has been named the next dean of the 91探花鈥檚 School of Dentistry, Provost Mark A. Richards announced today. His appointment, set to begin Sept. 16, is subject to approval by the 91探花Board of Regents.
Dr. Ritter will replace , who is retiring for health reasons.
Currently a professor in New York University鈥檚 College of Dentistry, Dr. Ritter has extensive clinical experience in various settings, from private practice to community public health clinics. He has served as executive dean of the University of North Carolina鈥檚 Adams School of Dentistry, as well as chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at NYU. He maintains a private dental faculty practice through NYU, as he did for 18 years at UNC.
鈥淥ver the past few years under Dean Gary Chiodo鈥檚 leadership, the School of Dentistry has made significant progress in addressing its financial challenges. And, with Dr. Ritter鈥檚 impressive record of leadership in the clinical realm, we are confident that he will continue to improve the School鈥檚 facilities and revenue models and advance the School鈥檚 long-term financial picture,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淭hroughout the interview process, Dr. Ritter expressed his commitment to strengthening the 91探花dental community, both within and beyond the University, and we look forward to supporting his work in that.鈥�
The 91探花School of Dentistry is widely recognized as one of the top programs in the country and the world. The school, established in 1945, has a strong foundation steeped in research, clinical care, education and service.
鈥淒entistry is rapidly evolving, and schools and programs have to adapt and innovate to be successful,鈥� Dr. Ritter said. 鈥淭o lead the 91探花School of Dentistry and further elevate its status as a leader in global oral healthcare education, innovation, research and care delivery, and to do so while advancing the mission of one of the world鈥檚 preeminent public universities, is an unparalleled opportunity.鈥�
As department chair at NYU, Dr. Ritter led 300 faculty members and was responsible for staffing at all dental clinics and 14 group practices. He created and facilitated diversity, equity and inclusion open forums and trainings, and led his department through COVID-19 accommodations and modifications to ensure that students could take courses required for graduation and promotion.
At UNC, where Dr. Ritter oversaw a school-wide operational budget of $70 million, he was responsible for IT; human resources; diversity, equity and inclusion; faculty development; clinical compliance and infection control; institutional effectiveness; facilities and infrastructure; faculty promotion and tenure; wellness; continuing education; and dental faculty practice board. Dr. Ritter also served as chair of the UNC Department of Operative Dentistry and led the department through its successful 2017 CODA accreditation site visit.
His research interests include diagnosis and management of tooth decay, conservative and minimally invasive restorative dentistry, esthetics, dental adhesion and composite resin applications.
Dr. Ritter earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, his Master of Science in operative dentistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his Master of Business Administration in health-care administration from Northeastern University in Boston, and his doctorate in dentistry from Universidade Positivo in Brazil.