Welcome to the WVU School of Dentistry web site. It is
hard to believe that a year and a half has gone by since I took on the position
of Interim Dean. It has been an exciting time to lead the School. There
have been many functions within and outside the School that have afforded me the
opportunity to interact with many of you and share my energy for the School of
Dentistry and its mission “to promote a learning
environment that addresses the present and future oral health needs of the
citizens of West Virginia and beyond by providing an oral health center
committed to excellence and innovation in education, patient care, community
service, research and technology”. Because I strive to keep the mission of
our School forefront in all that I do, I have this background map of West
Virginia prominently displayed in my office. There are numbers displayed
which gives a tally of the numbers of dentists and dental hygienists that are
licensed in each county of our state.
We are constantly striving for excellence within our School.
In February of 2007, we completed the renovation of a state of the art clinical
facility.
In the last year, we determined a need for and have developed
an information and clinical technology committee with very definitive directives
that is helping us have a
systematic, workable means of incorporating new and
appropriate technology into our educational programs. We have also developed new
initiatives to enhance the quality of patient care delivery which includes
mechanisms for assuring good outcomes. We have established new clinical
policies that have already been shown to increase the students' clinical
experiences. Through our Rural Health Education Partnership program, we
continue to provide a significant amount of dental care and education to
citizens in under served areas of West Virginia while providing students with
outstanding clinical experiences. We have participated in the first West
Virginia MOM project held in June of 2008. Our students are out in the
schools this Fall 2008 helping West Virginia promote Oral Health in our school
system.
For the future, we need to complete our ongoing renovations
plan, emphasize our development objectives with priorities of student
scholarships, professorships for faculty, renovations and clinical technologies
updates.
We welcome you to explore our website which describes the
rich history and proud tradition of West Virginia University School of
Dentistry. We really do have a faculty and staff who are dedicated to the
School of Dentistry – our patients, students, and ALL those we serve. Come
and visit Morgantown, West Virginia and see what a great place it is to live and
learn!
All the best,
Louise Veselicky
Interim Dean