MEMBERS & PROFESSIONALS
The Skin of Color Society is powered by globally recognized dermatology leaders. Pictured here are SOCS Presidents through the years, from left: Drs. Nada Elbuluk (Current President), with Past Presidents Valerie M. Harvey, Seemal R. Desai, Susan C. Taylor (Founder), Valerie D. Callender, Amy J. McMichael, and Andrew F. Alexis. Not shown: Drs. Victoria Barbosa (Immediate Past President), Donald A. Glass II, Rebat Holder, Lynn McKinley-Grant, Amit Pandya, and Marta Rendon (deceased).(Chicago, IL, December 30, 2025)—As the world’s leading professional skin of color dermatology organization dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in patient care, the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) reports a highly impactful year of seminal achievements and contributions. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Susan C. Taylor, SOCS has grown dramatically over the past two decades to now include more than 1,330 members in 22 countries and offer many enriching and innovative programs to benefit physicians, patients, and the public.
Through a dynamic array of signature programs and newer initiatives supporting research, education, mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy, meaningful outcomes and new milestones were reached in 2025.
SOCS Wraps Its 20th Anniversary Year With Landmark Achievements and an Expanded Slate of Initiatives Advancing Knowledge, Excellence, and Health Equity
SOCS Presidents through the years, assembled from left: Drs. Andrew F. Alexis, Rebat Halder, Valerie M. Harvey, Valerie D. Callender, Susan C. Taylor (Founder), Amy McMichael, Lynn J. McKinley-Grant, Seemal R. Desai, and Victoria Barbosa. Not pictured: Drs. Donald A. Glass II, and Marta I. Rendon, (deceased).
(Chicago, IL, December 30, 2024)—The Skin of Color Society (SOCS), the world’s leading skin of color dermatology organization, reports that its 20th anniversary year delivered record-level achievements and a slate of new initiatives advancing knowledge and excellence in the specialty through research, education, mentorship, and advocacy. This robust year of accomplishment and innovation was marked by the following highlights:
Establishment of the SOCS Center for Leadership (CFL)
Inspired and led by SOCS President Dr. Victoria Barbosa, the Society introduced the SOCS Center for Leadership (CFL), a comprehensive educational program designed to develop leaders who will drive the dermatology field forward with innovation, inclusivity, and excellence.
Welcoming Our 20th Anniversary Year with Reflections on an Extraordinary 2023!
Happy New Year! As we welcome 2024 and begin our year-long celebration of our 20th Anniversary milestone, we reflect on the remarkable accomplishments of 2023 with gratitude and pride. Thanks to the individual and collective efforts of many SOCS leaders, members, supporters and collaborators, the Skin of Color Society experienced a year of exceptional progress in support of our mission to change the landscape for people of color through research, education, mentorship and advocacy. Several signature SOCS programs and newer initiatives made uniquely important contributions to the field this past year.
December 2023: The SOCS Meeting the Challenge Summit: Population Descriptors in Dermatology Research StudiesContinuing in our commitment to increase diversity in dermatology research studies and clinical trials, SOCS successfully presented our second Meeting the Challenge Summit in December 2023, this time focusing on population descriptors that best describe various populations under study.
As the second in a series, the Summit convened an esteemed, diverse group of 116 stakeholders, including skin of color dermatology leaders, researchers, clinicians, regulators, dermatologists-in-training, industry representatives, geneticists, dermatology journal editors, and an anthropologist. Co-chaired by Valerie M. Harvey, MD, MPH, FAAD and Valerie D. Callender, MD, FAAD, the 2023 Summit further advanced the broader work of the SOCS Diversity in Dermatology Clinical Trials Task Force, which introduced the inaugural Meeting the Challenge Summit in 2022—a groundbreaking gathering that led to the development of the nation’s first Diversity in Clinical Trials Mentorship Program, presented in 2023 in collaboration with the National Medical Association. In addition, this SOCS Task Force is in the process of developing a comprehensive, evidence-based review of the use and misuse of the current scales used to measure skin tones.
A PHENOMENAL YEAR OF GROWTH & INNOVATION
SOCS launched DEEP: A groundbreaking learning management system allowing members to learn straight from the experts at your own pace and earn CME credit through dermatology educational webinars and practice management content.
