Dr. Caswell Evans Jr. recently retired from his position as the Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), College of Dentistry. Previously, he served as the Executive Editor and Project Director for Oral Health in America: A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General. Dr. Evans has also been the Director of Public Health Programs and Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Prior to that, he was director of the King County Division of the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health. Dr. Evans is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences and past co-chair of its Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. He is a past president of the American Public Health Association, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the American Board of Dental Public Health. Dr. Evans as a Past President of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago and Past Chair of the DentaQuest Foundation’s Board. As a mayoral appointment, he served on the Chicago Board of Health for 13 years and via gubernatorial appointment served two four-year terms on the Illinois State Board of Health. Dr. Hill served as Chair of the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association, a member of the Governing Council of APHA, was president of the Ohio Association of School Based Health Centers and a founding board member of both the National Network for Oral Health Access and the US National Oral Health Alliance. Dr. Hill served as Chair of the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association, a member of the Governing Council of APHA, was president of the Ohio Association of School Based Health Centers and a founding board member of both the National Network for Oral Health Access and the US National Oral Health Alliance. He was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to a three year term on the National Health Service Corps National Advisory Council. He is a recipient of the American Public Health Association John W Knutson Distinguished Service Award in Dental Public Health, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Distinguished Service Award, and the United States Public Health Service Chief Dental Officer’s Exemplary Service Award and numerous other recognitions.

Dr. Warren is the Dental Therapy Program Director at Vermont Technical College. She received her Master’s in Biochemistry with a research focus on periodontal disease from Virginia Commonwealth University. She then went on to complete her dental degree and followed on with an AEGD residency both from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. Dr. Warren then returned to her home state of Vermont to practice general dentistry at an FQHC. Dr. Warren recently worked developing Vermont’s Dental Therapy Program and has received awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation (DTA), and Community Catalyst totaling $1.8 million to support these efforts.

With 16 years in the field, Esther Lopez, DDS, MPH, is a dedicated dentist and advocate for public healthcare and health equity. She runs her private practice, Healthy Tooth Dental, in Oak Park, Illinois, and provides free services to refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers at RefugeeOne dental clinic. At RefugeeOne, she also supervises dental students as an adjunct faculty member from the University of Illinois at Chicago - College of Dentistry in a student-run clinic modeled after Goldie’s Place Dental Clinic, a student-run clinic Dr. Lopez co-founded. Dr. Lopez practices evidence-based, prevention-focused, and personalized dentistry. Her mission is to be a collaborative health partner, offering compassionate care in a safe space. She specializes in preventative treatments and lifelong health education. Currently, Dr. Lopez is completing her second term as president of the Greater Chicago Hispanic Dental Association. She is a board member of the Diversity in Dentistry Mentorship Program, working to increase diversity in the oral health profession. Additionally, she serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Illinois State Dental Society and the Diversity and Inclusion Council at the American Dental Association. She recently completed the inaugural Community Leadership Fellowship with the Hispanic Dental Association.

Dr. Tammy Button has a broad background in clinical pediatric dentistry, and has a record of accomplishment leading dental offices and clinics including FQHCs, public health clinics, and private practices. Dr. Button earned her DDS from Indiana University School of Dentistry and her MSD in Pediatric Dentistry from Riley Hospital for Children Indianapolis. A clinical Pediatric Dentist for more than 15 years, Dr. Button is known for cultivating community partnerships that promote health and well-being for children and families. She has a long history of advocacy and action regarding access to care, social justice, and oral health equity for underserved populations. As a clinician, Dr. Button provided pediatric dental care to underserved populations in various locations around the United States and has supervised dental/medical students and residents while on community rotations. Dr. Button currently serves as the Executive Director of Dunebrook, a family services organization in Northwest Indiana that served over 45,000 individuals in 2023. She also serves as the President and Founder of Southshore Skipping Stones, a nonprofit organization that provides pregnancy and infant oral health education in both English and Spanish. Dr. Button regularly gives classes and lectures on pregnancy and infant oral health and collaborates with other oral health and healthcare professionals to develop CME, CE, and webinar training. The integration of oral healthcare into overall healthcare services beginning during pregnancy is Dr. Button’s area of focus.

Dr. Geiermann, a retired Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, retired as the Senior Manager addressing access, community oral health infrastructure and capacity within the American Dental Association in July 2022. A 1983 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Steve served as a dental director in the Indian Health Service and Federally Qualified Health Centers as well as being a HRSA regional dental consultant and project officer within the National Health Service Corps and the HIV/AIDS Bureau. He also served as the acting dental director for the City of Chicago’s Department of Public Health for three years. Dr. Geiermann currently serves on the boards of the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH), the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), the Dental Patient Safety Foundation, and the Dental Lifeline Network. Steve was a Senior Fellow of the Council for Excellence in Government, as well as currently being a fellow within the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists.

Dr. Romero graduated from New Mexico Highlands University (BS), the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry (DDS), the University of New Mexico (MPH), and the University of California at San Francisco where he completed a Dental Public Health Residency Post Graduate program. Dr. Romero has had an exciting dental career in dental public health. He Dr. Ron Romero continued - began public service with the State of New Mexico as Chief Dental Officer for the NM Department of Corrections, a position that oversaw expansion of prison dental clinics and staff in Grants, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe. Dr. Romero then served as staff dentist at the Las Vegas Medical Center. He previously served as State Dental Director, Office of Oral Health with the New Mexico Department of Health. Under his watch, the first statewide oral health survey was conducted to assess the oral health status of New Mexico’s Children. He advocated for dental therapy legislation until its passage in in 2019. Dr Romero has served on the DentaQuest Oral Health 2020 initiative and continued with the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN).

Dr. Vogel is Professor Emeritus at NYU College of Dentistry and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NYU Federal Credit Union. Previous positions include Professor and Executive Vice Dean of NYU College of Dentistry and Chairperson of the Department of Oral Pathology, Oral Biology and, Diagnostic Sciences at what is now Rutgers University College of Dental Medicine. Dr Vogel is Board Certified in both Periodontology and Oral Medicine.

Dr. Lawrence Hill currently serves on the Board of Directors of Universal Health Access Now-Ohio. He served as the dental director for the Cincinnati Health Department and volunteer executive director for a United Way partner dental care nonprofit organization for over 30 years, during which he developed one of the largest community based dental sealant programs in the country, a large dental program for the homeless, worked closely with statewide and local Headstart programs, oversaw the operation of 10 FQHC look-alike dental centers, and consulted with numerous other FQHC dental programs. He served as an expert dental advisor for Safety Net Dental Solutions and Dental Access Now a statewide advocacy effort to increase access to care in underserved areas while adding dental therapists to the dentist led team. Dr. Hill served as Chair of the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association, a member of the Governing Council of APHA, was president of the Ohio Association of School Based Health Centers and a founding board member of both the National Network for Oral Health Access and the US National Oral Health Alliance. Dr. Romero has had an exciting dental career in dental public health. He began public service with the State of New Mexico as Chief Dental Officer for the NM Department of Corrections, a position that oversaw expansion of prison dental clinics and staff in Grants, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe. Dr. Romero then served as staff dentist at the Las Vegas Medical Center providing dental services for the mentally ill, adolescent and long-term care patient populations. Dr. Romero previously served as State Dental Director with the NM Department of Health, managing the Office of Dental Health Under his watch, the first statewide oral health survey was conducted to assess the oral health status of New Mexico’s Children.

Dr. Robert Collins joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School Of Dental Medicine in 2006 after careers in the US Public Health Service and with the International Association for Dental Research. He served as the Director of the Division of Community Oral health from 2006-2012. He continued to serve as the Director of the Office of International Relations and as Head of the WHO Oral Health Collaborating Center until 2015. Dr. Collins continues to lecture and conduct seminars related to public health. He mentors University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine students enrolled in the DMD-MPH dual-degree program, as well as those who may have interest in exploring whether dentistry in public health settings may be part of their future professional careers.

A graduate of Columbia University, Dr. Assael earned his doctor of dental medicine from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. He holds a certificate in medical management from the Gatton School of Business, University of Kentucky. He completed his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Assael serves on many professional organizations including the American Dental Association and the Hispanic Dental Association. He is currently Professor Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Washington .

Dr. Castelaz, DMD, FAGD is a dental public health resident with experience providing care in federally qualified health centers. Previously she worked as a lead dentist at a community health center in Wisconsin and dental director of a community health center in Virginia. She is an active advocate for alternative care models, including teledentistry and mobile dentistry. Dr. Castelaz believes successful dental treatment is achieved through a collaborative, integrated approach across all aspects of a patient’s health and as it relates to their unique needs influenced by their community and environment.

Dr. Oishi obtained his BS and MS from Georgetown University, DMD and MPH from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MS from the University of Iowa. He completed a hospital-based general practice residency in Hackensack, NJ, and fellowship in geriatric and special needs dentistry at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. He is board certified in dental public health. He works full time as a public health dentist at Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, a FQHC in Honolulu Hawaii. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, focusing on the integration of oral health into the medical school curriculum.

Dr. Karl Self joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota School Of Dentistry in 2006 and in January of 2010, he was selected to be the director of the newly created Division of Dental Therapy. In addition to managing all aspects of the implementation of this program, he is engaged in teaching dental, dental therapy, and dental hygiene students. His current research efforts are focused on the implementation of dental therapy in Minnesota. His general research interests include team-based care, access to care, and global health. Dr. Self earned his DDS degree from the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry, and a MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He has been engaged in a variety of dental practice types including private practice and large group practice, yet he has spent most of his professional life in a community clinic.

Dr. Jessica C. Williams is a Dental Public Health specialist and recent graduate of Meharry Medical College’s General Practice Residency. During her undergraduate studies at Howard University, Dr. Williams conducted national dental public health research and advocacy as an intern at Oral Health America. She then completed a Health Administration and Policy Certificate in Health Disparities Research from the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health while a dental student at the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry. Upon graduation, she served in the National Health Service Corps in rural Iowa and sought opportunities to improve her patients’ health not only through direct service, but also on a statewide and national level. This work includes serving on the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity’s Equitable Oral Health Delivery Models Workgroup. In 2022, she enrolled in Boston University’s dental public health program, where she worked with the National Network for Oral Health Access. Then, she enrolled in a General Practice Residency at Meharry and served as Chief Resident. Overall, Dr. Williams has an interest in developing interventions that expand prevention and improve healthcare access and quality for all, particularly for populations which have been historically excluded from such.