On July 1, 2025, Professor Yang Chai, distinguished alumnus of PKU-SS, was appointed Dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California and also as the G. Donald and Marian James Montgomery Professor of Dentistry.

Yang Chai is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a National Academy of Inventors senior member. Besides, Chai has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health of the United States for more than 27 years. His work has earned him multiple awards, including the 2011 International Association of Dental Research Distinguished Scientist Award and the 2023 Paul Goldhaber Award from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine.