Announcing the Interim Provost
Dear UMB Colleagues,
Last week, I wrote with the news that Provost and Executive Vice President Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, will join the University System of Maryland as interim chief administrative and strategy officer and that I would soon announce the interim provost.
Today, I am pleased to announce that Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), will fill the role of interim provost and executive vice president, effective Aug. 1, 2026.
Dr. Reynolds, who has spent his entire academic career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), received his Doctor of Dental Surgery and specialty certificate in periodontics from our School of Dentistry and his PhD in oral and experimental pathology from our School of Graduate Studies after earning both his bachelor's degree in psychology and his master's degree in community-clinical psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He was appointed dean of UMSOD in June 2014.
Dr. Reynolds is well respected across campus and among his fellow deans. He has a reputation for being a statesman who is highly collaborative and a true supporter of UMB’s mission and values. He cares deeply about research, clinical care, and the education mission.
With Dr. Ward, Dr. Reynolds co-chaired UMB’s 2025 Middle States Self-Study, which led to a successful reaccreditation, and he recently led the dental school through a successful reaccreditation as well.
As an academic dentist (periodontist), Dr. Reynolds has published some 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, with over 18,000 citations, supported by a 20-plus-year record of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. His research has focused primarily on periodontal tissue regeneration and the effect of chronic periodontitis on systemic health.
Dr. Reynolds’ leadership has extended regionally and nationally through service on NIH study sections (standing member); editorial boards; committees, including the Food and Drug Administration Medical Devices Advisory Committee and the Dental Products Panel (chair); and boards, including the American Board of Periodontology (diplomate, director, and co-chair) and the American Academy of Periodontology (trustee). These roles reflect a career-long commitment to advancing knowledge, strengthening professional standards, and elevating institutional reputation.
An announcement about the interim dean of the dental school will be forthcoming. I know you will all join me in welcoming Dr. Reynolds into this new role.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
