Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey has been named the 2023 Diversity Champion by the Scottsdale nonprofit Community Celebrating Diversity. She will be recognized at the 29th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Dinner Celebration, which takes place at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 12, at the Fieldhouse at Scottsdale Stadium.

The annual event begins with a 5:30 p.m. registration and reception, followed by a 6 p.m. dinner and recognition ceremony. Dr. Benjamin Chavis is the featured speaker for the dinner, which has become the signature MLK celebration across the Valley of the Sun.

Diversity Champions are individuals who exemplify the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and who have enriched the community by empowering others. Individuals can be nominated by anyone in the community, according to a press release. Eligible nominees must work, live or volunteer in Scottsdale.

Dr. Porter is a highly regarded physician leader, philanthropist, author and associate professor with a passion for equity, diversity and inclusion. A graduate of Spelman College and Temple University School of Medicine, Porter has served as a neuro-oncologist at Mayo Clinic since 2008 and currently serves as the most senior Black woman in neuro-oncology.

Eager to give back to the next generation of physician leaders, Porter founded ElevateMeD alongside her husband, Dr. Gregory Umphrey, to elevate medicine to an ideal where the physician workforce represents the communities served, the release stated..

Since its founding in 2019, the nonprofit organization has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships and support to deserving medical students from underrepresented backgrounds across the country. Porter is a native of Scottsdale where she currently resides.

Tickets to the dinner celebration can be purchased at www.CCDArizona.org. The cost is $100 per person, and sponsorships are available. CCD hosts the event with APS, the title sponsor.