Marnie L. Oakley, who has been serving as interim dean of the School of Dental Medicine since September 2022, has been named dean of the school and president of University Dental Health Services, effective Oct. 1, according to an announcement from Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for health sciences.
Oakley, associate professor of restorative dentistry and comprehensive care, took over as interim dean when Bernard Costello was named associate vice chancellor for health science integration. She also was interim dean for several months in 2021 when Costello took voluntary administrative leave for personal reasons.
She was one of two finalists for the job; the other was Andres Pinto, chair and professor, oral and maxillofacial medicine and diagnostic sciences, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland.
“Throughout a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades with the school, Marnie has consistently excelled in positions of increasing leadership responsibility and has helped to position Pitt Dental Medicine as one of the nation’s premier dental schools while also improving the school’s capacity, efficiencies, and excellence in the critical mission areas of education, research, clinical care, equity, community service and entrepreneurship,” Shekhar said in his announcement
Shekhar noted that during Oakley’s combined 15 months leading the school, “she has significantly increased research, educational and revenue-generating opportunities across the organization, leveraging internal, governmental and industry collaborations.”
Her accomplishments including:
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Recruiting seven new faculty via Pitt Health Sciences’ Race and Social Determinants of Equity, Health, and Well-Being Cluster Hire Initiative, including three appointed to chair clinical departments.
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Overseeing nearly $9 million in clinical production in Pitt fiscal year 2023, the highest historically for the school.
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Implementing a paid dental assistant apprenticeship program to address the shortage of dental care professionals and the lack of diversity in its workforce. Conducted in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools, the program is funded through a PAsmart grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
Oakley earned her B.S. in Biology and her DMD from the University of Pittsburgh and began her professional career serving an active duty, four-year tour as a dental officer in the U.S. Navy. She joined Pitt Dental Medicine as a clinical instructor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology in 1996, while concurrently working as a private practice dentist, and was appointed assistant professor in the Division of Restorative Dental Sciences in 1999. In 2005, she was appointed chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Comprehensive Care.
Subsequent promotions include associate professor (2012), associate dean for clinical affairs (2011-2018), senior associate dean for clinical and faculty affairs (2018-2021) and vice dean and associate dean for clinical affairs (2021-22). Marnie also holds an Executive Coaching Certificate from BerkeleyExecEd and has lectured extensively on leadership topics.
The search committee was chaired by Anthony Delitto, dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
The conclusion of the dental school dean search leaves three other schools operating under interim deans — engineering, law and education. In addition, Joe McCarthy was named interim provost this summer when Ann Cudd left for the Portland State in Oregon.
Chancellor Joan Gabel has said that the provost search will begin soon, chaired by Shekhar, and that the administration hopes to coordinate the other dean searches so that a new provost could participate in the decisions.
— Susan Jones
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