FACULTY

Dr. Haden is President and CEO of AAL.

Since AAL’s founding in 2005, Dr. Haden and AAL have worked with more than 150 U.S. and international higher education institutions, associations, and businesses through AAL’s professional development programs and consulting services.

Dr. Haden oversees ongoing leadership development initiatives for numerous organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Dental Trade Alliance, and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. His areas of expertise include leadership, organizational change, team building, strategic planning, curriculum development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. From 1998 to 2005, Dr. Haden served as Associate Executive Director for Educational Policy and Research at ADEA. He has authored or coauthored more than 80 articles and monographs. Dr. Haden is the author, along with AAL Senior Fellow Rob Jenkins, of The 9 Virtues of Exceptional Leaders: Unlocking Your Leadership Potential (Deeds, 2015) and 31 Days with the Virtues (Deeds, 2020). Dr. Haden is a Fellow (Hon.) of the American College of Dentists and a Fellow of the Center for the Study of the Great Ideas.

In 2017, he was honored by the ADEAGies Foundation as recipient of the Gies Award for Achievement-Public or Private Partner. In 2019, he received the Professionalism and Ethics Award from the American College of Dentists.

FACULTY

Dr. Albino, currently Associate Dean for Strategic Planning and Development at the University of Colorado Denver, has served as president of two higher education systems—the University of Colorado and Alliant International University, a private nonprofit university. Her higher education experience includes several roles at the dean and vice-presidential levels, and she has spent more than 30 years as a faculty member in schools of dentistry, medicine, and psychology.

She has received numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate and a distinguished alumna award, and she was named the Distinguished Psychologist in Management by the Society of Psychologists in Management.

At AAL, she is a Senior Consultant who works extensively in the areas of leadership training, planning and evaluation, and board development.

FACULTY

Mr. Leeth is Chief Advocacy Officer at ADEA.

He spent almost 25 years working on Capitol Hill—five years working for a House member and 20 years on the professional staff of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. On the Appropriations Committee, he was a subcommittee staff director for 15 years and served both sides of the aisle in that capacity, always working in the majority. 

After leaving Capitol Hill, he spent five years as a lobbyist for the American Medical Association, was Vice President at the Jefferson Consulting Group, and has been an independent lobbyist as Principal in his own firm, Lincoln Capitol Consulting, LLC.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.

FACULTY

Dr. Tucker-Lively is the Vice President of AAL, an Atlanta-based company focused on providing professional development and consulting services to individuals, institutions, and organizations in health and higher education. She develops, oversees, and facilitates sessions for various professional development programs, both for AAL and for specific client projects. She has assisted faculty, residents, and administrators in cultivating their growth and development in a variety of settings.

Dr. Tucker-Lively holds a B.S. in Human Service Studies from Cornell University, an M.P.H. in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Mercer University. Her experience in administration, operational management, professional and organizational development, and program coordination at health professions schools and hospitals spans 23 years. Dr. Tucker-Lively maintains a variety of memberships and leadership positions in professional and community organizations.

She was recently appointed one of 12 nationwide faculty and independent researchers to the ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment, charged with exploring issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and wellness throughout the United States and Canada. Her background involves working with executive leadership teams to solve challenges, develop alternatives, and create efficiencies for improving program quality.

FACULTY

Prof. Zarkowski is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of University of Detroit Mercy. She is Chief Academic Officer for the university, which includes a School of Architecture, College of Business Administration, College of Engineering & Science, College of Liberal Arts & Education, School of Dentistry, School of Law and College of Health Professions. In addition to academic oversight, Provost Zarkowski supervises key student and institutional support offices, including Libraries and Instructional Technology, Student Success Center, Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Office of Sponsored Research Activities, Institute for Leadership and Service, Title IX and Equity and Compliance, Trio and Upward Bound programs, Women’s and Gender Studies, the Honors Program, Student Fellowships and Catholic Studies.

An educator for 40 years, she has served in various administrative and leadership roles at the university, including chairperson of two departments, Associate Dean for academic administration, curriculum, dental admissions and community relations, and Executive Associate Dean in the School of Dentistry. She also has held various leadership roles in national organizations, including President of the American Dental Education Association, 2001-2002; Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, 2007-2008; and the American Society for Dental Ethics, 2003-2006 and 2016-2018. She was also chairperson of the ADEAGies Foundation from 2002-2007.

Provost Zarkowski is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker who has provided over 250 presentations, workshops and seminars. Her scholarly activity and research is focused on professional, legal and ethical issues for dental and health professionals, leadership, women’s health, cultural competence and sensitivity and health literacy. She has more than 60 publications and abstracts. She is a contributor to dental, dental hygiene and dental assisting textbooks.

She received a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Public Health in Dental Public Health and a Teaching Certificate for Special Purpose Program for Teachers of Community Dentistry from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University. She has a certificate from the Wayne State University Geriatric Institute Program and a certificate in ethics education from Kennedy Institute for Ethics. She was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1989 and holds an active law license.

ADVISOR

Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon, is currently the Dean for the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry and has been on the faculty for 28 years. Prior to assuming the role of Dean, Dr. Farmer-Dixon was the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Dr. Farmer-Dixon also serves her country as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Dr. Farmer-Dixon has helped conduct research into oral health disparities, caries in low-income children, community outreach and intervention as well as addressing minority dental school enrollment.

Dr. Farmer-Dixon is a member of numerous professional, social and civic organizations and has received several awards from students as well as local, state and national organizations. Most recently, she was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as one of the publication’s 2019 Women of Influence. She is also a 2019 alumna of the Nashville Health Care Council of Fellows.

Dr. Farmer-Dixon is a native of Indianola, MS, and is a 1986 graduate of Mississippi Valley State University. She also received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1990 and the School of Graduate Studies and Research Masters of Science in Public Health degree in 1994, both from Meharry Medical College; the Institute of Educational Management Program Certificate from Harvard University in 2017; and Boston University’s Public Health Residency Certificate in 2014. She is a 2018 fellow of the International College of Dentists, a 2014 fellow of the American College of Dentists, a 2000 alumnae of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program and a member of ADEA’s Leadership Institute 2003-04 class.

ADVISOR

Sarandeep S. Huja, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a Professor and Dean in the Department of Orthodontics at Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Huja initially received his dental and orthodontic training from the Government Dental College and Hospital in Bombay, India. In 1995, Dr. Huja received his M.S. from Marquette University. In 1999, he received his Ph.D. and Orthodontic Certificate from Indiana University in Indianapolis and in 2001, he received his D.D.S. from University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry. His Ph.D. was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. David Burr from the Department of Anatomy and Dr. W. Eugene Roberts in Orthodontics from Indiana University. From 2001 to 2011, he was a faculty at The Ohio State University, working under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Vig, a world-renowned orthodontist and educator. In 2011, he moved to the University of Kentucky as Division Chief of Orthodontics. While there, he was appointed the Program Director of Orthodontics and Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Development and Graduate Studies, both in 2016.

Dr. Huja has served as advisor for both Ph.D. and master’s degree students and has taught Orthodontics and Bone Biology to dental and graduate students. He has been the principal investigator on grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, corporations and foundations. His research seeks to understand bone remodeling, osteoclast biology and adaptation to physical forces. His students have been recognized with national awards on projects related to tooth movement and implant adaptation biology.

Dr. Huja is also the recipient of the prestigious B.F. Dewel Memorial Biomedical Research Award from the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation. He also is a member of the Midwest component of the E.H. Angle Society and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He also maintains an intramural faculty practice.

Dr. Huja is widely published in the field of Bone Biology and Orthodontics and is a frequent speaker at national and international meetings. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Planning and Award Review Committee of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation. He has served as an orthodontic site visitor for Commission on Dental Accreditation and now is serves as Predoctoral Chair. He is an alumnus of the ADEA Leadership Institute, serving as the inaugural ADEA/ADEAGies Foundation Drs. Connie L. and Richard R. Drisko Scholar. He also served as the President of the Craniofacial Biology Group of the International Association of Dental Research.

Dr. Huja is married to Dr. Pinar Emecen-Huja, a periodontist, and they have young twin children.

ADVISOR

Dr. Lefebvre is Dean of the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University (DCG at Augusta) after serving previously as the Vice Dean/Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Faculty Affairs for six years. She is a Professor in the Departments of Restorative Sciences and Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences at DCG at Augusta and in the Graduate School, respectively. Dr. Lefebvre is the principal investigator of the Nobel Biocare/AU Center of Excellence grant and a Health Resources and Services Administration Faculty Loan Repayment Grant. She is a recipient of DCG at Augusta’s Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Faculty Member Awards.

Dr. Lefebvre received her D.D.S. and M.S. in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, a Fellow in the Academy of Prosthodontics, American College of Prosthodontists, International College of Dentists, American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy as well as a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, and the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society. Dr. Lefebvre served as Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry for nine years after serving four years as the Associate Editor. The American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics honored Dr. Lefebvre by naming their Scientific Poster Award in honor of her tenure as Editor. Dr. Lefebvre is a 2005-2006 fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program and a Certified Executive Coach. She is currently the Immediate Past President of the Academy of Prosthodontics.

ADVISOR

Michael Reddy, DMD, DMSc, is dean and associate vice chancellor of Oral Health Affairs at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry. Dr. Reddy is an internationally renowned periodontics specialist who values supporting innovation in dentistry, critical thinking and lifelong learning, and groundbreaking research to improve oral health.

Mentorship and sponsorship are essential ingredients of Dr. Reddy’s role as dean. Dr. Reddy believes that an academic leader should look constantly to the future for opportunities to “push the envelope” and innovate for the sake of developing strong, vital programs. In doing so, a leader should stay abreast of the latest developments in the field, keep a watchful eye on the unit as a whole, and look for opportunities to move the organization forward.

Dr. Reddy is well published, and his work has been supported by grant funding for the past 30 years. He serves on numerous boards in the profession and in the community and is the current editor of the Journal of Dental Education. He is actively involved in health care policy and health professional education reform at the national level.

Before joining UCSF in 2018, he served as dean and a faculty member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. Dr. Reddy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hartford, a Doctorate of Dental Medicine and Certificate in Periodontology from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and a Doctorate of Medical Science from Harvard University.

ADVISOR

Dr. Stanford is Dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry (UIC COD) and the 44th UIC Distinguished Professor. Previously, he was Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Prosthodontics at The University of Iowa College of Dentistry, joining the faculty in 1992.

Dr. Stanford received D.D.S. in 1987 and Certificate in Prosthodontics and Ph.D. in cell biology in 1992. An accomplished researcher whose work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), private foundations, and industry, Dr. Stanford has focused his laboratory studies on osteoblastic gene expression and signaling pathways. He is the author of more than 28 book chapters, more than 150 published papers, and more than 200 research and Clinical presentations. Dr. Stanford currently serves on several national and international committees, including the NIH/NIDCR Council, International Association for Dental Research, the Academy of Prosthodontics, and the Academy of Osseointegration (AO). For the AO, he is on the Executive Board and President-Elect. He was a member of the board of the American College of Prosthodontists, and is currently chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council of the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias.

Dr. Stanford is a member of the American and International Associations for Dental Research, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the American Dental Association, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the Orthopaedic Research Society. He is a fellow of the Academy of Prosthodontics, the International Team for Oral Implantology, the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Institute of Medicine of Chicago.

Dr. Stanford has won 15 teaching awards. He treats patients for complex rehabilitation, with an emphasis in craniofacial anomalies, at UIC COD.