Dr. Evelyn Chung Appointed Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Evelyn Chung, D.D.S., has been appointed associate dean of academic affairs for the UCLA School of Dentistry, beginning her appointment effective Jan. 3, 2023.
In this role, Dr. Chung will oversee the development and advancement of all curricula and courses in the School’s doctorate programs. She also holds a leadership role in the SOD’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) process, occurring every seven years with the next scheduled for 2026.
Dr. Chung is a double-UCLA alumna (B.S. ‘90, D.D.S. ’94), and has taught full-time in the School of Dentistry since 1997. Currently a clinical professor in the Section of Special Patient Care and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, she has served as director of both postgraduate and general residency programs.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Chung will serve in this critical leadership role within our school. A skilled and compassionate dental educator and practitioner with deep ties to the UCLA community, Dr. Chung will ensure that our students engage in a rigorous, leading-edge curriculum that prepares them to be leaders in this field,” said School of Dentistry Dean Dr. Paul Krebsbach.
“I would also like to thank Dr. Diana Messadi for her exceptional work as associate dean for the past seven-plus years and wish her well as she continues in her teaching, service, and research role as a professor of dentistry.”
Dr. Chung, who also completed a General Practice Residency (GPR) at the VA Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, specializes in the treatment of special needs, medically compromised, cancer, geriatric, and dental-phobic patients. She has published peer-reviewed research papers on subjects ranging from the perspectives of third-year dental students on treating special needs patients, to considerations of cardiac surgery patients in need of dental treatment, and management of patients with osteoradionecrosis and/or osteonecrosis of the jaw.
“I am excited and honored to be a part of the collaborative efforts of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Dr. Chung. “I will do my best to facilitate and support the School in providing the best dental education to our students and residents. Dr. Messadi has done an amazing job and I look forward to continuing her impact on improving the UCLA School of Dentistry educational experience.”
Underscoring Dr. Chung’s commitment to holistic care and practitioner training, she has mentored dental students involved in Ticket to She Smile, a program where faculty supervise dental students providing dental hygiene education and preventive services to the residents of the Salvation Army. She has also worked with the School’s Special Needs Committee alongside students and Dr. Eric Sung to educate patients and caregivers at local regional care facilities.