Dr. Denise Terese-Koch, founding dean and chief academic officer of Lincoln Memorial University-College of Dental Medicine (LMU-CDM), was named Industry Icon in the 11th Annual Lucy Hobbs Awards featured in the 2024 winter edition of "Incisal Edge", a publication by Benco Dental.
Benco Dental inaugurated the Lucy Hobbs Awards in 2013 to celebrate women’s contribution in the name of the first American woman to earn a dental degree in 1866. Annually, Benco recognizes women in dentistry for excellence in six categories, Innovator, Industry Icon, Clinical Expert, Mentor, Women to Watch, Humanitarian, and Trailblazer. Benco Dental explains the Industry Icon award as a trailblazer who is consistently recognized and admired for her work in the dental industry.
Terese-Koch led LMU-CDM to receive initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in September of 2022 for both the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) program as well as the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program. Both programs are located at the LMU-Tower in Knoxville.
In addition to building the program from its foundation, Terese-Koch has championed community outreach and service throughout the process. From volunteering at scores of free dental clinics to finding state funding for further dental outreach, she has made service a cornerstone for the faculty, staff and students of the LMU-CDM.
Terese-Koch became the Dean of LMU-CDM in August 2020. Prior to her position as Dean at the LMU-CDM, she was the Chair of Dental Education at South College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she developed and implemented three dental programs. As a comprehensive general dentist since 1992, she has a vast knowledge of general dentistry, dental education, program development, and implementation.
Terese-Koch holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from Loyola University of Chicago School of Dentistry and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. She completed a general practice residency at Loyola Medical Center and earned a certificate in hospital dentistry in 1993. Terese-Koch spent the next 21 years in private practice in the western suburbs of Chicago. She entered academia in 2014, as an assistant professor in the department of general dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Dentistry and was the director of faculty practice. She was hired to develop and direct the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program (AEGD) at Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center before joining South College in 2017. At South College she developed a dental assisting program, an Associate and Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene program and directed the AEGD. She also served as professor and chair of the Department of Dental Education.
Terese-Koch received a Master of Business Administration from Belhaven University in 2018. In 2021, Terese-Koch earned her EdD from Liberty University. She serves as a Site Visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation and is a licensure examiner for the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. Lincoln Memorial University-College of Dental Medicine (LMU-CDM) is home to the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) and Dental Hygiene (DH) programs. It is located in Knoxville at the newly renovated LMU Tower. For more information about LMU-CDM programs contact CollegeofDentalMedicine@LMUnet.edu.
