Chair, Department of General Dental Sciences

We are pleased to announce the completion of our search for the Chair of the Department of General Dental Sciences at Marquette University, School of Dentistry. From a strong pool of candidates, Dr. Rhoda Sword has been named to fill this important position. She will assume her new role as Chair in August of 2026.

Dr. Sword joins Marquette University from the Dental College of Georgia (DCG) at Augusta University, where she was most recently a professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences, with experience in course director roles, student success, service and student research. During her nearly 20 years as a full-time faculty member — all at DCG at Augusta — she served as DCG Skills Development Coordinator, Sophomore Clinic Coordinator, and course director for Introduction to Clinical Dentistry and other courses. Among her many accolades, she was a recipient of DCG’s 2023 Dental College of Georgia Teaching Excellence Award and 2022 Augusta University Mental Health Services Award. She was also recently inducted into OKU (Omicron Kappa Upsilon) as a faculty member. Dr. Sword’s extensive teaching background, demonstrated leadership experience, and understanding of Marquette’s mission-driven approach to student outcomes and patient care will play a pivotal role in the future of the GDS department.

Dr. Sword earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Medical College of Georgia, a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Augusta University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baylor University.

Jay Torio and Julie Filizetti led this search with Katheryne Martinez and Maria Peña.