September 2017

The University of Minnesota has been part of Sarah Johnson Sexton’s life since she was a child. She is a second-generation University employee (her father, Jerry Sexton, worked in a department known as “Videotape” at the time) as well as an alumna, having earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish at the University. Sexton has worked at the University on and off throughout her adult life-- she is on her third and longest stint as a University employee, this one lasting about 14 years (so far). She has been with the Medical School for about two years and currently coordinates the the Physician-Scientist Training Program for medical students going through residency and fellowship, as well as supporting the Nephrology fellowship in the Division of Renal Diseases. Most days, you can find Sexton in her office in the Variety Club Research Center (VCRC), a cup of coffee by her side. “I’m a little obsessed with coffee,” she laughs. 

Sexton first got involved with governance at the suggestion of a couple of colleagues in the Medical School. She has served as a Civil Service representative on the Equity, Access, and Diversity Committee for the last year, and on the Social Concerns Committee for the past two years. “I love the fact that the committee is made up of students, faculty, and staff,” she commented. “It’s a great network of people who have the same goals.”

Sexton also just earned her Equity and Diversity Certificate through the Office of Equity and Diversity, which paired nicely with her membership on these two committees. The Social Concerns Committee is currently working to increase support for undocumented and international students, which Sexton believes is a very important initiative. Working with many international medical graduates who come to train at the University, Sexton has seen first hand how the current political climate around immigration has posed a challenge to the medical field. A high percentage of Nephrology trainees come from abroad, and recent changes to the H-1B visa process, which allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, have resulted in some fellows having to delay their start date due to longer visa processing times. Furthermore, she added, many of these fellows go on to work in underserved locations, and such restrictions could contribute to an already concerning shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas. This is a true social concern, Sexton said, and reinforcing the message that the University of Minnesota welcomes and supports students and faculty of all backgrounds-- really living the “We All Belong Here” campaign-- is an important undertaking. 

In her free time, Sexton enjoys knitting, driving her convertible with the top down (when the temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit), and road-tripping with her family-- they have been to every Minnesota State Park at least once. She also maintains her interest in other countries and cultures. She described to me a three-week European vacation she took with her husband, during which they visited Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, among other places. In Venice, Sexton revealed, she learned to paddle a gondola, winning the approval of the local gondoliers. Other highlights of the trip included visiting their Dutch exchange student while in the Netherlands and, of course, drinking a lot of really good coffee.

--Amber Bathke