Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Destination Dental School
3/27/25
Destination Dental School is an intense gateway experience for undergraduate students and bachelor degree recipients who are interested in a career in dentistry. This program prepares individuals to successfully apply to dental school.
UB dental school receives prestigious diversity award from National Institutes of Health
2/16/24

Inaugural $100,000 prize only awarded to 10 universities throughout country.

UB SDM Receives 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award
10/25/23

This marks the second HEED award this year for the dental school.

Supporting Professional Development for Faculty and Staff
1/13/25
Effective mentoring programs guide early- to mid-career professionals toward successful, independent careers. They contribute to career goal achievement, excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, and an increase in professional development and satisfaction. Effective mentoring programs are important components to hiring and retention. However, surveyed dental schools show low levels of mentoring programs, and according to a January 2022 climate survey at the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Dental Medicine (SDM), 57% of staff and 48% of faculty disagree or are neutral about receiving adequate mentorship and professional development and employees who are underrepresented minorities by race/ethnicity (URM) report twice as much disagreement (50% vs. 24%) than their non-URM peers.
Curriculum that Explores Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Health
9/16/24
The University at Buffalo is a diverse, inclusive scholarly community dedicated to bringing the benefits of our research, scholarship, creative activities, and educational excellence to local and global communities in ways that impact and positively change the world. With this mission as our guide, UB is committed to exploring, understanding, and responding to racism and systemic inequality. The UB President’s Advisory Council on Race has identified four key focus areas of attention to guide and shape UB’s policies, programs, activities, and traditions: recruitment and retention of students, recruitment, hiring, and retention of faculty and staff, community engagement, and through curriculum and teaching.
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At the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, we celebrate the diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives that our faculty, staff and students bring to our community. We strive to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment, where individuals from all backgrounds feel empowered to achieve their greatest potential. This work cannot be done without collaboration and communication. Our team, led through UB SDM's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, includes faculty, student and staff representatives from across every department as well as community representatives. Our established programs aim to enhance recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented students, faculty, and staff, to support an inclusive learning and working environment and to address disparities in oral health and health care by training clinicians who are equipped to meet oral healthcare needs of our increasingly diverse communities. 

Inspiring program 2024 award.
Inspiring program 2023 award.
Insight into diversity 2024 higher education excellence in diveristy award.
Insight into diversity award 1.

Our Office

Our EDI team, led through the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, includes faculty and staff representing every department, student representatives from DDS, advanced graduate and international dental programs, and community members. Together we are assessing equity, diversity and inclusion across UB SDM and implementing systems, policies, and activities to meet our short-, medium-, and long-term goals.

Our Programs

From Destination Dental School, our award-winning pathway program for underrepresented students, to curriculum that explores structural and systemic inequities and oral health outcomes, to professional development and mentoring programs for faculty and staff, we are taking steps to ensure all members of our community succeed and thrive. 

Our Resources

We are guided by evidence-based practices and policies. We have compiled EDI resources from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York System and beyond to support members of our SDM community and the patients whom they serve.

Our Latest News

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Report an Adverse Incident

The School of Dental Medicine does not tolerate harassment, discrimination or mistreatment in any form. If you have experienced or witnessed unprofessional or inappropriate behavior, intolerance, violence, or illegal discrimination, we recommend you report these incidents. Your report ensures a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.