Gillings School celebrates R. Gary Rozier’s dental public health legacy

February 21, 2025

Dr. Gary Rozier

The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health remembers R. Gary Rozier, DDS, MPH, a beloved and respected national expert on oral public health, who died on January 29 at age 80. Rozier, who was professor emeritus of the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM), spent his career working to improve the oral health of low-income children in North Carolina and across the United States. 

For more than forty years, he served on the faculty of the Gillings School, teaching courses in public health dentistry and research design. He led the HPM doctoral program for several years and was an advisor to countless students. Rozier received his Master of Public Health and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

“Dr. Rozier was a member of HPM from 1976 to 2019, where he spent his career designing and evaluating strategies to reduce oral health inequities in children,” said Kristin Reiter, PhD, Humana Distinguished Professor and chair of HPM. “His work engaged physicians, dentists and community organizations such as Early Head Start in improving access to oral health preventive and treatment services for preschool-aged children. He was a remarkable teacher, mentor, researcher and colleague, and a giant in the field of dental public health.” 

Educator, mentor and friend to so many, Rozier was a role model who inspired people across the globe. He conducted dental public health research with direct applications toward improving the public’s health. He generously shared his time and research acumen. Perhaps his best-known research activities involved the development and evaluation of the “Into the Mouths of Babes (IMB)” project that engaged and taught medical providers to conduct oral health screenings for young children, apply fluoride varnish, and refer them to dentists. This innovative, interprofessional activity continues today. 

Sally Stearns, PhD, an HPM professor emerita, worked extensively with Rozier in evaluating the IMB program. “Working with Gary was truly a highlight of my own career,” Stearns said. “However, it was only when I read his seminal book, First in the Nation, that I understood the full extent of his leadership and innumerable contributions to the field of dental public health.” 

Rozier also served as editor of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, president of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) and the American Board of Dental Public Health (ABDPH).  

In 2014, the Gillings School and the UNC Adams School of Dentistry established a dental public health professorship made possible by Rozier, Chester Douglass, DMD, PhD, and Joy Douglass. The R. Gary Rozier and Chester W. Douglass Distinguished Professorship in Dental Public Health supports a jointly appointed faculty member who specializes in dental public health. Jane Weintraub, DDS, MPH, adjunct professor of health policy and management and former dean of the Adams School, received this professorship in 2019.  

“Gary Rozier was a key thought leader in Dental Public Health,” said Chester Douglass. “He was routinely asked to help make national health policy and his work shaped the national agenda. Gary’s book, First in the Nation, stands as a testament to the Gillings School’s ability to foster better public health in the United States and beyond.”  

In reflecting on Rozier’s contributions, Weintraub said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to have been one of Gary’s dental public health colleagues since 1988. I, and countless others, have benefitted greatly from his deep wisdom, insights and camaraderie. He was, indeed, a public health hero.” 

“Gary was a class act whose humility and kindness was clear in everything he did,” added Morris Weinberger, PhD, adjunct professor and former chair of the HPM department at the Gillings School. “I had the pleasure of serving as a member of several dissertation committees that Gary chaired and witnessed these qualities with his students. His research had a profound impact on the oral health of children at the State and national levels. His legacy is one that will long live on.” 

Rozier is survived by his wife Jeanette, his son Greg and daughter-in-law Heather Dunford-Rozier. An event honoring his life will be held on April 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Armfield Atrium of the Michael Hooker Research Center at the Gillings School. Please use the online RSVP link to register for the event or receive more information. 

A free “kudoboard” has been established for people to share comments, memories and photos.

If you would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider: 

• A gift to the R. Gary Rozier and Chester W. Douglass Distinguished Professorship in Dental Public Health — established by a generous gift from Chester Douglass, DMD, PhD, and Joy Douglass.
• A contribution to the American Parkinson Disease Foundation; or 
• A contribution to the AAPHD Foundation for the Dr. R. Gary Rozier Memorial Fund for Dental Public Health Education.  This fund is established in memory of Dr. R. Gary Rozier to support initiatives in Dental Public Health education, including scholarships, research and training opportunities for residents and early-career professionals. Through this fund, AAPHD aims to continue his legacy of mentorship, innovation, and dedication to community health. 

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.