About Climate Study

THE ADEA CLIMATE STUDY

ABOUT THE CLIMATE STUDY

Climate Study logo2 The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is launching a dental education-wide climate assessment survey to collect baseline data on diversity, equity and inclusion at U.S. and Canadian dental schools and allied dental education programs.

This inaugural climate assessment is a crucial step in assisting all campuses with measuring perceptions regarding the campus climate as one supportive of inclusion, equality and equitable outcomes for all stakeholders.

The climate study will also include questions on well-being and engagement among specific demographic groups. Collecting baseline data will allow dental schools and allied dental programs to evaluate their strengths and identify areas for improvement related to inclusion and diversity efforts and creating and sustaining a humanistic environment.

Additionally, the climate assessment data will be an essential tool in guiding new and enhanced strategic initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion in dental education.

Learn how to register your campus to participate.

Expand All Collapse All

ADEA CDECA

ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment (ADEA CDECA)

ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment (ADEA CDECA) Charge from Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO

ADEA CDECA MEMBER LIST

VOLUNTEER MEMBERS

Diego M. Ardenghi, D.D.S., M.A. (Educ), M .Sc., Dip. Pros, FRCD (C)	Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Oral Health Sciences	University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry
Anuradha Prakki, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D.	Associate Professor	University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry
Rosa Chaviano Moran, D.M.D.	Associate Dean	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School Dental Medicine
Dennis A. Mitchell, D.D.S., M.P.H.	Executive Vice President for University Life; Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement; Professor of Dental Medicine	Columbia University
M. Nathalia Garcia, D.D.S., M.S.	Chair; Associate Professor; Section Head of Periodontics, Department of Applied Dental Medicine	Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
Scott Schwartz, D.D.S., M.P.H.	Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics	Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
George W. Taylor, D.M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.	Professor; Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion	University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry
Carlos S. Smith, D.D.S., M.Div., FACD	Associate Professor; Director–Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry and VCU Dental Care
Todd V. Ester, D.D.S., M.A. Co-Project Lead	Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion	University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Rachel Hogan, D.M.D., M.Ed.	Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry	Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
Marita Inglehart, Dr. Phil. Habil.	Professor of Dentistry, School of Dentistry; Adjunct Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts	University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Tawana Lee-Ware, D.D.S., M.S.D.	Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor	Indiana University School of Dentistry
Ana López-Fuentes, D.M.D., M.P.H.	Professor	University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine
Felicia Tucker-Lively, Ph.D., M.P.H.	Vice President	The Academy for Advancing Leadership (AAL)
Bertha Alacron, D.D.S.	Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion	Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
Rachel C. Kearney, B.S.D.H., M.S.	Associate Professor and Chair, College of Dentistry Division of Dental Hygiene	The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Riki Gottlieb, D.M.D., M.S., FAGD	Clinical Professor; Associate Dean, Admissions and Student Affairs	University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry

ADEA STAFF

Sonya G. Smith, Ed.D., J.D. Co-Project Lead	Chief Diversity Officer
Jason Lee, J.D.	Chief of Staff
Tita Gray, Ed.D., M.B.A.	Senior Vice President, Access, Diversity and Inclusion
Angelo Lee, M.Ed.	Senior Director, Access, Diversity and Inclusion
Kelli R. Johnson, J.D.	Director, Inclusive Programs and Services
Alysha Davis, M.P.M.	Program Manager, Access, Diversity and Inclusion
Pamela Berry Banks, D.H.A.	ADEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
Omar A. Escontrías, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.	Senior Director, Policy Research
Rebecca L. Stolberg, RDH, M.S.D.H.	Senior Director, Allied Dental Education and Faculty Development
Kellie Bove, IOM, CAE	Senior Director, Marketing and Branding

NONPROFIT HR

Nonprofit HR is led by a highly qualified team of experts, each with deep experience in human capital management across multiple sectors. We pride ourselves on delivering stellar results with every engagement.

Established in 2000 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Nonprofit HR is comprised of over 70 human capital and talent acquisition professionals who have effectively partnered with organizations of all staff sizes, missions and budgets. At Nonprofit HR, we know that organizations are only as effective as their people. Our commitment to the social impact sector is unparalleled, and we have dedicated all our firm’s resources to working exclusively with mission-driven organizations nationwide.

Nonprofit HR’s DEI Team are the lead consultants, managers and investigators for the climate study. Our team specializes in facilitating the planning, design, development and implementation of DEI initiatives. Nonprofit HR will partner with ADEA to develop, administer and analyze data for a dental education-wide climate survey of the 78 dental schools and 589 allied dental education programs in the United States and Canada.

For more information about Nonprofit HR, contact:

Steven Krzanowski (he, him, his)
Senior Consultant, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
skrzanowski@nonprofithr.com

Emily Holthaus (she, her, hers)
Managing Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
eholthaus@nonprofithr.com

FEASIBILITY STUDY

Feasibility Study Conducted by CDECA – Phase 1

➤ Under the direction of ADEA President and CEO Dr. Karen P. West, the ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment (ADEA CDECA) was created to explore the potential need for a climate survey across all dental schools and allied dental programs in the United States and Canada.

CDECA representatives appointed by Dr. West included:

Staff from the ADEA Offices of Access, Diversity and Inclusion; Policy and Educational Research; and Learning; representatives from the ADEA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee; and
Independent researchers from four dental schools: University of Michigan School of Dentistry; Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry; University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry; Indiana University School of Dentistry; and a researcher from the American Academy of Leadership.

➤ ADEA CDECA spent seven months conducting a feasibility study, which included surveys and focus groups with a variety of key stakeholders in academic dentistry. Data were gathered and analyzed from faculty, staff students and administrators by conducting six surveys and two sets of focus groups.

The data collected focused on three areas:

Past climate survey activities at dental schools and allied dental programs,
Dental school and allied dental program perceptions and considerations concerning a future ADEA-led dental education-wide climate study and
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement on the cultural climate for all members of the dental education community and climate-related activities.

Based on the information gathered, ADEA CDECA recommended ADEA contract with an external climate survey consultant group to conduct a dental education-wide survey of all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and allied dental programs

➤ The ADEA CDECA feasibility study was Phase I of ADEA’s climate assessment initiative and culminated in submitting an evidence-based report in September 2020 to Dr. West, ADEA President and CEO, recommending the hiring of an external consultant group to work with ADEA to conduct a dental education-wide climate assessment. Dr. West accepted the recommendation and ADEA issued an RFP in December 2020.

After two rounds of vendor interviews with ADEA staff and stakeholders, Nonprofit HR, a consulting group with offices in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, was selected as the climate study vendor. In June 2021, the ADEA Board of Directors approved funding for the dental education-wide climate survey.

IRB

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Review

➤ To ensure compliance and safety, ADEA’s dental education-wide climate survey proposal will be processed for required IRB approval.

More information on the final approval is forthcoming and will be provided here prior to any campus survey launch and implementation.

➤ The ADEA Office of Access, Diversity and Inclusion will maintain the ADEA climate study IRB approval letter.

For more information, please email climatestudy@adea.org.

All Questions and Inquiries

ADEA Climate Study
climatestudy@adea.org

Press and Media Inquiries

Kellie Bove
ADEA Senior Director of Marketing and Branding
BoveK@adea.org

Back to Top