Mark Wagner, DMD
Honorary Doctor of Public Service
Mark L. Wagner, DMD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), is an esteemed educator and public service leader. His efforts have contributed significantly to the oral and overall health of special needs athletes locally and globally and expanded access to oral health for children throughout Maryland.
A graduate of Birmingham Southern College and the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Dr. Wagner completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Alabama Children’s Hospital and operated a private practice in Cincinnati for two years. He served at UMSOD for more than three decades and continues to serve as a member of the Dean’s Faculty.
Hired in 1968 as an assistant professor in the UMSOD Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Wagner established the school’s first Office of Student Affairs and served in roles including professor of pediatric dentistry; director of advanced dental education, pediatric dentistry; and associate dean for academic and student affairs.
In 1996, while a faculty member, Dr. Wagner launched the Maryland Special Olympics Special Smiles program, which offers free dental screenings and education to athletes at the event, and acted as its clinical director for five years. UMSOD students and faculty now volunteer annually to provide dental screenings and education to the athletes.
After retiring from UMSOD in 2001, Dr. Wagner served at Special Olympics, Inc., in Washington, D.C., as global director of health and research initiatives and vice president of health programs. During his seven-year tenure, the Healthy Athletes programs grew from 65 to 640 annual screening events worldwide at which more than 150,000 individual athlete health screenings were conducted by 12,000 health professional and student volunteers.
Dr. Wagner’s research interests include overseeing the first comprehensive survey of the oral health status of Maryland schoolchildren in 1995 and a follow-up study in 2000-01 that provided data critical to serving the oral health needs of young Maryland students. He also served on the Maryland Governor’s Oral Health Advisory Committee from 1998 to 2001.
Dr. Wagner is a Board of Directors member and President Emeritus of By Their Side, a Baltimore-based, family-funded nonprofit that provides lifelong advocacy for individuals with disabilities. He has served on many of the organization’s committees and received its Martin Lampe Leadership Award in February 2026.
Kudos from UMB
“Dr. Mark Wagner has devoted his career to a goal that matters deeply to each of us: ensuring access to health care. Through his work with Special Olympics and his research here in Maryland, he has consistently drawn attention to the gaps in access to oral health care, particularly for children and vulnerable populations.
“He’s also had a lasting impact as an educator. Over the course of his career, he was repeatedly recognized by students in meaningful ways including being named Honorary Senior Class President, getting selected for the Faculty Honor Roll, and receiving the Frank J. Sinnreich Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching. Those honors speak volumes about how he showed up for his students — thoughtful, committed, and fully invested in their success.
“Dr. Wagner’s career reflects a clear sense of purpose and a sustained commitment to improving lives, and we are proud to recognize him with this honor.”
— Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, Dean and Professor, UMSOD
“Dr. Wagner is the reason our pediatric dentistry residency exists. After joining the dental school in 1968, he worked to build the postgraduate program in pediatric dentistry from the ground up and served as its first program director.
“For more than five decades, Dr. Wagner has helped shape how pediatric dentists are trained at Maryland. Through ongoing involvement in our clinics and lectures on caring for children with special health care needs, that impact is still felt today, and his contributions are deeply embedded in the foundation of our department.”
— Vineet K. Dhar, BDS, MDS, PhD, FAAPD, FICD, FACD, Clinical Professor and Chairman, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, and Assistant Dean, Postgraduate and Professional Studies in Dentistry, UMSOD
“Dr. Wagner’s impact on the School of Dentistry has been profound, and he has been an extraordinary mentor to me and to generations of students, faculty, and colleagues through his lifelong commitment to service, teaching, and scholarship.
“His leadership and service did not end with retirement, as his advocacy for inclusive health has remained constant and deeply influential. From launching the first Special Smiles program in Maryland to leading global health initiatives with Special Olympics, Inc., he has transformed access to health screenings for individuals with intellectual disabilities around the world.”
— Sheryl Syme, RDH, MS, FADHA, Associate Professor, Division of Periodontics, UMSOD
Dr. Wagner Says …
What was your reaction to learning you’d receive an honorary degree from UMB?
“My first reaction was to check if the email was spam, but I have been on Cloud 9 since then and still can’t believe it has happened to me. You lead your life and do things you deem worthwhile and try to be as helpful to others as you can. I never thought that my actions warranted any special recognition. Don’t get me wrong, recognition is always gratifying and appreciated. I have had my share of kudos and acknowledgments, but nothing like this.
“I will add that without the love of my life, Marcia, I would be nowhere. Without the constant, unconditional love of my children and grandchildren, I would not have purpose. My early teachers in college and dental school inspired me. I know it is a cliché, but one never gets anywhere alone.”
What is the greatest accomplishment of your professional career?
“My greatest accomplishment was to have had the honor and pleasure of teaching and working with thousands of students in all capacities at the School of Dentistry. I was a mentor to some, advisor to others, teacher, and later respected colleague and friend. I see former students at reunions and other professional meetings and am amazed and grateful that they remember me with fondness.
“In other activities, I had two very interesting and rewarding sabbatical leaves during my tenure. My dear colleague Warren Morganstein and I were the founding clinical directors of the Jerusalem Dental Center for Children, which opened in July 1985. This clinic is thriving today and treats thousands of patients every year from all parts of Israel. My other sabbatical was as a visiting professor at the University of Dundee, Scotland. These two experiences were each, in their own way, great enhancements to my professional and teaching career.”
What motivated you to advocate for and serve special needs children?
“It began with my introduction to special needs during my residency at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., when I was assigned to be the attending dentist at the clinic for special needs children. Later, I gained knowledge of the Special Olympics since my son, Douglas, had been an athlete since he was 10 years old. So we go back some 47 years. Douglas has been my motivation and inspiration in serving special needs children and adults.
“My work with Special Smiles led to the opportunity to help lead all of the health programs for the Special Olympics. During my time there, we secured over $20 million in grants to support the Special Olympics’ international global health initiatives.”
What advice would you give to the graduates of UMB’s Class of 2026?
“Use your skill and knowledge to serve the needs of all. You can bring three things to any endeavor — talent, time, and treasure — and you ultimately will possess all three. Try to share them with those who need them when possible. There is an expression that came about centuries ago, noblesse oblige— the obligation of the nobility. You may not always think this, but you are in a noble profession, so please accept the obligations that come with this nobility.”
