It’s been a banner year for the School of Dentistry. Last September, the Minnesota Dental Association named University of Minnesota School of Dentistry graduate James Zenk as association president. In October, 2005, a School of Dentistry graduate and former dental school instructor was elected president of the 35,000-member American Dental Association. And this spring, three School of Dentistry faculty members were elected to national leadership positions in some of the profession’s most respected organizations.
In April, James Swift, D.D.S., M.S., was named president-elect of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the nation’s leading organization for dental education. A respected educator, author and lecturer, Swift is currently director of the School of Dentistry’s Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His areas of teaching and research expertise include dental implant therapy, pathology of the head and neck, cancer reconstruction, and temporomandibular joint disease and procedures.
In May, Michael Rohrer, D.D.S., M.S., was elected president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Rohrer is currently director of the Division of Oral Pathology at the U-M School of Dentistry. He also directs the dental school’s Hard Tissue Research Laboratory which evaluates more than 6,500 biopsies each year and provides diagnostic and consultative services for patients, physicians and dentists. For the last 18 years, he has been active in research in dental implants and bone substitutes, with collaborations around the U.S. and the world.
Also elected in May was Nelson Rhodus, D.M.D, M.P.H., as president of the American Academy of Oral Medicine. Rhodus directs the dental school’s Program in Oral Medicine and Diagnosis and its Xerostomia Clinic. He is also a principal investigator or co-investigator on seven research studies related to oral cancer and other oral health conditions. According to Patrick Lloyd, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the School of Dentistry, the election of three dental school faculty members to positions of national leadership is no surprise. “Each of these individuals is an award-winning educator, several times over. Each possesses the unique skills, talent, vision and experience required of national leaders within the profession’s academic and scientific communities. That all three happen to be from related disciplines is an indication of the strength of the School of Dentistry in identification and treatment of diseases affecting the oral cavity, jaws and facial region, including expertise in oral cancer research, diagnosis and treatment. And that all three are from the University of Minnesota is a reflection of the concentration of interprofessional educational, patient care and research expertise at the U of M.”
The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is the state’s only dental school, improving oral and craniofacial health by educating dentists, dental hygienists, specialists and scientists who translate knowledge and experience into clinical practice.
In assuming their respective leadership roles, each has the opportunity to influence the direction and development of their organizations within the national arena and to affect training guidelines, standards of care and research priorities of their disciplines and the profession.