Dr. John Valenza

Biography

John Valenza, DDS, is a distinguished teaching professor and the Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin before enrolling at the UTHealth School of Dentistry, where he completed his DDS in 1981. Valenza completed a general practice residency at the University of Tennessee Memorial Hospital and practiced full-time in Nashville, TN, before returning to UTSD as a full-time faculty member in 1987. He initiated the award-winning General Practice Residency program at Memorial Hermann Hospital and served as its director. Over the years, he has held various administrative roles, including associate dean for patient care, and has significantly contributed to innovations in patient services and technology at the university. His teaching and research focus on dental informatics and clinical simulation, and he has authored numerous publications in these areas. Valenza is recognized as a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and a member of several professional associations, including the American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. He was inducted into the University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine Academy of Health Science Education in 2007 and was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the UTSD Alumni Association in 2012.

Research Interests