VCU School of Dentistry has named Carol Caudill, D.D.S., M.Ed., as the Interim Chair of Pediatric Dentistry. 

Caudill has been with VCU School of Dentistry since 2019. She currently serves as assistant professor of pediatric dentistry and director of pre-doctoral pediatric dentistry education. 

Her passion for pediatric dentistry stems from her work in mobile dentistry prior to joining VCU. She traveled throughout the state of Virginia to provide dental care to children in need.

“It gave me a real appreciation of the barriers that children often face when trying to access dental care and inspired me to specialize in pediatric dentistry,” Caudill said.

Caudill is originally from Charleston, West Virginia. She earned her BA in psychology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia before returning to West Virginia to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery from West Virginia School of Dentistry in 2012. 

In 2013, Dr. Caudill completed the advanced education in general dentistry program at VCU. After working in private-practice in the Richmond area, Dr. Caudill completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at NYU Langone Hospital in 2019. 

As a life-long learner, Caudill has continued to hone her leadership skills by recently completing her Masters in Education in Educational Leadership at VCU. Additionally, she was recently selected as one of approximately 40 dental professionals from around the country to participate in the ADEA Leadership Institute, a yearlong program designed to develop the most promising individuals at academic dental institutions to become future leaders in dental and higher education.

Caudill expressed her excitement to step into a leadership role and her pride in her department.

“The most rewarding part of my job is working with the students and residents and seeing how they progress both in their clinical skills and knowledge during their time at VCU,” Caudill said.

Caudill will be stepping into her new role as Jeffrey Johnson, D.M.D., M.P.H., moves into his new position as associate dean for clinical education. The two have worked closely together in the pediatric dentistry division and Caudill cited her desire to continue the educational and clinical excellence that Johnson and his predecessors established.

“My big goal as interim chair is to continue, with the help of everyone in the department, along the wonderful path that Dr. Johnson has started our department on,” Caudill said. “We will continue to provide excellent dental care to the children in Virginia and provide an exceptional education to both our dental students and pediatric dental residents.”

“ I think Dr. Caudill has amazing leadership skills and more importantly, amazing potential in this role,” Johnson said. “She will do the role in her own way that's likely very different from the way that I've done it, likely different than my predecessors did it. But she will take it in a new direction. I think that her intelligence and her compassion for others will lead her in the right direction.”

“Dr. Caudill’s commitment to academic excellence, teaching and patient care make her exceptionally qualified to lead pediatric dentistry during this transitional period,” Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., Dean of VCU School of Dentistry, said. “I am eager to see her excel in this new interim role.”