The University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School is starting the 2023/24 academic year under new leadership.
The new head of school is Professor Ewen McColl, who was previously the University’s director of clinical dentistry and deputy head of school.
Professor Sube Banerjee, executive dean for the Faculty of Health, said, “Ewen is an internationally respected leader in clinical practice and education. He is chair of the Association of Dental Hospitals for UK and Ireland and was recently awarded the prestigious fellowship (Ad Eundem) of The Faculty Dentistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).
“He is very much looking forward to leading our dental school in the next phase of its growth and development in research, education, and engagement.”
Ewen qualified as a dentist from the University of Edinburgh 30 years ago and has worked at the University for the last 11 years. Prior to this, he had a very successful career in the British Army as a restorative dentistry consultant. He is on the Council of the College of General Dentistry and is a college fellow.
His RCSI Fellowship was awarded in Dublin, last month, in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to dentistry and significant contribution to dentistry as a teacher, clinician and researcher on a national and international level.”
He takes up his new role following the departure of Professor Chris Tredwin, who has moved on to Queen Mary University of London as their new dean of dentistry.
Ewen said, “Chris has done a great job in Plymouth and having worked closely with him for over a decade, I look to build on this success. It is always daunting to take on a new senior leadership position, but I know the school really well, have an excellent team in place, and am looking forward to the challenge.
“It’s an exciting time for the school with a lot of interesting projects, locally, nationally, and internationally. Our clinical research has really taken off recently, with more trials and projects on the way.
“Plymouth punches above its weight, when it comes to dental education, and we are ambitious to build on this for the future.”