Dr. Mark A. Reynolds is named dean at University of Maryland School of Dentistry

“Dean Reynolds has proven himself to be an integral member of our University of Maryland, Baltimore community,” Perman said. “In his nearly two decades of service, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a strong dedication to this university and to the School of Dentistry. His nationally recognized expertise in his field and his commitment to strengthening the school and the university as a whole make him the perfect choice for this position. We are thrilled to continue working with him in his new capacity.”

Reynolds has served as chair of the Department of Periodontics since 2005, and as director of the Advanced Dental Education Program in Periodontics from 2001 to 2013. He joined the School of Dentistry in 1996 as an assistant professor in the departments of oral and maxillofacial pathology and periodontics. He was promoted to associate professor in 2001, and in 2005 he became chair of the Department of Periodontics. In 2009, he became a professor of periodontics. Reynolds was named interim dean in July 2013, when former dean Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, left to become dean of Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine.

“My priorities as a department chair and as interim dean have been fostering a collegial environment, mentoring faculty and aligning departmental activities and initiatives with our overall institutional mission,” Reynolds said. “I plan to continue to prioritize these areas moving forward in my new leadership position. I also share President Perman’s commitment to interdisciplinary, campus-wide clinical, research and administrative initiatives. I have seen firsthand how collaboration across the schools and throughout the university can strengthen us all and maximize our impact.”

“I’ve greatly enjoyed the last year as interim dean of this fine school, my own alma mater,” Reynolds added. “I am grateful to Dr. Perman and to the search committee, led by School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, for providing me with this challenging and exciting new opportunity to lead the School of Dentistry into the future.”

In its comprehensive national search for a new dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the search committee focused upon candidates with superb records of scholarship and proven leadership, mentoring and administrative abilities. The dean of the dental school must maintain a delicate balance between commitments to the school’s educational, patient care and research missions, all while raising the national profile of the institution.

“Dr. Mark Reynolds distinguished himself as an exceptional choice among our excellent pool of candidates in many ways, including his long record as a National Institutes of Health funded scientist and published scholar,” said Dean Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who was chairman of the search committee, and also serves as vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland, and dean of the School of Medicine. “Working with Dr. Reynolds has been most rewarding, and I look forward to continuing our relationship in his new capacity as dean of the School of Dentistry.”

The University of Maryland School of Dentistry is the world’s first dental college, established in 1840. The school offers advanced training programs in six specialties; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dental hygiene; graduate programs in oral and craniofacial biological sciences and experimental pathology; and combined DDS/PhD and DDS/MPH programs.

In 2006, the school opened a $153 million, technologically advanced dental facility. Most recently, the school established a state-of-the-art teaching clinic in Perryville.

Recognized as a national leader in dental education, out of 65 U.S. dental schools, in fiscal year 2012 the School of Dentistry was ranked sixth in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and ninth in funding from the NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. With a prestigious history, ambitious current endeavors, an eye to advancing technology, the School of Dentistry remains a pioneer in dental education, research and patient care.

Reynolds earned his PhD in oral and experimental pathology from the University of Maryland Graduate School in 1999. In 1995, he earned a certificate in periodontics from the School of Dentistry, where he had earned his DDS in 1986. Reynolds also earned a master’s degree in community-clinical pathology in 1982, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1978, both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

He has published more than 110 peer-reviewed articles and has more than 3,700 citations. He sits on the editorial boards of the journal Clinical Advances in Periodontics, the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice and the Journal of Periodontal Research, and he serves on the peer review panel of the Journal of Periodontology. He has sat on and chaired many committees for distinguished organizations such as the American Academy of Periodontology and the National Science Foundation. He is also currently the Director of the American Board of Periodontology.

Reynolds has participated in more than 20 NIH study sections, serving as a regular member of the Skeletal Biology Development and Disease Study Section from 2006 to 2010. In 2013, he was appointed to a four-year term as a voting member of the FDA’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee, Dental Panel.

Reynolds began his continuous record of NIH funding when he earned a competitive five-year NIH Individual Dentist Scientist Award to support his residency and his PhD studies. His research primarily focuses upon bone and periodontal regeneration. One of Reynolds’ clinical trials received the American Academy of Periodontology R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award. His research has often been multi-institutional, including collaborators at the NIH and other universities.

The University of Maryland is home to the schools of law, medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and social work and the graduate school. It is the founding campus of the University System of Maryland.

(Source: University of Maryland)