ANNOUNCEMENT

New Dean of School of Dentistry:
Marsha A. Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Marsha A. Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed., as Dean of UMKC’s School of Dentistry. Dr. Pyle is currently the Vice Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at Case Western Reserve University [CWRU], Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Pyle will begin her duties at UMKC on August 10, 2009.

At CWRU, Dr. Pyle served as Associate Dean for Education at the School of Dental Medicine and is Professor in the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Pyle has worked as consultant to government and corporate entities. In 2008, Ohio’s Governor Ted Strickland appointed Dr. Pyle for a three-year term to the state’s Dentist Loan Repayment Board.

Dr. Pyle is a staff member at the Carl Stokes Veterans' Hospital. She has held numerous board and leadership positions on national, state and local organizations, including serving in leadership roles for both the American Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Dentists.

“Dr. Pyle has a strong record of academic excellence in dental education,” said Dr. Robert Piepho, Dean of UMKC’s School of Pharmacy and Chair of the Search Committee. “She is a nationally recognized leader in curricular reform and has demonstrated that she has excellent insight into a vision to take our School of Dentistry to the next level in education and research."

Among her many awards, Dr. Pyle received CWRU School of Dental Medicine’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008. She was also the recipient of the 2006 Presidential Citation for her contributions to the mission of the American Dental Education Association. In 2000, she received the Ohio Dental Association’s Humanitarian Award.

Dr. Pyle received her B.S. in 1976 from Ashland University in Ohio. She earned her D.D.S. from CWRU in 1984 and her Certificate for General Practice Dentistry from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in 1985. Between 1989 and 1991, Dr. Pyle participated in Fellowship Training in Geriatric Dentistry at CWRU and completed her M.Ed. at Cleveland State University in 1997.

From 2003 -2004, she participated in the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Fellowship Program, the nation's only in-depth program focusing on preparing senior women faculty at schools of medicine, dentistry and public health for institutional leadership positions where they can effect positive change.

I extend special thanks and appreciation to Dr. Nancy Mills, who has been serving as Interim Dean of the School of Dentistry and will continue in that capacity until Dr. Pyle’s arrival. Dr. Mills’ long history of administrative service and extensive knowledge of UMKC’s health science schools have been invaluable to the university during this transition period.

I also commend the work of Dean Robert Piepho and the Search Committee for helping to select an outstanding Dean of the School of Dentistry from an extremely competitive slate of candidates.

Dr. Pyle’s appointment coincides with the recent $8.2 million legacy estate gift to our School of Dentistry, the largest in the dental school’s history. With her strong commitment to education and service to the community, Dr. Pyle’s career reflects the historic mission of the school, which graduates 66% of Missouri’s dentists and provides $5.5 million in free and reduced health care to more than 60,000 patients annually.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Marsha Pyle to UMKC.

Gail Hackett, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
























Marsha Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed.


View Dr. Pyle's CV here

View the UMKC News Release here