Founded in 1897, the School of Dentistry has a proud legacy as a professional school with a global reputation for excellence and a recognized tradition of closeness and community among its alumni. One core of strength rests with the School of Dentistry’s renowned faculty. Their reputations as educators, scientists and oral health care professionals secure the school’s continuing place as a leader. Another strength is the school’s position within a world-class, private university strategically located in a pluralistic urban area. As it faces the 21st century, the School of Dentistry has a mission that links its past to the future through enhancement of its unique qualities and incorporation of scientific excellence into a framework of humanistic compatibility that will become the hallmark of the school’s work. The school’s environment offers special opportunities that can be found nowhere else.

Education of dental health care professionals in an environment where research is a priority is the primary purpose of the school. The school offers a variety of traditional educational programs and a selection of special degree offerings as well. Traditional curricula include the Doctor of Dental Surgery program, the baccalaureate in dental hygiene program and postdoctoral programs in six recognized dental specialties. Special degrees include a combined D.D.S.-M.B.A. program, master’s and Ph.D. opportunities in the craniofacial biology program, and an international student program. Ranked among the top dental schools nationally in research funding, the school is proud of its leading role in solving the mysteries of bioscience across scientific disciplines including developmental biology, microbiology, biochemistry, prokaryotic and eukaryotic molecular biology and human genetics.

A sense of service and caring for others is the foundation of a health care provider, and is important to the mission of the School of Dentistry. Achieving educational goals through providing quality dental care to the public is a hallmark of the School of Dentistry. From its location in southeast Los Angeles, the school offers affordable, first-rate care to the community’s underserved; to the university faculty, staff and students; and to those seeking special comprehensive care. Through affiliations with major hospitals and medical centers in Los Angeles, the education of the students and the care of patients is expanded.

School of Dentistry
Dentistry Room 203
(213) 740-2811
Email: scdental@hsc.usc.edu

Administration

Howard M. Landesman, D.D.S., M.Ed., Dean

Terence Donovan, D.D.S., Executive Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Sandra Clark Bolivar, J.D., Associate Dean, Admissions and Student Affairs

Joanne Mayne, B.A., Associate Dean, Development

Marwan Abou-Rass, D.D.S., M.S.D., Ph.D., Associate Dean, International Affairs

Jorgen Slots, D.M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Associate Dean, Research

Gerald Vale, D.D.S., M.D.S., M.P.H., J.D., Associate Dean, Hospital Affairs

Lawrence Warner, D.D.S., Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs

Catherine Lane, B.S., Assistant Dean, Patient Relations

Gerald Mells, D.D.S., Assistant Dean, Faculty Practice

Michael Mulvehill, D.D.S., Assistant Dean, Clinical Affairs

Victoria Newcomer, B.A., Assistant Dean, Public Relations

Faculty

G. Donald and Marian James Montgomery Dean’s Chair in Dentistry: Howard M. Landesman, D.D.S., M.Ed.*

George and Mary Lou Boone Chair in Craniofacial Molecular Biology: Charles F. Shuler, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation Chair in Esthetic Dentistry: Jack D. Preston, D.D.S.*

Ralph W. and Jean L. Bleak Professorship in Restorative Dentistry: Winston Wan-Li Chee, B.D.S.

Phillip Maurer Tennis Professorship in Clinical Dentistry: Richard L. Kahn, D.D.S.*

Wilbur N. and Ruth Van Zile Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: John J. Lytle, D.D.S., M.D.

USC Associates Assistant Professorship in Dentistry: Nathan Friedman, D.D.S.
Professors: Marwan Abou-Rass, D.D.S., M.S.D., Ph.D.; Paul C. Denny, Ph.D.*; Janice Handlers, D.D.S.*; Howard M. Landesman, D.D.S., M.Ed.*; Stanley F. Malamed, D.D.S.; Michael Melnick, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Raymond J. Melrose, D.D.S.*; Barbara G. Mills, M.S., M.D.; Cedric Minkin, Ph.D.; Gregory Mooser, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Roseann Mulligan, D.D.S., M.S.; Thomas J. Pallasch, D.D.S., M.S.; Jack D. Preston, D.D.S.*; Michael L. Schneir, M.S., Ph.D.; Peter Sinclair, D.D.S., M.S.D.; Jorgen Slots, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., D.M.D.; Malcolm L. Snead, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Associate Professors: Samuel E. Allerton, Ph.D.*; John W. Beierle, Ph.D.; Winston Wan-Li Chee, B.D.S.; Jack F. Conley, D.D.S., M.Ed.; Terence E. Donovan, D.D.S.; Tina F. Jaskoll, B.A., Ph.D.; Charles H. Julienne, D.D.S.; Richard L. Kahn, D.D.S.*; Ralph L. Leung, D.D.S., M.S.; Gary D. Miller, D.D.S.; Mahvash Navazesh, D.M.D.; Anna M. Pattison, M.Ed.; Sandra K. Rich, M.P.H., Ph.D.; L. Daniel Schaeffer, M.S., Ph.D., D.D.S.; Charles F. Shuler, D.M.D., Ph.D.; Stephen Sobel, D.D.S.; Arnold Tiber, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Gary N. Trump, Ph.D.*; Peggy T. Tsutsui, M.S.*; Karoline B. Waldman, M.S.; Abraham Yaari, M.S., D.M.D.; Joseph Zernik, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professors (Librarianship): John P. Glueckert, M.L.I.S.; Frank O. Mason, M.S.L.S.

Assistant Professors: Yang Chai, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Chih-Kuang Casey Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D.; George C. Cho, D.D.S.; David Crowe, D.D.S., D.M.Sc.; Steven D. Goodman, Ph.D.; Glenn Sameshima, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Gary J. Wood, M.S.W., Ph.D.; Homa H. Zadeh, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Professors of Clinical Dentistry: Michael J. Mulvehill, D.D.S.*; Sadegh Namazikhah, D.M.D., M.S.Ed., A.M.Ed., Ph.D.; Dennis-Duke R. Yamashita, D.D.S.

Associate Professors of Clinical Dentistry: James A. Holt, D.D.S.; Gayle Macdonald, M.S., Ph.D.*; Robin E. Howell, D.D.S.; Dean L. Ramus, D.D.S.; Dennis Saffro, D.D.S., M.Ed.; Timothy R. Saunders, D.D.S.*

Assistant Professors of Clinical Hygiene: Catherine M. Conti, B.S., R.D.H.; Marina C. Jimenez, B.S.; Nancy L. Kiehl-Hillman, M.Ed.*

Assistant Professors of Clinical Dentistry: Loris Abedi, D.D.S.; Marc L. Alexander, D.D.S.; Joseph A. Anselmo, D.D.S.; Kerry L. Chan, D.D.S.; Robert A. Danforth, D.D.S.; Kenneth V. Fortman, D.D.S., M.D.; Joyce M. Galligan, B.S.N., D.D.S.; Ellen M. Grady, B.A.; Claire L. Gill, D.D.S., Pharm.D.; Seonho Ha, D.D.S.; Julie A. Jenks, D.D.S., M.S.; Lynette E. Kagihara, D.D.S.; Erika Smith MacDonald, D.D.S., M.Sc.; Randall E. Niederkohr, D.D.S.; Hessam Nowzari-Dalini, D.D.S.; Ramon G. Roges, D.D.S.; Patricia A. Ryan-Martin, D.D.S.; Robert Sasaki, B.S., C.D.T.; Thomas Tanbonliong, Jr., D.D.S.; Frank M. Vidjak, D.D.S.; Charles P. Warkomski, D.M.D., M.P.H.; Stephen Yen, D.M.D., Ph.D.; Walden Yu, D.D.S.

Research Professors: Alan G. Fincham, M.Sc., Ph.D.; Margarita Zeichner-David, M.S., Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professors: Haiming Chen, M.D., M.Sc.; Matthew K. Lee, M.D.; Yi-Hsin Liu, Ph.D.; Wen Luo, M.D.; Janet M. Oldak, Ph.D.; Carol W. Wuenschell, Ph.D.

Research Instructor: John U. Choi, D.D.S.

*Recipient of university-wide or school teaching award.

Degrees Offered

The School of Dentistry awards the following degrees: the Bachelor of Science in Dental Science (offered through the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the School of Dentistry); the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene; the Doctor of Dental Surgery; the Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master of Business Administration; the Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master of Science in Gerontology, the Advanced Periodontology Certificate/M.S., Craniofacial Biology, advanced dental education certificate programs in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology, and prosthodontics; Master of Science in Craniofacial Biology; Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Biology.