Dr. Dennis A. Mitchell Appointed Dean of Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Dear members of the Columbia community,

We are pleased to share the appointment of Dennis A. Mitchell as the next Dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and Senior Vice President, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Mitchell has been an invaluable leader at this institution for the last 34 years, and since February 2025, he has served as Interim Dean of the College of Dental Medicine. We are very grateful that he will take on the role of Dean in a permanent capacity. 

A renowned clinician, researcher, and administrator, Dr. Mitchell joined the Columbia faculty in 1991 and has since devoted much of his career to strengthening both the faculty and student experience and fostering an inclusive campus climate. Dennis is Professor of Dental Medicine (Community Health and Periodontics) at CUIMC and recently served as Senior Advisor for Inclusion and Belonging. His impact can be felt across the University through the numerous administrative roles that he has held, including as Executive Vice President for University Life, Interim Provost, and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.

As one of the nation’s leading dental administrators, Dennis has long been dedicated to training and shaping future generations of leaders and professionals in the field. His academic work has focused on the oral manifestations of HIV, the treatment of periodontal disease and the risk of preterm birth, and the oral health needs of underserved populations. He co-created and served as Director of the Community DentCare Network for Columbia for a decade. He also previously served as Director of Research and Community Dentistry at Harlem Hospital.
 
After joining Columbia’s Office of the Provost in 2014, Dr. Mitchell was responsible for overseeing the University’s ongoing commitment to recruit and retain faculty with diverse experiences and backgrounds. This work included the creation and enhancement of faculty development and support resources and programs to develop pathways to the professoriate. 

Dennis has been widely recognized for his contributions to the fields of dental medicine and public health. He is the 2025 recipient of the ADEA Gies Award for Eminence in Achievement. He is a fellow in the American College of Dentists and received the American Dental Education Association Distinguished Service Award in 2022. In 2021, he was named a fellow in the Academy of Community and Public Health Service at CUIMC. Dr. Mitchell earned his DDS from the Howard University College of Dentistry and completed his general dentistry residency training at Harlem Hospital. He obtained his MPH degree in executive health services management at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. 

We can think of no one more qualified to serve as the next Dean of the College of Dental Medicine. Please join us in thanking Lorraine Frazier, Dean of the School of Nursing and the Mary O’Neil Mundinger Professor of Nursing, and the search committee for their thoughtful work and in congratulating Dennis on his much-deserved new role.

Regards,

Claire Shipman
Acting President, Columbia University in the City of New York

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Columbia University