* From School of Dentistry Dean John N. Williams’ e-mail to the School community on February 8, 2008:


Colleagues,

We have embarked on a year of great promise in the life of our School of Dentistry, with our first steps taken toward turning the Dental Sciences Building planning and design into bricks-and-mortar reality. Our School’s students will attest to the fact that preliminary preparations have already begun: Lockers line several Brauer hallways and fill 0040 Old Dental Building, and the student lounge will move in April.

I want to commend Al Elsenrath and the entire Support Services staff for their hard work in relocating lockers and the student lounge during times that would work best with students’ schedules – and for treating student, faculty and staff concerns so respectfully in this new process of transition. 

And to the students, faculty and staff within our community, I want to express my gratitude for the cooperation, understanding and collegiality you have shown – even as so much change is occurring in our School’s buildings and much change is yet to come.

Last fall’s Dental Sciences Building presentations were well-attended, and your questions and comments on the process have reflected your commitment to the School, its mission and its future.

I want to give you just a few updates of interest to our entire community:

 
  • Office relocation: Several offices are in the process of moving off-site, with the Dental Foundation and Dental Alumni Association having recently moved to Southern Village and CDE/AHEC moving to the Chapel Hill North location (near Timberlyne Shopping Center) on Feb. 20. Some personnel in Financial Affairs will relocate to space within Patient Accounting and DFP Administration (Brauer Hall) on Feb. 11. The Financial Affairs administrative suite will remain in its present location. The Department of Endodontics will move next door to the Dean’s Office suite on Feb. 25.
  • Research site identified: After months of careful deliberation, we have selected a site to house our research center facilities, faculty and staff during the construction process, and this space, 68,800 square feet in total, is located within Research Triangle Park. The N.C. Council of State has reviewed our proposal – which earlier met with UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees and UNC Board of Governors approval – and approved our request earlier this week. The School of Dentistry will begin its lease in March and plans to begin the moving process in April.

    • Plans are under way to have a small clinical research facility and classroom space at the new site. Two floors will have significant laboratory space, and office space will meet a variety of purposes for faculty and staff.

    We also are exploring events and initiatives that can “bridge” these two campuses. You’ll hear much more about our new research site as we proceed with this relocation.

  • Decommissioning (Demolition) of Dental Office Building, DRC: At this point, the Dental Research Center is to be decommissioned in May and the Dental Office Building in early June, with their demolition set for July. The construction fence is to be in place in early May. As I have information on the actual date for the new building construction, I will share that with you.
  • New informational section soon accessed from the home page: I appreciate the time and effort Tim Murphy and Mac McCollum are investing in creating a direct link from our home page to Dental Sciences Building project-related info. That will go “live” soon.
Maintaining our strong School of Dentistry community will be of paramount importance as we navigate this multi-year process, and I ask for your continued patience and full involvement.  Please don’t hesitate to share your ideas on how we can ensure (and build on) the strengths of our community during this process.

The Dental Sciences Building will transform the ways in which we are able to support our missions of education, research and service. Chancellor Moeser and the Board of Trustees, the UNC Board of Governors, Governor Easley and the N.C. General Assembly have demonstrated their support of our School’s commitment to improving our fellow citizens’ oral health. 

Please know that the work you do as a member of the School of Dentistry community is important in this advancement of oral health.

Best wishes.

-John