Ann Arbor, MI - December 5, 2008 - Dr. Lynn Johnson has been named Assistant Dean for Informatics and Innovation. The appointment was approved by U-M Regents during their November meeting.

Dr. Lynn Johnson

Since joining the School of Dentistry's faculty in the summer of 2002 as Director of Informatics and associate professor of dentistry, Johnson has spearheaded innovative uses of technology throughout the School to enhance learning.

Her leadership led to a partnership between the School and Apple, Inc. that was the first of its kind between the company and any professional school in the nation. The relationship has enabled students to create and access podcasts of classroom lectures via iTunes U from their personal computers or portable media devices to listen to the lectures anywhere and anytime. The initiative was featured in major print publications worldwide as well as television and radio. For her efforts, Johnson was among ten persons nationwide who received Apple's inaugural honor, The Award for Innovation in Science, in 2007. The award recognized distinguished individuals in academia who developed new ways to use technology that enhance education and research.

Announcing the promotion, Dean Peter Polverini said, "Dr. Johnson has distinguished herself and the School of Dentistry as a significant contributor to the field of informatics. Her leadership is recognized campus-wide and internationally." He added that as the School develops a new curriculum "the demands for innovative uses of technology will surge and her expertise will be crucial to its success."

In addition to her current information technologies and informatics responsibilities, Polverini said Johnson would coordinate all e-learning activities throughout the school. That would include assisting faculty in developing online courses and assuming new responsibilities for developing educational collaborations between the School of Dentistry and schools in Brazil, China, England, and Ghana.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation's leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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