Looking forward together | A message from the interim dean
On Tuesday of this week, DDS, Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene students began their coursework as we officially kicked off the fall semester. After a busy summer spent preparing for the academic year, it was a joy to celebrate new beginnings and welcome our learners to the classrooms and clinics.
Over the quieter summer months, I have had many opportunities to hear from our faculty, staff and alumni. I’ve heard successes and challenges, and I’ve continued to learn how we can best support one another as we continue to grow. In particular, I’ve spent time visiting our clinical floors and collaborating with our Clinical Systems team to explore ways of maintaining our excellence in patient care and the education of our students. The comprehensive care clinics enjoyed a well-deserved break in the two weeks before the new semester, and I look forward to continuing to work with them and fostering those relationships throughout the academic year.
Earlier in the summer, I had the honor of joining Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter on a tour of our Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic, where she learned about the clinic’s interdisciplinary model of care and how they serve patients from birth to adulthood. On the same day, I attended the AADOCR Minnesota Section Research Exchange and Student Summer Research Symposium, where we heard from predoctoral, postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate researchers who give me hope for the future of discovery. These are just a few examples of the excellence I’ve witnessed this summer. I’m grateful to our comprehensive care and specialty clinics for the excellent work they do to advance systemic and oral health and work as a team for their patients, to our researchers for their passion for discovery, and to our educators for their commitment to shaping the future of oral health care.
As the season changes and we enter into the busyness of the fall semester, I’ll continue engaging and collaborating with leaders throughout the school—including at our upcoming All Faculty and Staff Retreat, where our faculty will engage in academic calibration, our researchers will enjoy a research development session and our staff will participate in professional development. I’ll also look forward to upcoming and ongoing initiatives, including our 2028 CODA Accreditation visit, our campaign to transform Minnesota dentistry and our collaborations across Health Sciences schools.
In this time of new beginnings, I hope you’ll join me in looking forward and considering your role in fostering our mission to advance health through scientific discovery, innovative education and high-quality care.