NSU President Appoints Linda Niessen Dean of the College of Dental Medicine

Linda Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. announced the appointment of Linda Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., to the position of dean of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine, the nation’s most applied to dental school. Niessen is an internationally renowned academician, researcher, author and public health advocate. Niessen will begin at NSU on October 1, 2013.

“We are excited to have someone of Dr. Niessen’s caliber and prominence take on this leadership role in NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. She will no doubt exemplify the university’s core values and continue to improve the college’s already stellar national reputation,” said Hanbury.

Niessen currently serves as a clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at Texas A&M University’s Baylor College of Dentistry. She also recently served as vice president and chief clinical officer for DENTSPLY International, Inc. where she oversaw the global clinical education and professional relations activities for this worldwide dental manufacturing company.

Niessen’s research interests include geriatric oral research and education, epidemiology of oral diseases in older adults, and oral health public policy. She is a diplomat of the American Board of Dental Public Health and the American Board of Special Care Dentistry and has provided dental care to medically complex patients in VA Medical Centers in Maryland and Texas.

“It is truly an honor to be appointed dean of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. I look forward to joining the talented students, dedicated staff, and outstanding faculty as we work together to achieve NSU’s Vision 2020,” said Niessen. “Advances in dental science and technology are creating many opportunities for research collaborations and NSU is well positioned with its strong faculty to capitalize on these opportunities. I look forward to working with the NSU faculty to continue the College of Dental Medicine’s leadership as we educate the next generation of caring, compassionate, clinically talented dentists who will serve as leaders in their communities and improve the oral health of the patients they are privileged to serve.”

During her tenure as Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at Baylor College of Dentistry, Niessen initiated advanced education programs in dental public health and geriatric dentistry as part of the Baylor partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

Niessen serves as President of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, past president of the American Association of Women Dentists, past president of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and serves on the Board of Regents of the American College of Dentists and on the Boards of Oral Health America and DentaQuest Foundation. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the American Dental Education Association Presidential Citation.

Niessen received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Mexico and her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Master’s in Public Health (MPH) and Master’s in Public Policy (MPP), all from Harvard University.

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About NSU College of Dental Medicine

Students of the college benefit from state-of-the-art educational and clinical facilities, which feature the latest in computer and video technology, and from our distinguished professors, recruited from throughout the United States. The college’s facilities, faculty, and dynamic curriculum have attracted worldwide attention. Students and professionals come from diverse backgrounds to pursue their courses of study at the college. Learn more at:  http://dental.nova.edu/

About Nova Southeastern University

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with an enrollment of approximately 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information visit www.nova.edu.

Media Contact:
Brandon Hensler, APR
Director of University Relations
(954) 262-5385 or cell (954) 393-5926
brandon.hensler@nova.edu