Gwen Essex, EdD, MS (DH'96) and Todor Stavrev, DDS (D’14) were presented with Chancellor Diversity Awards for GLBT Leadership at a gala Awards Celebration event in the Millberry Union Gym on Oct. 30.
This is the first time that a member of the faculty and a member of the student body of the UCSF School of Dentistry have been honored for GLBT leadership. Dr. Essex, a longtime advocate for GLBT issues, was among the earliest members of the school’s pioneering Gay Straight Dental Alliance (GSDA), and Dr. Stavrev was the first openly gay dental student at UCSF.
“These awards are a major step forward and a great honor for the School of Dentistry,” says Dean John D.B. Featherstone. “We take pride in the achievements of Drs. Essex and Stavrev to meaningfully improve the climate at the school and to enhance tolerance and inclusivity here, and across UCSF and the dental profession.”
Essex and Stavrev were honored by Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Outreach Renee Navarro and UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, along with 11 other diversity champions, recognizing exceptional achievement in the areas of disability service and the advancement of women, as well as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for furthering the goal of achieving greater ethnic diversity at UCSF.
Pictured
Drs. Todor Stavrev and Gwen Essex
Links