Faculty, Advisors and Classes

Hilary Malawer, J.D.

Hilary Malawer serves as ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer. Previously, Ms. Malawer served as Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), where she led five divisions—Regulations, Legislation, Business and Administrative Law, Ethics and Postsecondary Education. A member of the Senior Executive Service with more than 25 years of education law experience, she was one of the two highest-ranking career attorneys in the Department’s Office of the General Counsel.

After earning a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University and a Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School, Ms. Malawer litigated on behalf of individuals with disabilities at the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy before moving into federal service.

At the national level, Ms. Malawer led complex regulatory initiatives across K–12, higher education, special education and civil rights. Throughout her tenure, she advised the ED Secretary and senior leadership on federal education law and policy. She also served as ED’s liaison to the Administrative Conference of the United States, the Federal Register and the Office of Management and Budget. She also shaped the legal strategy for billions of dollars in discretionary grants supporting education and health priorities and built the legal frameworks for economically significant grant initiatives.

Ms. Malawer has been recognized by the ED for leadership, innovation, regulatory excellence and advancing policy with national impact. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar.

Dee Ramsel, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Dr. Dee Ramsel is a Senior Consultant for AAL and works in the areas of executive coaching, leadership development, team building, strategic planning and organizational consultation. As a former senior executive in the federal government and leader of organizational health for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, she brings extensive experience as a leader and facilitator to executives, teams and organizations that wish to improve their performance.

Dr. Ramsel’s credentials include a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and an M.B.A., as well as experience as a clinician, mental health executive, postdoctoral fellowship director, organization development consultant and medical college professor. She was a co-principal investigator in executive coaching outcomes and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals on several topics, including employee engagement, psychological safety and change management.

Dr. Ramsel stays active in professional societies and community organizations. She is the former President of both the Society of Psychologists in Management (now Society of Psychologists in Leadership) and the Society of Consulting Psychology and served as an Associate Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She has won multiple awards, including the highly competitive 2019 Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. Other recent accolades include the Leadership Worth Following Excellence in Developing Consulting Psychologists Award and the American Psychological Association Presidential Citation.

Felicia L. Tucker-Lively, M.P.H., Ph.D. 

Dr. Felicia L. 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.

Rebecca S. Wilder, M.S., B.S.D.H., ICF-ACC

Prof. Rebecca S. Wilder is a career academician, having served on the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for over three decades. She is currently the Adams Term Professor and Associate Dean for Professional Development and Faculty Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry (UNC SOD). Previously, she served as Director of the Master of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene Education and as the inaugural Director of Faculty Development for the dental school. She is Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Dental Hygiene, where she served as Editor for 14 years.

She is a recipient of several awards, including the Colgate/IADR Oral Health Research Award, the Pfizer/American Dental Hygienists’ Association Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene and the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. She was a Fellow in the 2007-08 ADEA Leadership Institute. In 2012, she was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), the dental honorary society. In 2014, she was selected to receive the inaugural UNC SOD Faculty Mentoring Award.

Prof. Wilder has published approximately 200 articles, abstracts, book chapters and editorials. She speaks nationally and internationally on such topics as nonsurgical periodontal therapy and products, oral-systemic health and leadership and communication strategies for team success.

In addition to her academic degrees, Prof. Wilder holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University and is certified by the International Coaching Federation as an Associate Certified Coach. She coaches and mentors academicians, health care providers and corporate leaders in the areas of executive presence, leading during change, communication as a tool to drive change, new leader coaching, stress management, conflict dynamics and team facilitation.

Pamela Zarkowski, J.D., M.P.H.

Prof. Pamela 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, Prof. 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.

Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.P.H.

Dr. Isabel Garcia joined the University of Florida College of Dentistry as Dean on Feb. 16, 2015, after retiring from the U.S. Public Health Service in 2014 as a Rear Admiral Lower Half. Dr. Garcia's career spans 34 years in public health, clinical practice, research, teaching and administration at the local, state and national levels.

Dr. Garcia joined the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in 1995 and held multiple leadership roles during her time there. She led NIDCR's science transfer efforts, directed the Institute’s Office of Science Policy and Analysis and served as NIDCR Acting Director from 2010-2011. Dr. Garcia also served as the Institute's coordinator for global health and took over as Director of NIDCR’s Residency in Dental Public Health program in 2005. As Deputy Director of the NIDCR, Dr. Garcia shared responsibility for the oversight and management of programs and functions within the Institute, which included a staff of more than 400 scientists and administrators dedicated to research, training, science policy, health education, communications and financial management.

Dr. Garcia received a Doctorate in Dental Surgery in 1980 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry and a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan in 1988. She subsequently completed a residency in dental public health at the University of Michigan and a fellowship in primary care policy from the U.S. Public Health Service. While pursuing her master's, Dr. Garcia was a Lecturer and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. She later served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry.

The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Dr. Garcia has received the National Institutes of Health Director’s Award for Mentoring, the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research’s Jack Hein Public Service Award and the U.S. Public Health Service Jack D. Robertson Award for outstanding long-term dedication and service to improve the oral health of the nation. A Fellow of the American College of Dentists, Dr. Garcia is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and an active member of ADEA, the International Association for Dental Research and the American Dental Association.

Frank Licari, B.S., M.B.A., M.P.H., D.D.S.

Dr. Frank W. Licari has been Dean and Professor of the Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine since 2013. He has over 30 years of experience as an educator, administrator and clinician.

From 2019-2021, he simultaneously served as the Interim Chancellor of the Roseman University Utah campus. He previously served as Associate Dean for academic affairs and professor at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Illinois and has also held several leadership positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry, Marquette University School of Dentistry and the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). He is an internationally known speaker, author and consultant. Dr. Licari has worked with over 80 dental schools on curriculum development, student competency assessment, accreditation, and faculty development in the United States, Canada, Chile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He formerly served as the Chair of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and currently serves as a CODA Commissioner.

Dr. Licari holds three advanced degrees from UIC, including Doctor of Dental Surgery, Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration. He has been recognized with the Utah Business Health Care Hero Award for Innovation, UIC Distinguished Dental Alumnus Award, Pierre Fauchard Certificate of Merit, memberships in Delta Omega and Omicron Kappa Upsilon honor societies and fellowships with the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists.

Fotinos Panagakos, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Fotinos Panagakos received his D.M.D. from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Rutgers University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 1992. In 1999, he received his master’s degree in Education from Seton Hall University and in 2007 he received his master’s degree in Business Administration from Lehigh University.

He was commissioned in 1986 as a Second Lieutenant and served for 13 years in the New Jersey Army National Guard and Army Reserve, departing as a Major in 1999. From 1993 until 2005, he served as a full-time faculty member at RSDM in a number of administrative and academic positions and maintained a private, dental practice. From June 2005 until November 2017, Dr. Panagakos served in several roles with increasing responsibility at the Colgate-Palmolive Company, where he focused on clinical research, scientific affairs, key thought leader management and interfacing with the external professional and consumer communities. In November 2017, he joined Geistlich Pharma North America as Vice President, Scientific and Clinical Affairs. He joined the West Virginia University School of Dentistry (WVU SOD) in August 2018 as the Associate Dean for Research. From July 2020 until May 2021, Dr. Panagakos served as the Interim Dean at WVU SOD. In January 2022, he assumed responsibility and oversight of the postdoctoral programs at the school. In March 2022, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences School of Dental Medicine named Dr. Panagakos its Founding Dean.

Dr. Panagakos is the co-author of over 88 peer-reviewed, scientific research articles and is the Co-editor of three dental science textbooks. His areas of interest include the role of inflammation in oral and overall health, the impact of nutrition on oral health and wellness and the effects of enhanced oral health benefits through Medicaid and Medicare on wellness and socioeconomic measures among rural and underserved adults.

Robert M. Trombly, D.D.S., J.D.

Dr. Robert M. Trombly is Dean and Professor at A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. He received his B.S. and D.D.S. from the University of Michigan. He completed his General Practice Residency at Hennepin County Medical Center and his J.D. at the University of Denver. His background includes private practice in general dentistry, practice/risk management consulting and academic/administrative appointments at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences School of Dental Medicine and University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry.

Dr. Trombly is an active member of American Dental Association (ADA) and ADEA. He also serves as Site Visitor for the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation. He is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists, Pierre Fauchard Academy and a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society. His scholarly interests include educational research, community-based education, law and ethics.

Carroll Ann Trotman, B.D.S., M.A., M.S.

Dr. Carroll Ann Trotman was appointed as Dean of The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (OSU COD) in August 2021. Prior to joining the university, she served as Chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Associate Dean for Faculty Development at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Trotman received her dental degree from Dundee University in Scotland, and her Orthodontic degree and master’s degree in Oral Biology from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. She then completed a Fellowship in Craniofacial Anomalies at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. During her tenure at Michigan, she obtained a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis from Michigan’s Horace Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

Dr. Trotman was appointed Associate Professor and subsequently Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry (UNC SOD). While at UNC, she served as Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and then Assistant Dean for Graduate Education. She then moved to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry as a Professor and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Dr. Trotman is a Fellow of the American Council on Education and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. She maintains a National Institutes of Health-funded research program. As the OSU COD senior leader, she is committed to implementing innovations in the dental hygiene and dental curricula, utilizing contemporary technologies for education and patient care and advancing the College’s research and strategic initiatives.