Dentistry Magazine 2024 | A message from the Dean

Greetings from the School of Dentistry! 

Another year has passed since issuing our last edition of Dentistry and it’s been a year full of promise, change, and achieving great things at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Our students, faculty and staff have worked hard this year. We continue to care for over 100,000 patients annually, and have advanced growth in our digital dentistry and informatics footprint; lead innovation in research by sharing our knowledge and  initiating new research initiatives;  and increased our community engaged footprint. And through it all, we took time to have fun together through various community building events, celebrating our student graduates,  welcoming new students, and more. 

In this edition, you’ll learn about our community’s contributions to various dental conferences, our Cleft & Craniofacial Clinic celebrating 60 years of collaboration, student achievement, faculty and staff community involvement and contributions, how we are partnering to invest in the future’s excellence through scholarships, discoveries that advance care and treatment, alumni achievement, and more. 

All of these achievements and accomplishments can’t be done without our many partners at the University of Minnesota, state of Minnesota, and industry, foundation, and community partners. We are finding that these relationships are key to the School of Dentistry’s mission and they ensure that we are moving and planning for the future in a meaningful and impactful way. 

As always, I am truly grateful for how each member of our community, and all of our partners,  contribute to the school’s mission of advancing health through scientific discovery, innovative education, and highest-quality care for all communities. I look forward to you reading about the many ways we do that every day and to connecting with you in the future. 

Sincerely, 

Keith A. Mays, DDS, MS, PhD
Dean
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry