As the new incoming Dean of the School of Dentistry I am excited to join an exceptional community of educators, scientists and clinicians at the ULSD. Moreover, I look forward to working with the faculty, students, alumni, friends of the Dental School and the university community to ensure that Dentistry’s Challenge for Excellence continues at the pace set by my predecessors.

Dentistry's Challenge for Excellence

In essence, we will sustain the initiative “...to become a preeminent metropolitan research university nationally recognized for our success in advancing the intellectual, social and economic development of our community and our Commonwealth” developed in 1997.  The School of Dentistry, as a member of the Louisville academic community, was called to be a contributor to the attainment of the university’s Challenge.  In addition, at that time, national influences on dental education provided an opportune time to change the way we do things in dental education, research, patient care and service.

ULSD 2008 is a continuation plan to transform the UofL dental education enterprise to support the university’s Challenge and contribute to the national advancement of academic dentistry.  In a time when accountability and selective investments are being made in higher education, it will be in our best interest to implement a similar strategy of accountability and selective investment. 

We will measure our progress using the School of Dentistry scorecard. What follows is a five-year update to position the School of Dentistry to be recognized as a significant contributor to the Challenge.

By 2008, the School of Dentistry will:

• Be a nationally recognized institution of academic dentistry for being:

• Deliver our clinical education program as a comprehensive care general practice program
• Provide outstanding quality and cost efficient advanced education programs
• Enhance our basic science and clinical research funding to at least $7 million annually
• Enhance scholarship through peer-reviewed publications and invited national/international  presentations
• Increase permanent endowments to at least $5 million
• Implement the ULSD unit diversity plan that supports race and gender diversity, equity and open communication
• Create a master facilities plan, to include renovation of the clinical facilities
• Contribute to the metropolitan community and economic development
• Be viewed as a leader at the university in pursuit of the Challenge

John J. Sauk, DDS, MS
Dean