Dean Trotman Welcome

Hello!

 

I am Dr. Carroll Ann Trotman, dean of The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. 

I’m glad to have this opportunity to share with you some information and insights about our College which has a long and rich history. It was established more than 130 years ago, and we have been training dental professionals and caring for patients since then. 

As a public, state-funded College located at Ohio’s flagship university, we are an integral part of the university’s land-grant mission.  

 

So, we have a strong commitment to service. Our top priorities are serving our students, patients, alumni and the citizens of Ohio.  

 

We are also proud of the important work we do in partnership with others.

 

Our colleagues at the Wexner Medical Center, The James Cancer Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Nisonger Center, and Ohio State’s six other health science colleges.

 

This the largest collection of health science colleges at any university in the United States.

 

We also collaborate closely with Ohio State’s senior leaders and decision-makers in state government, and constituents in organized dentistry. All of these partnerships support the work we do to improve the oral health of Ohioans.

 

Let me tell you some of the strengths of the college – and the accomplishments we are most proud of.

We provide contemporary and inter-professional educational experiences for our dental students and residents, and we offer the only dental hygiene baccalaureate program in Ohio that is based in a dental college. 

 

Students have access to world-class faculty as they provide care for patients with an array of oral healthcare needs. Our graduates serve every county in the state, and about 60% of Ohio’s dentists have graduated from our College of Dentistry.

 

Another point of pride is our new, state-of-the-art facility. 

 

In 2021, we opened the Postle Hall expansion. It is a beautiful facility that provides over 130,000 square feet of additional space. It has the most contemporary dental clinics where patients receive superior care and students benefit from enhanced clinical training. 

 

I mentioned earlier that we have a strong commitment to service. 

 

This is demonstrated by outreach programs that change people’s lives. 

 

Through the OHIO Project and mobile dental clinic, each senior dental student provides 45 days of oral health care to children and adults with unmet needs. 

 

And through our CARE program, we recruit students for our DDS program from Ohio’s Professional Shortage Areas – with the intent that they will return to those areas on graduation. These initiatives help to bridge the gap in access to dental care in the state.

 

Another important endeavor is our innovative and collaborative research. We are among the leaders in public universities throughout the United States for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. 

The research our faculty and students do helps to advance the profession, uncover “new” knowledge, and solve oral care problems. 

 

These are just a few examples of what we are accomplishing now and we have even greater plans for the future.

You are welcome to visit our website and learn more about these programs and initiatives. I hope it’s clear that our College of Dentistry has a great deal to offer, and we are doing important things.