Caswell A. Evans Jr., DDS, MPH
Dr. Evans has been at the center of oral health discussions at the national level for the past decade.
Dr. Evans has been at the center of oral health discussions at the national level for the past decade, first as Director of the National Oral Health Initiative within the office of the U.S. Surgeon General where he was Executive Editor and Project Director for Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, released in May 2000 and the subsequent National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, released in April 2003. Today, as Associate Dean of Prevention and Public Health Science at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, and an advisor to the National Interprofessional Oral Health Initiative, Dr. Evans is making sure the next generation of dentists makes oral health part of overall health. A hands-on change agent, Dr. Evans believes education is a key requirement for change. He is currently involved in the modification of curriculum for the University of Chicago’s College of Dentistry, requiring students participate in multiple four-week practicum in local communities and in global underserved areas. He was recognized with the Gies Award for Achievement as a Dental Educator by the Gies Foundation of the American Dental Education Association. Prior work as Director of Public Health Programs and Services in Los Angeles and as Director of the County Division of the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health in Washington State give Dr. Evans local and state-level perspectives. He recently joined the Illinois State Board of Health as well as the Chicago Board of Health. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Ortho S.A. Sprague Institute, a Chicago-based, health-only philanthropy that supports the beginning stages of health-related projects (asthma, childhood obesity, and oral health initiatives). Dr. Evans is a past president of the American Public Health Association, founder of the Association’s Faith Community Caucus, and served on the board of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. He is a founding board member and officer of the U. S. National Oral Health Alliance, a diplomat and past President of the American Board of Dental Public Health and a past President of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. Dr. Evans joined the DentaQuest Foundation Board in 2009, became Vice Chair in 2011, and Chairman of the Board in 2012.