Dr. Daniel Chan, who since 2015 has chaired the School of Dentistry’s largest department, Restorative Dentistry, has announced that he will step down from that post on Nov. 1, 2023. He will remain on the department faculty as a tenured professor.
Dr. Chan has been a faculty member at the school since 2008, when he moved from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry and was named to the Washington Dental Service Endowed Chair at the UW. (The position is not related to the department chair.) He also served as Associate Dean for Clinics from 2008 to 2015.
Speaking of his time as department chair, Dr. Chan said, “I deemed this opportunity to serve the school and department as the pinnacle of my 40-plus years in dental education.”
Dr. Chan was a staunch advocate for digital dentistry and led his department’s initial steps into that field. However, he said that a key factor in his decision was his belief that the department would benefit from a new leader with an even more extensive background in digital dentistry.
“Dr. Chan’s decision is entirely in keeping with his history at our school,” said Dean André Ritter. “He has consistently placed the welfare of his department and the school before other personal or professional considerations and served in whatever capacity was asked of him.”
“The substantial lead time he has given us also reflects his keen sense of duty and responsibility. We will now have ample time to conduct a thorough search for a new chair.”
Dr. Chan’s distinguished and wide-ranging career in dentistry has included the presidency of the Academy of Operative Dentistry in 2013. He has been an accomplished researcher, with authorship of more than 10 dozen journal articles to his credit. His patents include one for titanium-based antibacterial materials that suppress organisms responsible for periodontal disease and caries. He also has a patent pending for a medical implant with a discontinuous osseo-integrative surface.