Ann Arbor, MI — February 10, 2010 — Two University of Michigan School of Dentistry faculty members have been selected to participate in the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) leadership Institute. Dr. Russell Taichman and Dr. Domenica “Nikki” Sweier, will join 24 of the nation’s most promising dental educators, faculty, and administrators.

The year long program, which begins with an orientation session in Washington, D.C. later this month, will give Taichman and Sweier and others opportunities to further develop their leadership skills. The program will also offer insights on legislative issues at national and state levels. Participants will apply what they have learned and collaborate to address a key issue in dental education.

Taichman, a professor of dentistry and the director of the School’s Scholars Program in Dental Leadership, said, “I am honored to participate in the ADEA’s Leadership Institute.” He was also named ADEA/Alpha Omega Foundation’s Leonard Abrams Scholar and will receive a scholarship to participate in the program.

Taichman said he hopes to achieve two goals during his involvement in the program. “One is to further develop my leadership skills. The other is to gain access to resources and share ideas with others in the program that will allow the Dental Scholars program to continue developing,” he said. “Although the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership has evolved by ‘building the bridge as we walk on it,’ if you will, this bootstrap approach has limits. The Institute’s focus on dentistry and leadership will offer an opportunity to enhance the growth and focus of the Dental Scholars program at Michigan.”

Sweier, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, said the program “is an incredible opportunity for me to enhance my leadership skills and give back to the profession, which has rewarded me so much.” Sweier added she is looking forward to “working closely with other leaders and establishing professional relationships that will not only enhance my professional aspirations, but also enable me to continue providing excellence in dental education.”

School of Dentistry faculty members who have previously participated in the program include Drs. Robert Eber, Woosung Sohn, Paul Krebsbach, George Taylor, Nisha D’Silva, and Professor Wendy Kerschbaum.

ADEA is the voice of dental education with more than 16,000 members from U.S. and Canadian dental schools. The group addresses issues affecting dental education, research, and the delivery of oral health care to the public.

Contact: Sharon Grayden, Communications Director (734) 615-2600, dentistry.communications@umich.edu, or Jerry Mastey, Editor, School of Dentistry (734) 615-1971, jmastey@umich.edu.