Bulletin of Dental Education Article

Professor Deborah Gnutti, RDH, PHDHP, M.A., Director of Dental Hygiene at Montgomery County Community College, served as a panelist at the 2024 ADEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Workshop.

The session, titled “Strategies for Promoting Social Justice in Oral Health Education,” highlighted personal experiences and institutional practices that contribute to enhancing equities in dental education, which effectively promote social justice. Prof. Gnutti shared how the administrators she works with are supportive of diversity efforts on the Montgomery County Community College campus.  

Examples of social justice promotion were the Racial Equity Leadership Academy, where every syllabus on campus is standardized with a “commitment to equity” statement, and Montgomery County Community College, which has a college-wide equity statement and Safe Space training.  

Another noteworthy effort is the college’s Inclusive Language Project, which allows all students to identify by the first name of their choice, instead of their legal first name. This represents recognition of students’ identity development throughout their time at the college. 

Published on December 11, 2024