Dr. Dina Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Assistant Professor at King Abdulaziz University in the Faculty of Dentistry in the Periodontal Department and Private Practitioner of Dentalia Clinics in Jeddah, one of the leading dental care clinics in Saudi Arabia, has been elected as a charter Trustee for the board of Tufts University and a member of the advisory committee in American Academy of Periodontology. The only and first Saudi to be elected on the board of Tufts University as charter trustee, Dr. Al Tayeb will serve a five year term within the Academic Affairs Committee. The Academic Affairs Committee of the Tufts University Board considers and advises the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee on current and future matters concerning curriculum, programs, student affairs, certain faculty, emeritus, and other academic appointments, and relations with other academic institutions. Tufts University is an educational community that has as its paramount mission the discovery and dissemination of knowledge and the pursuit of the arts through study, teaching, and research. Tufts is a leader in American higher education, distinctive for its success as a moderately sized university that excels at research and providing students with a personal experience. Within its unique combination of research and liberal arts the university attracts students, faculty and staff who thrive in an environment of curiosity, creativity and engagement. Dr. Dina Al-Tayeb currently serves on the Tufts Dental Board of Advisors and the Dental Campaign Committee. She is active in the Tufts Dental Alumni Association. She was a guest lecturer in the Tufts Faculty of Dentistry and a visiting Instructor in the Tufts Periodontal Department. "It's a true pleasure and honor to be selected to serve on such distinguished boards such as Tufts University and the American Academy of Periodontology," stated Dr. Dina Al-Tayeb. "Such appointments are a commitment to serving and helping develop specific areas of concentration within the dental field and brings together global expertise opening avenues of cooperation and support. And to be the first Saudi invited on the board alongside only two other international selections showcases the level of development we are witnessing on a local and global manner especially in the world of medicine." In September 2016 Dr. Al-Tayeb was also invited to serve on the academic committee of the American Academy of Periodontology the only person to be selected from outside the United States of America to be on the prestigious board that is committed to the dental specialty and public. The American Academy of Periodontology's vision is to be the voice for periodontists as the collaborative partner to achieve optimal oral health. With over 10,000 members globally the academy supports its members by providing resources to enhance successful practice and deliver of effective patient care. The Academy champions innovative and ethical research to advance the science behind periodontal disease diagnosis and treatment including regeneration and the placement of dental implants. As Academy Leaders within the Academic committee the members will strive to manage the affairs of the Academy in compliance with the core values that include: advocacy for the specialty within organized dentistry, dental education, and non-dental legislative bodies, educating the public to increase awareness of periodontal disease and the special skills of the periodontist in the treatment of periodontal disease and placement of dental implants. The AAP pledges commitment to collaborative positive relationships with general dentists, other dental specialists, registered dental hygienists, and allied healthcare professionals. Dr. Dina received a Masters of Science from Tufts University in 2004, and Advanced Dental Certificate in Periodontology from Tufts University in 2002; she received her DDS Bachelor Degree in Dental Medicine and Surgery from King Abdulaziz University in 1994.
