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ADEA Council of Deans 2025-26 Fellows Announced
The ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship (ADEA CDF) program seeks to create a pathway for a diverse contingent of future leaders who will develop the skills and experience during the program for success in a role as a dean or other higher level university administrator. ADEA developed this program in response to the recognized need for a program to help the next generation of leaders gain exposure to the complexities of the roles, activities and university colleagues they will interact with. In the last few years, over 50% of dental school deanships have opened, with many current deans in their roles for one year or less.
The ADEA CDF Program Director is Steve Friedrichsen, D.D.S., who leads this program along with coaches Ann Boyle, D.M.D., M.A., John Williams D.M.D., M.B.A., and Ana N. López Fuentes, D.M.D., M.P.H. ADEA staff member Marsha A. Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed., assisted with the curriculum development and has incorporated activities developed for new deans into the program. Each of these educators brings a broad base of unique skills. In addition to in-person modules, Fellows benefit from personal coaching, mentoring from deans at site-visit schools and mentoring from their own sponsoring dean.
Congratulations to the five Fellows who were accepted into the 2025-26 class:
- Keith Kirkwood, D.D.S., Ph.D.
- Sean McLaren, D.D.S., M.B.A.
- Roberta Pileggi, D.D.S., M.S.
- Aruna Ramesh, B.D.S., D.M.D., M.S.
- Andrea Ferreira Zandona, Ph.D., M.S.D., D.D.S.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Kirkwood is the Senior Associate Dean for Research at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (UB SDM). He is a member of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Research Program at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. Dr. Kirkwood received his D.D.S. from the University of West Virginia School of Dentistry, a Ph.D. in oral biology from UB, and a certificate in periodontology from UB. Additionally, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at UB. Previously he was a professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Oral Health Sciences at the College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, where he was also the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Director for the MUSC Center for Oral Health Research, and he was a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology.
Dr. Kirkwood has served as principal investigator on several grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research focused on understanding immune signaling involved in inflammatory periodontal bone loss and oral cancer progression. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Tarrson Fellowship Career Development Award from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, the Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Associate for Dental Research, the Sunstar Fellowship Research Award from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, and the two-time recipient of the IADR/GSK Innovation in Oral Care Award. Dr. Kirkwood’s full profile is available on the UB website.
Eastman Institute for Oral Health
Dr. McLaren is the Medical Director and the Chief of Compliance, Quality and Safety for the Eastman Institute for Oral Health (EIOH). He earned his D.D.S. from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and later an M.B.A. at the University of Rochester Simon School of Business. Following dental school, he completed a two-year General Practice Residency program at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, which exposed him to oral surgical procedures on medically complex patients. After his residency training, Dr. McLaren joined the faculty at EIOH for one year where he cared for underserved urban children via the Smilemobile program and provided care to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These experiences brought him into the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program at EIOH, after which he became a faculty member in the EIOH Division of Pediatric Dentistry.
University of Florida College of Dentistry
Dr. Pileggi is a Senior Executive Associate Dean; Chair, Program Director & Professor of Endodontics; Associate Dean for Advanced & Graduate Education; and Director, School of Advanced Dental Sciences at the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UF COD). She received her D.D.S. degree from Universidade Paulista in Brazil and a master’s degree and Certificate in Endodontics at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. She also is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics. In 2005, she completed a fellowship in education at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine and UTHealth Houston. Dr. Pileggi participated in the ADEA Leadership Institute, the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), and in the EWITS (empowering women in technology startups) program. Dr. Pileggi has received numerous faculty awards, including the Edward Osetek Award from the American Association of Endodontists, and several research accolades. Her primary research interests focus on trauma, bone and inflammation.
Over the years, she has held various national leadership positions and chaired committees at the local, national and international levels. Her administrative responsibilities at UF COD have steadily increased—she was appointed Director of the Graduate Endodontic Program in 2009, Chair of the Endodontics Department in 2010, and in 2013, became Associate Dean for Advanced and Graduate Education and Director of the School of Advanced Dental Sciences. Most recently, she was appointed Senior Executive Associate Dean. Dr. Pileggi’s full profile is available on the UF COD website.
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Ramesh is a distinguished dental educator and researcher with substantial experience in academic dentistry. She is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM), where she has been a key figure in shaping dental education. Dr. Ramesh earned her D.M.D. from TUSDM in 2004, following a M.S. in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000.
Her career at TUSDM spans almost 24 years, during which she has held progressively growing leadership positions, including Division Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences. An expert in oral and maxillofacial radiology, Dr. Ramesh has made significant contributions to dental education, research and clinical practice.
She has been instrumental in curriculum development, implementing innovative teaching methodologies, and advancing the use of technology in dental education. She has authored key position papers related to diagnostic imaging. Her research interests focus on advanced imaging techniques, particularly cone-beam computed tomography, and their applications in dental diagnosis and treatment planning. Dr. Ramesh is actively involved in national and international dental organizations, serving on numerous committees and boards. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and has received recognition for her contributions to dental education and research, including the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship in 2019 and the Tufts University Provost’s Award for excellence in Teaching and Service in 2023. Dr. Ramesh’s full profile is available on the TUSDM website.
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Published on January 15, 2025