On Monday, Sept. 11 and Tuesday, Sept. 12, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry hosted an esteemed group of faculty mentors from dental institutions nationwide. This gathering was part of the AADOCR Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future (AADOCR MIND the Future) program which includes the "MIND the Future Mentor Workshop." The AADOCR MIND the Future program is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) under Grant No. 1UE5DE029439.

This is the fourth year the workshop has been offered, but is the first time the mentors met in person for the workshop.

“It was a pleasure hosting the leaders and mentors of the MIND the Future program,” said Sharukh Khajotia, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the OU College of Dentistry.

The workshop was led by Natasha Mickel, Ph.D., Director of the Oklahoma Center for Mentoring Excellence and Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Khajotia. Welcome remarks were offered by Valerie Williams, Ph.D., MPA, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development for the OU Health Sciences Center.

Topics of discussion focused on fostering an inclusive and diverse community of researchers to advance oral health outcomes across the nation. The workshop also provided participants with the competency skills required to be an effective mentor.

“Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress in health care research,” Dr. Mickel said. “The ‘MIND the Future Mentor Workshop’ not only promotes inclusivity but goes beyond theory, equipping participants with the practical skills necessary to be effective mentors.”