21 August 2025

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Dental school names new Assistant Dean for Students

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Dr. Sunčica (Suni) Travan has been appointed Assistant Dean for Students at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Dr. Travan, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, joined the dental school faculty in 2009 after completing a postdoctoral certificate and master’s degree in periodontics at the school in 2008.

The appointment, effective Aug. 1, was announced by Dean Jacques Nör.

As Assistant Dean for Students, Dr. Travan is responsible for ensuring that students have the support necessary to maximize their educational opportunities. She directs the Office of Student Services, which coordinates, develops and assesses student support services for predoctoral dental, dental hygiene, graduate and DDS/PhD students. The office focuses on recruiting and retaining students, while fostering their educational and career development in the school’s academic programs. The Assistant Dean for Students oversees DDS admissions, financial aid, and registrar services, such as course registration and student support.

“I am truly excited and deeply honored to step into this new role, where I will have the opportunity to support our impressive and diverse student body in reaching their academic and career goals,” Travan said. “Having worked closely with students for many years in the clinical setting, I have seen firsthand their resilience, passion, and drive. Now I am eager to broaden that support to encompass the full spectrum of student needs across our entire community. I am committed to helping every student thrive, not only in their academic and clinical endeavors but in their personal and professional growth as future leaders in oral health care.”

Travan earned a DDS degree from the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine in Croatia, then came to U-M for her advanced degree in periodontics. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

She has published several scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals related to her research interests in implant dentistry and clinical periodontics. She is active in clinical research related to bone and soft tissue augmentation, as well as novel techniques in implant and periodontal therapy. She received the Nevins BioHorizons Fellowship in 2017 from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation and the Outstanding Clinical Faculty award in 2010 from the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity Chi Chapter. She is the associate program director for the International Team for Implantology (ITI) Scholarship Center at U-M and is a former president of the Russell W. Bunting Periodontal Society.

In 2021 Travan received the Faculty of the Year Award from the third-year DDS class at the school’s annual Evening of Appreciation. She received the Women of Excellence Award from the American Association for Women Dentists in 2022 for her achievements in the dental profession.

In announcing Travan’s appointment, Dean Nör also thanked faculty member Dr. Renee Duff, who previously directed the Office of Student Services before being promoted in June to Senior Associate Dean for the dental school. Duff had served in the Student Services role since 2013 when she began as Assistant Dean for Student Services, with a promotion to Associate Dean for Students in 2020. Nör noted that Duff helped to grow the school’s academic programs and developed new student support services with a strong emphasis on student wellness.

Source: https://dent.umich.edu/