Ahmed and Reside Begin Appointments as Assistant Dean of Student Life and Assistant Dean of Admissions
Effective in August, Sumitha Ahmed, DDS, MS, and Jonathan Reside, DDS, MS, began new appointments as the assistant dean of student life and assistant dean of admissions, respectively, under the new Office of Admissions and Student Life.
“These appointments reflect our renewed commitment to the experience of our current and prospective students,” explained Edward Swift, DDS, MS, vice dean for education. “The addition of Drs. Ahmed and Reside is a part of a restructuring that will help us better serve the student body and their evolving needs as their time in dental school progresses.”
Ahmed’s responsibilities include supporting students from enrollment to graduation and serve as a point of contact for student on-boarding one the initial enrollment process is completed. She is developing new initiatives to provide a vital outlet for students to balance the pressures of dental school and life.
She also works with the Director of Student Wellness, Kate Theida, MS, LPC, NCC, in maximizing each student’s academic success and support student development, and with the Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Equity Initiatives, Sylvia Frazier–Bowers, DDS, PhD, to maintain an active, harmonious and inclusive learning environment for our students.
“There are many things that make the Adams School of Dentistry a special place, the most important being our people,” Ahmed said. “My role allows me to work closely with the most important people in the school, our students. It’s been my pride and joy to see them grow into successful dental professionals over the years.”
Reside’s responsibilities include the student recruitment with a special focus on identifying students who will thrive in the school’s new Advocate-Clinician-Thinker (ACT) curriculum. He is working on strengthening and developing new pipeline programs to attract, engage and recruit students to pursue dentistry.
He is also working on updates to the admissions strategies and processes; incorporating and harnessing data analytics to modernize candidate evaluations; and developing print and digital messaging strategies that tell the story of the UNC-CH experience.
“The admissions committee has been one of my favorite responsibilities since I joined the faculty in 2012,” Reside said. “Interviewing candidates, advocating for them and watching them seize opportunities and grow throughout dental school has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. I could not be more excited to do this in an expanded role!”