This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
News

Search begins for new dental dean

By SUE WUETCHER
Published: March 11, 2009

The national search for a dean for the School of Dental Medicine has begun with the appointment of a search committee that includes members of the Western New York dental and health care communities.

The search is seeking a successor to Richard Buchanan, who announced last November that he was stepping down as dean and leaving his academic positions at UB to pursue other initiatives. Buchanan is remaining as dean until a successor is in place.

Robert J. Genco, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, vice provost and director of the UB Office of Science, Technology Tranfer and Economic Outreach (STOR), has been named chair of the search committee by David L. Dunn, vice president for health sciences.

Other members of the committee are Mark C. Barabas, president and chief operating officer, Erie County Medical Center; Frank C. Barnashuk, past president, Eighth District Dental Society; Joseph E. Bernat, chair, postdoctoral program director and clinical associate professor, Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine; Mary A. Bisson, professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences; Barry C. Boyd, assistant professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, UB dental school; Gayle A. Brazeau, associate dean for curricular affairs and associate professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Also, Linda Caley, assistant professor, School of Nursing; Heidi Crow, assistant dean for postdoctoral general dentistry and associate professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, UB dental school; Michael Duffey, professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Jude Fabiano, associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, UB dental school; Jo L. Freudenheim, UB Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions; Robert G. Hoeing, assistant professor, Department of Linguistics and chair, Faculty Senate.

Also, Chunhao (Chris) Li, assistant professor, Department of Oral Biology; Richard J. Lynch, executive council member, UB Dental Alumni Association; Eugene A. Pantera Jr., assistant dean for continuing education and clinical assistant professor, Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, UB dental school; Maureen Sullivan-Nasca, chief, Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and Lawrence Zielinski, president, Buffalo General Hospital, Kaleida Health System.

UB also has hired a consultant, Ilene Nagel of Russell Reynolds Associates, to assist in the search. A former professor of law at Indiana University and executive vice chancellor at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Nagel has assisted in other dean searches at UB, most recently in the search for the dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

Dunn said Genco will convene the search committee soon “to develop the search process and appropriate timetable, and to begin to solicit for nominations.”

“I am sure we will attract a large number of excellent candidates, and I look forward to the committee’s recommendations,” he said.