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Dr. Scott De Rossi named new School of Dentistry Dean
“Scott De Rossi is a leader in oral medicine and brings significant clinical and research expertise,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost James W. Dean Jr. “Chancellor Folt and I are confident that his concern for faculty and student diversity and globalization will help our School of Dentistry achieve its vision to be a world leader in improving oral health through excellence in education, patient care, research, public service and engagement.” De Rossi holds joint faculty appointments at Augusta University as professor of oral medicine in the department of diagnostic sciences at the Dental College of Georgia – the state’s only dental school – and professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and dermatology at the Medical College of Georgia. He is an adjunct professor of oral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine. “I am honored to be chosen to lead Carolina’s School of Dentistry,” De Rossi said. “The school has a rich history of distinctive strengths that position it to greatly influence academic dentistry and shape the next generation of oral health professionals. I look forward to working with students, faculty, staff and alumni in promoting the health of the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world through excellence in education, patient care, research and service.” The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved De Rossi’s appointment, which takes effect Jan. 15, 2017. De Rossi will succeed Dr. Jane Weintraub, who announced last December she would step down after five years as dean to return to research and teaching. She continues her faculty appointment in the department of dental ecology with an adjunct appointment in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Weintraub served as dean since 2011, leading the school to earn two Gies awards, increasing funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and recruiting new faculty to increase the school’s diversity in many ways. Dr. Ken May has served as interim dean since July. A diplomate in the American Board of Oral Medicine, De Rossi is active in numerous professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, the American Association of Dental Research, the American Dental Education Association and the American Academy of Oral Medicine, where he serves as a trustee and as a treasurer on the executive committee. He earned his doctor of dental medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, graduating with highest honors, and a certificate in oral medicine from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College. He expects to receive a master’s degree in business administration from Augusta University’s Hull College of Business in December. UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Dentistry, founded in 1950, was North Carolina’s first dental school. Since its inception, the school has been dedicated to promoting the health of the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world through excellence in teaching, patient care, research and service. UNC-Chapel Hill’s school is one of the nation’s only dental schools that offers training in dental assisting, dental hygiene, a doctor of dental surgery degree and all dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association. Additionally the school provides education tracks in other post-doctoral certificate programs and two Ph.D. programs. The school’s clinics see more than 115,000 patient visits annually, and the school’s students provide more than $4 million of in-kind dental care annually. (Extracted from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-News) |
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has selected Dr. Scott De Rossi, who was most recently the chair of the oral health and diagnostic sciences department at Augusta University’s Dental College of Georgia, as the new dean of the School of Dentistry.