Dean Daniel Haas

Honouring Dean Haas’ legacy

By Rachel Boutet

The Faculty of Dentistry has been fortunate to have a leader as skilled and accomplished as Dean Daniel Haas. Dean Haas will be completing his second term as dean next June and in his honour, a fund is being established to recognize and celebrate his 10 years of exceptional leadership.

The funds raised will be used to enhance the undergraduate educational experience through infrastructure renewal. To kick off the fundraising campaign, an anonymous donor has generously donated $200,000. 

“I want to do something meaningful to commemorate the Dean’s leadership and at the same time, do something that would help ensure the future success of the Faculty,” says the anonymous donor. “I have tremendous admiration for the Dean’s leadership and wisdom. He’s led us through some very challenging times, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ve come through it stronger and more confident than before.” 

The donor adds that no matter how tough things became, Dean Haas always kept the Faculty committed to the vision of excellence in research, education and patient care.

"I want to do something meaningful to commemorate the Dean’s leadership and at the same time, do something that would help ensure the future success of the Faculty"

Dean Haas holds deep roots in the Faculty, having received a BSc (with Honours), a DDS, a BScD (Anaesthesia) and a PhD (Pharmacology) all from the University of Toronto. From 1998 to 2013, he was the director of the graduate program for the specialty of dental anesthesiology. He is the recipient of numerous major awards and currently holds the Zwingenberger Decanal Chair and has a cross-appointment with the Department of Pharmacology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Dean Haas’ greatest wish is to see the Faculty renovated to provide the modern environment our students and patients deserve and expect from a world-class institution. His belief in the power of education to transform lives is the catalyst for this fund. 

“Dean Haas has often spoken to us about the uniqueness of the DDS program because we are dental professionals engaged in the education of our future colleagues,” says the donor. “Our students are the dentists of the future and we are tasked with educating them in the science and art of dentistry. We do this in a dental hospital and research institute, largely within the building at 124 Edward St. We have great needs for state-of-the-art clinic and teaching spaces so our students can have the best educational experiences. We are grateful to the central administration at U of T for supporting our Faculty. It’s really important that we, the dental community, step up to show our support in these times that are both challenging and rewarding.” 

In 2018, thanks to the Dean’s leadership and the efforts of many at the Faculty and the wider university, and with significant government support, the Faculty opened its doors to renovated and modernized research facilities housed on the top two floors of the school. This new space has allowed for greater collaboration and discoveries to take shape and support the learning of all our students. 

The donor notes the Faculty’s new satellite clinic as an example of how the Faculty has moved forward to provide modernized spaces for teaching, learning and patient care. “This is a great time to celebrate the Dean’s achievements and also come together to make a big impact on our students.”

“My hope for this campaign is that we garner the kind of funding that is required for undergraduate teaching to flourish,” the donor says. “I hope we can mobilize ourselves to help the Faculty continually improve as we train dentists of the next century.”

If you’d like to join us in honouring Daniel Haas and his many years of distinguished service to the University by supporting this initiative, please DONATE NOW. For major donations, please contact the Director of Advancement, selina.esteves@dentistry.utoronto.ca

 

Photo: Dean Daniel Haas (Jeff Comber)