Appointment of Dean of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

April 20, 2011

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Huw F. Thomas, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., as the new dean of the School of Dental Medicine, effective August 1, 2011.

Dr. Thomas comes to Tufts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he has served as Dean of the School of Dentistry and Professor of Pediatric Dentistry since 2004. Dr. Thomas is a widely admired leader in the dental education profession, an accomplished researcher, and a skilled administrator. He has helped bring UAB to the forefront of curricular reform in dental education while building a strong research agenda within a clinical education setting.

Prior to joining UAB, Dr. Thomas held positions of increasing responsibility at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of Connecticut Health Center. A native of Wales, Dr. Thomas earned his dental degree from the prestigious Guy’s Hospital, University of London, England, in 1975. In 1978, he received a Pediatric Dentistry Certificate from Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New York, and a master’s degree in dental research from the University of Rochester. In 1986, he earned his doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

Dr. Thomas is the author or co-author of more than 150 published articles, chapters, and abstracts in numerous scientific journals. His research focuses on tooth development, particularly that of the tooth root and periodontium. Most recently his studies have examined nutritional influences on the development of tooth enamel.

He holds fellowships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American College of Dentists, and International College of Dentists, and is a member of several national and international associations and societies, including the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. His numerous leadership positions within the primary professional organizations of his field have included: chair of the American Dental Education Association Council of Deans; chair of the Section on Dentistry and Oral Health Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science; and a consultant and chair of site-visit teams for the Commission on Dental Accreditations. Dr. Thomas previously served as a member of the National Board Test Construction Committee of the American Dental Association; Hatton Awards Committee, American Association for Dental Research and International Association for Dental Research; executive committee member and program chair, Section on Pediatric Dentistry and Oral Health, American Academy of Pediatrics; and chair of the Council on Scientific Affairs, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

In 2010, he received an Award for Excellence from the Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine.

Dr. Thomas is a brilliant, collaborative, and visionary leader who will seek to maintain the highest standards of excellence for the School of Dental Medicine and build strong connections to the other schools at Tufts. President Bacow joins us in enthusiastically welcoming him to Tufts, and President-elect Monaco has let us know how very much he is looking forward to working with Dr. Thomas in the years ahead.

There will be a reception to welcome Dr. Thomas on Thursday, April 21, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the School of Dental Medicine, One Kneeland Street, Alumni Lounge, Floor 15. We hope you can join us there.

Jamshed Bharucha
Provost and Senior Vice President

Peggy Newell
Vice Provost