UB School of Dental Medicine receives 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the third year in a row, the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine’s Destination Dental School (DDS) has received the Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

As a recipient of the annual award — a national honor recognizing colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) — UB will be featured in the September 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine, along with 82 other recipients.

“It is extremely rewarding to receive national recognition for this distinctive pathway program,” says Marcelo W.B. Araujo, DDS, MS, PhD, dean of the School of Dental Medicine. “Making STEM fields, including dentistry, available to students from all backgrounds is more important than ever. The kind of turnout Destination Dental School enjoys, combined with the feedback we receive from participants, demonstrates that it fulfills a real need. I am proud of our faculty, staff and dental students for making the program such a success.”

The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected based on their efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research and successful programs and initiatives.

“We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”

UB’s hybrid online and in-person summer pathway program is free and open to undergraduate students and bachelor degree recipients interested in a career in dentistry. It provides participants with an understanding of the day-to-day life of a dentist and dental student, helps strengthen their dental school applications and develops their skills as researchers. This year’s program wrapped up with in-person programming June 23-27 on the South Campus.

“Faculty, staff and students put extensive effort into providing this unique opportunity for underrepresented students interested in the dental profession,” says Simone Duarte, DDS, MS, PhD, associate dean for faculty affairs, equity, diversity and inclusion. “Destination Dental School fellows not only engage in activities that make the dental profession come alive, but they also learn about the intricacies of the field and how best to prepare their applications for dental school.” 

Jessica Scates, MS, director of operations in the dental school’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, notes how much the DDS fellows get out of the program, pointing to a large amount of positive feedback reflected in the post-program surveys.

Comments from the June 2024 participants included:

• “I am even more excited to pursue this beautiful career. I know more about the different specializations that would suit me as a person.”
• “Destination Dental School exceeded my expectations. Every doctor, administrator or volunteer I interacted with was phenomenal and kind. I felt like I learned way more than I was expecting to and I really enjoyed the hands-on activities we were able to do. This is truly the best thing I could have ever done for my pre-dental journey.”
• “My interest has always been in the dental field. But this program confirmed that I, for sure, want to go to dental school. UB School of Dental Medicine is my No. 1 school. I love the environment, professors and other people. Everyone has a willingness to help.”

UB dental alumna Arian Johnson, DDS, ’21, founded Destination Dental School in 2021 after recognizing a lack of resources for students like herself when she applied to dental school. In 2022, the DDS program partnered with the Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway to Dentistry program to combine virtual and in-person events.

Destination Dental School received both the Inspiring Programs in STEM Award in 2022 and 2023 and the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2023.

For more information about the 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award and Insight Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.