William D. Browning, DDS, MS, Augusta, Ga., has joined the Indiana University School of Dentistry faculty as the Indiana Dental Association (IDA) Endowed Chair in Restorative Dentistry. He is the second educator to hold the IDA position, which was endowed by the association through the IU Foundation in the 1990s.
In his new post at IU, which began on July 1, 2008, Dr. Browning will draw upon a unique blend of experiences he has acquired throughout his career in both academics and private practice. He has served on the dental faculties of three universities, including 11 years at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) School of Dentistry, and was a full-time private practitioner for nearly two decades.
“My immediate goal at Indiana University is to meet as many IDA dentists as possible to determine how I can best serve their needs,” Browning said.
Browning was named director of Clinical Research in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation at the MCG dental school in 2000, and was jointly appointed in the Department of Oral Biology during his last year there. He taught general dentistry at the University of Tennessee from 1993 to 1997, and occlusion and restorative dentistry at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1993.
Browning’s body of research has centered primarily on investigations of bonding agents and tooth whiteners. During his tenure at Georgia, he conducted studies that represented more than $750,000 in grants, often in the role of principal investigator.
The IDA chair serves within the Department of Restorative Dentistry, not as department head, with the title of “chair” being a term used by the IU Foundation to signify one of the highest philanthropic honors that can be awarded at the university. Browning also holds the rank of full professor in Restorative Dentistry.
“Dr. Browning is a tremendous asset for the school, the department, and the IDA,” said Dr. David T. Brown, chair of IU’s Department of Restorative Dentistry. “We’re excited to have him here and are looking forward to his contributions in the predoctoral and postdoctoral Operative Dentistry curriculums.” Brown said that Browning will also fill another important role by providing research mentorship and support for many of the department’s junior faculty.
Browning holds two degrees from the University of Michigan: a DDS (1974) and a master’s in clinical research design and statistical analysis (1991). He earned his undergraduate degree at Western Michigan University.
He recently served Georgia’s Board of Dentistry and the Georgia Dental Association in the development of an online ethics course, and he is a consultant to the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. He is a reviewer for 10 dental journals, including Dental Materials, Operative Dentistry, Journal of Prosthodontics, and Quintessence International.
Abstracts of Browning’s research studies have frequently appeared in the Journal of Dental Research, and he is the author or co-author of more than 40 articles published in refereed journals.
Endowing a chair for Indiana University was a long-held dream of the IDA leadership, who saw the post as a way for the association to recognize leadership at IU, and as a means for Indiana’s dentists to collaborate with the school on enhancing its teaching program. Raising funds for the project through the IDA/IUSD Pursuit of Excellence program, the IDA reached its million-dollar goal in the mid-1990s. Dr. E. Steven Duke, an IU alumnus (M’82 Operative Dent) and longtime professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, was named the first IDA chair and served in the position for four years before returning to Texas in 2003.
August 14, 2008
Dr. William Browning