Looking toward the future of dental education, the West Virginia University School of Dentistry recently named three faculty members to new leadership positions effective at the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Lauren Godwin, DDS, has been appointed associate dean for predoctoral education, Amy Funk, MSDH, has been appointed associate dean for curriculum, assessments, and faculty development, and R. Constance Wiener, DMD, has been appointed director of research.
Dr. Godwin joined the faculty at the School of Dentistry in 2016 and serves as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and she also provides patient care in the Dental Group Practice at WVU Dental. Throughout her tenure, she has held several leadership roles, including interim associate dean for clinical affairs, chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and founding director of the dental innovation center.
In recognition of her contributions to dental education and the profession, Godwin has been honored with the Pierre Fauchard Academy Special Appreciation Award, inducted as a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. She has also been recognized for her outstanding teaching and leadership at WVU with two Faculty of the Year awards, which is selected by the graduating class, as well as the ASDA Clinical Faculty of the Year Award and the Administrator of the Year Award. An alumna of the WVU School of Dentistry, Godwin has also earned a Master of Health Care Administration from Ohio University, and she completed the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute Fellowship.
Funk has been a member of the faculty for more than 25 years. She currently serves as chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene and holds the rank of professor. She has also held the role of program director of the four-year B.S. in Dental Hygiene program for 21 years.
She is a two-time graduate of the WVU School of Dentistry, earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in dental hygiene. Throughout her career, Funk has been honored with several awards recognizing excellence in education and dedication to the profession, including the WVU School of Dentistry Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award, the WVU School of Dentistry Outstanding Teacher Award on three occasions, the Vice President’s Go First Award and the Excellence in Interprofessional Education Faculty/Staff Award recognizing WVU Health Sciences teams for their work to improve health, and induction into the Sigma Phi Alpha national dental hygiene honor society and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society.
A faculty member since 2012, Dr. Wiener is a professor and chair of the Department of Dental Public Health and Professional Practice. In addition to a dental degree, she holds a master’s degree in education and a doctorate degree in public health.
Wiener conducts population research in cariology, chronic diseases, trauma, and substance use including tobacco and e-cigarettes. Her interests include limiting health disparities and improving health outcomes, especially with vulnerable populations. She is working with Temple University and the University of Minnesota on an NIH R56 grant involving federated data sets with the future potential of oral cancer prediction models.
WVU Dental is the clinical practice component of the WVU School of Dentistry, offering comprehensive general dentistry and specialized treatment by faculty, resident, and student dentists.
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jw/7/16/26
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