Fadie Coleman, PhD, was named Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s assistant dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in April 2022. Dr. Coleman earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston University, her master’s degree from Harvard University, and her doctorate from the Boston University School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology. She is a renowned educator and researcher, earning awards such as the 2021 Metcalf Award from Boston University, a National Research Service Award Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, and Diamond Award for Excellence in Education-Leadership, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Philanthropic, Humanitarian & Community Engagement. Dr. Coleman has held leadership positions within Boston University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and is committed to furthering diversity in the biomedical field and HSDM.
HSDM Diversity Week invites the community to engage in a series of events featuring speakers from across the country who will highlight diverse perspectives in dentistry and their influence on work being done in oral health, medicine, and academia. Events like HSDM’s Diversity Week are a perfect example of how we all play a role in developing future oral health leaders that will assume greater responsibility in their work and service with the capacity to serve the broadest community possible.
The HSDM Bridge to Dental School Program is a mentoring program for college-level pre-dental students and was originally developed by HSDM ODEIB Ambassadors. Dr. Coleman is the program leader of the newly restructured program, which was a 2023 recipient of the Program Award for Culture of Excellence at HMS/HSDM. The Bridge to Dental School Program is a pathway/outreach program designed to increase the diversity in the oral health profession by providing underrepresented students access to dental school application prep materials and high-touch (one-on-one) mentorship.