Eric Kang Ting first began his career in dental medicine education after graduating from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He accepted a teaching position with UCLA in 1994, and that’s when his passion for education and leadership took off. He started to embrace those roles and has continued to do so by holding various leadership positions.
Eric Kang Ting has held several chair positions, such as the UCLA Chair of the Section of Orthodontics in 2003 and the Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair the following year. In 2011, he became the Chair of the Division of Associated Clinical Specialties. This position was also at UCLA and included such areas as endodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, and orthodontics.
Within the School of Dentistry, this was the most extensive division, and it included a large number of staff for support. Some 25-plus full-time faculty positions, 40 staff positions, and positions for 60 residents were a part of this division. Ting, along with his team, was able to counter annual budget deficits with innovative changes that lead to positive revenue growth.
While he was still at UCLA in 2014, Eric Kang Ting experienced an increase in his responsibilities within the School of Dentistry. He became the instituting Chair of the Division of Growth and Development. He was able to build strong relationships and important teams to ensure the restructuring that was necessary within the School of Dentistry was smooth and successful.
With over 10 years of experience as clinical division chair and more than 16 years of experience as an orthodontics section chair, Ting has intimate knowledge of a variety of roles and responsibilities. He has seen his divisions through three separate accreditation processes with the CODA, or the USA Commission on Dental Accreditation. Because he was able to successfully navigate these vital changes and challenges, he was an essential asset to these different experiences.
Eric Kang Ting has ongoing support from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for his work as a clinical scientist and has been published in more than 150 peer-reviewed journals. With his extensive experience and research, he promoted a program that encouraged research to span multidisciplinary boundaries, including the School of Medicine and Bioengineering in the School of Engineering. His extensive leadership roles in research projects that involved collaboration have allowed him to further develop his ability to bring groups and their goals together, proving not only his ability in academic leadership but also his entrepreneurial capabilities as well.
Continuing to Innovate and Inspire
Ting’s commitment to innovation is apparent throughout his many positions within industry leadership roles. He has had the opportunity to found three biotech companies through collaborations with cohorts and other industry leaders. These challenges have allowed Eric Kang Ting to step outside of his comfort zone and further develop his own knowledge and abilities. He was able to convert his research and scientific breakthroughs through academia into applied technology and navigate the world of the FDA and the rules of medical device regulations.
Ting believes deeply in mentoring opportunities and has mentored many postdoctoral residents in the UCLA orthodontics training program. In addition to these mentees, he’s had the opportunity to also successfully mentor over 39 Master of Science students, 7 students in Ph.D. programs, as well as postdoctoral fellows. His mentees have gone on to accomplish great things including associate professorships with John Hopkins and UCLA, assistant professorships with U of Michigan and U Penn, awards in Excellence and Research in 2010, a Young Investigator Award in 2011, a First Place Outstanding Medical Student Award in 2014, and many more.
Advocate for Social Responsibility
Ting also believes intensely in social responsibility and leadership within the global community. As a founder of the International Orthodontics Foundation, he worked to make the goal of providing educational and outreach programs for the global community a reality in 2022. This organization will work to bestow grants and scholarships in the amount of over $600,000 each year to those throughout the global community.
He also works in both public service and community outreach with programs such as the UCLA Mend and mentoring with an NIH-sponsored training program. Eric Kang Ting has a no-tolerance policy for unfair treatment and discrimination, harboring a community focused on inclusivity, diversity, and safety for all those involved. Ting’s prevalence in the dental and education community has made a huge difference for both, and his tenure in these communities is far from over.
– Photo provided by BWJones
