2019 Metcalf Award Recipient: Neal H. Fleisher

Neal H. Fleisher is a Clinical Professor of General Dentistry at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, where he also directs the Predoctoral Periodontology and Faculty Development programs. Dr. Fleisher joined the faculty in 1986 and teaches seven classes throughout the four-year curriculum, ranging in size from large lectures to small discussions.

Dr. Fleisher employs inventive teaching methods that prompt students to think critically and question assumptions. Most often noted is his use of visual thinking strategies—taking students to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as a means to develop powers of observation, thereby improving diagnostic skills. He is an early adopter of classroom technologies that engage students and assess educational outcomes. He also trains students in the use of advanced clinical technology to better serve the patient.

His course evaluations are glowing. Comments such as “excellent,” “a very enjoyable learning journey,” and “allowed me to think without bias” are representative of student praise. One respondent put it simply: “this is what true learning is.”

Colleagues are equally effusive, calling Dr. Fleisher “inspirational” and “a role model” who “teaches the teachers.” His many honors include an Educator Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring in Periodontics from the American Academy of Periodontology and a Spencer N. Frankl Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Fleisher holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hofstra University and a Doctor of Dental Medicine and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Boston University.

Students describe a “knowledgeable,” “enthusiastic” instructor who is “very good at explaining difficult and confusing topics” and makes students “passionate about learning.” They especially appreciate her use of “personal stories and real-life examples” that “deepen understanding of topics.”

In the words of her nominator, “she furthers the mission of a research university by creating students who are able and empowered to lead many fields of research and healthcare for years to come.”

Elizabeth Co holds a Bachelor of Arts, with high honors, in Biology and Education from Mount Holyoke College and a Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from University of California, San Francisco. She joined Boston University in 2012 after teaching at University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco.