Today, Dr. Vicki Rosen, professor and chair of Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Developmental Biology, announced that Dr. Sercan Akyalcin will join the School as a member of the faculty in the department of Developmental Biology and program director for Advanced Graduate Education (AGE) in Orthodontics. His appointment will begin on March 1, 2022.
“Dr. Akyalcin was chosen for this important role for his vision and enthusiasm as a leader in the field of Orthodontics,” Rosen said. “He will bring innovation to the program, mentor advanced graduate students and faculty, and establish cutting-edge translational research in orthodontic-related areas.”
Akyalcin, a native of Turkey, received his DDS and PhD degrees from Ege University School of Dentistry. Soon after completing his PhD degree, he began his teaching career in Canada. He then went on to receive his clinical training in the Orthodontic Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. In addition, he served as Bonham Magness Endowed Professor and Graduate Program Director at the same institution until 2016. Since 2016, he has been a faculty member at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, where he is currently the interim chair and graduate program director of Orthodontics.
In his career as a dental educator and orthodontist, Akyalcin has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, contributed to published books and textbooks, and serves on the editorial boards of orthodontic and dental journals. He has been recognized with several awards in the field, including recognition from the American Association of Orthodontists, and the 2019 Edward H. Angle Research Prize. He is a sought-out speaker at national and international forums and conferences for this expertise in the field.
"We are enthusiastic about Dr. Akyalcin joining us at HSDM,” Dean William Giannobile said. “His excellent national reputation and emphasis on clinical care and scholarship make him a strong addition to HSDM's Orthodontics program."
At HSDM, Akyalcin will oversee all aspects of the AGE Orthodontics program including the recruitment and admission of highly qualified applicants; academic and clinical aspects of resident’s research projects; the recruitment of part-time faculty; and program-specific curriculum and accreditation standards.
"It is a privilege to be recruited to HSDM by globally influential leaders like Dean Giannobile and Dr. Rosen at a time when many stressors are present in healthcare education. Our role as educators is to emerge as bold and forward-thinking leaders at this time of inevitable change and create the future,” Akyalcin said. “I look forward to joining Dean Giannobile's brilliant vision and connecting with the HSDM community in March."
