Chris Barwacz (’07 DDS), associate professor in the Department of Family Dentistry, was named the Department Executive Officer of Family Dentistry in June 2021.
Barwacz earned a B.S. in biology at the University of Iowa (2003), a D.D.S. at Iowa (2007), and completed Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry (2008). After completing his advanced education, Barwacz came back to Iowa as a fellow in Oral Implantology and Clinic Research. He became a visiting assistant professor in 2010, later became a tenure-track assistant professor in 2012, and is currently a tenured associate professor in the Department of Family Dentistry.
Barwacz is a leader in personalizing and optimizing implantology—whether it’s exploring the impact of implant length or various biomaterials on patient outcomes or using digital dentistry to improve implant therapies, and he is also a highly-accomplished clinician-scholar. In addition to his numerous publications, Barwacz has also successfully secured numerous industry grants and has become a resource for other faculty members looking to secure such grants.
Barwacz is also a highly regarded teacher and mentor. He was the recipient of the 2019 James H. McLeran Faculty Award for his commitment to teaching and patient-centered care, and he has served on numerous thesis committees and mentored numerous dental students as part of the Student Research Program. For his mentoring work as part of the Student Research Program, Barwacz was named the 2015 Mentor of the Year.
David Holmes (’78 DDS, ’91 MS, ’92 PERIS), professor and the outgoing DEO of the Department of Family Dentistry, said, “Dr. Chris Barwacz certainly possesses the talent and vision to lead the department in a progressive direction. He has proven his commitment to the mission of our College and his extraordinary skills as a teacher and as a health care provider.”
He looks forward to building and expanding upon the excellent foundation of Family Dentistry, and increasing educational opportunities for interdisciplinary care to help shape the next generation of Iowa’s general dentists and beyond.