Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch has been named dean of the Indiana University School of Dentistry at IUPUI, subject to formal approval by the IU Board of Trustees.
When Murdoch-Kinch assumes her role July 1, she will be the 10th person -- and first female -- named dean in the school's 140-year history. She succeeds John N. Williams Jr., who will be stepping down June 30.
"We are delighted to welcome Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch to the leadership team and specifically to our School of Dentistry at IUPUI," IUPUI Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar said. "Dr. Murdoch-Kinch brings world-class experience and dedication to preparing the next generation of dental professionals in Indiana."
Murdoch-Kinch previously served as associate dean for academic affairs and the Dr. Walter H. Swartz Professor of Integrated Special Care Dentistry at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. She also served as a clinical professor in the school's Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Hospital Dentistry. Her work at Michigan included multidisciplinary clinical research in oncology; a hospital-based oral medicine referral practice in which dental and medical residents co-treated patients with oral manifestations of skin diseases; and educational research on curriculum, dental school climate and engaged learning.
Murdoch-Kinch is no stranger to the IU School of Dentistry, having received a clinical certificate in dental diagnostic sciences in 1991 and a Ph.D. in 1996 from the school. Her dissertation involved clinical research on gene expression of Crouzon syndrome in families.
As Indiana's only dental school, the IU School of Dentistry is dedicated to offering a learning environment that brings together teaching, research and community service in preparing the finest dental professionals, a mission in which Murdoch-Kinch believes.
"As a proud alumna of IU, I am eager to serve the School of Dentistry, the university, the state of Indiana and the dental profession in this new role. The school's mission and core values resonate deeply with my own in the education of the finest dental professionals, the promotion of groundbreaking research, and the cultivation of innovative practices to advance oral health and overall health," Murdoch-Kinch said.
Murdoch-Kinch also attended the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.