School of Dental Medicine

Imagine the dental school of tomorrow, driven by commitments to science, innovation and service to community. It is a place where research discoveries are moved into education and practice, and new horizons and roles for dental medicine are explored in a changing health care environment. Where dental medicine is a key partner in tomorrow’s health care team: interdisciplinary, inter-professional and synergistic. Where the latest technology blends perfectly with a timeless service to humanity.

Now imagine the dental school that can not only take us to that future, but lead the way. This is our moment at the UConn School of Dental Medicine.

The School of Dental Medicine is Connecticut’s only dental school and one of the nation’s leading dental institutions. With programs built around the two pillars of science and service, it has distinguished itself through cutting-edge research, new approaches to education and patient care and novel community-based programs. For 40 years, the School has been a major contributor to the health science initiatives of the state, region, Health Center and University; a developer of new faculty for the nation’s dental schools; and a producer of exceptional dentists for the state of Connecticut and beyond.

Today, the School aims to strengthen its engagement and reputation locally, regionally and nationally. Continued excellence will require exceptional faculty and students, program innovation, a revitalization of its infrastructure and a sound fiscal base. Our campaign goals are designed to meet and surpass the oral health care needs and expectations of all we serve.

Tomorrow’s best dental schools will be those with the ability to function beyond today’s fiscal restraints. For the first time in its history, the School seeks to establish an endowment; our goal is $10 million. This will provide an ongoing, stable and predictable resource to pursue improvements in areas of greatest need and promise.

Faculty and Students

The academic heart and pulse of a great school are its faculty and students. Our campaign recognizes our strengths in both areas and will propel us even higher.

Bolstering a Superior Faculty
The School is committed to helping our faculty realize their potential in teaching, research and leadership. Building on existing programs, we plan to establish an endowed fund specifically for faculty development. This resource will provide support for aspiring faculty to participate in the best development programs locally, regionally and nationally. To assist young junior research faculty during the important early years of their appointment, the School also aims to establish an endowed faculty career development award.

Supporting Great Students
The School will increase financial support and academic possibilities for students. We have created a goal of 16 new full and partial scholarships (four in each year of the curriculum) for our best and most deserving students. In addition, student experiences will be broadened through research, community experiences and a wider array of externship possibilities.

Celebrating our Graduate Programs

Our graduate and residency/specialty programs have gained international acclaim for their contemporary approaches to education, research and patient care. To maintain this strength, endowed chairs and directorships are needed to promote program growth and innovation. Through this campaign, we will aim to increase the number of endowed professorships from one to eight—one for each of our advanced programs.

Research

While amongst the smallest Schools nationally, UConn is in the top 15 percent of all schools for research funding. Building upon this culture of innovative research remains a priority for the campaign. Along with the support for junior research faculty, the School is committed to ensuring that graduate fellowships are funded, allowing for the next generation of dental researcher to thrive. Throughout the School, the latest technological advances and research are incorporated through collaborations between school, industry and community. Our research efforts are leading to discoveries in both the traditional dental sciences and in new arenas such as tissue engineering and systemic health. The potential for the future is enormous.

Program Improvement

The School stands ready to implement a new, ground-breaking approachto pre-doctoral clinical education. Termed Group Practice 3 (GP3), three levels of dental providers--dentists, general practice residents and senior dental students--will team up in care groups built around the concepts of interdisciplinary, comprehensive care. Approved unanimously in concept by our faculty, we now seek the resources to propel this program into reality. The School seeks sponsorship of program pilots from industry, foundations and alumni.

Infrastructure

The home in which our alumni trained--and our faculty, students, staff and patients now learn and work--needs improvement. Significant progress has already been made with state and university support to renovate lecture rooms, pre-clinical laboratories and research facilities. But there is much more to be done. Opportunities exist for named projects within our academic departments and clinics.