Page 6 - Dentistry Magazine 2021
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 6 DENTISTRY 2021
 In Conversation with Professor of the Year Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson, DDS, MS, was named University of Minnesota School of Dentistry 2020 Century Club Professor of the Year during Research Day on March 5, 2021.
Started by Dean Erwin Schaffer in 1976, the award recognizes one faculty member each year for outstanding contributions to the School of Dentistry in the areas of education, research and service. It is the highest honor bestowed upon our faculty.
Anderson is a full time tenured professor in the Department of Develop- mental and Surgical Sciences and director of the Cleft Palate and Cranio- facial Program. He is currently teaching a bench in dental anatomy, working with TMD residents and teaching seminar courses, in addition to catching up on research. “I’m enjoying life as a faculty member,” he said. We sat down with Anderson to see what he has been up to since completing his term as dean, and what the honor means to him.
What sticks with you when you reflect on your time as interim dean and
Dean?
I don’t think anyone who becomes dean is not impressed with the honor
and the privilege it is to do the job—especially becoming the dean of a
school I’ve been involved with since dental school. I never planned to be
dean, so to be asked to do so is a real privilege and an honor. I always
believed we had the kind of community that could come together and work well together, but it was gratifying to see that in action. As dean, you gain a perspective of a place that you wouldn’t otherwise have. I saw how accomplished the people in our building are, the diversity of tasks and areas we work in.
What are your biggest achievements as dean?
When I took on the role, we were faced with a significant financial challenge. We resolved that fairly quickly through the efforts and teamwork of everyone involved. I like to think that we discovered we could work together better than
we had. I think we gained a sense of believing in ourselves, but just as importantly, believing in each other. Sometimes, we can get a little narrow in our focus and we don’t realize the amazing things happening around us. The more we appreciate those things, the better we will be at working together.
How did it feel to find out you were named Professor of the Year for 2020?
I was surprised. It’s our highest honor for a faculty member, and I’ve been part of the process as many other mentors, colleagues and friends received the award. To be recognized in the same way is a tremendous honor.
The Professor of the Year award honors a faculty member for their commitment to education, service and research. What do you love most about each of those aspects of your role?
I think it’s actually the way the three facets work together. As you approach your teaching, your research and your service, each part of that tripartite mission informs the other. What you learn in research causes you to think differently about how you care for a patient, or how you teach. Those in turn generate new questions you might do research on. For example, during the pandemic, we worked with engineering faculty to study aerosol producing procedures in a way that has a daily impact for all of us. This kind of thing really only happens in a university setting, and to be part of it as a faculty member is a tremendous experience.
What is your favorite thing about teaching?
I love getting people to see the world through different eyes than when they started. You can help them develop the framework to do that in a rational way. That is the case whether you’re teaching someone what a tooth looks like or how to manage pain. If they’re not getting it, you have to find another way to present it. Hopefully, they’ll have that “aha” moment. It’s not about getting students to regurgitate things. You want to help shape the way they think.
 













































































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