Message from the acting dean
Dr. Andreas Polycarpou
As I end my term as acting dean for the Texas A&M School of Dentistry and everyone prepares to welcome Dr. Lily T. Garcia as the new dean, I would like to recognize the hard work and determination of our faculty, staff and students. As I have said before, I admire and appreciate the commitment demonstrated to continue the work toward a better and brighter future for our school.
I also would like to take a moment to reflect on some School of Dentistry accomplishments over the last several months. My initial focus was to ensure that we were demonstrating how much we value our faculty, staff and students, so I began my tenure as acting dean by hosting town hall meetings, where I welcomed questions and comments. During the last few months, the administrative team and I have made great progress in addressing concerns and celebrating successes. I also initiated and implemented an awards program for faculty, staff, and students, and conducted and encouraged participation in a schoolwide climate survey. Results of surveys will be shared with the new dean and used as a tool for future improvements. Additionally, we made progress in streamlining many administrative processes.
While there is much work to be done, a positive foundation has been initiated for the new incoming dean. Thank you for all the support and dental education I’ve received. I have learned a lot and established some great new colleagues. It has been an honor to lead this preeminent school. I believe the best is yet to come, and I will be cheering along the way.
Best regards,
Andreas A. Polycarpou, Acting Dean, School of Dentistry
