Alfonso Escobar is a Faculty member of the College of Dentistry, University of Illinois. He gained his DDS from the Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia in 1960 and became a Fellow at Guggenheim Dental Clinic in New York from 1961-62. Following this he studied Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Illinois and returned to Antioquia University where he became Associate Dean until 1972. He was also Associate Professor at the University of Illinois from 1972. He has also been a consultant in dental education in Latin American countries and has twice been the President of the Columbian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.