Appointments, Faculty and Staff

Wolcott Begins Appointment as Director of Educational Resources and Scholarship 

In November 2018, Michael Wolcott, PharmD, PhD, began his appointment as the director of educational resources and scholarship with the UNC-CH School of Dentistry’s Office of Academic Affairs. As director, Wolcott will provide guidance in improving the curricular experiences of faculty and staff within the current curriculum and in the implementation of the future Advocate, Clinician, Thinker (ACT) curriculum.  

“Michael brings an incredible amount of expertise and enthusiasm to our academic enterprise,” said Vice Dean for Education, Ed Swift, DMD. “Our faculty and students will benefit greatly from his guidance and support.” 

His responsibilities will include assistance and oversight in five primary areas: (1) operationalizing the new curriculum, (2) supporting instructional design, (3) aligning student assessment, (4) enhancing the educational experience, and (5) leading educational scholarship.  

In addition, he will lead a variety of educational initiatives that incorporate evidence-based education principles into the curriculum. He will also oversee the new Academic Support Center that supports the current curriculum and future ACT curriculum framework.  

“I am honored to be joining the phenomenal group of faculty and staff at UNC-CH School of Dentistry,” said Wolcott. “From the first day, I was inspired by the culture dedicated to improving the education of future dentists. My goal is to contribute to this initiative by providing individualized, evidence-based support for all faculty members—the hope is to tailor support to meet the needs of faculty as they optimize their classroom and clinic teaching, while we also expand the school’s profile as a renowned dental educational research hub.” 

Wolcott most recently served as a graduate research assistant at the UNC-CH Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Education and Research (CIPhER), where he supported programming for preceptors and residents, student assessment and various scholarship initiatives. He also practiced as an infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist at Duke University Hospital.  

He has extensive experience presenting to national audiences on educator development, design thinking and learner motivation and engagement. In addition, he has published on education initiatives such as the use of design-based research, situational judgement tests as assessment strategies, and evaluations of organizational readiness for change.  

He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the UNC-CH Eshelman School of Pharmacy and recently completed his doctorate in education, with a specialization in learning sciences and psychological studies, from the UNC-CH School of Education this fall.