June, 2020

Dear ORS Community,

We are deeply saddened by the death of George Floyd and the many other recent acts of inhumane violence and police brutality directed toward black individuals. These events underscore the discrimination and racism that persist within our communities and our institutions. Racial inequities are pervasive and affect all aspects of society, including our own scientific and medical communities. Each of us has the duty, regardless of race or personal identity, to call attention to disparities and interrupt their effects and eliminate their source. To that end, the ORS is deeply committed to supporting our black members and other individuals from under-represented groups by fighting discrimination and prejudice within medicine, academia, and industry. Providing a friendly, safe, and welcoming environment is key to the success of our organization, our field, one another, and to achieving the ORS mission of accelerating musculoskeletal discovery to improve health.

ORS is dedicated to creating a community in which all members feel safe, supported, encouraged, included, valued, and respected and in which unacceptable behavior will not be avoided or tolerated by our leadership. Achieving this community requires dedicated and unparalleled commitment, one that must be navigated thoughtfully to ensure that every voice is heard, that our feelings can be shared, our own unconscious biases be identified, and end with a true commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Together, we can change the orthopaedic research community for the better. We ask for your support and participation in the ORS’s efforts to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where we respect, support, and encourage each other.

Susan Chubinskaya, PhD, President
Peter Amadio, MD, 1st Vice President
Marjolein van der Meulen, 2nd Vice President
James Iatridis, PhD, Past President
Edward Guo, PhD, Secretary
Matthew Silva, PhD, Treasurer
Brenda A. Frederick, Executive Director
Kharma Foucher, MD, PhD, Chair, DEI Committee
Deva D. Chan, PhD, DEI Committee
John Elfar, MD, DEI Committee
Arlyng Gonzalez-Vazquez, PhD, DEI Committee
Karl Lewis, PhD, DEI Committee
Sherry Liu, PhD, DEI Committee
Megan E. Oest, PhD, DEI Committee
Spencer Szczesny, PhD, DEI Committee