A NEW COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY

Florida Atlantic has received approval from the Florida State University System Board of Governors to establish a dental academic program. One of the University’s top legislative priorities is to secure funding to make this initiative a reality. When successful, Florida Atlantic will house only the second public dental school in Florida. Its chief purpose will be to support the many rural and underserved populations in the state that need critical dental care.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology, showed that a lack of interest in school and low academic task motivation resulted in a downward spiral of troubles, from poor study habits to academic difficulties to declining peer acceptance. Children prefer to affiliate with students who are not struggling, Laursen said.

Specifically, avoiding classroom assignments and tasks in first grade led to declining math and reading achievement one year later in second grade. This in turn led to decreases in peer acceptance the following year in third grade. The same longitudinal pathway unfolded across the second to fourth grade.

“Our findings have important implications for parents, teachers and school professionals who want to prevent the onset of troubled peer relations,” Laursen said. “Considerable effort is currently invested in interventions for children with behavioral and emotional problems, because they are known to be at-risk for academic and interpersonal failure.”

Florida is facing a shortage of health professionals, which also extends to dental care. Currently, more than 6 million Floridians live in areas that lack dental care, with 63 out of 67 counties facing shortages. Additionally, more than half of the Medicaid-eligible children living in Florida do not receive any oral care at all.

The university is extremely grateful to Board of Trustees Vice Chair Barbara S. Feingold for her vision, leadership and generosity to help meet this critical need, in honor of her late husband, former FAU Trustee and dentist, Dr. Jeffery P. Feingold.