Professor, School of Dentistry
2020
Bio:
Dr. Richard Kulbersh joined University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, in 1975 as an Assistant Professor. Success in teaching, research, and professional involvement earned him the rank of Associate Professor in 1982, followed by earning the rank of Professor in 1986. Professor Kulbersh served as Acting Chairperson of the Department of Orthodontics in 1985 then as Chairman and Program Director from 1986 until retirement. Before joining the University, he served for two years in the Air Force, Captain, Dental Corps, General Dentistry and two years of general dentistry in Medford Massachusetts.
In the nomination support letter, Dr. Mert Aksu, Dean, School of Dentisty wrote “With regard to teaching, he always participated fully in the didactic and clinical teaching of dental residents and dental students. He was defensive of his specialty and protected the identity of orthodontics as a specialty. Educationally, he was a purist. He believed in evidence based practice, and his teaching and practice philosophies evolved throughout the years.”
Dean Aksu noted further “Orthodontics education at the University of Detroit Mercy distinguished itself mostly on the single efforts and unwavering commitment of Dr. Richard Kulbersh. He defined the program and he was proud of the role orthodontics played in the overall mission of the School of Dentistry.”
For dental undergraduate teaching responsibilities Professor Kulbersh taught Craniofacial Growth and Development, Orthodontics, Limited Tooth Movement Clinic, and Preclinical Orthodontics. For graduate Orthodontic residents he taught Craniofacial Growth and Development, Orthodontic Techniques, Roth Clinic, Advanced Orthodontic Clinic, Occlusion Seminar and Clinic, and Orthodontic/Periodontic Clinic. In support of the orthodontics program, Professor Kulbersh actively participated in supervision of master’s project thesis. One hundred twenty-five dentist who earned their orthodontics degree appreciated his guidance and support in the creation, research, and final thesis approval.
Outside of teaching within the orthodontic program, Professor Kulbersh provided what his vitae titles “Extramural Presentations.” These include Molar Uprighting for the Restorative Department; Overview of Orthodontic Treatment Considerations and Evaluation of the Mixed Dentition Patient for the university’s Special Lecture Series; and A New Tool for the Evaluation of TMJ Dysfunction, TMJ Considerations for the General Practitioner, and Tooth size issues in dentistry for the Anatomy Department.
Over his academic career, there were thirty-three opportunities where Professor Kulbersh contributed to the improvement of productivity within the Orthodontics Department. He restructured the Orthodontics Laboratory Course, restructured Hygiene Ortho course, restructured Dental Growth and Development Course, restructured TMJ Course and Clinic, establish Orthodontic Department TMJ Tomographic Center, improved Roth Clinic, initiated Orthodontic Departmental research Project for Oral Health Assessment of the Orthodontic Patient, restructured and upgraded technological capability of department, expanded research scope of department, developed first-of-its-kind program offering free orthodontic care to the underserved, initiated digital format for all postgraduate orthodontic records, and even more.
A responsibility of a faculty member is participation in School committees. To fulfill this responsibility Professor Kulbersh served on the Orthodontics Admission and Curriculum Committees, Faculty Development, Postgraduate Orthodontics Research, Admissions, and Curriculum Committees, Pre-doctoral Admissions, Strategic Financial Planning, and Graduate Education Committees. He served as an advisor to the ASDA Table Clinics, Student Advisor, Academic Performance and Formulary Committees.
Throughout his long and distinguished career, Professor Kulbersh “has proven himself as a leader in his field, exemplified a steadfast commitment to the University mission, and he has earned the highest respect amongst his colleagues not only at Detroit Mercy, but also throughout the national and international orthodontic community.”
As a member of the academy, Professor Kulbersh was a member of fifteen dental and orthodontist professional organizations. Positions held within these organization are numerous. Examples are Detroit Dental Clinic Club Treasurer, Vice President and Program Chairman, President-elect, and President; American Association of Orthodontists, Co-chairman Auxiliary Programs, Annual Conference and Co-Chairperson, Research Presentation Section; Board member, Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Michigan Association of Orthodontists; Council of Scientific Affairs, American Association of Orthodontists board member; and Omicront Kappa Upsilon , Nu Nu Chapter Vice President and President.
Community service is one aspect of fulfilling the university’s mission, including the values of the sponsoring religious communities of the Society of Jesus and the Sister of Mercy. Again, Professor Kulbersh’s vitae lists a number of community activities. Highlights of these are: Alumni representative, Alpha Omega Fraternity Big Brother Program, Annual Fund Drive for Tufts School of Dental Medicine, State of Michigan Specialty Examination Development Committee, Conant School Annual Fair, provider of Michigan donated dental services, Give a Kid a Smile Day, and organized an orthodontic donation program for Detroit underserved communities. Additionally, Professor Kulbersh organized the first ever dentistry program for free orthodontic care in Michigan, 60 free cases were covered in the initial program.
Community service also includes speaking engagements as a representative of the School of Dentistry as well as the University. Professor Kulbersh shared his knowledge on the local, national, and international level. Local presentation topics varied covering classification of malocclusion, space regaining, cleft lip and palate, maxillary skeletal and dental changes, radiographic considerations, orthodontic career opportunities, TMJ and occlusion, dental tomography, interrelationship between occlusion and TMJ, and Cone Beam technology. National and international presentations covered topic such as skeletal changes in Ferankel treated patients, radiographic considerations for Orthodontic Assistant, BANA test assessment, MI-CR discrepancy, gnathological considerations, effect of double transpalatal arch during extraction treatment, ultrasound of the TMJ, accuracy of the condylar position indicator, reproducibility of the lower centric bite, measurement of a functional occlusion, and many more. Professor Kulbersh’s willingness to share his knowledge of orthodontics is further demonstrated by the more than one hundred Table Clinic presentations he did primarily at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists.
He served as a consultant for the Department of Social Services, Wayne County Michigan, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning of Orthodontic Patients; was an Orthodontic consultant and examiner for the Council on Dental Accreditation (CODA); and was an Examiner, American Board of Orthodontics (ABO).
Recognized for his contributions, Professor Kulbersh was honored as Diplomate American Board of Orthodontics, elected to OKU membership, Fellow of the American College of Dentists, Pierre Fauchard Academy, Midwest Angle Society, and as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He received the Dale B. Wade Award by the American Board of Orthodontics, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Alumnus of the Year award, University of Detroit Mercy Faculty Excellence Award, and received the O.B. Vaughn Special Recognition Award by the American Board of Orthodontics.
Continuing development and education is important for a dental practitioner. During his tenure in dentistry, Professor Kulbersh completed part II of The American Board of Orthodontics, Part III of the ABO and elected Diplomate American Board of Orthodontics, and American Board of Orthodontics re-certification. He attended Michigan Association of Orthodontists, American Association of Orthodontists, Great Lakes Association of Orthodontist annual conferences and educational opportunities forty-four times over the years. His vitae further notes his attendance at seventy-eight education programs at academic institutions of higher education which have schools of dentistry.
When a faculty member is knowledgeable about his field of choice it is important that his continued research and contributions to the betterment of that field be shared with others through publications. Professor Kulbersh is the author of numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters. It may mean that only another dentist will understand the content of these writing as they include articles such as “A Simple and Accurate Craniofacial Midsagittal Plan Definition,” “CBCT Assessment of Alveolar Buccal Bone Level after RME,” “Effect of Gnathologic Positioner Wear on Maximum Intercuspation CR Disharmony,” “Periodontal Pathogen Levels in an Adolescent Population Before, During and After Fixed Orthodontic Appliance Therapy,” and “Reproducibility of the Roth Power Centric in Determining Centric Relation.” Some book chapter titles include “Force Systems and Tissue Response,” Orthodontic Treatment,” Mesiodistal Root Angulation shown on Conventional and Reconstructed Panoramic Radiographs,” “Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Assessment of Condylar Position with Centric Relations Wax Bite,” and “An Evaluation of Condylar Position in Patients with Temporomandibular Dysfunction Using Cone-Bam Computed Tomography (CBCT).”
In preparation for entering the field of dentistry, Professor Kulbersh earned a Bachelor of Science from Tufts University (1965), a D.M.D from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (1969), and a M.S. specialization in Orthodontics from University of Detroit Dental School (1975). He holds state licensure in Massachusetts and Michigan with an Orthodontics Specialty Licensure in Michigan.
Professor Kulbersh’s nomination for Professor Emeritus was approved and conferred by Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi, President of University of Detroit Mercy on August 17, 2020.