Jennifer Lundgren, Ph.D., UMKC provost and executive vice chancellor, has announced the appointment of two new deans at the university.
Steven E. Haas, D.M.D., J.D., MBA, will be the new dean of the School of Dentistry; Michele D. Smith, Ph.D., will be the new vice provost of Student Affairs/dean of students.
Smith currently serves as dean of students and assistant vice president for Student Affairs at Missouri State University in Springfield. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Leadership and Special Education at MSU, where she teaches in the Master of Science program for Student Affairs in Higher Education. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in Higher Education from Ohio University in Athens.
Her research focuses on the experiences of African American student and faculty success, particularly African American women and African American women in athletic administration.
“She will be a wonderful bridge between student affairs and our academic programs and faculty, bringing experience from both university perspectives,” Lundgren said. “She brings a holistic perspective of university life to her role at UMKC and will complement and advance the already exceptional work of the Student Affairs division and teams.”
She will begin her UMKC duties on Aug. 2.
Haas comes to UMKC from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in Lincoln, where he serves as associate dean for clinical affairs and interim chair of the Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry. He received his D.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, his J.D. from Touro College Law Center in Huntington, New York, and his MBA from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. He will begin his tenure on Aug. 16.
Haas has deep knowledge of dental education accreditation and compliance, as well as innovative clinical educational practices, Lundgren said.
“He values science and research and the importance of evidence-based clinical decision-making,” Lundgren said. “Steven is committed to improving the experiences of under-represented students, faculty, staff and patients in the School of Dentistry and in advancing the university’s goals of increasing diversity among our faculty and staff.”
According to Lundgren, Haas will focus on improving diverse representation and inclusivity within the school; growing research; interprofessional collaboration; and innovation and advancement in the clinical practices and in community outreach, particularly with communities of color and other under-represented communities in the greater Kansas City region.