Bermúdez says that his overarching goal for his tenure as acting dean will be to set up for success whomever is selected for the permanent dean position . Opportunities exist for improving day-to-day operations , he says , though he emphasizes that the college ’ s educational programs remain as strong as ever .
“ I ’ ve met with many of the students ; I ’ m meeting them class by class ,” he says . “ The message that I have to all of them is that none of this reflects any perceived weakness or any perceived deficiency in the educational mission here . There is obviously always room for improvement and fine-tuning , but our programs here are among the jewels in the crown at A & M .”
The College of Dentistry offers fantastic professional training , with a talented student body and dedicated faculty , Bermúdez says , adding that the building blocks are here for a “ really transformational dental college .”
“ I don ’ t know if you ’ ve ever seen that Japanese film Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa . I can ’ t remember the details but it ’ s about one episode being told … and then you get six different perspectives on the same episode ,” he says . “ A lot of what goes on when you try to make sense of a complex institution is a bit like Rashomon . The job is to piece together all these different perspectives . That involves listening very carefully to what people say and figuring out how it all fits together .”
Caleb Vierkant is communications coordinator for the Texas A & M College of Dentistry . He joined the college in October 2021 after leaving a career as a newspaper reporter . He is a graduate of Texas A & M University , class of 2017 .
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 . www . northtexasdentistry . com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 19