Swift Named Interim Dean

Executive Vice Dean for Education and Chief Academic Officer Edward Swift, DMD, MS, professor of operative dentistry at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry, will become the school’s interim dean on December 3, 2021.

UNC Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Robert A. Blouin announced today that Swift will serve as interim dean until a new dean is appointed. The launch of a search as well as the nominating and search committees were announced to the community on October 5, 2021.

The school has been under the leadership of Interim Dean Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, since mid-January 2021, following the conclusion of Former Dean Scott De Rossi’s tenure. Byerley announced to the community on September 24, 2021 that she will begin her new appointment as dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine effective January 1, 2022.

“I have not only worked closely with Dr. Swift during my time at Adams, but also while we were counterparts when I was at the School of Medicine,” said Byerley. “He is a capable leader and a thoughtful decision maker, and someone who deeply wants to see the UNC Adams School of Dentistry succeed. Additionally, he is a dentist, which you have heard me say many times that I believe is incredibly important to the continued growth and prosperity of Adams. I am confident the school is in great hands with him at the helm.”

Swift joined the UNC Adams School of Dentistry faculty in 1993. During his tenure at Carolina, he has served as a professor of operative dentistry, chair of operative dentistry and the interim associate dean for student clinics. He has been in his current role of Executive Vice Dean for Education since early 2015. He received the inaugural UNC Adams School of Dentistry Leadership Award (2014), the UNC ASDA Advocate Award (2015), and the school’s top teaching award, the Richard F. Hunt, Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence in Predoctoral Teaching (2017).

He earned his DMD degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1979 and his master of science degree in operative dentistry from the University of Iowa in 1989. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of Operative Dentistry, the American Dental Education Association, the North Carolina Dental Society and the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry. He is a founding member and past president of the Society for Color and Appearance in Dentistry.

“We are incredibly grateful for Dr. Byerley’s work here at the Adams School of Dentistry and her commitment to the success of our school, and we wish her well in her new role at Geisinger,” said Swift. “I look forward to stepping into this interim role to work with our community during this time of transition as we prepare for our next permanent dean.”