A recent investigation found significant plagiarism in the PhD dissertation of Natalie Perry, who leads UCLA Medical School’s diversity, equity and inclusion program called “Cultural North Star.”
Perry’s 2014 dissertation for the University of Virginia reproduced large passages from multiple other academic papers without proper citation or attribution.
Entire paragraphs and sections were copied verbatim, including citations. Perry presented little original analysis and research.
The scale of plagiarism calls into question Perry’s ethics and competence, as well as the academic rigor of programs emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Despite questions surrounding how Perry attained her graduate degrees, she was honored by UCLA for her leadership.
The investigation suggests some institutions have lowered standards for certain groups.
While Perry is responsible for the misconduct, the universities that granted her advanced degrees without detecting issues share some blame for permitting such academic deficiencies.
