Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

One of our faculty's core priorities is to develop and nurture the type of collaborative environment which enhances opportunities & wellbeing for all members of our community. The values which underpin this priority - diversity, equity, transparency, respect & inclusion - are fully supported by myself and the Faculty Executive Board members, and the ongoing work of the EDI team is absolutely integral to creating and facilitating this culture for our staff and students.
Professor Michael Escudier, Executive Dean

The Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences is committed to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do here – from education and training of the new generation of dentistal graduates and oral health researchers, to fostering a culture of collaboration, respect and support across all staff and student groups within the Faculty.

We take a holistic approach to provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive working, learning, and research environment for all. Diversity is crucial for enabling world leading research, impact and teaching. Working alongside people with different experiences and perspectives encourages innovation and creativity. It brings exposure to a breadth of knowledge, working styles and techniques, and it prompts us to develop ideas and consider decisions from multiple points of view.

Our current priorities include

Review existing data, and where necessary, collect additional data on disability, and socio-economic background, amongst staff and students and on the support needed/provided at Faculty and College level.
Applying the new actions coming from the Faculty's most recent Silver Athena Swan award.
Continue to embed EDI into practices/committees /data /processes (e.g. recruitment, promotion, sabbatical, induction).
Collect and collate data on students from disadvantaged backgrounds to determine, and meet, their accessibility and attainment needs.
Work with and support existing student and staff-led groups internal to, and external to, the Faculty working to forward EDI agendas.
To ensure that all teaching and learning is inclusive and accessible.

Key staff working in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Ana Angelova Volponi

Reader in Regenerative Dentistry
Professor Sasha Scambler

Dean for People and Culture

Diversity & Inclusion at King's

Follow @KCLdiversity

Athena Swan at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Gender equality is everyone’s responsibility, and we all have a role to play in addressing sexism and gendered exclusion at King’s.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. The Faculty successfully applied for and received the silver award in 2015, 2018 and 2024, demonstrating our continued dedication and commitment in recognising advancement of gender equality.

The Faculty’s Athena Swan Action Team empowers and inspires action for cultural change. Enabling, facilitating and support success of female staff and students is fundamental to assuring our faculty maintains – and grows – the rich diversity of talent and expertise critical to our future.

Career Pathways at FoDOCS

For most of us, careers are likely to be the sum of multiple facets of our lives which need to be prioritised or considered – where to live, work life balance, caring responsibilities, as well as what opportunities are available at a given time.

For International Women’s Day 2023, a cross-section of women from our faculty shared the pathway they took (and are still taking) in their career and study. Each story is unique, taking twists and turns along the way. At the same time, they all share common themes and interlacing experiences, and we hope you will be able to draw insight from them, regardless of where you are in your own pathway.