News Release
Mert Aksu named School of Dentistry Dean
Mert N. Aksu was named Dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. At the UDM School and Dental Clinic, he served as a faculty member and administrator since 1993.
Aksu earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Psychology from the University of Michigan Dearborn, a Masters in Health Services Administration, a D.D.S. from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and a J.D. from Wayne State University. Aksu is a former attending staff of Henry Ford Health Systems, a member of the State Bar of Michigan, and is a Fellow with the American College of Legal Medicine.
The new dean has held numerous administrative positions at the school, including associate dean for clinic administration and most recently executive associate dean.
Through his strong leadership, he began a number of activities to further the mission of UDM and the school. He was the founding chairperson of the Department of Patient Management, enhanced community outreach opportunities, and fostered an environment of patient care, based on a comprehensive care model.
Through strong collaboration with faculty and staff, the School strengthened the delivery of oral health care and implemented a state-of-the-art electronic patient record system. Aksu was responsible for creating the vision for what is today the new location of the School at the Corktown Campus on Martin Luther King Drive.
And the future has never looked better as the new dean has helped position the dental school for strong growth in educating additional dental professionals and providing care for more patients who are underserved.
The University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan’s largest private Catholic University, with approximately 100 academic majors and programs. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Regional Community of Detroit, the University has campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit. UDM is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest of 18 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States.
For the seventh consecutive year, University of Detroit Mercy is listed in the top tier of Midwestern Master's Universities in the 2008 edition of U.S.News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges.”
Release date: September 12, 2008
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