In presenting the ADEA 2021 Annual Report, I want to start with a note of thanks to our members. It would be easy to feel a bit overwhelmed these days, but your unwavering commitment to dental education lifted us up and reminded us daily of our mission: “To lead and support the health professions community in preparing future-ready oral health professionals.”
I am proud to say that our work throughout 2021 advanced that mission.
Whether it was organizing and hosting dozens of virtual events so the best minds in our field could connect and collaborate, fighting for additional federal resources for our Member Institutions, showcasing innovations in the field for others to learn from, curating crucial data sets and metrics for dental education or launching a landmark climate study that will shed new light on diversity, equity and inclusion on campuses, we fully embraced—and built on—ADEA’s nearly 100 years history of service.
Internally, we kicked off several major projects we believe will allow us to serve you even better. In 2021, for example, we began an ambitious and comprehensive overhaul of the ADEA website and are looking forward to unveiling a fresh new design that offers a more seamless user experience.
Additionally, we invested in new technology to better support ADEA’s four Centralized Application Services. We are doing all we can to ensure a robust supply of dental school applicants.
We saw a lot of changes in 2021, but one constant remains: dental education is a noble calling. And the role of oral health in overall well-being and health has never been more important.
We believe the future is bright for oral health professionals, and you will see that faith reflected in the achievements outlined in this Annual Report.
You are the North Star for all that we do, and it is our pleasure to serve you.