GPR, AEGD programs establish Valenza Award to honor teaching and membership

By Kyle Rogers June 23, 2026

Two people in business attire stand in front of a dark curtain, smiling as they hold a transparent glass award shaped like the state of Texas. An easel beside them displays a framed plaque with a photo and text.

Dean John A. Valenza, DDS ’81 (right), holds an award in recognition for his extraordinary leadership and the establishment of the General Practice Residency at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. Photo by Shyam Tailor.

Two people stand indoors beside award plaques on easels. The left plaque recognizes Dr. Charles Cline with the John A. Valenza, DDS Award for Distinguished Teaching and Membership. The right honors Valenza.

Charles Cline, DDS ’81 (left), stands with his classmate, Dean John A. Valenza, DDS ’81, after being recognized as the inaugural recipient of the John A. Valenza, DDS, Award for Distinguished Teaching and Membership. Photo by Shyam Tailor.

The General Practice Residency and Advanced Education in General Dentistry programs at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry honored Dean John A. Valenza, DDS ’81, by establishing an award in his name recognizing faculty members who have made lasting contributions to resident education.

The John A. Valenza, DDS, Award for Distinguished Teaching and Membership was unveiled June 22 during a banquet celebrating the GPR and AEGD programs at the Cooley University Life Center.

Created in recognition of Valenza’s extraordinary leadership, the annual award honors outstanding teaching members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to resident education and the continued success of the GPR and AEGD programs.

“What’s a better way to recognize what Dr. Valenza has done than to create an award that represents what he means to us?” said Michael M. Chan, DDS, associate professor and program director for General Practice Residency and Advanced Education in General Dentistry. “We wanted to carry this legacy a little further. We wanted to know that every year it represents something, not just this one time as we celebrate his retirement.”

Valenza, who will retire Aug. 31, graduated from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry in 1981 before completing a General Practice Residency at the University of Tennessee Memorial Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1982. After practicing in Nashville and teaching part time at Meharry Medical College, the Houston native returned to his alma mater in 1987, where he established the school’s General Practice Residency program.

After establishing the General Practice Residency, Valenza helped launch the school’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program in 1994, expanding opportunities for advanced clinical training in general dentistry.

Chan said the impact of Valenza’s vision can be measured not only by the program’s longevity, but also by the hundreds of dentists it has helped prepare for practice. Since the programs were established, more than 214 GPR residents and 205 AEGD residents have completed the programs.

“That’s a lot of doctors who have benefited from the education Dr. Valenza helped create,” Chan said.

Valenza, who said he was surprised by the recognition, reflected on returning home to establish the residency program.

“Houston is my home. To come back home in 1987 to start the program was just the thrill of a lifetime,” Valenza said.

As part of the tribute, two wooden plaques will be permanently displayed in the University Dental Center, home to both the GPR and AEGD clinics. One features Valenza’s portrait and highlights his career and contributions to the residency programs. The second recognizes recipients of the John A. Valenza, DDS, Award for Distinguished Teaching and Membership, ensuring the legacy of teaching excellence continues for future generations.

The inaugural recipient is Charles Cline, DDS ’81, who was recognized for his distinguished teaching and service to the residency programs.

A classmate of Valenza’s, Cline graduated from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry in 1981 before completing a two-year hospital-based residency at LSU School of Dentistry/Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He has mentored generations of residents through the GPR and AEGD programs since he joined the faculty in 1991. He has continued to return annually to teach, even after retiring from practice.

Accepting the award, Cline reflected on the impact teaching has had on his own career.

“Over the years, I have gained more from you guys than you’ll know,” Cline said. “Teaching as a profession, that is an honorable thing. I look across this room and all the faces, and I’m very hopeful for dentistry because I know we’ve been trained well.”

Both Valenza and Cline received Texas-shaped glass awards during the ceremony.