Walking the walk: ARI’s Richards champions improving FTERM gender parity
The International Fellows of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (FTERM) closes in on gender parity across its regions, thanks in large part to the efforts of FTERM Chair and AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) Executive Director Prof Geoff Richards. FTERM was created by the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) to recognize distinguished leaders for their roles in shaping the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine field and TERMIS.
Richards is no stranger to opportunity, diversity, and inclusion: In addition to fostering equal opportunities at ARI through the Gender Equality Plan, he created TERMIS’ diversity statement during his 2019–21 term as president of the organization dedicated to advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine worldwide to generate knowledge and improve patient outcomes globally.
Richards is no stranger to opportunity, diversity, and inclusion: In addition to fostering equal opportunities at ARI through the Gender Equality Plan, he created TERMIS’ diversity statement during his 2019–21 term as president of the organization dedicated to advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine worldwide to generate knowledge and improve patient outcomes globally.
Walking the walk
“Creating the diversity statement during my term as TERMIS president was talking the talk, but I must also walk the walk. On seeing that the society's fellows were mainly male, it was important to try to achieve gender parity while maintaining the very high FTERM standards,” Richards explained. Current fellows unanimously supported advancement of the initiative.To do that, Richards—in his role as FTERM chair—introduced a one-time initiative to nominate more women as fellows. Fellows are recognized every three years at the TERMIS World Congress, with existing fellows nominating and approving new fellows. Each nomination requires the signatures of two existing fellows with the stipulation that no fellow could sign more than two nominations. Under the initiative advanced by Richards, existing fellows are asked to consider the need for a gender- diverse group of fellows in a one-off, extra year of fellow nominations to bring the group nearer to parity.
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Learn more about the ARI Gender Equality Plan
Read the AO Access Voices for Change
Geoff Richards receives ICORS Transformative Contribution Award