"I am so honored and humbled to be nominated for this award. I'm not sure that I have ever really thought about how I contribute to the DEI mission at Rutgers Cancer Institute other than serving as a member of the DEI Steering Committee. My entire adult life has been spent in some form of learning environment, whether as a student or a professor or researcher. I'm always looking for ways to explore new opportunities to expand my knowledge about cancer and how it affects minority populations.
I am a native CHamoru (Chamorro) from the island of Guam and can relate to many students that I mentor who have come from abroad to study in the United States or who have grown up in minority, underserved communities. I am the second oldest of seven children and my parents did not have much. Their working-class jobs were not enough to support my dream of getting a degree. So, I left Guam at the age of 18 with a commitment to higher education, knowing I was on my own, halfway around the world.
I think that's why I enjoy mentoring students so much. I show up for them so that I can reassure them that they can achieve their goals. To show them that I am committed to their success to learning cancer epidemiology and hold on to the hope that they pay it forward to the next generation who find themselves in the diaspora, trying to find their place in the world, just as I did.
Many know me as the Director of the New Jersey State Cancer Registry, and I am also the Assistant Director of Research and Catchment Data at Rutgers Cancer Institute’s Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence (CHECoE). I work with researchers across all disciplines. I connect researchers to catchment area statistics with a focus on cancer disparities across race and ethnic origin, age, gender, and other special populations. I show up for them to share my expertise in a niche field.
My collaborations with researchers have led to advances in cancer research across the continuum, but perhaps my most important contribution is being at the table. Being a member of a research team is critical to give voice to those who would not otherwise be represented. I provide my opinions and guidance certainly on cancer registry and epidemiology, but also on the need for inclusive research. I feel like I still have more work to do to expand cancer research, especially in Pacific Islander populations. Perhaps my work at Rutgers Cancer Institute will get me there. "
— Antoinette (Nan) Stroup, PhD (she/her/hers)
- Director, Cancer Epidemiology Services/New Jersey State Cancer Registry
- Professor and Chief, Division of Cancer Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health
- Assistant Director, Research and Catchment Data, Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence (CHECoE), Rutgers Cancer Institute