UNE announces new leadership appointments
The University of New England has announced two important leadership appointments.
James Koelbl, D.D.S., M.S., M.J., assumes the role of University of New England Provost and Senior Vice President, and Dean of the College of Dental Medicine. Ellen Beaulieu, Ed.D., M.P.H., will serve as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
Provost James Koelbl
UNE President Danielle Ripich says, "Since joining UNE in 2011, Dr. Koelbl has demonstrated his commitment to UNE and to academic excellence as he has helped build northern New England's only College of Dental Medicine, which welcomes its inaugural class of students this week. He has a distinguished record of academic and professional leadership, and I cannot think of an individual more qualified to assume this role at this historic time in the life of the University."
A Chicago native, Provost Koelbl received his D.D.S. degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1973. Following dental school, he entered private practice and served for over 20 years in urban and rural locations.
Provost Koelbl has held various positions in dental education at six dental schools, including Director of the General Practice residency program; Chairman of the Department of Operative Dentistry; Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. He served on the staff of the American Dental Association in Chicago as Associate Executive Director, Education and Group Associate Executive Director, Professional Services, with responsibility for the divisions of Education, Science and Dental Practice.
Provost Koelbl is beginning his 15th year as a dental dean, having served in the position of Dean, West Virginia University School of Dentistry; Founding Dean of the Western University Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine in Pomona, California; and now Founding Dean of the University of New England College of Dental Medicine.
He received a Master of Science in Oral Biology in 1986 from Loyola University Graduate School, with a concentration in dental materials. In 1992, he earned a Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University School of Law. He is a fellow of the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists, and a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society. Provost Koelbl has served in numerous roles in organized dentistry, including as a member of the Committee on Specialty Recognition of the American Dental Association; and President-Elect of the West Virginia Dental Association.
Provost Koelbl has served for eight years as a consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation, chairing comprehensive dental school accreditation site visits throughout the country. In 2005, he was appointed to a four-year term as a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation; served as Vice-Chair in 2007-08; and as Chair in 2008-09. He also chaired the CODA Task Force charged with reviewing and implementing recommendations made by the 2008 American Dental Association House of Delegates; and also served as a member of the ADA-CODA Joint Committee on International Accreditation.
In 2005, Provost Koelbl was appointed as a founding member of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)/American Association of Dental Research (AADR) National Oral Health Advocacy Committee (NOHAC). In 2007, he was elected to a two-year term as Chair of NOHAC, which has since been reorganized back into the American Dental Education Association Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC). He continued to serve as the Chairman of LAC until 2010. In that role, Dr. Koelbl helped develop the ADEA Principles of Health Care Reform, a document that was approved by the ADEA House of Delegates, and which continues to guide ADEA’s legislative efforts in the area of health care legislation.
In 2010, Dr. Koelbl was asked to serve as Chairman of the American Dental Education Association Task Force to develop Guiding Principles for the Education of New Oral Health Professionals.
Dr. Ellen Beaulieu
Dr. Beaulieu brings outstanding academic and administrative experience to her role as UNE's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
Dr. Beaulieu has led university-level strategic planning, implementation mapping, and the processes for enhancing institutional effectiveness, as the Associate Provost for Planning and as the Interim Dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions.
Dr. Beaulieu has held progressively responsible positions beginning as a dental hygiene assistant professor at Westbrook College and advancing to become a program director and professor in 2001. Her scholarly pursuits are focused on the public health system and the opportunity its evolution presents for improvement in oral health for children and the reduction of disparities in oral health access and outcomes.
President Ripich says, "Innovations in teaching and learning are of particular importance to Dr. Beaulieu. She served on the planning committee for the development of the Master of Public Health program and championed the development of the new College of Dental Medicine. She holds and values a global perspective on higher education and served as part of an international team of advisors to establish the first dental hygiene program in China."
While serving as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mount Ida College, Dr. Beaulieu established a Center for Global Connections to enhance the student experience. As an adult learner, she completed her doctoral studies in Higher Education Administration in 2001 at Nova Southeastern University where she received the prestigious Community of Scholars Award for her essay entitled "The learning culture of the next century: Making connections."