AADOCR Mind the Future Program

Program Resources and Advisors

• Educational Program

  The AADOCR Mind the Future program delivers didactic components of the curriculum through a virtual, interactive, real-time, instructor-led (VIRI) online learning environment. This model will allow participants to engage in the didactic sessions from their convenient locations, without travel time and expense, while experiencing the same performance and engagement outcomes as a [face-to-face (F2F)] learning environment.

  This multi-modal model will include whole group, synchronous online sessions (VIRI) for mentors, sessions for mentees and combined sessions for all participants. In addition, pre- and post-session asynchronous small group discussion sessions, journal clubs, supplemental instructional delivery and appropriate mobile applications (including Twitter, Google, and Facebook workplace) content dissemination will foster continuous community building, social learning and facilitate the spaced repetition necessary to enhance long-term learning outcomes.

  The content of the educational plan will incorporate three thematic domains: 1) research/technical; 2) career development/personal growth; and 3) mentor-mentee/interpersonal relationships. These thematic domains will be approached via different teaching modes including didactic, networking coaching and individual hands-on projects.

• Participating Universities and Representatives

  The program includes a national network of 11 universities and three organizations which will be intricately involved in the program. The universities are organized into Eastern, Western, Southern, and Midwest Hubs and include the two dental schools based in Historically Black Universities and Colleges. 

  • Columbia University, New York, NY – Evanthia Lalla
  • Howard University, Washington, DC – Xinbin Gu
  • Meharry Dental College, Nashville, TN – Pandu Gangula
  • Stanford University, CA – Jill Helms
  • University of California, Los Angeles – Sotiris Tetradis, Paul Krebsbach
  • University of Connecticut, Farmington – Effie Ioannidou, Mina Mina
  • University of Florida, Gainesville – Joseph Riley
  • University of Iowa, Iowa City – David Drake
  • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis – Kim Mansky
  • University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City – Sharukh Khajotia
  • University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – Lisa Cain, Mary Farach Carson, Jacqueline Hecht, and Ariadne Letra

• Participating organizations

  • Oklahoma Center for Mentoring Excellence conducts a mentor and mentee workshop for mentor training each year of the program.
     
  • The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science offers one full-day Workshop in Science Communication during the AADOCR Annual Meeting each year for participating mentee cohorts.

• Investigators and advisors

  Principal Investigators

  Christopher H. Fox, CEO, American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
  David Drake, University of Iowa, Iowa City
  Effie Ioannidou, University of California, San Francisco

  Educational Program

  Eric Bernstein, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Connecticut 

  Grants Management

  Sheri S. Herren, Director of Strategic Programs, AADOCR 

   

  Advisory Committee:
  Pandu Gangula, Meharry Dental College, Nashville, TN
  Xinbin Gu, Howard University, Washington, DC
  Evanthia Lalla, Columbia University, New York, NY
  Lydia Lopez-Del Valle, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan
  George Taylor, University of California, San Francisco

  Management Committee:
  Eric Bernstein, University of Connecticut, Farmington
  Lisa Cain, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  David Drake, University of Iowa, Iowa City
  Christopher H. Fox, AADOCR, Alexandria, VA
  Jill Helms, Stanford University, CA
  Effie Ioannidou, University of California, San Francisco
  Sharukh Khajotia, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
  Ariadne Letra, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  Kim Mansky, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
  Natasha Mickel, Oklahoma Center for Mentoring Excellence, Oklahoma City
  Joseph Riley, University of Florida, Gainesville
  Sotiris Tetradis, University of California, Los Angeles
  David Wong, University of California, Los Angeles

• Grant Number

  Grant awarded to the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in response to FOA RFA-DE-19-007: NIDCR Mentoring Network to Support a Diverse Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce. (Grant No. 1UE5DE029439). (Through August 31, 2025)