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Ostrow Reads!

Ostrow Reads! is a book club of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

About the Book Club

About the book club:

  • Ostrow Reads! is a book club that will focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, one of USC's unifying values, with a specific emphasis on diverse voices/authors.
  • The goal is to create a mindful experience to cultivate knowledge, build community engagement, and promote interpersonal communication through a variety of reading and discussion and by learning from each other.
  • Each semester we will read a new book and meet three times a semester to discuss. 

To ensure an equitable space where every voice is respected, all participants must:

  1. Agree to the Community Agreement below at the beginning of every meeting.
  2. Read Chapter 8: "From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces" in The Art of Effective Facilitation.

Organized by:

  • Dr. Kim Austin, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion & Access, kaustin@ostrow.usc.edu
  • Dr. Yaara Berdan, Co-Chair Department of Endodontics and Periodontics, yberdan@ostrow.usc.edu
  • Hannah Schilperoort (she/her), Head of the Wilson Dental Library, schilper@usc.edu
  • Corey Berry, Admissions Counselor, Advanced Education Programs and ASPID, cberry@ostrow.usc.edu

If you have questions about the book club, please email Dr. Kim Austin at kaustin@ostrow.usc.edu.

If you have suggestions for this webpage, please email Hannah Schilperoort at schilper@usc.edu. 

Community Agreement

To ensure an equitable space where every voice is respected, all participants must agree to the following: 

  1. Respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that differ from your own. Assume that questions and comments are coming from a good place. When you disagree, challenge the idea, not the person.
  2. Be courteous. Don’t interrupt or engage in private conversations while others are speaking.
  3. Share responsibility for including all voices in the discussion. If you have much to say, try to hold back a bit. If you are hesitant to speak, look for opportunities to contribute.
  4. Remember that we are working toward a common goal: discussing challenging issues facing our society and community, through literature.
  5. Respect others' pronouns and identities.