UIC College of Dentistry’s Dr. Caswell Evans Awarded Honorary Degree

CHICAGO - July 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Franklin & Marshall College of Lancaster, PA, awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree on May 10 to Dr. Caswell Evans, Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

Dr. Evans earned his BA in English from Franklin & Marshall in 1965.

Dr. Daniel R. Porterfield, President of Franklin & Marshall, told Dr. Evans that the institution wanted “to honor you for your work as a strong and effective advocate for health promotion and disease prevention and your deep commitment to health equity and eliminating health disparities.”

Prior to joining the College faculty in 2004, Dr. Evans served as Executive Editor and Project Director of the U.S. Surgeon General’s landmark 2000 report on the state of the nation’s oral health, Oral Health in America. Through that report, Dr. Evans popularized the term “silent epidemic” to describe the lack of oral healthcare for minorities and the poor.

At the College, the Division of Prevention and Public Health Sciences is under his jurisdiction. The division plans and executes the College’s community-based clinical and non-clinical extramural experiences and public health coursework. In the community-based Extramural Education Program, fourth-year students participate in service-learning experiences in community-based clinics, providing care for underserved urban, rural, and special needs populations.

“To be honored in this way based on my work in, and contribution to, improving population health was a thrill and quite special,” Dr. Evans said. “In his presentation comments, President Porterfield spoke at length about the significance of oral health to overall health and welfare. He spoke about efforts to prevent disease being the highest call for all health care professionals. The recognition from my college alma mater is something I will always cherish.”