Thomas W. Braun,
D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D., has submitted his resignation as Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental
Medicine (Pitt SDM), effective Jan. 31, 2018. Bernard
J. Costello, D.M.D., M.D., FACS, will step in as Interim Dean during the search
for a decanal successor.
Dr. Braun received
all of his degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. Since joining the full-time
faculty in 1990 as Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. Braun has
established a training program that awards dual M.D./D.M.D. degrees. He created
new Centers on Dental and Craniofacial Genetics, Craniofacial Regeneration, and
Oral Health Research in Appalachia, establishing a critical research focus for
the school. One of the Pitt SDM’s most visible programs is the Center for
Patients with Special Needs, the first of its kind nationally. In the
establishment of this program, his goal was to ensure that every graduate of
his school would be comfortable with and capable of caring for patients with
physical and mental disabilities.
His career has
been marked not only by his roles as Dean and Professor of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, but by his service as President of the American Board of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and President of both the Pennsylvania Society
of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Great Lakes Society of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons. Further, he served as Chair of the Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation for two years. In 2014, Dr. Braun was named a
Distinguished Service Professor.
In addition, Dr.
Braun was elected to the American College of Dentists and the International
College of Dentists. He received the Arnold K. Maislen Award for Major
Contributions to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from New York University, and
the Pennsylvania Dental Association Recognition Award honoring his commitment
to the care of patients with disabilities. In 2013, he received a University of
Pittsburgh 225th Anniversary medallion.
Dr. Braun has led
a distinguished life both personally and professionally. He is an inspiring
role model for his students, faculty and colleagues, and his contributions will
have a long enduring impact on the entire University of Pittsburgh community as
well as the profession of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Published
on October 11, 2017