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Dean's Message
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As I approach the one-year mark of serving as Dean, I am continually reminded of why this School of Dentistry has a longstanding tradition of excellence. “People” is the single word, but it represents the thousands of individuals – students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends – who create this community of enduring success. An example of this impressive collective effort took place over the last two years as we prepared for the site visit of the Commission on Dental Accreditation. It took many months to prepare the lengthy and very detailed self-study in advance of the CODA site visit in late March. Our faculty, students, staff and leadership team came together in a remarkable display of commitment and collaboration to discuss the myriad elements of our curriculum, policies, procedures and cultural climate with the site visitors.
The CODA review provides an invaluable reminder that we have an extraordinary network of talented people working in unison on a daily basis to educate our dental, dental hygiene and graduate students. The preliminary response from the site team visitors was very positive and has been followed by a formal report. Are there areas we can improve? Yes, and this is welcomed because continuous improvement is in our DNA.
While our current faculty, staff and students deserve credit, the school’s success is also directly tied to the steadfast support of alumni and friends throughout Michigan, across the country and internationally. Our recently renovated, state-of-the-art facilities, for example, wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of financial gifts and in-kind contributions from our alumni and friends. The same is true for scholarships that help draw and support high-achieving students, and for endowed professorships to help recruit and retain top faculty.
As we approach the 150th anniversary of the school’s founding next year, we must acknowledge the foundation and culture that was built by the many who came before us. The founders in 1875 and each succeeding generation of faculty, staff and students were resolute in maintaining the highest standards of excellence and leadership. Nearly 150 years later, we are proud that a very committed University of Michigan School of Dentistry community strongly embraces and works hard to advance that legacy of excellence.
Sincerely,
