A new speaker series initiated by Dean Nader Nadershahi ’94 is serving as a platform to explore issues and new ideas about the future of oral health care.

The Dean’s Speaker Series kicked off in January with a presentation by Dr. Marko Vujicic, chief economist and vice president of the Health Policy Institute at the American Dental Association. During his talk, Vujicic provided many insights about the state of the profession, including changes in demographics among both patients and dental providers; new practice models and opportunities; income trends for today’s oral healthcare professionals; and details about dental care statistics among children and adults in the United States. He also discussed five broad trends he believes will affect the future of the profession, including the “value” agenda, increased consumerism, shifting demand patterns, increased collaboration and the data revolution.

The second guest speaker in the series was Peter DuBois, executive director of the California Dental Association, who spoke in March.

Dr. Debra Woo ’86, a faculty member at the Dugoni School and former Alumni Association president, is developing and leading the speaker series. She has a deep understanding of the issues facing the profession and is a recognized leader as a member of the Dental Board of California and chair of its Examination Committee, with involvement on the ADA/ADEA Licensure Task Force and other activities.

“As we commit to transforming the future of oral health education through our new strategic planning process, these presentations are focused on keeping us current with the different thoughts and activities occurring in dental education, dentistry and health care,” said Nadershahi.

For information about Dean’s Speaker Series presentations go to dental.pacific.edu/x7127.xml