In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library was pleased to provide a weekly profile of female Deans via Instagram. Please take some time to read about the exceptional women of WesternU and how they have contributed to this year’s theme of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
Contribution to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) involves actively fostering environments where people of diverse backgrounds feel valued, respected, and included. It is important to listen and amplify voices to understand experiences and perspectives of marginalized groups. This involves creating platforms for these voices to be heard and taking action based on their feedback.
Meet Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Andrews, Dean of The College of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Andrews has set the bar several times—being a woman of “firsts” in the dental world. When she joined CDM in its infancy in 2008, she helped establish the college and empowered women in dentistry to become leaders of their field and local community.
Dr. Andrews has been teaching Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology in her faculty role since 2009. Her research interests include HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the impact of Interprofessional Collaborative Care.
Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Andrews is a native of Southern California. She obtained her BA in Biology from California State University, Northridge, followed by her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. She owned and operated a general dentistry private practice for 10 years in Merced, California and completed her specialty training and Master’s degree in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill. During her time in private practice, Dr. Andrews was the first female dentist in Merced, leading the county of Merced as the health department liaison helping to improve oral health for the community. She also served as the first female President of the Yosemite Dental Society and subsequently was appointed as a Trustee to the California Dental Association.
In 2008 Dr. Andrews joined Western University of Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine (CDM) during its infancy as a new dental school. She served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and was integral in developing the Office of Academic Affairs, managing staff and faculty while providing oversight of the burgeoning curriculum to ensure student and programmatic success. Early on, Dr. Andrews helped establish the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) chapter at CDM, fostering service activities aimed at helping women in need. The AAWD chapter established a girl scout troop in Pomona and provided over $40K of dental care to women from the Crossroads Program.
Nationally, Dr. Andrews served as the Chair for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Women in Leadership Section and was instrumental in establishing a leadership development program at no cost to all ADEA members. Dr. Andrews has been teaching Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology in her faculty role since 2009 and her research interests include HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the impact of Interprofessional Collaborative Care. After serving 11 years as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for CDM, Dr. Andrews was appointed to serve as its Dean, again setting the bar as the first female Dean of a California dental school.