Thomas W. Braun, DMD, PhD
Dean

Thomas W. Braun, DMD, PhD, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, was appointed Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in September 2000. Dr. Braun served as president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and as president of both the Pennsylvania Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Great Lakes Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He served as chair of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation for two years, and continues to serve as an appointed member on the Pennsylvania State Dental Board. Dr. Braun's clinical and research interests include surgical management of temporomandibular joint disorders, orthognathic surgery, reconstruction of facial deformities, and obstructive sleep apnea.

 

Dennis N. Ranalli, DDS, MDS
Senior Associate Dean

Dennis N. Ranalli, DDS, MDS, serves as Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dental Medicine, and holds a secondary appointment as Professor of Sports Medicine and Nutrition in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Ranalli served previously as Adjunct Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at Case Western Reserve University, and as a past member of the Dean's Council in the College of Health at The University of Southern Mississippi. He has presented scientific lectures and continuing education programs locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Ranalli is a seminar speaker for the American Dental Association and has published numerous scientific articles, abstracts, and book chapters in the dental literature related to pediatric dentistry, cleft palate, sports dentistry, and smokeless tobacco.  He is a past president of the Academy for Sports Dentistry, The American Society of Dentistry for Children, and the Supreme Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon. Dr. Ranalli is a consultant to the Sports Medicine Program and Team Dentist for the Pittsburgh Panthers football, wrestling, and women’s basketball teams.

 

Kenneth R. Etzel, PhD, MS
Associate Dean, Student Services and Admissions

Kenneth R. Etzel, PhD, MS, serves as Associate Dean of Student Services and Admissions at the School of Dental Medicine. He also serves as a member of the Department of Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Etzel received his PhD in physiology from Creighton University, an MS in physiology from the University of Wisconsin, and a BA in biology from St. Thomas College. He received his post-doctoral training in nutritional biochemistry at Rutgers University. Prior to his arrival at the University of Pittsburgh, he was a faculty member at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Etzel is a member of many professional organizations including the American Association of Oral Biologists, of which he is past-president, and has held several chair positions for sections of the American Dental Education Association. He currently serves as the University of Pittsburgh's faculty representative to the American Dental Education Association and consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association.

 

 

Mary L. Marazita, PhD
Associate Dean, Research

Mary L. Marazita, PhD, serves as Associate Dean of Research and as Director of the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at the School of Dental Medicine. She is professor and vice chair of the Department of Oral Biology at the School of Dental Medicine, professor of human genetics in the Graduate School of Public Health, and professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine. Dr. Marazita is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, and had served a six-year term as an elected member and secretary of the American Board of Medical Genetics. She served on many committees at the university, state, regional, national, and international levels. Dr. Marazita is widely published in many prominent scientific journals; primarily in her specialty of craniofacial genetics. Her research program includes studies of orofacial cleft families from many countries including China, Turkey, India, Hungary, Guatemala, Spain, the Philippines, and the United States. A particular interest is in expanding the phenotype of orofacial clefts to include subclinical manifestations. Another major research area is in the genetic factors contributing to oral health and to oral health disparities. Dr. Marazita participates in genetic studies of preterm birth, developmental anomalies, behavioral traits, and psychiatric disorders.

 

Marnie Oakley, DMD
Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs

Marnie Oakley, DMD, serves as Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the School of Dental Medicine (SDM) and chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Comprehensive Care. After graduating from the School of Dental Medicine in 1992, she served an active duty, four-year tour as a Dental Officer in the United States Navy. Dr. Oakley has been responsible for the development and implementation of the SDM’s Comprehensive Care Program. She also served as the site visit coordinator during the successful 2010 American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation, site visit. Dr. Oakley also served as Chair of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session Planning Committee for two consecutive years, for which she received a Presidential Citation. As a graduate fellow of the ADEA’s Leadership Institute, she served in officer positions in several ADEA committees and groups. Dr. Oakley maintains membership in numerous professional organizations including the American Dental Association, Pennsylvania Dental Association, Western Pennsylvania Dental Association, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, and the Academy of General Dentistry.

 

Mark W. Ochs, DMD, MD
Associate Dean, Hospital Affairs and UPMC Dental Clinic

Mark W. Ochs, DMD, MD, serves as Associate Dean of Hospital Affairs and the UPMC Dental Clinic, and as chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the School of Dental Medicine. He attended the University of Pittsburgh for his undergraduate and dental education. In 1989, he completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery training and obtained his MD degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Ochs was an assistant professor and residency program director at the University of Florida in Gainesville from 1989 to 1992. He has been a full-time faculty member and program director at the School of Dental Medicine and the UPMC Health System since 1992. Dr. Ochs' academic and surgical interests include orthognathic surgery, facial trauma, implants, and bone grafting/ reconstruction. He maintains an active clinical practice and is an invited lecturer nationally and internationally.

 

Jean A. O'Donnell, DMD, MS
Associate Dean, Education and Curriculum

Jean A. O’Donnell, DMD, MS, serves as Associate Dean of Education and Curriculum. She chairs the School of Dental Medicine’s Curriculum Committee for the first professional program. Dr. O’Donnell received a BS degree in Nursing from the Pennsylvania State University and an MS in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh prior to completing a DMD degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Following a career in private practice, Dr. O’Donnell joined the faculty at the School of Dental Medicine in 1998. Dr. O’Donnell is a graduate of the American Dental Education Association’s Leadership Institute and currently serves as one of the school’s liaisons to the Association’s Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education.

 

Heiko Spallek, DMD, PhD, MSBA
Associate Dean, Faculty Development and Information Management

Heiko Spallek, DMD, PhD, MSBA (CIS) serves as Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Information Management, and as vice-chair of the School of Dental Medicine (SDM) Curriculum Committee for the first professional program. Dr. Spallek is Associate Professor of Dental Public Health in the Center for Dental Informatics, with secondary appointments in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and the School of Information Sciences. In 1993, he graduated from the School of Dentistry, Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Spallek continued his career at Humboldt, was appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Periodontology, and received his PhD in the field of dental material sciences. In 2000, he earned an MSBA with a concentration in Computer and Information Science (CIS) from the Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University, Philadelphia. Following a faculty appointment at Temple University, School of Dentistry, Dr. Spallek joined the faculty at the SDM in 2002. He is a graduate of the American Dental Education Association’s Leadership Institute, and currently serves as the director of the Online Certificate Program in Biomedical Informatics.

 

 

Robert J. Weyant, DMD, Dr PH
Associate Dean, Dental Public Health and Community Outreach

Robert J. Weyant, DMD, Dr PH, serves as Associate Dean of Dental Public Health and Community Outreach, and professor and chair of the Department of Dental Public Health at the School of Dental Medicine. He is also an associate professor of epidemiology at the Graduate School of Public Health. He received a master's degree in public health (1978) and a dental degree (1982) from the University of Pittsburgh; as well as a doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Michigan (1991). Dr. Weyant is a former Navy Dental Officer and V.A. dentist. He has been a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health since 1987, and is also a past president of the American Association for Public Health Dentistry. He currently serves on numerous local, state, and national committees aimed at reducing oral health disparities, increasing the dental workforce, and improving access to oral care. Dr. Weyant's research involves basic and social epidemiological research related to oral health disparities. He is presently PI or co-PI on several NIH-funded studies of oral disease etiology. Dr. Weyant also directs the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), and oversees the joint degree program in public health.