Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation in regard to access to oral health care and ranks below the national average of the number of dentists per capita. College leaders discussed plans to increase class sizes and expand specialty programs that will help meet the current workforce demands of the state.
“It was an honor to host members of the OU Board of Regents,” said Paul M. Mullasseril, D.D.S, M.S., dean of the college. “Our college continues to make strides to expand access to high-quality, yet affordable dental care, all the while providing our students with an excellent education that will allow them to excel in the dental profession.”
Sharukh Khajotia, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., associate dean for research and innovation, provided an overview of the research activities of students and faculty, emphasizing efforts to align the college’s research strategy with the current OUHSC Strategic Plan. The group toured the research laboratories of the Division of Dental Biomaterials, where Dr. Fernando Luis Esteban Florez and Dr. Khajotia highlighted the division’s recent accomplishments in research and innovation.
At the College of Allied Health, Regent Bob Ross joined the group and the tour was led by Associate Dean Mark Britton, PharmD, MDiv, CDCES, BC-ADM, FASHP and highlighted the 19 programs offered by the College of Allied Health. Regents visited the sonography lab, one of five programs housed in the Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences Department, chaired by Professor Vesper Grantham, M.Ed., RT(N), CNMT. Students in radiation sciences work with the most advanced and sophisticated equipment, using critical judgment to produce diagnostic images and ensure safe and effective therapeutic interventions.
The Regents then visited the John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Clinic, which serves Oklahomans of all ages with disorders of speech, hearing, language, balance and swallowing. This clinic is part of the Communication Sciences Department led by Andrew John, Ph.D.
Carrie Ciro, Ph.D., OT/L, FAOTA, chair of the Rehabilitation Sciences Department, hosted the Regents in the occupational and physical therapy laboratories. The Rehab Sciences department is the only program in the country to offer integrated plans of study for Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy students.
And finally, Leah Hoffman Anderson, Ph.D., RD/LD, CNSC, a faculty member in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and director of the coordinated program for Master of Arts in Dietetics, provided a tour of the foods lab where the college’s annual Children’s Healthy Activity and Meal Planning Camp is held.
“We were very excited to share the OU College of Allied Health’s education and research endeavors with the OU Board of Regents members,” said Jane Wilson, Ph.D., dean of the college. “We have outstanding faculty and staff who strive to provide the best educational experiences for our students so they may provide the best possible care to the citizens of Oklahoma.”
The OU College of Allied Health is the largest and most professionally diverse provider of allied health professionals for the state of Oklahoma. Accounting for nearly two-thirds of the entire health workforce, allied health professionals practice individually and in interprofessional teams to provide a range of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and direct patient care.