AUA itself make her the ideal candidate for this role," said AUA President Edward M. Messing, MD. "The Board and I look forward to working with Dr. Bresler and we are confident in her ability to help AUA advance D&I initiatives in the urologic community while improving urologic care throughout the world."

An active member of the AUA since 2003, Dr. Bresler has a proven track record of advancing D&I and education initiatives in various leadership positions. Nationally, she sits on the Federal Women's Task Force that helps promote equity and inclusion for federal workers and she recently completed her term as senior consultant of Urology Basics and Core Topics with the AUA's Core Curriculum Committee. She has also participated on the AUA's Practice Guidelines Committee. Regionally, Dr. Bresler is a member of the North Central Section (NCS) of the AUA's Board of Directors, Long Range Planning and Education Committees and chairs the NCS Women in Urology Committee. Locally, she has championed diversity initiatives as the President of the Chicago Urological Society.

Dr. Bresler is an associate professor of urology, obstetrics and gynecology at the Loyola University Medical Center. She obtained her MD from Oregon Health and Sciences University, completed her urology residency at Loyola University Medical Center and completed the AUA leadership program in 2019. Dr. Bresler is a board certified acupuncturist as well as a resilience and wellness coach. She has published over 50 papers and book chapters and has received numerous honors and awards, including multiple teaching awards, the Best of AUA (Female Urology) and Illinois Magazine's Top Urologist 2021-2022.

"I have championed diversity throughout my career and strive to build a legacy paving the road for others, identifying a need or gap in opportunities for URMs, LGBTQ+ persons and women, and closing that gap by pioneering novel initiatives," said Dr. Bresler. "I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and other AUA leaders to shape D&I priorities and initiatives for the AUA and our profession."

The AUA is currently accepting applications for members of the D&I Committee. Dr. Bresler will work closely with AUA leaders to select committee members and the committee is expected to begin its work this fall.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

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SOURCE American Urological Association