Dr. Dushanka Kleinman to Give 2012 GSDM Commencement Keynote Address
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter recently announced that Dr. Dushanka Kleinman will deliver the keynote address at the 2012 GSDM Convocation on Friday, May 18, at the Boston University Walter Brown Arena.
Said Dean Hutter, “Dr. Kleinman is a superlative example of the successful and public minded dentist we strive to graduate from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. It is indeed my pleasure to announce that she is the 2012 Commencement speaker and I know she will be an inspiration and example to all of our students.”
Dr. Kleinman is a proud alumna, having earned her CAGS and MScD in Dental Public Health at GSDM. Prior to attending GSDM, she earned a BS in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, and a DDS from the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago followed by a dental internship at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics.
Dr. Kleinman (Rear Admiral, USPHS retired), serves as Associate Dean for Research and Professor of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Maryland, College Park, School of Public Health. In this role, she works closely with the School’s senior leadership, faculty, and students and has devoted much of the past few years to the initial accreditation of this new School of Public Health. Prior to joining the University of Maryland in 2007, Dr. Kleinman completed 28 years of government service where she most recently served as Deputy Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH and Assistant Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps. In 2006, she also completed a five year term as the 15th Chief Dental Officer, USPHS. At NIH, Dr. Kleinman assumed the role of NIDCR Acting Director twice during transitions between directors. She coordinated the federal involvement in the development of the first-ever Surgeon General’s report on oral health in 2000, and served as the first assistant director of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.
Dr. Kleinman is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and has served as president of several organizations, including the American Board of Dental Public Health, the American Association of Women Dentists, and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. Her work on the epidemiology of oral mucosal tissue diseases and disorders and related activities has been recognized by multiple organizations. In addition to her School of Public Health responsibilities, she currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Dental Association and is a board member of several organizations and foundations, including the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation.