Reappointment of Paul Krebsbach as Dean of the School of Dentistry

Dear Colleagues:

Following the customary five-year administrative review process, I am pleased to share that Paul Krebsbach has been reappointed for a second term as dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. The review committee praised Dean Krebsbach for his positive and collegial leadership style; his excellent crisis management throughout the pandemic; his success in improving research infrastructure and educational programs; and his efforts to bolster faculty recruitment, retention, and professional development at the school.

Since he was first appointed in 2016, Dean Krebsbach has focused his efforts on enhancing the student experience within the School of Dentistry on the academic side and improving the delivery of oral healthcare to underserved and diverse populations on the clinical side. One initiative tying these priorities together was the development and implementation of the Community-Based Clinical Education program (CBCE), which delivers thousands of dental procedures to indigent patients each year. This program provides opportunities for dentistry students to have practical, hands-on patient care experiences while also serving an important need to expand school services to a broad spectrum of underserved patient populations. By facilitating travel to patient communities rather than having them come to UCLA, this program has broadened the scope and influence of the school while mitigating the access barrier to oral healthcare.

Dean Krebsbach also has overseen the establishment of the innovative Digital Dentistry Systems (iDDS), which aims to improve how oral healthcare is taught and to prepare UCLA’s learners for the rapidly evolving technology within dental therapy. The school is committed to being at the forefront of digital technologies in modern dental practice and to setting an example of how to effectively and efficiently integrate innovative technologies into dental education.

Dean Krebsbach’s leadership — and the hard work of the school’s faculty, staff, and trainees —has been strongly validated by external parties: In 2017, the School of Dentistry received full accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation without a single recommendation for its predoctoral and postdoctoral programs. UCLA is the only dental school in the commission’s history to receive accreditation without any recommendations or suggestions.

Looking ahead, Dean Krebsbach will continue to nurture scholarship and innovation in the school. His plans include allocating resources for the improvement of clinical facilities to enhance student and patient experiences in the delivery of care, maintaining a focus on recruiting and retaining top scholars, upgrading research laboratories and academic facilities, and advancing inclusivity and diversity in the field.

Please join me in thanking Dean Krebsbach for his service to the university and in wishing him continued success throughout his second term.

Sincerely,

Emily A. Carter
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost