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Issue 318, July 13, 2004
http://newsonthego.uthouston.edu/archive/index.html

Catherine Flaitz Named Dean of UT Dental Branch at Houston
Following a national search, Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., has been named dean of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston after serving as interim dean of the school since September 2002.

“I am honored to have been chosen as the dean of the Dental Branch, especially as we prepare to celebrate our centennial in 2005,” said Flaitz. “This is an exciting time for the school, as we look forward to beginning our second century of providing excellent education and clinical care and further developing our research and discovery enterprise. There is an optimistic and collaborative spirit within the school and the community that is generating a positive momentum for growth. The timing is perfect for the Dental Branch to partner with the components of the Texas Medical Center to explore the ways that molecular medicine can improve oral health.”

The appointment was announced today by James T. Willerson, M.D., president of the health science center. “I am truly proud of Dr. Flaitz’s accomplishments and the enthusiasm she brings to this position,” he said. “Her experience in private practice and in academia is superb.”

The announcement of Flaitz’s appointment was followed by sustained applause from the audience in the full lecture hall and a standing ovation at the end of the meeting.

Under Flaitz’s direction, the Dental Branch has created new programs while also dealing with budget reductions and reorganization. Recent achievements include:

At the same time, the school has capitalized on educating and training students while providing high-quality care to patients who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

“The UT Dental Branch has always had an excellent reputation for clinical care, and that is something I am very proud of,” said Flaitz. “The school provides almost a million dollars in charitable dental care every year through our clinics and community outreach programs, such as the mobile dental van.”

Flaitz came to the Dental Branch in 1990 as an associate professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology and pediatric dentistry. She was promoted to professor and chair of diagnostic sciences and also served as the director of the oral and maxillofacial pathology residency program from 2000-01. Flaitz maintains an active clinical practice for children and adults with oral diseases and directs the surgical oral and maxillofacial pathology laboratory service.

Throughout her career, Flaitz has earned major grants for clinical research, primarily for her work on diagnostic techniques and novel treatment approaches for oral lesions in healthy and HIV-positive patients. She has dedicated significant time to working with HIV-positive patients at the Bering Omega Dental Clinic, and she has repeatedly traveled to orphanages in Romania to provide dental care to HIV-infected and handicapped children.

Flaitz is a fellow in the American College of Dentists, has won the George W. Teuscher Silver Pen Award from the Journal of Dentistry for Children and received the Journalism Award from the American Society of Dentistry for Children Foundation. The Dental Branch has honored her with the Alumni Teaching Excellence Award and the Spirit of Teaching Award. She has authored almost 200 journal articles, 20 book chapters and one color atlas.

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