Rueggeberg Honored with Materials Lab Renaming

Enjoy a photo gallery and video of the event below.

The Dental College of Georgia recently honored longtime and emeritus faculty member Dr. Frederick Rueggeberg, by naming the recently renovated DCG Dental Materials Research Lab after the man and his legacy.

Interim Associate Dean for Digital Dentistry Dr. Rafael Pacheco, who counts Rueggeberg as his mentor, said that it was an honor to be able to celebrate his impact in this way. He brought Rueggeberg’s existing plans for a lab extension to DCG Dean Dr. Nancy Young and once completed, they decided to rename it.

“He is my biggest inspiration in everything,” Pacheco said. “The best professional I know. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that every faculty here learned something from you to make them better faculty.”

The event concluded with a reception and cake in the 5th floor lobby, with friends and family in attendance.

Rueggeberg started his career as an Assistant Professor at the DCG in 1987, earned tenure in 1992, and served as the Director of the Section of Dental Materials for 28 years. He became Emeritus Professor upon his retirement in 2023, at which point he somehow managed to find himself even work to do to advance AU and the DCG.

An international expert in dental materials, Rueggeberg has earned an international reputation as a leader in the areas of photopolymerization, polymer science, dental cements, dental restorations and orthodontic adhesion. He has published more than 200 peer reviewed publications and currently holds an h-index of 60.

Rueggeberg is the sole inventor on six U.S. patents, and a co-inventor on two U.S. patents and one patent in Brazil. He has given more than 200 national and international presentations, is the author or co-author of 274 scientific abstracts, and he has authored chapters in five textbooks. His contributions in research, teaching, and service have been recognized by his induction into several societies and numerous awards.

Rueggeberg has served as an Editorial Board member for many respected journals in dentistry including the Journal of Dental Research, Operative Dentistry, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, and the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. He has also actively served on several committees of the IADR and AADOCR, the National Board Test Construction Committee, the Academy of Dental Materials, the Standards Committees for ANSI/ADA and ISO, and NIH Special Emphasis Panels.

Dr. Rueggeberg’s son, Jeremy Rueggeberg, kindly shared a video he created from the event. Enjoy it below.