Frequently Asked Questions

This program provides fellows with the knowledge, understanding and skills to assist fellows with advancing into a dean or university role within the next two years. The program uses intense coaching, with one faculty member assigned to two fellows in addition to a program director.

These faculty guide fellows through the development of their capstone projects and career development plans. Highlights include the two, four- to five-day site visits to dental schools, where the fellow meets with site visit deans and other faculty in higher leadership. There are three, in-person modules, with over 100 hours of in-person learning and online activities.

$15,000, which includes three teaching and learning modules and registration for the ADEA Deans’ Conference and the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition for the orientation year.

The tuition does not cover travel, hotel and meals or the cost of registration for the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in the graduation year.

The program starts the day prior to the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition and ends at the following ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition with a graduation ceremony.

The application opens mid-July and closes mid-September in the year preceding Module I.

Refer to the website for the next application date.

Support from your dean is essential to being considered for this program. The supporting dean will write a letter of support and provide you with significant mentorship throughout your program.

Steven W. Friedrichsen

Steven W. Friedrichsen, D.D.S., is Dean Emeritus and Professor (ret.) of Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine (WU CDM). Dr. Friedrichsen received his B.S. in Biology from Seattle University in 1975 and his D.D.S. from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, in 1979 and then completed a hospital-based General Practice Residency program at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Friedrichsen has been involved in dental education for more than four decades. For nearly 25 years, he maintained an active general dentistry practice alongside his academic pursuits. He served as Dean for a combined 16 years at Creighton University School of Dentistry and WU CDM, and as Interim Provost from 2015 to 2016 and University Appeals Officer for over five years. He has actively engaged with ADEA and provided valuable service through committee appointments by the Idaho State Board of Education, Idaho Board of Dentistry, California Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation and multiple other local, state and regional entities.

Dr. Friedrichsen stepped down as dean of WU CDM on July 1, 2022, when he was also given the title Dean Emeritus, and fully retired in October 2022. He continues to provide service to both ADEA and the WU CDM.

John Williams

John Williams D.M.D., M.B.A., is Professor and Dean Emeritus at Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD). He served as the President of Transylvania University, Lexington, KY, from 2019 to 2020 and as Dean of IUSD from 2010 to 2019. He also served in two other dental dean positions at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry (ULSD) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry for a total of 21 years in the three dean positions. Dr. Williams received his D.M.D. degree in 1980 (ULSD) and an MBA in 1987, also from the University of Louisville. Prior to his academic pursuits, he was in private dental practice in Louisville, KY.

Dr. Williams maintains scholarly interests in dental practice management, oral health workforce, dental curriculum assessment and digital dentistry/instructional technologies. He has also served as a national leader in dental accreditation, holding various volunteer roles with the Commission on Dental Accreditation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentists. He is currently a member of two private higher education boards of trustees.  

Ana López Fuentes

Ana López Fuentes, D.M.D., M.P.H., FACD, FICD, is a tenured Professor in the Community Dentistry Section of the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine (UPR SDM). She was the 2023-24 Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors. Dr. López Fuentes served as Dean of the UPR SDM from 2014 to 2018 and is currently President of the Infection Control and Quality Assurance Standing Committees. She is a Fellow at the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. She recently received the Transformational Leadership Award from the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), as part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration in May 2025.

She has been a member of the ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment Committee and since 2006 the UPR SDM’s ADEA Women Liaison Officer. She served as Co-chair of the ADEA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee from 2014 to 2021, on ADEA’s Annual Session Program Committee from 2018 to 2021, as Immediate Past Chair of the ADEA Section on Women in Leadership, and Councilor to the ADEA Section on Women in Leadership.

Dr. López Fuentes is a Commission on Dental Accreditation site visitor and ex-officio member/consultant to the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) Board of Trustees, in addition to being a faculty advisor to the HDA and the American Association of Women Dentists UPR SDM Student Chapters. From 2018 to 2019, Dr. López Fuentes represented the HDA in the American Dental Association Presidents’ Summit for Diversity and Inclusion. She served as faculty advisor to the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellowship from 2018 to 2022.  

Lois Margaret Nora

Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., M.B.A., is Professor of Neurology, President Emeritus, and Dean of Medicine Emeritus at Northeast Ohio Medical University, and a Principal in the Academic Practice Group of ECG Management Consultants. Passionate about enhancing health professions education to improve the care of patients and the overall health of communities, Dr. Nora’s career is notable for community engagement and organizational transformation achieved by fostering high performing teams, building consensus and seeking diverse stakeholder engagement.

Dr. Nora served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). During her tenure, ABMS championed new models for continuing certification including longitudinal assessment, worked to increase collaborative efforts across the profession to maintain high standards in certification, and expanded international programs.

Dr. Nora also served as Interim President and Interim Dean of The Commonwealth Medical College (now Geisinger College of Medicine). From 2002-2010, she served as President and Dean of Medicine at the NEOUCOM, where her team made substantial curricular change, increased the size of the student body, and founded colleges of pharmacy and graduate studies leading to the institution’s transformation to the Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. Nora currently serves on the Boards of the Graduate School of the Stowers Research Institute and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, and on the Board of Visitors of the Tufts University College.

The two school site visits are essential to this program. The ADEA CDF Program Director carefully selects the site visit schools in consultation with ADEA staff. These visits are designed to expose the Fellow to different types of dental schools and parent institutions so they can develop a broader understanding of academic institutions, health science centers and universities.

The opportunity to learn from experienced deans and other leaders through “shadowing” is unique to this program. Through this activity, Fellows will develop networks and a new perspective on the skills and knowledge relevant to dental and higher education. Each site visit lasts one week.