Dental school committees collaborate for DEI tour and art display
Events part of University's Diversity Week
Two West Virginia University School of Dentistry committees collaborated to promote diversity, equity and inclusion during the university’s October Diversity Week.
WVU’s annual Diversity Week endeavors to promote celebration, education, and understanding of different identities and experiences present on our campuses. Its aim is to create an atmosphere that provides the WVU community, including students, faculty and staff, the opportunity to explore different cultures, engage in discussions that bring new perspectives, and celebrate the presence of, and contributions made by, people of all identities and experiences.
Members of the dental school’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee and the committee for wellness hosted an art display showcasing cultures, values and beliefs represented among students, faculty and staff at the dental school. The committees also organized students and faculty of varying backgrounds to host tours and roundtable discussions for guests from both the Muslim and African American student associations to explore opportunities in dental school.
“I do believe we can continue improving and developing principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in our school. I’m appreciative of the volunteers who contributed to making our events a success. We were able to host a total of 15 students from the undergraduate level and from different cultural backgrounds. Current students led tours and we had an outstanding panel discussion with our guests with participation of students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Juan Bugueno, chair of the dental school DEI committee and assistant professor of oral medicine.
Visitors were able to see portions of the dental school and its clinics followed by a more intimate discussion with both students and faculty about their personal experiences in school and in their profession.
“On behalf of the Muslim Students Association, I heard very positive feedback about the tour and panel from MSA members who felt valued and honored. Thank you for creating a warm and inclusive environment, and we'd love to work with you in the future,” Sarah Zanabli, MSA President, wrote to Dr. Juan Bugueno, chair of the dental school’s DEI committee.
Hafsa Sabbagh, an undergraduate student, participated in a tour. “I am in love with dentistry, but after this tour I can’t express how excited I am to start and become part of your dental family. I am very intrigued by the welcoming and openness to our backgrounds that I found during this diversity week tour,” she said.
The State of Mind Art Exhibition included drawings, paintings, poems and photography displayed in the Health Sciences Center for guests to view. The items on display were from two wellness events held in August and September. Freshman orientation for incoming doctor of dental surgery students included a group bonding event where they were asked to “paint your state.”
“The premise behind “Paint Your State” was to encourage people to design something around their culture, their ethnicity, their mental state, their physical state to promote inclusivity and highlight our community’s diverse background,” said Dr. Valerie Perrine, associate dean for student affairs, community health and outreach.
In addition to those students, faculty and staff on hand for the tours, a number of volunteers worked on setting up and tearing down of the exhibit and faculty offered gift cards as prizes that were raffled off to participants in the tours.