Richard Buchanan, director of advanced clinical education at Baylor College of Dentistry at the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, has been named dean of the UB School of Dental Medicine. Buchanan's appointment will take effect Feb. 1, 2002.
Provost Elizabeth Capaldi called Buchanan a "gifted educator and dynamic leader who will bring extraordinary vision and vigor to the School of Dental Medicine" in a press release.
After graduating from the University of Texas-Austin, Buchanan earned a doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
He has published 23 abstracts and articles and is a reviewer for the Journal of Dental Education. Buchanan was a senior fellow last year at the Center for Educational Policy and Research of the American Dental Association.
As dean, Buchanan will handle "issues related to the curriculum, issues related to recruitment and hiring of faculty in conjunction with the chairs of the school," stated Russell Nisengard, interim dean of the dental school. "We run what might be called a hospital in our dental school with 400 chairs, so it's overseeing along with the associate dean, the operations of the clinic."
The process of selecting a dean begins with a search committee made of representatives of faculty, students, staff, alumni and other interested groups, said Capaldi. The committee considers both local and national candidates before choosing those who will be interviewed on campus.
"The search committee then sends a list of acceptable nominees to me, and I select the dean from that list," she said. "In this search, we interviewed six candidates on campus, and the committee sent three nominees to me. Dr. Buchanan was selected because his talents best fit the needs of the school at this time in their development."
