Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky will step down as dean of the Texas A&M College of Dentistry on June 1. He will continue in an advisory capacity with the Texas A&M Health Science Center this summer and will formally retire on September 1.
“I have been honored to have had the opportunity to work closely with an amazing group of faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” said Wolinsky.
Wolinsky’s 10-year tenure has been marked with numerous accomplishments, the dental school said, most notably the January 2020 opening of its new Clinic and Education Building and the March 2021 dedication of the MC Cooper Dental Clinic in South Dallas.
“As the head of the largest oral healthcare provider in North Texas and true to the core value of service at Texas A&M, dean Wolinsky guided the planning, design, and construction of a new nine-story Clinic and Education Building and first freestanding structure built for the dental school since 1950,” said Greg Hartman, chief operating officer and senior vice president of the health science center.
Wolinsky also “secured funding for three new $1 million endowed chairs and oversaw development of community outreach programs designed to provide care to underserved populations,” Hartman said.
Under Wolinsky’s direction, the school said, it moved to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 and undertook a major curriculum revamp for greater vertical integration within dental students’ basic science and clinical coursework.
The College of Dentistry’s research footprint also has expanded under his guidance, the school said, reaching twelfth in National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grant funding. The school has garnered numerous national awards for diversity and inclusion as well.
Wolinsky joined the College of Dentistry on September 1, 2011, leaving his role as associate dean for academic programs and personnel at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Also, Wolinsky earned his dental degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, a doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of California San Diego, and a periodontology certificate from UCLA.
As a researcher, Wolinsky assisted in creating Enamelon, a toothpaste designed to help reverse tooth decay, as well.
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