The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry has named Diego Ardenghi, D.D.S., M.A., M.Sc., Ph.D., as the new head of its Prosthodontics Division. Ardenghi also joins UAB as an associate professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and associate program director for the Advanced Education in Prosthodontics program.
A Canadian board-certified prosthodontist with an international academic footprint, Ardenghi comes to UAB from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he served as associate professor and taught across both predoctoral and graduate prosthodontics programs. Alongside his academic responsibilities at UBC, he practiced in a fully digitalized Prosthodontics/Periodontics clinic — a background that signals UAB's intent to further integrate digital workflows into its specialty education offerings.
Ardenghi's credentials span four countries and multiple disciplines. He earned his dental degree from the Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil, a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Victoria, and both his M.Sc. and prosthodontics specialist diploma from the University of British Columbia. His Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan examined leadership and dental school admissions — an unusual combination that underscores his investment in academic governance alongside clinical training.
His leadership résumé is equally broad. Prior to UBC, Ardenghi served as Interim Associate Dean of Academics at the University of Saskatchewan, Director of the Prosthodontics Division at the University of Florida, and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is an active member of the American Dental Education Association and a graduate of the ADEA 2024–2025 Emerging Leaders Program.
Restorative Sciences chair Chin-Chuan Fu, D.D.S., M.S., cited Ardenghi's international experience and track record in program development as key factors in the appointment, adding that the division is well-positioned for continued growth under his leadership.
With an active research portfolio and a clinical focus on digital dentistry, Ardenghi's arrival at UAB represents a significant addition to one of the Southeast's leading dental schools — and a signal of the specialty's continued evolution toward digitally integrated education and patient care.