NHS/UNMC faculty, students and staff are invited to a special presentation, titled “Rainbow at UNMC: Lessons in Gay and Lesbian Issues.” The one-hour program will begin at noon on Tuesday, June 24, at the Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater.
Guest speaker will be D. Moritz, assistant director for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Programs and Services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Snacks will be available on first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. This event is co-sponsored by the UNMC College of Medicine Dean’s Office and the UNMC/NHS Employee Diversity Network.
“D. is going to address issues pertaining to anti-gay bias, and her entire presentation is highly interactive,” says Gary Beck, education administrator and coordinator for undergraduate medical education, UNMC department of pediatrics, and vice president of the UNMC/NHS Employee Diversity Network. “She likes to create an environment where people can ask questions throughout her entire presentation and be comfortable with an open conversation.”
Moritz retired after 31 years as a secondary guidance counselor with the Omaha Public Schools. She is a member of the National Education Association Diversity Cadre and the Nebraska Representative for Gay and Lesbian Caucus of the National Education Association. A nationally recognized and popular local speaker, Moritz has presented at the Association for Curriculum and Staff Development, the National Association for Multicultural Education, the Great Plains College Admissions Counselors, and the Nebraska Counselors Association.
Moritz received the 1995 Human Relations Award from the Omaha Education Association and the 2000 Professional Dedication Award from the Nebraska Counselors Association. In 2002, she received the Virginia Uribe Creative Leadership Award in Human Relations from the National Education Association.
Moritz founded the Omaha chapter of Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Today, she is a member of the Board of Directors of GLSEN-Omaha and is the coordinator of the GLSEN/PFLAG Speakers Bureau.
Moritz earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She also is taking coursework in sign language from Galludet University.
A self-proclaimed “recovering hippy,” Moritz has dedicated her life to working for social change for all people. Her personal hobbies are gardening and reading Mary Higgins Clark novels.