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Salk_Hall_Annex

Salk Hall houses the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. (Piotrus | CC BY-SA 3.0)

A Penn alum has recently been named dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. 

Bernard J. Costello, a graduate of the School of Dental Medicine and the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, was named dean on March 23. He previously served as an interim dean since this February, and will officially begin his term on April 1, according to Pittwire.

After earning his doctorate in medicine in 1997, Costello went on to complete his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at Penn. He also received training from the Health System at Penn, and conducted a Craniofacial Fellowship at the Posnick Center for Facial Surgery at the Georgetown University Medical Center. 

As reported in Pittwire, Costello has additionally garnered extensive funding, totaling around $6.6. million, for his research on bone tissue engineering.

He has been a part of the University of Pittsburgh's faculty since 2001. From March 2006 to March 2016, he served as the School’s Fellowship Program Director. He also served as an associate dean for faculty affairs and as Chief of the Division of Craniofacial and Cleft Surgery. 

“As health care educators and researchers, we are tasked with providing new ideas and solutions to complex problems,” Costello said. “I have seen the School of Dental Medicine grow and evolve over the years, and I am excited for the opportunity to lead our students and faculty into a future that is focused on advancing oral health care through interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration.”