Dean Harold Slavkin:
Singular Leader for a Singular School

A philosophy of doing infused every aspect of the tenure of Harold C. Slavkin, DDS , as dean of the USC School of Dentistry from 2000 to 2008.

Dr. Slavkin is a true visionary, always looking five to 10 years ahead. He brought passion, generosity, and energy to his office. His ability to embrace the future – and the ways the School of Dentistry can help shape our tomorrows – has furthered the school’s prominence on national and international stages.

Growing up in Chicago as the eldest child of Russian immigrant parents, Dr. Slavkin inherited two core beliefs that have served as lifelong guideposts: Anything is possible and You must do your share. He first contemplated becoming a fine artist, but an unexpected turning point brought a different path. At 17, he began training as a technician in the U.S. Army Dental Corps.

In 1961, he came west to attend the University of Southern California (USC), where he majored in English Literature, then enrolled in the USC School of Dentistry. Almost immediately, science captured his imagination the way art had. The first time he stepped into a laboratory, he recalls, “it was like going into a bakery knowing nothing about baking, then wanting to be a baker.”

His sheer joy in research echoed throughout his 40-year career at the School of Dentistry, and marked his time as dean. Early mentors provided other pivotal turning points, and so he learned the importance of mentoring. During his tenure, Dr. Slavkin championed
the recruitment and nurturing of talented faculty, which further enriched the school’s scholarship.

To this passionate scientist, educator, and humanitarian, oral health serves as “a canary in a coal mine” – a harbinger of how well society is meeting the needs of its citizens. “Our current century will surpass the past for remarkable advances in the human condition,” he says. “We will formulate strategies that optimize the human experience around the world.”?

The most important discoveries often occur at the intersection of different realms of knowledge. The Mark and Mary Stevens Institute
for Technology Commercialization (SITeC) serves as that critical interchange between engineering research and the commercial world. In providing this unique proving ground, SITeC further ensures the place of the USC Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering among the nation’s premier schools.