Special Committee on Leadership
Dr. Mary Baechle
As course director of the Preclinical Operative Dentistry courses for first-year dental students at VCU School of Dentistry, one of Dr. Baechle’s goals for her students are for them to learn the fundamentals they will build upon and eventually apply to whatever clinical situation they may encounter, the ultimate goal being proper and ethical patient care. Correspondingly, Dr. Baechle communicates with her clinical colleagues to ensure what she is teaching preclinically is consistent with what is taught clinically, and makes changes where possible. She also maintains active memberships in professional organizations believing that such engagement leads to growth in one’s field and support of each other as colleagues.
Dr. Toni Roucka
Dr. Toni Roucka is currently Professor Emerita at Marquette University School of Dentistry, having formerly served as an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at three different dental schools: Marquette University, University of Illinois Chicago and Southern Illinois University. Her undergraduate degree is in nursing and she still maintains an active RN license. She received her DDS from the University of Illinois Chicago and an MA in Bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Immediately upon graduation from UIC, Dr. Roucka served as a Naval Dental Officer during Operation Desert Storm. Immediately following her naval career, Dr. Roucka was the first dentist to staff the Spang Center for Oral Health, a clinic dedicated exclusively to the treatment of HIV+ / AIDS patients in Chicago during the early days of the AIDS pandemic. Dr. Roucka is nationally recognized speaker on dental ethics and has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals on dental ethics topics. She is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. She recently completed a four-year tenure as the American Society for Dental Ethics (ASDE) Liaison to the American College of Dentists (ACD) Board and has served on the ASDE Board in various capacities since 2008, including a term as President.
Dr. Tim Wong
Tim Wong DDS is a full time dental practitioner, educator, and dental industry consultant in Los Angeles and Orange County. After graduation from USC, he continued to be involved with local community health events with non-profit groups, participating as an active member of the ADA, CDA, Pre-Fellow at Academy of General Dentistry, and CDA Delegate at San Gabriel Valley Dental Society. He envisions greater involvement between the members of the dental society and the general public via outreach and educational seminars. He is committed to expand his knowledge on current health issues that are significant to vulnerable population groups, while applying that knowledge to guide his patients toward better oral and dental health.
Dr. Odette Aguirre
Odette Aguirre, DDS, MS, MPH, FACD, is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Comprehensive Care at Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD), and Affiliate Faculty at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Indiana University. She got her dental degree from Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City, where she grew up. After graduation, she completed a General Practice Residency at Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, NY, where she also obtained an MS from the University of Rochester. She obtained a Bioethics Certificate from Indiana University Department of Philosophy and an MPH from the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Currently, she is Director of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) program, the “Behavioral Sciences, Ethics and Professionalism” curriculum, and co-leads ethics rounds and a clinical ethics consultation service for IUSD dental students. She is also the director of the of IUSD’s International Service-Learning Program Guatemala. She is past-President of the American Society for Dental Ethics, and has been Associate Producer for a number of ethical dilemma videos in a collaboration between IUSD and the American College of Dentists (ACD). Her current research interests involve assessing ethical sensitivity, reasoning and action during OSCEs; ethical-behavioral challenges in tele-dentistry; exploring beliefs, barriers and facilitators influencing Latino patients’ engagement in oral health behaviors; and addressing ethical challenges in dental volunteering programs.