Ann Arbor, MI — March 28, 2010 — A University of Michigan School of Dentistry alumna who served as a past president of the American Dental Education Association and who has held leadership roles with dental hygiene, dental, and dental education professional associations will deliver this year’s commencement address to University of Michigan School of Dentistry graduates. 

Professor Pamela Zarkowski, vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Detroit Mercy, will speak at graduation ceremonies on Friday, May 6.  The program begins at 1:00 p.m. at Hill Auditorium. 

Zarkowski, a U-M graduate, earned a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene in 1975 and a Master’s of Public Health in dental public health in 1978.

As dental educator for more than three decades, Zarkowski has held various administrative positions at UDM and continues to teach community dentistry and legal and ethical concepts to predoctoral, dental hygiene, and graduate students.  She has conducted continuing dental education courses and published in the areas of community oral health and legal and ethical issues for dental professionals.

Recently named to the American Dental Association Foundation’s Board of Directors, Zarkowski is also a past president of the American Society for Dental Ethics and the Society for Executive Leadership for Academic Medicine.   She was one of the first two dental educators to be selected as a Fellow for the Hedvig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program.  In March, she received the ADEA Distinguished Service Award.