James W. Taneyhill, DDS '80

To honor his decades-long commitment to service, clinical excellence, and leadership in military and civilian dentistry, James Taneyhill is the 2025 Distinguished Public Service Alumni Award winner.

This award recognizes a graduate for outstanding professional leadership and contributions to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and the community.

“I believe that all dentists, and me, have been blessed,” Taneyhill said. “I can’t think of a higher honor that I could have received in our profession.”

His dedication to public service has spanned over four decades. After earning Bachelor of Science in English and Master of Education degrees from Loyola University Maryland, Taneyhill pursued his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at UMSOD, graduating in 1980 through the school’s Accelerated Professional Training Program. He then completed a general practice residency at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Baltimore.

His professional journey has combined private practice, public health, teaching, and military service. From 1981 to 2013, Taneyhill maintained a private general dentistry practice in Bel Air, Md., with a clinical focus on advanced restorative, implant, cosmetic dentistry, and non-surgical temporomandibular joint therapy. He also served as a lecturer and clinical consultant at the Baltimore VA Medical Center from 2001 to 2013, mentoring the next generation of dental professionals.

From 2012 to 2024, Taneyhill served as a contract dentist with the Maryland Army National Guard, bringing compassionate dental care to service members. His military involvement reflects a broader dedication to service — he retired as a colonel in Army Aviation and remains an active member of the National Guard Association of the United States.

In 2003, Taneyhill founded a dental clinic at the Bon Samaritan School in St. Marc, Haiti, providing much-needed oral health care to underserved communities. In 2011, he expanded his outreach by founding a second clinic at the Our Daily Bread Employment Center in Baltimore, where he has continued to serve with the same energy and compassion that have defined his career.

Throughout his professional life, Taneyhill has remained committed to learning and teaching and completed more than 500 hours of continuing education at esteemed institutions. 

Taneyhill’s professional affiliations include fellowships and leadership roles in the Academy of General Dentistry, the International College of Dentists (Deputy Regent, Maryland), and the Baltimore Association of Dental Surgeons, where he served as chair. He also is a past president of the Harford-Cecil County Dental Association and a retired member of the American Dental Association and Maryland State Dental Association.

Beyond dentistry, Taneyhill is a Knight of the Order of Malta and serves as treasurer for the group’s Baltimore region. He also is a member of the Sailing Club of the Chesapeake and has a history of community engagement efforts that reflects a life lived in service to others.

Taneyhill’s legacy is one of quiet leadership, steadfast service, and tireless commitment to improving lives — whether in the clinic, the classroom, or communities near and far.