Chief Program Officer, Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative

Here is what Usma’s nominator had to say about her: 

“Usma Khan is the Director of Staffing & Strategic Operations at the Institute for Global Health Sciences. She is recognized as one of the leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Institute. She founded the IGHS DEI committee and has served as IGHS DEI Committee co-chair (with me) for several years. Usma is an inspirational leader, exceptional colleague, and a mother to two young kids. She is also a children's book writer.” - Sun Cotter 

Usma's Bio:

I’d like to call myself a California native, even though I was born in Salt Lake City. My parents moved to the Bay Area when I was 1 month old, driving in the heat of summer with my two older sisters, in a Chevy Impala. My childhood was framed by being an Indian Muslim immigrant in an area that had few of us at the time (how the Bay Area has changed!), and by having an older sister who was autistic and had no verbal abilities. Those two identities shaped my experience in the world. My parents are both chemists and were sadly disappointed when I chose not to become a doctor or a chemist. I chose to study public health for my graduate studies and focus on environmental health. My career path has led me to government jobs, the UN, non-profit organizations, villages in India and East Timor, and UCSF--where I have been for 17 years now (yikes! How time flies!).  

I have managed to evolve my career and learn so many new things at UCSF. I am a firm believer in professional development and learning on the job, and UCSF has provided ample opportunities for me to stretch and flex in new areas. I love being a manager, leading teams, and pushing boundaries.  I led the diversity, equity, and inclusion work at the Institute for Global Health Sciences, in addition to my paid job, and while it was incredibly hard, it was also deeply rewarding. Creating space for difficult conversations is hard but necessary in any work environment. That is how change is made. I’m excited to continue my journey at UCSF and see where it takes me!

What’s a favorite movie or TV Show you’ve watched recently? 

Ms. Marvel on Disney+. It’s the only TV show I’ve watched that depicts Muslim Americans in a normal, fun way (as superheroes too!). I related to so much in that show!  

What advice would you give yourself early on in your career? To a woman entering your field today? 

Don’t worry about having a set path. Just figure out some issues that you are committed to working on and focus on them. And don’t worry about sticking to one career. There are lots of opportunities to apply your skills to new areas, and don’t be afraid to do that.  

What brought you to healthcare? Can you tell us about your professional journey? 

I studied environmental science in undergraduate and at that time there was little emphasis on the impacts of the environment on people’s health. The degree program was more focused on environmental protection and preservation. But I was interested in how environmental pollution and contamination impacted people’s health, particularly those from poor neighborhoods and under-represented populations. I ended up doing a master’s degree in environmental health, and then went on to work on global health policy, community health programs, HIV prevention, and now I am working at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, which is fully aligned with health equity principles and values that I admire. There were lot of turns and gaps along the way to where I am now filled with a lot of uncertainty, but as I reflect, I can see how all the dots are connected.  

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I have 2 kids, ages 9 and 13, and I love spending time with them doing anything and nothing. I love doing art projects, and I recently got back into doing mosaics (something I did about 15 years ago and stopped once I got a cat and he would muck around my supplies and make a mess).  

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