Texas A & M College of Dentistry
TRANSITION AT THE TOP
Interim dean named to replace outgoing dean at Texas A & M College of Dentistry
by Kathleen Green Pothier
Texas A & M University College of Dentistry recently announced changes in its administrative leadership .
Dr . Lynne Opperman has been named interim dean of the college , assuming her new role on June 2 . She will oversee the College of Dentistry while a search is conducted to fill the position permanently .
A Regents Professor and head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences , Opperman is a distinguished scholar who has served in research and faculty roles for more than 30 years .
“ I have been honored to have had the opportunity to work closely with an amazing group of faculty , staff , students and alumni ,” Wolinsky said .
His 10-year tenure at the dental school has been marked with numerous accomplishments , most notably the January 2020 opening of the college ’ s new Clinic and Education Building and the March 2021 dedication of the M . C . Cooper Dental Clinic in South Dallas .
She is the owner / manager of Craniotech ACR Devices , LLC , holder of multiple patents related to her research , and previously served in faculty roles at the College of Dentistry and assistant professor ( research ) in the University of Virginia ’ s Department of Plastic Surgery .
Opperman has significant leadership experience at the national level , having been elected as president of several national associations . She has been honored by being designated a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Association for Anatomy .
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A native of Johannesburg , she earned an undergraduate degree in zoology and a doctorate in developmental biology from the University of the Witwatersrand .
“ I am privileged to continue the work of our previous deans in building this college to its full potential and am grateful for the trust and support shown from fellow faculty , staff and students at Texas A & M , the Health Science Center and the College as we proceed on this journey ,” Opperman said .
She replaces Dr . Lawrence Wolinsky , who stepped down as dean of the dental college on June 1 . He will continue in an advisory capacity with the Texas A & M Health Science Center this summer and began his appointment as a professor in the college ’ s periodontics department June 1 .
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Texas A & M College of Dentistry ( formerly Baylor College of Dentistry ) in Dallas is a part of Texas A & M University and Texas A & M Health Science Center . Founded in 1905 , the College of Dentistry is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education , research , specialized patient care and continuing dental education . Learn more at dentistryinsider . tamhsc . edu or follow @ TAMUdental .
Kathleen Green Pothier is communications coordinator at Texas A & M College of Dentistry . She previously worked at Positively Proofed , where she wrote and edited content for corporate clients , publications and motivational speakers . She also was a writer and editor at The Dallas Morning News , Houston Post and Beaumont Enterprise . Pothier has a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska .