Photo Credit: Juan Rodriguez

Meet the leadership behind our events!

Faculty Mentor 

Dr. Casey Self 

As a first-generation college student and a McNair scholar, I am personally driven to remove systemic barriers to education opportunities and support diverse learners. I saw an opportunity to expand access to anatomy education outside of my small upper-division class; to bring in a wider range of students to experience the process of anatomy education. My goal is to leave those students with a sense of belonging and empowerment to move forward toward their career goals in health care. Historically marginalized groups have often been excluded from places and experiences in science. Here I want to not only make sure students can feel that they belong, but that they have power in these spaces, and they can be leaders in these spaces.

Co-Founder Rhonda Osman

Anatomy for Change is the culmination of my prior experiences in peer mentoring as well as my leadership in a minority pre-medical club. While I always enjoyed taking on existing leadership positions in my activities, I merely admired those who created something meaningful from their passions. Recognizing how competitive the pre-medical space is, especially for underrepresented minorities, I wanted to transform the Department of Biology’s outreach to foster a more equitable future of healthcare. We partner with medical students to increase mentorship possibilities for undergrads as well. Through this program, we hope to leave a lasting impact on how the UW supports underrepresented and minority students moving forward.

Co-Founder Abdullah Bhurgri

As a first-generation college student, I wanted to create Anatomy for Change so that other students from underrepresented and diverse communities could find a place for themselves in medicine. By creating case studies around the anatomy lab we created a novel environment for them to feel confident in their abilities. With the support of the University of Washington Biology Department and volunteers from the UWSOM we were able to create a teaching team that furthered our goal of showing the place of diverse perspectives within medicine. In creating Anatomy for Change I hope that we can provide other students the reassurance that they’re on a path they can be successful in.


Coordinator Bea Asomaning

I was excited to join the Anatomy for Change team because I’ve struggled with both confidence and feelings of belonging in pursuing a medical career and believe in supporting others facing similar challenges. I resonate deeply with the program’s focus on empowering underrepresented and diverse students in pre-health. I see it as a unique opportunity to foster a sense of community among students from historically marginalized backgrounds and present them with potential mentorship opportunities from the medical student volunteers which can be impactful in one’s pre-health journey. Inspired by the co-founders’ and Dr. Self’s commintment to inclusivity and empowerment, I’m eager to contribute to creating a supportive environment where students can thrive.

Coordinator Emily Buak

As someone from a small town in Central Washington with little to no access to medical resources, I’ve learned throughout my journey pursuing a career in medicine that the field is very competitive and presents further challenges when there’s a lack of adequate resources. For this reason, I took a great interest in the Anatomy for Change mission when introduced to the organization. I believe that striving to make the medicinal field a diverse space starts with providing underrepresented communities with the ability to grow and feel confident in the material they may not otherwise have access to. Through various case studies and interactions with medical students, I believe Anatomy for Change can guide students to success. I hope during my time working with the Anatomy for Change team that I’m able to lead and support students and their goals throughout their journey in medicine.