Michael J. Metz, DMD, MSD, MS, PhD, currently serves as Chair of the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry (ULSD), a leadership position he has held since 2018.

Dr. Metz is a proud graduate of the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Biology and Analytical Chemistry in 1996. He subsequently earned his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in 2000.

Following dental school, Dr. Metz was commissioned as a Dental Corps Officer in the United States Navy, where he served until 2010. During his military career, he was stationed at Norfolk Naval Dental Center in Norfolk, Virginia; 3rd Dental Battalion in Okinawa, Japan; Naval Recruiting Command in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Naval Hospital Beaufort in Beaufort, South Carolina. While stationed at Naval Recruiting Command in Indianapolis, Dr. Metz earned a Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) from Indiana University, along with postgraduate certificates in Operative Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry. During the same period, he completed a Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Research at Indiana University and achieved board certification through the American Board of Operative Dentistry (ABOD).

Dr. Metz joined the faculty of ULSD in 2010, where he teaches across the disciplines of general dentistry, with primary areas of expertise in cariology, preventive dentistry, and operative dentistry. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure effective July 1, 2017, and assumed the chairmanship of the Department of General Dentistry and Oral Medicine. On July 1, 2018, he became Chair of the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry. He was promoted to Professor with tenure effective July 1, 2022, and continues to serve as Chair of the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry.

In 2021, Dr. Metz earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education and Assessment from the University of Louisville College of Education. His current research interests include active learning, spaced retrieval practice, self-assessment, peer assessment, faculty calibration, and community engagement.