Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) has been selected to host a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board selected Dr. Mauricio Escoffié Ramírez, an expert in dental public health at the Autonomous University of Yucatán in Mexico, for the Fulbright award.
The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings visiting scholars from abroad to U.S. colleges and universities, helping the institutions internationalize their curricula, campuses, and surrounding communities, and diversify the educational experiences of their students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders.
Before arriving at IUSD at Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) in August 2024, Dr. Escoffié Ramírez took a sabbatical as dental professor and associate dean for administration at the Autonomous University of Yucatán in Mexico, where he earned his DDS. He holds a master’s degree in orthodontics from the Autonomous University of Hidalgo State in Hidalgo, Mexico, and a PhD in public health from the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico. His research focuses on dental public health, community dentistry, and social determinants of health.
“Dr. Escoffié Ramírez’s perspective as an international instructor will be valuable particularly for our Dental Public Health and Global Oral Health courses,” said Dr. Angeles Martinez Mier, IUSD associate dean of Global Engagement and department chair of Dental Public Health and Dental Informatics. “We are very excited for the opportunity to integrate global oral health into the dental curriculum, which will place us at the forefront of global dental education.”
Dr. Escoffié Ramírez will teach two courses at IUSD during his residency: Dental Public Health, alongside Dr. Armando Soto, and the Global Health elective with Dr. Jeff Steele.
Outside of the classroom, he will engage with IUSD student organizations, including the Multicultural Oral Health Association and the Hispanic Student Dental Association, other higher education institutions, as well as community events, such as FIESTA Indianapolis, Indiana Black and Minority Health Fair, and Give Kids A Smile.
This is not Dr. Escoffié Ramírez’s first scholarly visit to IUSD. He has been a guest lecturer for IUSD’s graduate orthodontics and pediatrics programs and has conducted research and co-authored several papers with Drs. Martinez Mier and Soto.
"The School of Dentistry has always been a key partner in global engagement, from its international students to numerous virtual global learning courses with partners around the world, to educational experiences abroad," says Hilary E. Kahn, associate vice chancellor for International Affairs at IU Indianapolis and associate vice president for International Affairs, Indiana University. "It is fitting that in the first year as IU Indianapolis that this storied program hosts a Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence"
“I am delighted and honored to join such a globally recognized institution,” Dr. Escoffié Ramírez said. “It definitely will be a milestone in my personal growth and professional career.”