Unit: School of Dentistry

Department: General Practice

Duties & Responsibilities:

The VCU School of Dentistry seeks a compassionate, accomplished, and collaborative full-time faculty member to serve as Director of the Roger Wood Clinic. This is a teaching and research faculty position with a strong clinical mission focused on improving oral health care for individuals with special healthcare needs. The Director will provide visionary leadership in the education, clinical care, and scholarly advancement of Special Care Dentistry while fostering an inclusive, patient-centered learning environment.

The successful candidate will lead and expand educational programs that prepare future oral healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for patients with physical, intellectual, developmental, behavioral, medical, or emotional challenges. The position includes didactic and clinical teaching, curriculum development, course directorship, mentoring, and the promotion of scholarship and research that advances the field of Special Care Dentistry. Participation in intramural faculty practice is encouraged.

The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry is located in downtown Richmond, Virginia. With a 133-year history, Virginia’s only dental school provides opportunities for selected, qualified individuals to study dentistry and oral health through a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S) program, graduate specialty training programs and a dental hygiene program. The VCU School of Dentistry is one of a small number of dental schools in the country affiliated with an academic medical center, the only dental school in the Commonwealth, and one of the oldest dental schools in the United States founded in 1893. It is one of five health sciences academic programs on the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus of VCU.

Position Responsibilities: 

Clinical:

This vital position will provide a teaching and leadership role in VCU dental clinics, caring for patients with special healthcare needs, mentoring and teaching diverse students, and working collaboratively with other dedicated faculty and staff to promote a safe, compassionate, and adaptive environment focused on patients and their caregivers. Providing exceptional care to patients in the School of Dentistry Special Care Dentistry Clinic and VCU Health System outpatient surgery facilities is expected.

Teaching:

Responsibilities include clinical and didactic teaching to predoctoral dental students, undergraduate dental hygiene students, and postdoctoral residents with an emphasis on the care of patients with special healthcare needs. Teaching across traditional departmental lines and in multidisciplinary teams is required. Faculty members are expected to foster transformative learning informed by interdisciplinary and translational research, scholarship, and creative expression.

Research:

Faculty members are expected to engage in scholarly activities commensurate with their academic appointment and level of experience. Opportunities may include participation in research protocols and collaboration with dental research programs and investigators. 

Service:

The faculty member will be expected to contribute to the Department of General Dentistry, the School of Dentistry, and Virginia Commonwealth University by serving on committees and task forces as requested. In addition, participation in dentistry-related community service activities is strongly encouraged.

Required Qualifications:

• DDS or DMD Degree

• GPR or hospital-AEGD experience or other applicable specialty certification, including Pediatric Dentistry

• Must be eligible for a dental license in Virginia

• VCU Health System credentialing is required for hospital privileges 

• Experience treating adult patients with diverse special needs

• Must have the desire to mentor future oral health professionals

• Demonstrated ability to adapt to change and embrace modern technology

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and participate in a humanistic environment of learning

• Demonstrated ability, or acquire and develop such ability, to incorporate adult learning theory, evidence-based oral health care, innovation in student learning, and critical thinking

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

• For tenure-eligible positions at the Assistant Professor rank, an established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding, as well as potential for scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department

• For tenure-eligible positions at the Associate Professor or Professor rank, a well-developed scholarly/research portfolio with evidence of multi-disciplinary applications and external funding appropriate to complement and expand existing expertise in the department

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent communication skills

• Experience with oral health promotion and education for special needs populations

• Significant experience treating patients with diverse special needs, understanding of different disabilities and ability to adapt treatment plans based on individual needs

• Additional training or certification in special care dentistry through organizations like the Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA)

Employees working in or with VCU Health in any capacity will be required to comply with all relevant health system policies and procedures, including the health system's vaccination requirements.

Three recent letters of reference, or contact information for at least three references, will be required for consideration.

Salary Range: Commensurate

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite

Rank: Open

Tenure: Open

Months: 12 months

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Dr. Michael King
Contact Email: kingme7@vcu.edu