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Dental school recognizes 2027 endowed faculty holders

By Kyle Rogers September 24, 2026
A multi-story brick building with the U.S. and Texas flags flying in front under a clear blue sky.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry recognizes faculty members who hold endowed chairs, distinguished professorships, and professorships at the start of the 2027 fiscal year. Photo by Kyle Rogers

With the start of the 2027 fiscal year, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry recognizes the faculty leaders who hold endowed chairs, distinguished professorships, and professorships, reflecting the generosity of donors whose gifts support education, patient care, research, and faculty development.

“These endowments are a lasting investment in the faculty members who advance our mission and in the future of the School of Dentistry,” said Dean John A. Valenza, DDS ’81, who holds The William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professorship in the Dental Sciences. “We are grateful to the donors and families whose generosity makes these positions possible and helps strengthen the School of Dentistry for generations to come.”

Chairs:

  • Fred A. and Dianne F. Garrett Endowed Chair in Orthodontics
    Katie C. Julien, DDS, MS
    Established Sept. 23, 2011
  • Dr. Bernard and Gloria P. Katz Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD
    Established Jan. 13, 2014
  • Chair in Dental Informatics
    Muhammad F. Walji, MS, PhD
    Established April 6, 2020

Distinguished Professorships:

  • The William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professorship in the Dental Sciences
    John A. Valenza, DDS
    Established April 11, 1985
  • Raul G. Caffesse, DDS, MS, Dr. Odont. Distinguished Professorship in Periodontics
    Nikola Angelov, DDS, MS, PhD
    Established Nov. 3, 1995
  • John R. Ludington, Jr., DDS, MSD Distinguished Professorship in Endodontics
    Timothy C. Kirkpatrick, DDS
    Established July 15, 2009
  • Ralph C. Cooley, DDS Distinguished Professorship in Biomaterials
    Rade Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD
    Established June 10, 2011
  • John M. Powers, PhD Distinguished Professorship in Oral Biomaterials
    Joe C. Ontiveros, DDS, MS
    Established March 20, 2013
  • Gene C. Stevenson Distinguished Professorship in Dental Education
    Ana C. Candia Solari Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD
    Established Dec. 18, 2017
  • Victoria Q. Cisneros, DDS, MS, Distinguished Professorship in Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
    To Be Named
    Established May 20, 2021
  • Philip L. Nauert, DDS Distinguished Professorship for Health Promotion
    Tulsi Patel, DDS
    Established Sept. 17, 2025
  • Peggy A. O’Neill, PhD, DDS Distinguished Professorship for Biomedical Sciences
    Anita Joy-Thomas, PhD
    Established Feb. 4, 2026
  • Mark E. Wong, DDS Distinguished Professorship
    To Be Named
    Established Aug. 27, 2026

Professorships:

  • Frank B. Trice, DDS Professorship in Endodontics
    Timothy C. Kirkpatrick, DDS
    Established July 18, 2011
  • Yun J. Ahn and Song Ahn, DDS Professorship in Implant Dentistry in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
    Joe C. Ontiveros, DDS, MS
    Established Oct. 21, 2011
  • Doan-Huynh-Le Endowed Professorship in General Dentistry
    Ben F. Warner, MS, DDS, MD
    Established Jan. 6, 2012
  • Dan C. West, DDS Endowed Professorship in Orthodontics
    Jorge Daniel Aguirre Macuaga, DDS, MS
    Established Jan. 9, 2012
  • Nguyen-Thang Family Professorship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    Christopher Daniel, DDS, MD
    Established Sept. 20, 2013
  • W. Bonham Magness, DDS Endowed Professorship in Orthodontics
    Grace Huang, DMD, MMSc
    Established March 19, 2014
  • Thomas M. Weil Professorship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    Craig Pearl, BDS, MSc (Dent)
    Established Sept. 19, 2014
  • Ralph A. Frankson, DDS Professorship in General Practice
    Gary N. Frey, DDS
    Established April 20, 2015
  • Catherine M. Flaitz, DDS Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry
    Cristiane Sa Roriz Fonteles, DDS, PhD
    Established May 6, 2015
  • The Romero-Levine Family Professorship
    Donald M. Belles, DDS, MS
    Established Dec. 14, 2015
  • Young OMS Research Professorship
    Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD
    Established Feb. 20, 2017
  • Raouf Hanna, DDS, MS Professorship in the Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
    Srinivas Ayilavarapu, BDS, DSc, MDS
    Established March 29, 2021
  • Rodney Felipe Beetar, DDS, MS Professorship in Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
    To Be Named
    Established Dec. 1, 2021
  • Mr. Justin Koh and Dr. Sheila Koh Professorship
    Cleverick D. Johnson, DDS, MS
    Established Dec. 1, 2021
  • Drs. Don and Cindy Le Professorship in Implant Dentistry
    Amy L. Ridall, DDS, PhD
    Established Dec. 29, 2021
  • Kristy and Vinh “Danny” Nguyen, RDH, DDS, Family Professorship in General Dentistry
    Gary N. Frey, DDS
    Established Oct. 4, 2022
  • John M. Powers Professorship for Pre- & Postdoctoral Student Research
    Chun-Teh Lee, DDS, MS, DMSc
    Established April 27, 2023
  • Rita M. Cammarata, DDS Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry
    To Be Named
    Established May 8, 2025

Information is based on the list available from the UTHealth Houston Office of Development.

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