School of Dentistry hosts 4th Annual DEI Week

Participants took park in a variety of activities and virtual programs during UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry’s 4th Annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week held across Jan. 17-22.

After employees and students were encouraged to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on their own, activities opened at the with a Diversity and Inclusion Walk during the noon lunch hour Tuesday, Jan. 17. Groups were led by Robert Spears, PhD, MS, associate dean for student and academic affairs; Muhammad Walji, MS, PhD, associate dean for technology services and informatics; and Shalizeh “Shelly” Patel, DDS, interim associate dean for patient care. See photos and video.

Presentations were delivered via Cisco Webex for a second straight year and included:

• “Leading the Change for Gender Equality – A Global Perspective”
• Keynote speech delivered by Professor Ebtissam M. Al-Madi, BDS, MSD, FACD, founding dean of the College of Dentistry at Princess Nourah University in Saudi Arabia.
• Virtual Cultural Exhibit & Talent Show
• Student-led Diversity and Inclusion Panel Discussion

Recordings are available on Panopto (UTHealth credentials required for log-in).

Additionally, the dental school community was asked to share a unique trait, feature, or talent about themselves or a colleague throughout the week. Answers were compiled into a video, and the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences was named the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week’s Most Unique Department contest winner.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week was organized by the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness Council and sponsored by the Office of the Dean and the Office of Professional Development and Faculty Affairs.