gator dentist today - College of Dentistry - University of Florida

Message from the dean
The University of Florida sesquicentennial year is drawing to a close and I feel our college in
particular has so much for which to be thankful and proud.
On both a personal and professional note, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Robert
Primosch, formerly chairman of pediatric dentistry, to the position of associate dean for education. Dr.
Primosch is dedicated to the continued growth and improvement of the college’s teaching mission.
We feel the performance of our students on the National Dental Board Exams is concrete validation of
the high caliber of our students, the faculty who educate them and the college’s basic and behavioral
science curriculum implemented in Fall of 2000. The Class of 2003 enjoyed a 100 percent pass rate of the NB Part II this spring, and
recently released NB Part I results rank the UFCD Class of 2005 No. 8 out of 50 dental classes taking the exam — moving up from
No. 18 last year!
The college’s research enterprise is robust and the research activities of our faculty and students are vigorous. We maintained
our ranking as No. 6 of 55 dental schools in research award funding from the National Institutes of Health, and this fall the college
received an NIH Research Infrastructure Planning Grant. This grant has facilitated an assessment and planning process that will
assist the college in improving its research facilities and building its research faculty to assure continued success. We anticipate
one result of this process will be to expand on our translational research efforts to build a bridge between basic science and clinical
science for the benefit of our patients.
Initiatives during 2003 yielded new, exciting partnerships with
Hillsborough Community College and St. Petersburg College in expanding
dental education opportunities and access to care for Florida’s underserved
residents. The HCC dental clinic is an unprecedented partnership for the
college, expanding dental residencies for our students and dental hygiene
and assisting education in the Tampa area. We also are raising funds to build a
new dental clinic on the St. Petersburg College Campus in Pinellas which will
further increase dental education opportunities and indigent patient access to
low-cost dental care. The college has made significant strides in upgrading and
renovating its existing clinic and classroom facilities. I feel it is critical for our
facilities to reflect the high quality of patient care delivered and they should be
a great source of pride for our faculty, staff, students and patients.
My sincerest, personal thanks are extended to the college’s alumni
and friends who have been such great supporters. Without you, it would be
impossible for the college to achieve its mission of excellence in education,
research and service. Because we value your support and wish to keep you
informed of college activities, we have prepared this edition of the Gator Dentist
Today magazine to provide you with a year-end overview of college activities
— in addition to the usual line-up of articles and sections. I hope you will enjoy
reading the Annual Report Edition of the Gator Dentist Today, and I welcome
your comments and feedback.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year!
Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H.
Professor and Dean
tdolan@dental.ufl.edu
Deans and Chairs
annual report
Kenneth J. Anusavice, D.M.D., Ph.D., — Associate
Dean for Research and Chairman, Dental Biomaterials
Robert E. Bates, D.D.S., M.S. — Senior Associate Dean
for Clinical Affairs and Operations
Carroll G. Bennett, D.D.S., M.S. — Interim Chairman,
Pediatric Dentistry
Robert A. Burne, Ph.D. — Chairman, Oral Biology
T. Dwyght Clark, D.D.S. — Chairman, Operative
Dentistry
M. Frank Dolwick, D.M.D., Ph.D. — Chairman, Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences
Samuel B. Low, D.D.S., M.S., M.Ed. — Associate Dean
for Faculty Practice and Continuing Education
Arthur Nimmo, D.D.S. — Chairman, Prosthodontics
Robert E. Primosch, D.D.S., M.S., M.Ed. — Associate
Dean for Education
Venita J. Sposetti, D.M.D. — Assistant Dean for
Admissions and Financial Aid
Kenneth A. Tomlinson, B.S.B.A. — Associate Dean for
Finance and Administration
Herbert J. Towle, D.D.S. — Chairman, Periodontics
Frank J. Vertucci, D.M.D. — Chairman, Endodontics
Timothy T. Wheeler, D.M.D., Ph.D. — Assistant Dean
for Advanced and Graduate Education and Chairman,
Orthodontics
Gator Dentist Today Fall/Winter 2003 3