By Ashley Musick
From his first day at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 1978 to receiving the Order of the Pacific before his retirement to achieving emeritus professor status in 2024, Dr. William Lundergan’s remarkable 42-year career has solidified his legacy as an inspiring and enduring educator. Which is why it might surprise many to learn that Lundergan’s original plan never involved becoming an educator—or even a dentist. After marrying his wife Faye, who was pursuing pharmacy, he also began postgraduate studies at University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy in 1976. Two years later, he made the pivotal decision to transfer to the Dugoni School’s DDS program.
“I switched to the dental school the same year that Art Dugoni became our dean,” Lundergan remembers. Though Dale Redig, the previous dean, had planted the seeds of the school’s revolutionary humanistic model, it would flourish under Dugoni’s leadership—an approach that would become central to Lundergan’s identity as an educator.
Lundergan also transformed clinical education by introducing reflective portfolios— an innovation that changed how future dentists learn to think critically about their practices.
Dr. Lundergan ’81 presents certificates to Drs. Orlando Ebalo III ’25 and Paulina Esquivias ’25 during the senior research poster presentations on April 18, 2025.
After graduating as class valedictorian from the Dugoni School in 1981 and completing his periodontics training at University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine in 1983, Lundergan contacted Dr. Walter Hall, chair of the Department of Periodontics, hoping for a part-time teaching position while exploring private practice in the Bay Area. However, Hall could only offer him a full-time faculty position, and in what could be called one of the most consequential decisions of his career, Lundergan accepted with the intention to stay for a year or two before transitioning into full-time practice.
That “year or two” eventually stretched into 42 years of devoted service.
“I’m convinced that it was the humanistic model of teaching at the Dugoni School that kept me in teaching,” Lundergan reflects. “It’s not only desirable to be a student in a humanistic model, but it’s also more enjoyable to teach in one. I came into education through the back door, but it definitely was my calling.”
During his tenure, Lundergan taught more than 6,000 students across the DDS, International Dental Studies and Dental Hygiene programs. As chair of the Department of Periodontics from 1997 until his retirement, he championed innovations that expanded access to dental education across California. His proudest achievement was helping establish the Dugoni School’s Dental Hygiene program. Recognizing the critical shortage of dental hygienists in the Central Valley, Lundergan helped lead the charge to create the bachelor of science degree program, which evolved to include a groundbreaking remote delivery model that brings education to underserved communities.
“Bill was so generous about welcoming dental hygiene to his department and guiding our program launch,” recalls longtime colleague Dr. Cindy Lyon ’86, former associate dean of oral health education and the first director of the Dental Hygiene program. “His calmness and confidence in us was contagious among dental hygiene faculty and students alike.”
Lundergan also transformed clinical education by introducing reflective portfolios—an innovation that changed how future dentists learn to think critically about their practices. “In health care, you have to constantly assess yourself and make sure that you’re keeping up with current best practices,” he emphasizes.
This philosophy created ripple effects not only with students, but throughout the department as well. Dr. Navid Knight ’89, who first joined the Department of Periodontics in 1995 as a volunteer faculty member while finishing his U.S. Naval service, experienced this first-hand. “From the very beginning, Dr. Lundergan’s calm and welcoming presence made me feel supported and valued. His ability to balance leadership with genuine mentorship created an environment where I developed the passion for being part of the academic environment. That example has stayed with me throughout my career.”
Lundergan attributes his own success to various mentors who shaped his approach. From Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni ’48, he learned the power of listening and mutual respect. Dr. Walter Hall taught him to build networks with colleagues worldwide, while Drs. Bob Christofferson ’67 and Dave Chambers provided early faculty development guidance.
Most meaningful was his relationship with Dr. Wilbur Hughes, a retired colonel from the U.S. Air Force, who embodied the humanistic model. When Hughes and his wife passed away, they left behind an endowment that would later honor Lundergan himself. In 2020, Lundergan became the first Wilbur and Ruth Hughes Endowed Chair in Periodontics. “It’s very meaningful, receiving the endowed chair in the name of somebody who I knew and respected so much,” he notes.
Lundergan received a master’s degree in education from Pacific’s Benerd School of Education in 1994 and has made scholarly contributions to textbooks and dental journals, in addition to countless presentations throughout his career. He served a key member of several accreditation writing groups and site visits, and participated in numerous committees for both the dental school and university, such as the Dental Faculty Council, University Promotions and Tenure Committee, University Academic Council and several search committees.
Lundergan’s dedication earned him the university’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2002—only the second dental school faculty member to receive this honor in more than 25 years. “Being recognized by the university as Distinguished Faculty of the Year was probably, for me, the biggest honor,” he reflects.
Beyond his own career, Lundergan’s family shares his commitment to health care and mentorship. His wife Faye transitioned from pharmacy to pediatric medicine in her 40s, and their daughter Jennifer followed her father’s footsteps and graduated as class valedictorian from the Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2015 before specializing in pediatric dentistry, while their son William completed medical school and orthopedic surgery training at USC.
When his daughter Jennifer attended the Dugoni School, Lundergan shared that although she was initially hesitant about her father being a department chair while she was a student, their relationship brought him closer to his daughter’s class than to any other during his 42 years as an educator. Together, they hosted weekend gatherings at the family house that became popular among her classmates, fostering friendships that continue to this day.
“Bill and I were dental school classmates from 1978 through 1981,” said Dr. Dan Castagna ’81. “He was always a ‘quiet one’ and so knowledgeable. Plus, he was a good softball player on the several teams we were on together. Over the years, we spent many hours in clinic together. He was always very calm, with great teaching skills and excellent patient interactions. And Bill and his daughter Jenni are the only father/daughter valedictorians at the Dugoni School!”
Retirement hasn’t slowed Lundergan’s commitment to education. He volunteers at the Dugoni School every Monday, teaching first-year students and also interviews prospective students as a member of the Admissions Interview Committee. “They have a thirst for knowledge, and they really want to learn, so it’s fun teaching the first-year students,” he explains. The rest of his week centers on his five grandchildren, ranging from six months old to six years.
His advice to students and faculty alike remains characteristically practical: “Don’t burn your bridges, because you never know which direction you end up going in.”
Through four decades of service, Lundergan embodied—and continues to embody—the humanistic values that define the Dugoni School, proving that sometimes the most meaningful careers are the ones we never imagined for ourselves. As he settles into emeritus status, his legacy lives on in the thousands of dental professionals he influenced and the innovative programs he championed—a fitting tribute to an educator who never intended to teach, but couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Ashley Musick is a freelance writer from Costa Mesa, California.