Spring 2007 - UNC School of Dentistry - The University of North ...

M ESSAGE FROM THE D EAN
■■■■
Dear Alumni and Friends:
In June of 1967, the School of Dentistry took a huge step in its development
with the opening of the Dental Research Center. We celebrated this 40-year
milestone in dental discovery earlier this year with several events, including a
keynote Dental Research in Review Day address from Dr. James W. Bawden.
The Dental Research Center was
completed near the beginning of
Dr. Bawden’s eight years as dean.
Dr. Bawden had also received our
School’s first individual research
grant from the National Institute of
Dental Research (now the National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research, or NIDCR). The memories
and insights he shared with us
earlier this year reinforced the
DRC’s critical role in establishing
our School as one of the preeminent
dental institutions nationwide.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Bawden
received a standing ovation after his
remarks.
Dr. Bawden and Dr. John
Brauer understood that to truly
offer our students the best education
possible, the School of
Dentistry had to establish leadership
in oral health research. We
could not forfeit our obligation to
prepare our students for research
discoveries that would influence
their experiences as practitioners.
We could not forfeit our stake in
the nation’s emerging opportunities
for research that would have a
positive influence on oral health.
Establishing this research leadership
involved the sacrifice, hard
work and vision of many people.
Forty years after the creation of the
DRC, the School of Dentistry is
number three of all dental institutions
nationwide in NIDCR funding
in the most recent numbers
(fiscal 2006). More importantly,
this ranking reflects research that is
asking compelling questions about
the role of oral health in systemic
health, the underlying causes of
chronic pain and treatments for
craniofacial malformations, among
other issues.
Clearly, we stand at another
crucial crossroads in positioning our
School for continued educational
and research excellence. The DRC
has not received significant renovations
during its 40-year history, and
its antiquated structure is proving
more and more insufficient in
sustaining our faculty members’
promising research. The N.C.
General Assembly has generously
appropriated $5 million for the
planning and design of our proposed
Dental Sciences Building, and
I would heartily encourage you to
let your elected officials know how
vital this building is to the advancement
of oral health in our state.
The proposed Dental Sciences
Building, as currently designed,
would add state-of-the-art educational
and research space and
technology. The design includes an
auditorium able to seat more than
200 people, several 100-plus-seat
lecture halls and larger seminar
rooms. We currently have no
lecture halls within our buildings
that can seat more than 80 people.
Of course, state-of-the-art
educational space is only one factor
3
in a high-quality education for our
students. This year, our School is
embarking on a major DDS
curriculum revision; building on
my decision to increase clinic attendance
last year, I have asked our
new associate dean for academic
affairs, Dr. Janet Guthmiller, to lead
this curriculum revision initiative.
We are identifying ways to offer our
students even more patient-care
experience for the world they will
enter as practitioners—particularly
our third- and fourth-year DDS
students.
Carolina 2010: School of
Dentistry Academic Plan, featured in
this issue of the North Carolina
Dental Review, is our School’s
blueprint for sustained excellence
within our missions of education,
research, patient care and service.
As the enthusiastic response to
Dr. Bawden’s dental research presentation
demonstrated, our School
of Dentistry is, and always has
been, a community with a shared
commitment to improving the oral
health of our fellow citizens. You
are an important part of that
community, and I welcome your
thoughts on Carolina 2010.
My warmest wishes,
John