School of Dentistry

Contributed by Carlos S. Smith, DDS, MDiv, FACD, associate dean of inclusive excellence, ethics and community engagement. Continuing on our path towards a more inclusive School of Dentistry, we wanted to take a moment and reflect upon PRIDE Month and the recognition of our LGBTQ+ community members—patients, students, staff, and faculty. Pride is a beacon […]

Saleh Smadi had known for some time that he wanted to work in health care. When he was a child growing up in Jordan, he had fractured his tooth while playing outside. The broken tooth caused him unimaginable pain, and his parents had to drive him more than an hour to visit the closest dentist. The ordeal made a lasting impression, later inspiring him to pursue a career where he could provide the same kind of relief from pain that he had experienced.

Carlos Smith, D.D.S., M.Div., is director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the ethics curriculum at VCU School of Dentistry. As a trained ethicist and student of history, he examines the context in which societal practices and institutions were constructed through a lens of equality and social justice. Often, he challenges his colleagues and […]

New research from the Philips Institute for Oral Health Research at VCU School of Dentistry — published this week in Cell Reports — demonstrated that a novel targeted therapy could be an effective treatment option for a deadly pediatric cancer known as neuroblastoma.

Lyndon F. Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., has been named dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, effective April 18. Cooper currently serves as associate dean for research and head of the Department of Oral Biology at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry. “Dr. Cooper is an internationally renowned and innovative patient-oriented researcher and […]

VCU School of Dentistry’s Interview Days provide a window to the next four years for prospective Doctor of Dental Surgery students VCU School of Dentistry recently completed its final fall Interview Day for 2021, an exciting process during which Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) applicants visit the school for a mix of orientation and interviews. […]

John Wallace, former communications professional with VCU Massey Cancer Center, will join the VCU School of Dentistry on Oct. 11. As Director of Communications, he fills a new role at the school, one created by Interim Dean Clara Spatafore, D.D.S., M.S. “Strong institutional communications are critical to our mission,” Spatafore says. “John Wallace brings multifaceted […]

By Carlos S. Smith, DDS, MDiv, FACD Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Director of Ethics Curriculum & the Mirmelstein Lecture Associate Professor, Department of Dental Public Health and Policy and Affiliate Faculty, Oral Health Equity Core, VCU Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation It is my pleasure to share our 2020-21 Office of […]

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Significance of Juneteenth: Emancipation of enslaved African Americans Hello Everyone, We hope you all are enjoying your day off. As of June 15, 2021, Juneteenth has been officially recognized as a federal holiday! Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) marked the day where African American slaves in Texas received their freedom.  Weren’t slaves free when the Emancipation Proclamation was […]