Dr. Gerard Kugel © Kathleen Dooher		Dr. David Russell © Mark Morelli

2 promoted to associate deans at dental school

Dr. Gerard Kugel and Dr. David Russell, two members of the senior administrative staff at the School of Dental Medicine, have been promoted.

Kugel was promoted from assistant dean to associate dean for research, and Russell was promoted from assistant dean to associate dean for clinical affairs.

Kugel, D85, L93, joined the dental faculty in 1986 as a clinical instructor of restorative dentistry, and by 1998, he had risen to the rank of professor. He was appointed head of the division of operative dentistry in 1988 and served in that capacity until 1998, when he became head of the newly established division of advanced clinical restorative dentistry. He was appointed assistant dean for research in 1997.

As assistant dean, Kugel's achievements include securing corporate-sponsored research, recruiting faculty to enhance the dental school's research profile and working to achieve a dramatic increase in student research activities at the school. Also during his term, research space in the dental school has been added to accommodate increased basic science and clinical research. Kugel is also involved in collaborative research with the schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and has worked closely with the School of Engineering. During the dental school's accreditation site visit in April 2001, the school was "commended for its efforts in providing opportunities for students and faculty to participate in research and other forms of scholarly activity."

Russell, D87, was appointed to the faculty in 1988 as a clinical instructor of restorative dentistry, and by 2001, had achieved his current rank of associate professor. He is also the program development coordinator of the Madison Park Regional Vocational Technical High School Dental Assisting Program and of the Middlesex Community College Satellite Dental Clinic. He was promoted to assistant dean for clinical affairs in 1996. Russell was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow during the 1999-00 academic year.

As assistant dean, Russell has displayed a commitment to providing the best environment for patients, students, staff and faculty. In preparation for the school's 2001 accreditation site visit, he developed a formal quality assurance program in the clinic to monitor the outcomes of patient care and to implement corrective changes to enhance the quality of care. Russell also developed a number of innovative programs in infection control and risk management. His assistance was essential in coordinating the installation of the QR 2000 computer system in the dental clinic in 1996. He also led the clinic reorganization efforts in 1996 with the creation of eight small group practices.