STEER-Faculty Program

STEER Mentors: Senior-level faculty members. For this program, senior level is defined as all clinical and tenured associate (after 5 years) and full professors, and SUNY distinguished faculty from the University at Buffalo or within the State University of New York system. Faculty outside of the SUNY system are also encouraged to apply.

STEER Faculty Fellows: Early-/mid-career professionals at the UB SDM.  For this program, early-to mid-career is defined as all tenure-track and clinical/research/adjunct professionals as well as tenured associate professors for the first five years after tenure is granted. Preference is for early career clinical or research professionals.

STEER mentors participated in two half-day training workshops May 25, 2023 from 1-4:30pm and June 15, 2023 from 9am-1pm, followed by one-year (July 2023-June 2024) of mentoring service to STEER fellows.

STEER faculty fellows participated in a required orientation meeting on June 15, 2023 from 12-3pm, followed by a one-year fellowship beginning July 2023 and ending June 2024. 

The SDM Office of Faculty Affairs will work with inputs from STEER fellows to form mentoring teams. Mentoring teams will include the STEER fellow and two (2) primary mentors. The SDM Office of Faculty Affairs will administer all program components and evaluation methods. 

STEER curriculum has been designed to support professional development of dental professionals. Participants will utilize tools to self-assess and develop career plans. Core curriculum will focus on clinical practice, leadership, professional development, promotion and tenure, teaching, research and service with presentations designed around the needs and interests of each cohort.

Core curriculum will be delivered through the following activities:

• One-on-one mentor meetings: Bi-monthly closed meetings for fellows and their mentors to develop and follow a mentoring plan and review their career goals using individual development plans.
• Cohort meetings: Bi-monthly closed informal meetings for all fellows to discuss topics of importance to them. These meetings will be flexible, social gatherings for all fellows. 
• Expert Insight Presentations: Bi-monthly closed presentations for fellows and their mentors delivered by expert guests who will present topics that will further the professional growth and development of STEER fellows. 
• Faculty Advancement Seminars: Quarterly presentations open to the SDM community with topics from research, teaching, clinical care and service/professional development. 
• STEER Faculty Fellow Presentations: Faculty fellows will be required to deliver two public presentations to share their work, one at the beginning and one at the end of the program. 

The 2023-24 application period has closed. The 2024-25 application period will launch in Spring 2024.

The 2023-24 application period has closed. The 2024-25 application period will launch in Spring 2024.

The STEER fellowship program was established by the SDM Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in collaboration with the UB Office for Inclusive Excellence and the UB SDM Faculty Affairs, as well as national and international experts. It is funded in part by the ADEAGies Foundation and the UB Office of Inclusive Excellence. Portions of this program have been adapted from resources from the Boston University School of Public Health Faculty Mentoring Program, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Bill and Karen Campbell Faculty Mentoring Program, the UNC School of Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship, and the Loyola University Medical Center’s MacNeal Faculty Development Fellowship.