Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the winter break and are energized for a successful spring semester. Already, we have much to celebrate. 

We started the year by welcoming Dr. Imbery into a new role as interim chair of the Department of General Practice. And last weekend, I attended the ASDA District 4 Conference in Raleigh, NC, where the leadership of our students was on display and several of our faculty including Drs. Carlos Smith and Alex Howell shared their knowledge regarding both community and professional growth for the attendees from many dental schools. 

You may have also heard that authorization for the planning of construction of a new building for our School of Dentistry was included in the Governor’s proposed budget, which now must be approved by the General Assembly. When this happens, we will formally begin an exciting process leading to the construction of a new dental school building on the MCV Campus. On January 27, many of us will join the Virginia Dental Association and take to the Hill to advocate to our state’s legislators on behalf of issues impacting the oral health of the Commonwealth. I thank everyone who has planned to attend the gathering at the Hill to represent not only the dental school building but the future of oral health care in the Commonwealth. There is still time to register. Your attendance is important and it is essential that those who are attending join the virtual preparatory event on January 19 at 6 p.m. for a briefing on the issues.

Our future is bright, and we have much to look forward to this semester. From Match Day, White Coat, Give Kids a Smile and on to Reunion Weekend, board exams, graduation and everything in between, it will go by fast. Please treasure the experiences along the way, work together to meet challenges that may arise and enjoy the journey. 

I’m looking forward to experiencing each step with you.