Congratulations to the following UK College of Dentistry (UKCD) five faculty members for their promotions approved by the Board of Trustees:  

Dr. Dolph Dawson on being promoted to Full Professor in the Department of Oral Health Practice. Dawson joined the college in 1998 as a part-time Assistant Professor. He has held many academic appointments over the years at UKCD such as, but not limited to, Clinical Research Scientist, Associate Director of the Delta Dental of Kentucky Clinical Research Center, Chair of the Department of Oral Health Sciences, and Director of Graduate Periodontology. He has also received awards such as the Excellence in Teaching Award and Diplomate from the American Academy of Periodontology.  

Dr. Octavio Gonzalez on being promoted to Full Professor in the Department of Oral Health Science. Gonzalez first joined UKCD in 2012 and was appointed as a full-time Research Assistant Professor, then promoted to Associate Professor in 2015, and awarded Tenure in 2020. While at the college, Gonzalez has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers, three book chapters, and five manuscripts submitted or in preparation in addition to teaching, mentoring, and serving on multiple committees. Gonzalez also has had multiple honors such as being appointed ad hoc member on the Special Grants Review Committee for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH-NIDCR) and Permanent/standing member for the NIH-NIDCR Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section and Musculoskeletal, Oral and Skin Sciences Integrated Review Group.  

Dr. Ahmad Kutkut on being promoted to Full Professor in the Department of Oral Health Practice. Kutkut first joined the college in 2011 as an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Predoctoral Implant Program. Since then, he has numerous appointments, such as Division Chief of Prosthodontics, Associate Professor with Tenure, and Endowed University Professorship in Dentistry. Kutkut has also received numerous awards such as UKCD Deans Research Award, Diplomate International Congress of Oral Implantologist, and the UKCD Faculty Patient Care Award for Outstanding Achievement.  

Dr. Ronald Singer on being promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Health Science. Singer joined the college in 2017 as an Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Dentistry Department of Oral Health Science, and was the Director of the Seal Trip program. In addition to his new appointment, Singer is the Interim Division Chief of Public Health Dentistry and Director and teacher for the Division of Pediatric Dentistry courses and the Dental Public Health courses. Over the years, he has had numerous professional honors such as a Fellow of the International College of Dentist and Fellow of the American College of Dentist.  

Dr. Thamer Musbah on being promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Health Practice. Musbah first joined the college in 2016 as a full-time clinical title Assistant Professor in the Division of Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, and Oral Radiology after completing the Orofacial Pain Residency Program at UKCD. Since then, he has had many accomplishments and appointments such as UKCD’s Director of Urgent Care Clinic, Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine and of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, and Division Chief of Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine, and Oral Radiology.  

The promotion and tenure process is a common practice in academic institutions to evaluate and reward faculty members for their professional achievements and contributions. It involves comprehensive review of their work and determines whether they should be promoted to a higher academic rank and if eligible, granted tenure. Tenure-eligible positions have a mandatory probationary period that includes a specified year for achieving promotion and tenure. Non-tenure eligible positions do not have a probationary period and can be recommended for promotion anytime in their career. 

The promotion dossier, created by the academic apartment, that is reviewed includes items such as a teaching portfolio, student evaluations, research publications, grants, awards, and letters to the academic chair evaluating their achievements based on the criteria for the position established by each college. Following multiple procedural steps for reviews at the level of the educational unit, the college, the university’s Provost, the university’s President, and finally the university’s Board of Trustees, who has final action on the proposal by approving or disapproving the President’s recommendation.