Transition at the top
Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky will step down as dean of Texas A&M College of Dentistry on June 1. He will continue in an advisory capacity with the Texas A&M Health Science Center this summer and formally retire on Sept. 1.
“I have been honored to have had the opportunity to work closely with an amazing group of faculty, staff, students and alumni,” Wolinsky says.
His 10-year tenure at the dental school has been marked with numerous accomplishments, most notably the January 2020 opening of the college’s new Clinic and Education Building and the March 2021 dedication of the M.C. Cooper Dental Clinic in South Dallas.
“As the head of the largest oral health care provider in North Texas, and true to the core value of service at Texas A&M, Dean Wolinsky guided the planning, design and construction of a new nine-story Clinic and Education Building and first freestanding structure built for the dental school since 1950,” said Greg Hartman, chief operating officer and senior vice president of the health science center, in an email announcement. He also “secured funding for three new $1 million endowed chairs and oversaw development of community outreach programs designed to provide care to underserved populations.”
Under Wolinsky’s direction, the school moved to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 and undertook a major curriculum revamp for greater vertical integration within dental students’ basic science and clinical coursework. The College of Dentistry’s research footprint has expanded under his guidance, reaching a #12 ranking in National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grant funding. In addition, the college has garnered numerous national awards for diversity and inclusion.
Wolinsky joined the College of Dentistry on Sept. 1, 2011, leaving his role as associate dean for academic programs and personnel at the UCLA School of Dentistry. He earned his dental degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, a doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of California-San Diego and a periodontology certificate from UCLA. As a researcher, Wolinsky assisted in creating Enamelon®, a toothpaste designed to help reverse tooth decay.