Sheila M. Riggs serves as chair of the Department of Primary Dental Care at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry as well as the community engagement director for the University's Clinical and Translational Science Institute. In these roles, she pursues a wide range of research interests as well as providing leadership to the pioneering Dental Therapy Program within her department. The Dental Therapist program in Minnesota is among the first to be developed and accredited in the US and is designed to increase access to dental care for underserved populations.