After 40 years of service to the University of California, Dorothy Perry, PhD, associate dean for education and student affairs, will retire on June 30, 2016. “I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Perry for her very long service to the University of California and especially to UCSF for the last 26 years,” said John D.B. Featherstone, dean of the UCSF School of Dentistry. “Please join me in thanking Dr. Perry for her dedication to the continuous pursuit of excellence, and congratulating her on her extraordinary career.”
Dr. Perry attended the University of Southern California and graduated with a bachelor of science in dental hygiene in 1970. She practiced dental hygiene for five years and started teaching in 1975. Her enjoyment of teaching resulted in a return to USC, where she earned a master of science in education in 1977 and subsequently a PhD in 1982.
Dr. Perry joined the University of California in 1976, starting at UCLA in a staff/clinical instructor role in the Section of Periodontics and later with a combined appointment in Periodontics and Dental Public Health. She joined UCSF in 1989 as assistant professor in the Division of Dental Hygiene, and became the chair of the division in 1992. Along with teaching, she practiced dental hygiene in the faculty practice and worked on the Academic Senate and on Faculty Council, chairing the council for two years.
During this time Dr. Perry was active on the UC Senate, serving as a member of BOARS (Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools) for nine years, and chairing it for three. Following the passage of California’s Proposition 209 affirmative action initiative, she actively worked with UC leadership to create holistic reviews for entering first-year students. She and her colleagues changed UC admissions practices, improved standardized examinations for high school students, and made the top students from all high schools in the state eligible to attend UC.
Following a national search, Dr. Perry took the position of assistant dean for curricular affairs in the UCSF School of Dentistry in 2001, and subsequently associate dean in 2004. During this time, she facilitated the creative work of the faculty in implementing contemporary educational strategies. These strategies resulted in an entirely revised curriculum utilizing thematically-based courses with shared teaching responsibilities across departments, incorporation of electronic media in teaching (including the CLE, an immutable part of our curriculum), and the increased use of learner-centered teaching strategies. Dr. Perry’s duties were further expanded when she was appointed to her current role of associate dean for education and student affairs in 2010.
In 2003 Dr. Perry took responsibility for the two-year accreditation process for the School of Dentistry, while implementing and administering the revised curriculum. She shepherded that extensive process to a successful conclusion, resulting in full accreditation for the School. She again led the accreditation efforts in 2010-2012 with similarly positive results.
In 2006 Dr. Perry was asked to manage and revise the School of Dentistry admissions process. It now includes strategies to identify students from educationally underserved backgrounds who can succeed in the rigorous dental school educational environment, using a broad definition of merit so that many applicant attributes are assessed. This initiative has increased faculty commitment to the process and resulted in a more diverse student body.
Dr. Perry revised the school’s continuing education activities to make them more competitive and attractive for alumni and members of the dental community. She nurtured significant change in the School of Dentistry through her service activities on many UCSF campus and school committees. She received multiple teaching awards from students for the impact she has made on their educational experiences, and her book, Periodontology for the Dental Hygienist, published in 1996, is now in its fourth edition.
Dr. Perry is known for her innovation, tenacity, sense of humor and commitment to her work. She has made an indelible impact on the lives of thousands of professionals and students throughout her career in the School of Dentistry, the University of California and the field of dental hygiene.
A national search to fill the position of Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs will begin soon.