Winning | A message from the Dean

This is the time of year when college football fans are getting excited about the pending season. Some track stats, some follow training camps, others wonder if the pre-season predictions will hold up and how many wins their team will have. 

This past week, our incoming D1 class had orientation, which means we are off to another academic year. This is an excellent time to reflect on the wins the School of Dentistry had last season. During challenging times, reflecting on positive wins is cathartic and reminds us of our global impact. Therefore, I would like to share seven wins for us from this past year.

1. The hard work and efforts of our clinical faculty and staff, students and residents provided care to more 79,000 patients. Being able to support this volume of patients is due to the collective work of our front desk staff, sterilization staff, production laboratory, clinic schedulers, color group leaders, full-time and part-time faculty in predoctoral clinics and advanced education clinics and so many others that are a part of this collective.
2. For the calendar year 2024, we improved our Blue Ridge rankings of NIH funds from 16 to 13. Hard-working basic science and clinical researchers within our school have been successfully submitting and receiving grants. Our ultimate goal is to be ranked in the top ten on Blue Ridge rankings, and movement is a positive win for the school.
3. The school’s Development team, thanks to the generosity of our donors, met and exceeded our annual goal of $4M, raising $4.5 million. This includes more than $29,000 during the annual Give to the Max Day and the establishment of a new Professorship in Periodontics, just to name a few. Additionally, the Learners to Leaders campaign, which launched in 2021, has raised over $6.5 million to support student scholarships, which speaks to the school’s strong commitment to supporting students.
4. On May 9 we had the honor of once again celebrating the accomplishments of 187 oral health professionals. There were 7 DT, 27 DH, 119 DDS, 1 PhD and 33 Advanced Education graduates recognized for their hard work and academic achievement. Our commencement ceremony is always filled with high energy, excitement and positivity as friends and family celebrate our graduates. Successfully graduating nearly 200 oral health professionals, year after year, is a tribute to our faculty and staff who make educating our students possible.
5. The school has a strong student research program. This summer, there were 17 summer research dental students plus eight Minnesota Craniofacial and Oral Health Research Experience (MNCORE) student participants. We had a strong student contingency at the American Association of Dental and Craniofacial Research meeting in New York, showcasing  seven oral presentations, two posters by students and several more by faculty. We had an awesome reception with a great overall presence. One of our 2025 graduates, Dr. Nicholas Fisher, was awarded the National Student Research Group Outstanding Student Research Award, and one of current students, Sarah Aitken, won first place in the Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research (SCADA) Basic and Translational Science category.
6. Over the past few years we have been committed to integrating a process for individualization within the curriculum. As a component of our strategic plan, Dr. Karl Self has developed a tracks program, allowing students a pathway for specialized training in rural dentistry, academic dentistry, research and leadership. The first phase of these tracks will be launched Fall 2025 with the Class of 2029.
7. The school continues to be innovative. Last September, we hosted an open house for the Orofacial MRI Center, becoming the only dental school in the US and the third in the world to have an MRI dedicated to dental use. Over the past few years, we have successfully increased the footprint of digital dentistry in the curriculum, both clinically and preclinically. This is due to the ongoing hard work of many faculty, who provide faculty training, teach students and provide clinical care. We have already started introducing 3D printing and milling when applicable for patient care. 

As a dean, this past year was challenging, especially when I consider fiscal adjustments, a shifting research landscape and general reframing of higher education. Reflecting on just a few wins helps us understand that we have made a positive impact in health care and reminds us of the importance of our work. As we launch into a new academic year, let us be steadfast in our mission, to advance health through scientific discovery, innovative education and the highest-quality care for all communities.