USU Professor To Retire After Four Decades of Advancing Dental Research and Patient Care
Kraig Vandewalle's distinguished career in Federal dentistry and research has shaped military dental education, leaving a lasting legacy as he prepares to retire after 41 years of service.
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Vandewalle evaluating the effect of charcoal dentifrices on the force decay of orthodontic elastomeric chains. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Kraig Vandewalle) |
February 25, 2025 by Vivian Mason
Kraig Vandewalle, a professor in the Uniformed Services University’s (USU) Postgraduate Dental College (PDC), has built a distinguished career defined by a passion for discovery, education, and service. As part of a challenging and rewarding profession, Vandewalle seeks adventure in all that dentistry has to offer.
“It’s an exciting time to be a dentist,” says Vandewalle. “There have been so many advancements in dentistry over this last decade. What I’m drawn to is discovery. When there’s a gap in knowledge, you can learn to investigate that gap through research.”
In 2014, Vandewalle retired as a colonel from the U.S. Air Force after 30 years of service. Since then, he has continued his career as a professor at the Air Force Postgraduate Dental School (AFPDS) at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland, Texas, where he also serves as the Air Force consultant in dental research and director of dental research and dental materials in the two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD-2) residency.
Born in Japan and raised in a military family, Vandewalle followed in his father’s footsteps. His father, a fighter pilot in the Korean War, instilled in him a sense of duty. After earning a chemical engineering degree from Texas A&M University, Vandewalle pursued dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center, graduating in 1984 with a DDS degree.
He joined the Air Force, drawn to its sense of camaraderie and diverse career opportunities. “I liked the Air Force—the environment and the people. It was a good fit, and before I knew it, 30 years had passed.”
Vandewalle admits that he was glad that he joined the Air Force versus private practice. “In Air Force dentistry there are so many things that you can do. You’re surrounded by specialists who’re available to answer questions at any time. You can be involved clinically, and you can be involved with education or command. There’s much more variety than private practice. It keeps your interest up and keeps it exciting.”
After completing the AEGD-1 residency at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Vandewalle spent five years at Charleston Air Force Base before serving a remote assignment in Korea. In 1999, he completed the AEGD-2 residency at JBSA-Lackland, where he discovered his passion for research.
“I knew I wanted to oversee research in this residency one day,” he recalls. That dream came true when he was selected to remain on staff as the restorative dentistry lead. Later, he became the program director of the Keesler AEGD-1 program before earning a master’s degree in dental materials at Oregon Health and Science University in 2002.
His research career accelerated when he joined the Air Force Dental Evaluation and Consultation Service at Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago. There, he and his team conducted dental product evaluations and provided guidance on equipment, materials, and infection control.
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Vandewalle lecturing at the Dental Materials Panhandle Symposium in Florida. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Kraig Vandewalle) |
Returning to JBSA-Lackland in 2006, Vandewalle assumed leadership of AEGD-2 resident research—fulfilling the aspiration he had set years earlier. Upon retiring from active duty, he continued in this role as a civilian, dedicating nearly two decades to overseeing and supporting dental research for AEGD-2 residents and other specialty program residents.
In working with them, Vandewalle has authored more than 100 published scientific articles. “I find that residents really appreciate their residency program and the research process if they publish their research.”
Vandewalle continues, “We work to keep the research military-oriented. For the residency programs, the research process isn’t to try and make the residents dental researchers, per se, but to expose them to the research process. They become better critical thinkers and understand the importance of evidence-based dentistry. The best part is that it makes them eligible to receive a master of science degree through USU [Uniformed Services University].”
His contributions extended beyond residency programs. Vandewalle played a pivotal role in affiliating the Air Force’s dental residencies with USU. In 2010, this collaboration led to the creation of the Postgraduate Dental College (PDC), which now oversees 19 residencies across the three services.
“I was fortunate to be involved in its early stages,” he says. “The PDC has expanded rapidly, supporting over 180 residents and providing faculty development, funding, and research opportunities.”
Vandewalle’s leadership and expertise have been widely recognized. A Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, he has served as president of the American Board of General Dentistry and chairman of the 59th Medical Wing Institutional Review Board. From 2007 to 2011, he was appointed to the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council at the National Institutes of Health, advising on research priorities and funding.
Among his many accolades, he was named 2012 Federal Dentist of the Year by the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, received the 2015 Thaddeus V. Weclew Award from the Academy of General Dentistry, and earned the 2014 and 2021 Outstanding Senior Educator Award from the 59th Dental Group.
However, his time with the Air Force is coming to an end. He’ll retire from the Air Force in June 2025 after 41 years of active duty and civilian service.
“I look forward to taking the opportunity to travel more with my family, who have been so supportive of my career,” says Vandewalle. However, he admits that with his passion for teaching and research, he hasn’t ruled out new opportunities.
Among his accomplishments, what he’s most proud of is his involvement with USU and the ABGD, and the opportunity to provide dental residents with training in the research process.
Reflecting on his legacy, Vandewalle says, “If I’ve contributed to Air Force dental residency training and research in a major way, then I can retire a very happy man.”
