California Gov. Gavin Newsom has reappointed Ram Vaderhobli of Belmont to the Dental Board of California and Sridevi Ponnala of Fremont to the Dental Hygiene Board of California, reaffirming the roles of two experienced dental professionals in the state’s healthcare regulatory system.
The reappointments, announced by the Governor’s office, recognize the professional experience of both individuals in dental education, clinical practice, healthcare administration and community health services.
Vaderhobli has served on the Dental Board of California since 2025. He is a clinical professor of preventive and restorative dental sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry, where he has held the position since 2020. He has also directed the university’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program since 2010.
His career at UCSF has included several academic and clinical leadership positions, including health sciences assistant clinical professor, health sciences associate clinical professor and clinical director for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.
Between 2011 and 2015, Vaderhobli served as California regional assistant director for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program at Lutheran Medical Center. He also completed a residency in advanced education in general dentistry at the University of Rochester’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a research specialist and guest scientist at the American Dental Association’s Paffenbarger Research Center and as a research assistant at Alfred University.
Vaderhobli holds a Master of Science degree in biomaterials engineering from Alfred University and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from R.V. Dental College in India. He is registered without party preference.
Ponnala has served on the Dental Hygiene Board of California since 2023. She is chief integration officer at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, a position she has held since 2021. Before assuming the role, she served in other leadership positions at the organization, including chief dental officer and dental director.
Her professional experience also includes academic and clinical leadership. She served as adjunct faculty in the Chabot Hygiene Program at the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District from 2016 to 2019. Earlier, she was clinical director at the Native American Health Center from 2007 to 2010.
Ponnala earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the UCSF School of Dentistry, a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, East Bay, and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from M.R. Ambedkar Dental College in India.
The appointments highlight the continued involvement of experienced dental professionals in California’s regulatory and public healthcare institutions. The Dental Board of California oversees the regulation of dentistry in the state, while the Dental Hygiene Board of California is responsible for licensing and regulating dental hygienists.
Through their respective roles, Vaderhobli and Ponnala bring backgrounds spanning dental education, clinical services, professional training and healthcare administration to boards that play an important part in maintaining standards across California’s oral healthcare sector.
