A month filled with exciting and important events
The early fall is a busy time in academic dentistry. For the VCU School of Dentistry community it’s been a particularly busy time, and for the dean, well, let’s say that October has been a whirlwind of exciting and important events. We have new faculty joining Oral Surgery, General Dentistry, and Prosthodontics and we have also welcomed a new director of our Dental Hygiene program. They join our talented faculty, a number of whom were honored by being inducted into the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and/or the Pierre Fauchard Academy at last week’s meetings surrounding the American Dental Association SmileCon events in Houston. Our great professional VCU family is clearly connected to our alumni and peers at local, national and international levels. This was evident in the many hours I shared with our VDA delegates learning about the opportunities and challenges facing the profession and hearing wonderful stories that affirm VCU School of Dentistry’s place among the best of dental schools.
Embracing this expanding professional community requires continued dedication to inclusive excellence, and this past week we have celebrated the School’s third-annual Inclusive Excellence Week with outstanding presentations that let us take pause to think about our place, our actions and our future in this context. Our best future involves the recruitment of diverse and talented students, and throughout October we have welcomed many applicants to the School, encouraging these students to join us in the next year.
Yes, we are busy and engaged in many activities beyond our very important and critical responsibilities of providing a great education, performing leading research and delivering outstanding patient care. October has been a busy month welcoming new faculty, new students, new patients, new friends and new ideas. Please take a moment to reflect on your contributions and congratulate one another for the remarkable everyday and extraordinary things we achieve together.
Lyndon F. Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., F.A.C.P.
Dean and Professor of Prosthodontics
Categories Deans blog