Appointments, Faculty and Staff, Prosthodontics

Robert Wright Begins as Prosthodontics Department Chair

Effective July 1, Dr. Robert F. Wright began his appointment as professor and chair of the Department of Prosthodontics.

“I’m thrilled to be serving as the chair of the prosthodontics department here at UNC,” said Wright. “The department educates some of the best dental and graduate students in the nation and prepares them for a career in dentistry or the specialty of prosthodontics. Training the next generation of care givers is important and I’m looking forward to doing just that here.”

As department chair, Wright will be in charge of overseeing the department administratively as well as the clinical and didactic components. The department runs six very important preclinical courses and clinics sessions for the dental students. The department also has clinical, research and didactic responsibility for graduate prosthodontists. In addition, the department has an overall strong research and service components.

“We have a wonderful group of hard-working, dedicated core faculty. We plan to grow this department by our ongoing searches for new faculty. My goal is to make this a world-class department to meet our school’s mission. Collegiality and teamwork will be emphasized in moving forward. Continuing to mentor the best and the brightest students into prosthodontics will also be fostered,” Wright added.

Wright most recently served as the director of advanced graduate prosthodontics at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Prior to joining Harvard in 2004, Wright was on faculty at Columbia University. He served as the director of the Division of Prosthodontics beginning in 1992. Wright earned his D.D.S. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis College of Dentistry in 1982, and he received his specialty training from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, finishing that program in 1987. Wright is a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and a fellow of both the American College of Prosthodontics and the Academy of Prosthodontics. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Prosthodontics, the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and the Journal of Dental Education. He also serves as a site visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation and previously served on the Prosthodontics Review Committee for CODA.

“I’m excited that Dr. Wright agreed to chair our Department of Prosthodontics,” said school Dean Jane Weintraub. “His background is strong and I’m confident his personality will resonate with the students in the program. We’re glad to add someone of his caliber to our school’s faculty to advance the future of prosthodontics in all of its facets.”