Dr. Madelyn Coar has been a valuable part of the School of Dentistry and the Department of Endodontics.
Since joining the school as an instructor in 1981, Dr. Coar served as acting chair and director of the Predoctoral Education Program in Endodontics, which included teaching in the Pre-Clinical Dentistry Lab. She held a secondary appointment with the UAB School of Medicine Minority Health and Research Center. Through her appointments, she received several research and educational grants. She also participated in the UAB Dental Group Faculty Practice.
Dr. Coar was integral to the school’s diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the years. Among them, she assisted with the development of a Cultural Awareness Course, served as School of Dentistry Diversity Officer, and chaired the school’s Diversity Committee.
In addition to her duties at UAB, Dr. Coar has been active in numerous professional organizations where she held leadership positions and served on many committees. One such prominent position, she served on the State of Alabama Council on Dental Health and Public Information in 2010. She also received many honors, including the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2006 and 2010), the UAB Faculty Senate Executive Committee Distinguished Award, the National Dental Association (NDA) Faculty Recognition Award for Service, and the University of Alabama Diversity Outreach Faculty Award.
After retiring in 2014, Dr. Coar returned as an adjunct associate professor to continue teaching. She also served on the School of Dentistry Leadership Council, the Strategic Planning Focus Group, and the Electronic Dental Records (EDR) Committee. During the past year, Dr. Coar led the Freshman Discussion Book Seminar, an integral part of orientation for first year dental students.
The School of Dentistry and the Department of Endodontics celebrate Dr. Coar’s 31 years of service. She will be greatly missed as she embarks upon her second phase of retirement beginning in 2021.
Written in collaboration with Rosie Turner and Lynne Jarreau