Wetherbee Recognized with Presidential Diversity Award

Jonathan Wetherbee, an eloquent and passionate advocate for a more welcoming and accepting campus community, was honored earlier this month with the 2018 University of Rochester Presidential Diversity Award.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of faculty, staff, students, departments, and functional teams who contribute to creating and sustaining a campus culture of diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership.

“I’m so proud and humbled to work at a University where individuals’ efforts to help promote a more inclusive society are recognized in this way,” said Wetherbee, an information analyst for the Center for Employee Wellness at the UR School of Nursing.

Wetherbee has shown a deep and continued commitment to issues of diversity and inclusiveness throughout his 10-year career at the University, taking on an ever-increasing leadership role in a number of programs and initiatives supporting respect and dignity for all people.

As co-chair of the University’s Pride Alliance, Wetherbee helps to lead and direct a group of employees dedicated to promoting a positive work environment that values and supports individuals regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression. He is also a Safe Space training coordinator and helps to educate faculty, students, and staff while providing visible support and an identifiable network of allies for the LGBT community.

Wetherbee is also a member of the University of Rochester Medical Center Executive Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, which aims to advance diversity initiatives within the Medical Center and cultivate a culture of inclusion in its approaches to education, health care, research, and community outreach.

At the School of Nursing, Wetherbee has been integral member of the Dean’s Council for Diversity and Inclusiveness (CoDI), and in 2016, he was named the school’s first Staff Diversity Officer.

“I’m grateful every day that I’m surrounded by people who not only permit me to participate in this work, but have supported it every step of the way,” said Wetherbee, who was a Presidential Diversity Award finalist in 2017. “Without the commitment of Dean [Kathy] Rideout, the passion of Mary Dombeck, the mentorship of Karen Reifenstein and Ying Xue, and the hard work of so many others, this work could not move forward.”