A Message from the office of the dean
T
he 2010- 2011 academic year launched with great momentum, fueled by a year of great work and support from the Penn Dental Medicine community, and I thank you for it. When I stepped into the role of Dean last year, my charge was to help build upon the tradition of excellence that is the legacy of Penn Dental Medicine; and with the considerable energy and cooperation of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and Overseers — we quickly addressed this task.
I am committed to creating new paths to advance our leadership role in dental education, research, and clinical care, and we are taking steps on a number of fronts. In the area of education, this academic year brought the beginning of new clinical experiences for all students as we introduced a revision of our preclinical instruction to bring first- and second-year students into the clinics for hands-on assisting of upperclassmen (see story, page 2). Students will now be fully engaged in the clinic environment from the start of their dental education. The strengthening of our scholarship through faculty recruitment and new research collaborations also moved forward with the addition of Dana Graves, DDS, DMSc, who joined Penn Dental Medicine as Professor of Periodontics in July (see story, page 6). Dr. Graves, whose main area of research focuses on diabetes and its implications in dental health, brings a depth of research projects and experience to the School. And in the newly created role of Associate Dean for Translational Research, he will also be working with faculty and students to enhance basic science research opportunities that have clinical applicability. New facilities and new technologies have also been added this year, including the introduction of digital radiography within our teaching clinics, the addition of a new 3D imaging system, the expansion of the Penn Dental Medicine CAD/CAM Ceramic Center, and the creation of a new electronic classroom/study room for students (see story, page 10). Other new spaces include the Allan J. Olitsky, DDS, Central Registration, Scheduling, and Cashiering Suite, streamlining clinic patient management; a new Office of Admissions, creating a welcoming setting for prospective students; and a complete renovation of the third floor east wing of the Thomas Evans Building, featuring modular office space for staff and visiting/part-time faculty and a Faculty Lounge. And at the time of publication of this issue, others are underway. In this issue of the Penn Dental Journal, we gratefully acknowledge the alumni and friends who have supported the School this past fiscal year (see page 24). I thank all of you for your ongoing commitment to Penn Dental Medicine and the students and patients we serve. As we work to continue to strengthen ties with alumni, I am also pleased to report that we have a new Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Maren Gaughan (see story, page 17), to lead those efforts. This truly is an exciting time at Penn Dental Medicine as we continue to plan for the future and engage the entire Penn Dental Medicine community in moving this great institution forward.
Denis F. Kinane, BDS, PhD Morton Amsterdam Dean