for alumni & friends of the university of michigan...
TRANSCRIPT
FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY
Faculty Profile: Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk
Alumnus Profile: Dr. Richard Shick
Mentor of the Year: Anne Gwozdek
Research Day 2013
Spring & Summer 2013
Visionary Leader Scholar
Dear Friends,
Ten years! And what a wonderful 10 years it has been. It has been my good fortune to work with an exceptional group of faculty and staff and to witness, first hand, the many talents of our dental and dental hygiene students, postgraduate dental specialty students and our PhD students. And, it has been a privilege to get to know and work with our School of Dentistry alumni who have been extraordinary in their commitment to and support of this great school.
I do not believe a day has gone by that I haven’t felt a sense of awe at the preeminence of the institution, our remarkable school, and the dedicated people who have worked tirelessly to make it so. It has been an amazing journey.
And now, it is time to pass the baton to a new leader. In March, then-Provost Phil Hanlon and President Mary Sue Coleman presented Dr. Laurie McCauley to the Board of Regents for their consideration and approval as the next dean to lead the School of Dentistry. On March 21, the Board of Regents approved Dr. McCauley’s appointment effective September 1, 2013.
Laurie is known to many of you as a friend, colleague, educator, clinician, and scientist. Her leadership experience is extensive and her knowledge of the School will enable a seamless transition going forward. A distinguished scholar, talented academic leader, enthusiastic educator, and dedicated practitioner, Laurie is well prepared to meet the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
The School has sustained national and international recognition throughout its 138-year history. It has been my distinct honor to have been among the deans who have been the guides along the way. And when I reflect on my years as dean I will always remember and value the people, for it is all of you who have contributed to our success. You have inspired, encouraged, and advanced the mission of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and for that I am truly grateful.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Polverini Dean
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Spring & Summer 2013 Volume 29, Number 1
DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Send comments and updates to: [email protected] or Director of Communications, School of Dentistry, Room 1218, 1011 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078
Dean ...........................................................Peter PolveriniDirector of Communications..................Sharon Grayden Writer & Editor ............................................. Jerry MasteyDesigner ......................................................... Ken Rieger
Editorial Review Board: Dennis Lopatin - Chair Richard Fetchiet Erica Hanss Sharon Grayden - ex officio
The Regents of the University: Mark J. Bernstein, Julia Donovan Darlow, Laurence B. Deitch, Shauna Ryder Diggs, Denise Ilitch, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew C. Richner, Katherine E. White, Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio
University of Michigan School of DentistryAlumni Society Board of Governors:
Terms Expire 2013:Kathleen Early, ‘77 DH, Lakeland, MIKerry Kaysserian, ‘81 DDS, Traverse City, MIJeff Smith, ‘82 DDS, ‘85 MS, Byron Center, MIJerry Booth, ‘61 DDS, ‘64 MS, Jackson, MIJanis Chmura Duski, ‘89 DDS, Gaylord, MI
Terms Expire 2014:Frank Alley, ’81 DDS, Portage, MIMichael Cerminaro, ’86 DDS, Muskegon, MISondra Moore Gunn, ’78 DDS, ’80 MS, Ann Arbor, MIM.H. “Reggie” VanderVeen, ’76 DDS, Grand Rapids, MIJackie Solberg, ’86 DH, Grand Rapids, MI
Terms Expire 2015:Wayne Olsen, ’81 DDS, Traverse City, MIScott Schulz, ’96 DDS, ’03 MS, Traverse City, MISheree Duff (Chair), ’80 BSDH, ’91 MS, Grand Blanc, MICarl Pogoncheff, ’09 DDS, ’12 MS, Lansing, MIMichael Palaszek, ’82 DDS, Grand Rapids, MI
Ex Officio Members:Peter Polverini, DeanSteve C. Grafton , Executive Director, Alumni Assoc.Richard R. Fetchiet, Executive Director, Alumni Relations and Development
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, (734) 763-0235, TTY (734) 647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call (734) 764-1817.
Copyright © 2013 The Regents of the University of Michigan
Peter Polverini Reflects on 10 Years as DeanDean Peter Polverini says he is grateful for the opportunity to have served as dean.
MAC Committee Recognized for Diversity Efforts
Wolverine Patriot Project
Faculty ProfileDr. Marilyn Woolfolk, MS, DDS, MPH
Alumnus ProfileRichard Shick, DDS, MS, MICD
Awards, IADR & Research Day 2013
Anne Gwozdek Mentor of the Year
Member publication of the American Association of
Dental Editors
In this Issue
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2010
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In this issue of DentalUM Dean Polverini reflects on his two terms as dean, his accomplishments, his legacy, and his future plans. You will also find stories
about awards and honors bestowed on the faculty, staff and students. Be sure to visit www.dent.umich.edu for up to the minute access
to School of Dentistry news and events.
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Dr. Peter Polverini Cites Achievements, Discusses Future PlansGrateful.
That’s the word Dr. Peter Polverini uses often as he reflects on his 10-year tenure as dean of the School of Dentistry.
In January 2012 Polverini said he would not seek a third term as dean when his second term expires in 2013. A search committee met throughout the fall and presented a slate of candidates to the U-M Provost’s office in December.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the School of Dentistry and the University of Michigan as dean,”
Polverini says. “When I think about the high caliber of our faculty, staff, alumni, and students, I appreciate even more what an incredibly resource-rich environment the School and the University are.”
Polverini says he was fortunate “to hit the ground running” when he began his term as dean in 2003. “Since I was a U-M faculty member for eight years (1992-2000), I knew most of the people here and the issues that needed to be addressed which helped me considerably.”
THREE MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Reflecting on the past 10 years, which he says “have gone by very quickly,” Polverini says he is proudest of three particular achievements – increased research funding for the School, estab-lishing a clinical research center, and launching a new dental curriculum.
Noting the School’s preeminence among dental schools nationwide with more than $11.2 million in research funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and $15.2 million in total NIH funding in 2011, Polverini says “we have consistently ranked among the top three or four dental schools in the country receiving funding for our research initiatives. That’s vital because research leads to discoveries that have
the potential to benefit practitio-ners and their patients while
also helping to advance the dental profession.”
The clinical research center, the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research, “is crucial to the School’s research mission because it builds on our history of prominence in clinical and basic science research,” Polverini
says. Established in 2005, MCOHR takes knowledge discovered in clinical studies and seeks ways to use that knowledge to improve oral, dental, and craniofacial health. MCOHR is a part of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research.
The third achievement, creating an innovative dental curriculum, “was something that was needed if dental education and the dental profession are to advance. It’s one of the most forward-looking and novel programs in the country,” Polverini says.
Comparing his days as a dental student with today’s students, he says, “change was necessary because of advances in technology and the explosion of knowledge. Students today are learning in new and exciting ways. We must continue to take advantage of these trends while still maintaining the central goal of educating clinically competent students.”
MORE TO DO
But Polverini says more needs to be done in several important areas.
“I think one of our top priorities in the future will be finding ways that all of us in the health care professions — dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy — can work together to deliver integrated health care services. We can’t continue to remain in our own professional silos. We have to have more interaction among ourselves if we are to offer the best to our patients,” he says.
But as his term ends, Polverini says he remains worried, particularly about rising costs and levels of student debt, describing them as “unsustainable.”
During the 2012-13 academic year, tuition for a first-year dental student at U-M was $28,300 for Michigan residents and $44,300 for non-residents.
Reflections: 10 Years as Dean
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The continued success of
the School of Dentistry will be
everyone’s job – faculty, students,
staff and alumni. The School is
in a great position to continue
thriving. I’m grateful that so
many have helped continue the
tradition of excellence during the
past ten years. I wish all of them
and the School’s new dean
nothing but the very best.
Student indebtedness continues to increase. Figures from the American Dental Education Association show the average amount of debt of dental school graduates nationwide is approximately $222,000. The level of indebtedness for School of Dentistry graduates has averaged $168,700 over the last three years.
FUTURE PLANS
Polverini will take a one-year sabbatical when his term as dean ends at the end of August. “I’ve been on call 24/7 for the last ten years, so it will be enjoy-able to have more time to spend with my wife, Carol, recharge, and direct my energy in an entirely new area,” Polverini said. “It is also important for the new dean to have the space to implement her ideas and programs without me being present in the building.
“During my sabbatical I’ll be at the CHEAR (Child Health Evaluation and Research) unit in the Medical School,” he said, “working with pediatricians on health care policy related to access to care and the emerging health care workforce. My particular interests are in understanding how personalized medicine and personalized oral health care will impact access to care and how this may result in developing new models,” he added.
“I’ll miss direct contact with the faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Our faculty members are the greatest. They embrace challenges and take responsibility for their outcomes. I’m confident they will continue doing so in the future because that’s one of the things that makes the School of Dentistry great,” he said.
Polverini also hopes U-M dental students “will continue to realize how fortunate they are to be here being taught by our superb faculty.”
The School’s staff, he continues, “is the School’s engine. I’ll always be grateful for the loyalty they have shown.”
School of Dentistry alumni, Polverini says, “should be proud that we continue to be the finest dental school in the country. They have helped to build our great legacy. I’m confident that will continue.”
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Dean Peter Polverini has been a mentor to many students and faculty, including Dr. Jacques Nör.
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Dean Polverini with ADA Dentsply Award winner Emily Eubanks (2015) and Dentsply representative Joel Pluymont.
– Dean Peter Polverini
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A strong student advocate, Dean Polverini joins Emily Kennedy (2013) and Aaron Ruhlig (2014) for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of “The Commons” study area.
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Visionary, Leader, and ScholarRecognizing a job well done.
Frank Ascione Dean – University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
Peter is exceptional, passionate, and intense. He has an impressive record as a scholar, researcher, and adminis-trator. But a quality that stands out for me, both professionally and person-ally, is his extraordinary modesty. He
does not call attention to his achievements, impressive as they are. Instead, his focus is always about helping others.
That focus is evident in his passion and intensity about very important issues that affect society – the public’s overall health in general and oral health in particular, serving the underserved, and finding ways the School of Dentistry and other units on campus, such as the College of Pharmacy, can work together to help the public. As members of University of Michigan Biointerfaces, dentistry and pharmacy are collabo-rating with the Medical School, the College of Engineering, and LS&A on projects that may one day benefit the public.
Peter has represented the dental profession and the School of Dentistry very well. He has given his successor a firm foundation for continued collaboration with the College of Pharmacy and other schools and colleges at the University of Michigan.
James Woolliscroft Dean – University of Michigan Medical School
As a member of Michigan’s health sciences deans group, Peter has been in the forefront reaching out to all of us and seeking ways we can collaborate to improve health care education, training, and the delivery of patient care.
That team approach will become increasingly important in the future in all of our respective professions and to all of our patients. We’re making progress, but all of us know that more still needs to be done.
Peter is also to be applauded for his perseverance and patience implementing the new dental curriculum. After taking the initiative, he kept a steady hand on the rudder, and allowed faculty on the various committees to address many issues and challenges that came up. But he also kept his eye on the ultimate goal of integrating classroom and clinical education, research, and patient care. The new curriculum will be, in my opinion, one of his lasting legacies.
Philip Hanlon Former Provost – University of Michigan
The one word that best describes Peter is “visionary.” He is a person of great vision and has consistently demonstrated that as Dean during the years I have worked with him.
As a result, the School has been among the top-ranked dental schools nationwide in grants awarded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for investigations that range from basic research to translational research. Because of his foresight, the School has also established a new curriculum providing many new educational opportunities. And his vision of what the School can become continues as he seeks to establish greater inter-professional education with medicine, nursing, public health, social work, and other schools and colleges on campus.
I was impressed with the lead Peter took when he invited deans from dental schools across North America to come to Michigan in May 2010 to talk about the future of dentistry and dental education. The turnout of high-caliber people, all leaders in their own right, showed me how highly Peter is respected among his peers.
More than a visionary, Peter is also an accomplished scholar and researcher. He has prepared the School for future success as dental schools nationwide get ready to face difficult funding challenges in the years ahead.
Kathleen Potempa Dean and Professor – University of Michigan School of Nursing
What impresses me most about Peter is the role he has played in advancing interprofessional education. He’s a visionary on the subject.
Peter has been a leader in establishing the Interprofessional
Clinical Education group which comprises faculty in the health professions here at Michigan. By bringing those of us in two or more health professions together we have opportunities to learn from one another and collaborate in clinical settings that improve health care. It’s a holistic approach to patient treatment that, I’m sure, will become increasingly important in both patient care and education.
What’s also been remarkable about Peter is how steadfast he has been in promoting the importance of research in dentistry. The focus on research is critical because a health discipline cannot advance without having strong science-based research that has the potential to benefit our patients.
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Visionary, Leader, and ScholarRecognizing a job well done.
Christopher Fox Executive Director – American Association for Dental Research – International Association for Dental Research
Pete is a national leader, in every sense of that phrase, in science, research, and dental education.
I have known Pete for many years and have been fortunate to have had numerous opportunities to work with him, most recently as an officer on the AADR Board of Directors.
Pete has always impressed me with his collaborative approach to issues. He’s passionate about science and research, but when more information about a subject is needed, Pete takes the time to seek out and talk to others, even if their opinions are different, and listen to what they have to say.
One of Pete’s legacies will be his leadership in changing the School of Dentistry’s curriculum.
Another will be his election to the prestigious Institute of Medicine. His strong dental research background speaks volumes about his work. I fully anticipate that when the IOM issues future reports about oral health care that Peter Polverini will be intimately involved.
Richard Valachovic Executive Director – American Dental Education Association
Peter is leaving an impressive legacy.
His education, training, and leadership are a unique blend that has enabled him to bring people together, from all health professions, to identify issues critical to all and suggest ways of
working together to address them. That’s important because dentistry must continue raising its profile and becoming even more integrated with the health care profession in general.
His research and scholarship are critical to dental education and the dental profession because new discoveries expand our base of knowledge and can lead to even better oral health care being provided by dental practitioners to their patients.
Peter is also to be lauded for attracting top-notch young scientists and clinicians to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and giving them the room they need to grow and develop their special talents. Many are already in key roles in dental education and the dental profession.
Martha Somerman Director – National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
One factor that has always stood out about Peter during the years I have known him, both when we were department chairs at Michigan and later deans of dental schools, is his passion for research. He’s a
strong advocate for research and discovery.
Peter fully embraces Michigan’s research mission as it applies not only to the dental school in general, but also to his own investigations in particular. One sees this with his research targeted at defining the physiology and pathology of angiogenesis. That research is highly regarded.
His passion for research carries over into education. Peter views research as a cornerstone of the dental curriculum and recognizes that both research and education must blend together in order to benefit educators, clinicians, and patients.
Connie Verhagen President – Michigan Dental Association (2011-2012)
I applaud Peter for keeping the leader-ship of the Michigan Dental Associa-tion informed about his vision and ideas to shape dental education so that U-M dental students are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
He is to be commended for changing the dental curriculum and initiating the Pathways Program allowing students to explore an area of personal interest, whether it’s in research or leadership or the delivery of oral health care.
Peter also deserves credit for emphasizing the importance of an integrated approach to health care education and patient care and then working with other units to develop a plan where dental students and faculty will one day collaborate with multiple health care providers to provide patient care in a single clinic.
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MAC Receives U-M AwardThe School of Dentistry’s Multicultural Affairs Committee (MAC) received the U-M Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award for its efforts to achieve a diverse and supporting environment at the School.
Presenting the award, Dr. John Matlock, associate vice provost and executive director of U-M’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, noted MAC’s many achievements. They include efforts to increase awareness of patients with special needs and noon-time presentations that focus on providing care for patients with diverse needs and backgrounds.
Established in 1996, MAC works with students, staff, faculty, and patients
from diverse backgrounds and cultures to help the School foster greater inter-personal awareness as well as achieve its multicultural and diversity objectives in education, patient care, and com-munity service.
“It is rewarding to have the MAC recognized for its contributions outside the School. I’m so proud of our group,” said Dr. Marita Inglehart, one of MAC’s co-chairs.
Diversity Recognized!
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Dr. John Matlock (L) with award recipients Cheryl Quiney and Dr. Marita Inglehart (MAC co-chairs), Eileen Quintero, Nancy Kelly, and Dr. Ken May and (back row): John Squires and Dean Peter Polverini.
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) recognized School of Dentistry faculty, staff, and students for their work during the organization’s annual session held in Seattle this spring.
STUDENT AWARDEES
J.J. Sae-ung (D4), ADEA/Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Preventive Dentistry Scholarship.
Rachel Sheridan (D3), ADEA/Gies Foundation/AADR Academic Dental Careers Fellowship.
STAFF AWARDEE
Emily Springfield, instructional designer, Olav Alvares Award for an outstanding article published in the Journal of Dental Education.
FACULTY AWARDEES
Sarah Moeller, an adjunct clinical lecturer, 2013 ADEA/Sigma Phi Alpha Linda DeVore Scholarship.
Bill Piskorowski, clinical associate professor, William J. Gies Award for Vision, Innovation, and Achievement.
U-M ADEA AwardsClass of 2017
Total apps: 1,991 In state: 324 Out of state: 1,667
107 students will make up the class of 2017. They include:
Men: 69 Women: 38 In state: 58 Out of state: 49 GPA: 3.55 DAT: 20 Academic, 21 Perceptual
Master’s:12 Bachelor’s 93 3+ years college: 2 Most common major: Biology
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What do Drs. Marilyn Woolfolk, Sharon Brooks, Nisha D’Silva, and Jeanne Sinkford have in common? Or Drs. Jane Slocum Hayward, Ida Gray, and Clara McNaughton?
Give up? Here’s the answer.
Each of them and 16 other female dentists are featured in a new exhibit, Women Dentists: Changing the Face of Dentistry, in the Sindecuse Museum at the School of Dentistry.
“As we gathered information for the Inside the Dental Practice exhibit, it was very clear that women have played a significant role in the growth and development of dentistry,” said Museum Curator Shannon O’Dell. Many visitors, she added, often asked if we had ever considered showcas-ing women’s role in dentistry. “We began planning the Women Dentists exhibit not long after Inside the Dental Practice was unveiled,” O’Dell said.
A WEALTH OF INFORMATION
As the Women Dentists exhibit was evolving, O’Dell said “we collected an incredible amount of data on more than 60 women whose determination and achievements had a major impact on dentistry.”
NOTABLE WOMEN Dr. Lucy Beaman Hobbs, the first woman in the country to receive a dental degree (1866).
Dr. Clara MacNaughton (DDS 1885), the first woman elected to an executive office (Vice President) in the Michigan State Dental Society (1887) who later became a key
figure in the women’s suffrage movement in Washington, D.C., as she continued her dental practice.
Dr. Ida Gray, the first African-American woman to earn a dental degree and U-M graduate (DDS 1890).
Dr. Vida Latham (DDS 1892), who graduated at the top of her medical class in Chicago and founded the American Association of Women Dentists.
Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, the first female dean of any dental school (1975, Howard University College of Dentistry).
Dr. Geraldine Morrow, the first woman president of the ADA (1991).
Earning a dental degree was a challenge. “In a profession that was exclusively male, these women pioneers had a tough road to travel,” according to O’Dell. “Fortunately, there were some leaders like U-M School of Dentistry’s first dean, Jonathan Taft (1875-1903), who was a strong advocate for women in dentistry and frequently sparred with men in the profession who believed women should not be allowed to practice dentistry.
BECOMING ROLE MODELS
“Because of Taft’s pioneering mindset and focus more colleges and universi-ties with dental schools began accept-ing women into their dental programs beginning in the 1880s,” O’Dell said.
In the process, these female dental pioneers became role models. “They were not afraid to be the only woman in their dental class. They also showed young girls that there were new career opportunities for them, not just in dentistry, but also in dental education, administration, and even specialized areas of dentistry,” O’Dell said.
New Sindecuse Exhibit
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Posters are prominently displayed in the Sindecuse Museum showcasing the role of women in dentistry.
Dr. James S. Hayward (DDS 1973) donated several items for the new exhibit that were used by his mother, Dr. Jane Slocum Hayward (DDS 1943).
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Women Dentists: Changing the Face of Dentistry will be on display until December 2014.
For more information, contact Shannon O’Dell, at [email protected], or call (734) 763-0767.
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United Nations ProgramSchool Hosts 22 International VistorsFor many, it was their first trip thou-sands of miles from their home country to the U.S. It was an experience they will never forget.
They were impressed with who they met and what they experienced at the School and across Michigan.
The School hosted 22 students, faculty members, and deans from six countries — Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, Colombia, England, and Spain — as part of its new Global Oral Health Initiative. The two-week “United Nations Program” was held to coincide with U-M Student Global Health Day last Nov. 9.
Dr. Yvonne Kapila, director of the Global Oral Health Initiative, said, “This, our first program, turned out even better than we thought it would. The program provided a unique opportunity to bring countries and cultures together to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and share common experiences.”
The School’s international guests were busy attending classes, watching dental and dental hygiene students and faculty working together to help patients in clinics, talking to research-ers, making presentations about dental
education in their countries, attending a keynote presentation by Dr. Habib Benzian who spoke about international and dental public health, and visiting other facilities on the U-M campus.
With help from Dr. Ronald Paler (DDS 1961), treasurer of the Interna-tional College of Dentists USA Section Foundation, the guests also traveled to venues outside of Ann Arbor to get a broader perspective about interrela-tionships between academic dentistry and organized dentistry.
The goal was for the guest to gain a better understanding of how academic and organized dentistry reinforce each other to deliver the best care possible.
HIGHLY FAVORABLE IMPRESSIONS
“You have an outstanding dental school,” said Francis Adu-Ababio, dean of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. “I’m impressed that your faculty are doing so much, not just teaching and providing patient care, but also conducting research and being involved in helping people in other communities where there is a need for dental care.”
Marcelo Lamers, an adjunct professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, said his dental school, like Michigan’s, is more than 100 years old and faces many challenges similar to Michigan’s. “Perhaps our biggest is finding ways to apply our laboratory research to help patients in clinics,” he said.
Linda Wang, a professor of operative dentistry at the Bauru (Brazil) School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, said, “It was an enriching experience to be in your research laboratories, classes, and clinics at Michigan. We would like to have more technology in our clinics, as you do in yours, but it may take us a while to get there.”
As part of its mission, the University of Michigan is committed to foster-ing reciprocal, mutually productive engagement with nations and institu-tions around the world to enhance education and advance knowledge and understanding. To this end, the “United Nations Program” has set in motion opportunities for international collaboration and engagement related to oral health issues and the education of oral health care professionals.
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Participants from six countries and organizers of the School of Dentistry’s United Nations Program in the Sindecuse Atrium.
Dr. Laurie McCauley will become the new dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry on September 1.
She is the first woman and the 13th person to be named dean since the School of Dentistry was founded in 1875. Her appointment was announced in March by U-M Provost Philip Hanlon and approved by the Regents.
“Professor McCauley is a seasoned academic administrator whose service to the School of Dentistry, the Univer-sity and beyond is extensive,” Hanlon said. “She brings a unique blend of clinical experience, research achieve-ment, pedagogical leadership, and administrative success to the position.”
“Leading the U-M School of Dentistry is a great honor. I am delighted to serve as dean of this outstanding institution steeped in a rich tradition of excellence,” McCauley said. “I am
looking forward to working with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to further efforts that engage and inspire future clinicians and academicians who will lead in developing and implementing innovative therapies that become the gold standard of future clinical care.”
McCauley is the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Periodontics who previously chaired the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine (2002-2012), one of the School’s largest, with more than 180 faculty, staff, and graduate students. She is also a professor of pathology at the U-M Medical School. She will succeed Dr. Peter Polverini who completes his second five-year term as dean August 31.
Migraine Pain App Wins 1st PlaceAn app that allows persons suffering from migraine headaches and facial pain to precisely record the location of the pain in real time on an iPhone or iPad, as well as quantify the intensity and impact of the pain, won first prize in a University of Michigan Mobile Apps Challenge.
PainTrek captures, tracks, and analyzes pain data and assists the clinician in developing a pain management plan. The app was developed by Dr. Alexandre DaSilva, director of the School’s Headache and Orofacial Pain Effort (HOPE), in collaboration with Eric Maslowski, director of the U-M 3D Laboratory and his team.
Fifteen years of research and advances in technology converged three years ago when DaSilva came up with the PainTrek concept. DaSilva said some fundamental features were critical to developing the application.
“It had to be patient friendly, mobile, intuitive, and clinically relevant,”
DaSilva said. “It had to be an application patients would not hesitate to use again and again if further migraine headaches or other orofacial pains occurred.”
Taking advantage of touch screen technology, the app displays a three-dimensional model of the head with vertical and horizontal coordinates superimposed over anatomical landmarks. Similar to geographical coordinates on a map, the individual touches the location on the screen to pinpoint the location of the pain and then rates its intensity.
The app asks the user questions about the signs and symptoms associated with the pain, and the impact the pain is having on their life. The data is stored in the device and when retrieved provides a wealth of infor-mation that can be used for clinical treatment or for research purposes.
“The data is helpful because it’s histori-cal in nature and helps the patient and
clinician determine if there are any cause-and-effect relationships where an action may trigger a pain,” DaSilva said.
For now, PainTrek is available only on an Apple platform, “but we are working on the app which could be available on an Android,” DaSilva added.
Our New Dean
U-M Tech Challenge
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Dr. Alexandre DaSilva (left) and Eric Maslowski, the Pain Trek developers.
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Marilyn Woolfolk, MS, DDS, MPH Assistant Dean for Student Services
She may be the only School of Dentistry administrator who has met every dental student since 1990.
From that time, as director of Student Affairs, to now, as assistant dean for Student Services, Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk has personally welcomed approximately 2,700 predoctoral students. On June 24 she will deliver her last welcome remarks to the Class of 2017.
Even sweeter for her is that, since 1993, Woolfolk has had the professional and personal satisfaction of hooding the vast majority of those students just before they walked across the stage at Hill Auditorium or the Power Center to receive their Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees at commencement.
This spring, however, marked the end of an era as she hooded the last group of dental graduates, the Class of 2013, on May 10. On August 1, Woolfolk begins her retirement furlough and formally retires next August.
“It’s been a wonderful journey, a magnificent career in dentistry and public health that spans more than 40 years, going back to my days as a graduate dental student here at Michigan,” she said. “I have been fortunate to have been a student, a staff and faculty member, and administrator at a great univer-sity and dental school and have been able to advance professionally without having to leave Ann Arbor for greener pastures.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University in 1971, Woolfolk came to the University of Michigan and earned a master’s degree in microbiology the following year.
DENTISTRY: A NEW CAREER PATH
She initially aspired to become a physician. But that changed to becoming a microbiologist when she was in college. After working as a research assistant in the Department of Oral Biology at the School of Dentistry (1972-1974) investigating projects related to microbial flora of the mouth, another career plan emerged.
“I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Walter Loesche. He and Dr. Emerson Robinson, a professor in the Department of Community Dentistry, frequently talked about dentistry and the benefits of being a dentist,” Woolfolk said. “They often encouraged me to consider it. I guess they wore me down because I did change my career plans and became a dental student,” she said with a laugh.
Her timing was good.
Woolfolk said she applied to the School of Dentistry “just as women were starting to pursue a career in the profession in larger numbers. For me, den-tistry was not a stretch because I had the science background and prerequisites.”
Once in dental school, Woolfolk said many of the faculty members she met while working in the research lab “helped me to develop the manual
skills and patient management strategies that allowed me to succeed clinically.” She earned her
dental degree from U-M in 1978. Four years later, she earned a master’s degree in dental public health from
the School of Public Health.
Woolfolk’s passion for public health and education seems to be hereditary. “My
parents were great role models and influential in helping me to become the person I am,” she said.
Her father, Dr. Winder Laird Porter, was a pediatrician and champion of public health who worked for the State of Delaware for 31 years and ran preventive care clinics through-out the state before retiring in 1973. “He was very proud of the fact I was pursuing dentistry,” she said. “He did not live long enough to know that I would also go into public health, but I know he would have beamed at that as well.”
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Her mother, Gladys Streett Porter was a third-grade elementary school teacher for 34 years who taught in a one-room school.
After earning her dental degree, Woolfolk joined the School of Dentistry faculty as a full-time clinical instructor in the Department of Community Dentistry and worked some evenings as an associate at a private practice in Brighton, Michigan (1978-1980).
She was named director of the Migrant Worker Program and assistant professor of dentistry in 1982 shortly after earning a master’s degree in dental public health.
For 13 years she worked with Dr. Robert Bagramian planning the School’s Summer Migrant Dental Clinic program in the Traverse City area and supervising dental students who participated. “Improving the oral health of the migrant children and their families during those years was a particularly rewarding part of my career,” Woolfolk said.
In 1990, she earned tenure as an associate professor of dentistry. In 2002 Woolfolk was promoted to professor of dentistry, an achievement which she regards “as a huge milestone in the life of an academic.”
MAJOR CHANGES DESCRIBED
During her 23 years as an administrator, Woolfolk said she has witnessed some significant changes among dental students.
“Their lives are more complex and the solutions to problems are not simple,” she said. “The demands they face, both academically and personally, have increased significantly as they consider possible career options. In many instances, they’re also supporting a family while devoting significant time participating in a rigorous curriculum.”
The explosion of information and the ability to quickly access it is another major change in dental education.
“The technology available to students today allows them to supplement their classroom studies or clinical education in a way that is much different than when I was a dental student,” Woolfolk said. “Dental students today do not just have more and better information at their fingertips, but they can use it to communicate more effectively with their patients.” Prior to officially announcing her decision, Woolfolk e-mailed dental students:
“You and all the amazing students that I have had the opportunity to know throughout the years make my decision bittersweet. But in the future, I will be excited to enjoy the University of Michigan and the School of Dentistry from the cheering section rather than in my role as assistant dean and faculty member. It’s been a rewarding journey with you. You are all so talented and the profession will be in good hands with the passion you bring to it. Go Blue!”
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
As for the future of the dental profession and dental educa-tion, Woolfolk was upbeat. “Today’s dental students are incredibly talented and bring a passion to their studies and a desire to help patients that is truly remarkable. The dental profession and dental education are in good hands.”
Asked about her future plans, Woolfolk said they include “enjoying living in a university town and everything about it, whether it’s taking a history or psychology class at LS&A, taking in a sporting event, resuming playing the violin and oboe, or being spontaneous.”
She said she will also spend more time with her husband, Gerald, who retired several years ago from his job as a teacher and band director with Dexter Community Schools. Woolfolk said she also wants to be more available for her three adult children, Dion, Corey, and Robyn, and her nine grandchildren (newborn to age 8). “I have been blessed to have a husband and children who helped enrich and balance my professional life,” she said. “Now I look to them to help me balance and enjoy my retirement.”
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First in line to be hooded by Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk and Dr. Donald Heys before receiving his dental degree in 2010 was Zahid Ahmed.
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Dr. Woolfolk with William Shin (D4) and Christopher Ammons (D3) discussing an end of the year project.
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D’Silva Receives MICHR Award
Dr. Nisha D’Silva, Donald Kerr Endowed Collegiate Professor of Oral Pathology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, was recognized for her research and mentoring. She received the Distinguished Clinical and Transla-tional Research Mentor Award during a Michigan Institute of Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) symposium in March.
D’Silva said that mentoring students at all levels, stimulating their interest in translational research, and inspiring them to pursue a career in academia continues to be very rewarding.
Faculty NewsKohn, Nör New AAAS Fellows
Dr. David Kohn is a professor of dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences and professor of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering.
He was honored for his contributions to biomaterials and biomechanics, specifically, research that focuses on understanding biomineralization and the dynamics of bone growth and
adaptation. Kohn’s work seeks to understand the physical, chemical, and biological factors behind bone formation with the goal of mimicking those factors in a controlled manner in a laboratory or clinical setting.
Dr. Jacques Nör is the Donald Kerr professor of dentistry in the Depart-ment of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, professor of biomedical engineering, U-M College of Engineering, and professor of otolaryngology at the U-M Medical School.
He was recognized for his pioneering research in vascular biology and
work in stem cell biology and dental pulp regeneration. Nör’s research focuses on the biology of stem cells in head and neck cancer and in dental pulp tissue repair and regeneration.
Borgnakke Receives AAP Service Award
Dr. Wenche Borgnakke, an adjunct clinical assistant profes-sor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, received the American Academy of Periodontology’s Service Award for her investigative work that focuses on relationships between periodontal disease and general health. She was also recognized for her scholarship and contributions to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention/AAP workgroup that created case definitions for periodontal disease.
Fasbinder, Neiva Receive Digital Tech AwardsTwo faculty members each received an Award of Excellence during the CEREC 27.5 Anniversary Celebration in Las Vegas.
Dr. Dennis Fasbinder, clinical profes-sor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics (CRSE), received an award for his poster presentation that looked at ideal ways to prepare and restore endodontically treated teeth with
ceramic restorations fabricated using CAD/CAM technology.
Dr. Gisele Neiva, clinical associate professor in CRSE, received an award for her poster presentation that outlined the results of a four- year clinical study of patients who received high-strength porcelain crowns fabricated during a single visit using CAD/CAM technology.
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Drs. Neiva and Fasbinder receive CEREC Awards of Excellence.
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Drs. Neiva and Fasbinder receive CEREC Awards of Excellence.
Peter Polverini, DDS, DMSc was installed as the 42nd president of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) at the Association’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in
Seattle in March. As dean of the U-M School of Dentistry, he has encouraged dental students to pursue careers in
academic dentistry. As president of AADR, Polverini will represent the oral health research community whose mission is to improve oral health through research and discovery.
“It is a tremendous honor to be afforded the opportunity to serve as president of this prestigious organiza-tion. My goal is to encourage scientific exchange and innovation, and advance the profession by sharing the most up-to-date evidence with clinicians, educators, and other scientific and
professional organizations. We must assure the general public that our research initiatives are targeted to improve their oral health,” Polverini stressed during his installation remarks. “These are challenging times, but working together there is much we can accomplish.”
The AADR serves nearly 3,500 mem- bers in the United States. It is the largest division of the International Association for Dental Research.
AADR’s 42nd President
Paul Krebsbach, DDS, PhD, the Roy H. Roberts Professor of Dentistry and chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences,
has been elected vice president by members of the American Associa-tion for Dental Research, the largest division of the International Association for Dental Research.
He is serving a one-year term that began in March. Next year he becomes president-elect and then AADR president in 2015. The mission
of the AADR is: (1) to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health; (2) to support and represent the oral health research community; and (3) to facilitate the communication and application of research findings.
Krebsbach Elected AADR VP
It’s an idea that, if successful, could benefit many, including war veterans who have sustained battlefield injuries and, ultimately, children and adults with developmental or acquired facial defects from trauma or disfiguring cancer surgery.
Dr. Stephen Feinberg, professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry has been working with other U-M research-ers to develop techniques that use a patient’s own oral “soft” tissue lining cells (keratinocytes) to reconstruct oral mucosa (soft tissues in the mouth).
With funding from the National Insti-tutes of Health, Feinberg has fabricated
an alternative — a tissue-engineered human oral mucosa equivalent. The soft tissue equivalent is currently being used in several clinical reconstructive studies funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Why rebuild oral mucosa? Two reasons. First, facial battlefield injuries; second, limited supplies of oral tissue.
“Injuries to the jaw and upper face are common battlefield injuries sustained by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Feinberg said. “Reconstructive procedures of the mouth following trauma often fail to achieve satisfactory esthetic and functional results,” he said.
Re-Grow Damaged Tissues with Patient’s Cells
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Dr. Stephen Feinberg
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Faculty, staff, students, alumni and international visitors participated in a successful Research Day 2013.
This year’s keynote address was presented by Rocky S. Tuan, PhD, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Tuan’s talk focused on using adult stem cells
and nanostructured materials for skeletal tissue engineering and regeneration. Following the keynote
address, 72 presentations were available for viewing and discussion during the poster session.
Using Wisdom Tooth Stem Cells to Regenerate Dental Tissues?
Imagine going to a dental office to
have a wisdom tooth extracted. After the tooth is removed, the dentist then
sends the tooth to a laboratory
where the stem cells inside the dental pulp
of the tooth are collected and stored for possible use later. Instead of replac-ing the wisdom tooth with an implant or other prosthesis, the patient’s own stem cells, for example, might then be used to re-grow another tooth.
Futuristic? Perhaps. But second-year dental student Emily Eubanks is investigating if that possibility might one day become a reality. Eubanks won the Grand Prize during the School of Dentistry’s annual Research Day in February.
“I was interested in discovering a clinically feasible way to store wisdom teeth after extraction, so that at some point in the future we could extract the stem cells from the dental pulp to use them for our research,” she said.
POSSIBLE BENEFITS
Mentored by Dr. Darnell Kaigler, an assistant professor of dentistry in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, Eubanks discovered that saline was a good storage solution, and that storing the teeth this way for 24 hours did not have any significant impact on stem cell collection.
“Discovering that these teeth can be stored in saline for 24 hours was important since it will allow dentists time to take extracted wisdom teeth and send them to a laboratory to have stem cells isolated,” she said. “The traditional method for isolating similar types of stem cells involves collecting them from bone marrow in the hip, which can be painful and invasive.”
Since wisdom tooth extraction is a routine procedure, being able to use wisdom teeth stem cells offers dentists and their patients new possibilities. “If a patient has pulpitis or a carious lesion, instead of using metal, ceramic or other restorative materials, we could potentially use these stem cells to help regenerate the diseased or damaged tissue to restore the tooth,” she said.
Research Day 2013
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Emily Eubanks (D2) this year’s Research Day Grand Prize winner.
Grand Prize
Winner
ADA DENTSPLY
Award
Mark YourCalendar!Alumni and friends are
invited to join us for
Wednesday, February 19 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the Office of Research
Research Day 2014
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2013 Research Day Award WinnersUndergraduate, DDS, DH, MS/Certificate — Clinical
Application and Technique
First Prize Kristin Kelly, Allia Marini
(DH4, Mentor: Darlene Jones)
Knowledge of Caregivers in Regards to Dental Trauma in Children within
a Daycare Setting
Second Prize Lindsay El Awadi, Wassim El Awadi,
Shradha Fogla (DH4, Mentors: Janet Kinney,
Anne Gwozdek)
Use of the Esther Wilkins International Education Program to Educate Children
at Alpha House
Third Prize Suzanne Mason
(MS Certificate, Mentor: Darnell Kaigler)
Standardized Approach for Isolating Mesenchymal Stem Cells from
Alveolar Bone
Undergraduate, DDS, DH, MS/Certificate — Basic Science and Research
First Prize Kevin Byrd
(D4, Mentor: Theodora Danciu)
Invasive Front Histology of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Correlates with
Overall Stage
Second Prize Riley Schaff
(Undergrad, Mentor: William Giannobile)
Oral Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection Increases the Development and Progression
of Collagen-Induced Arthritis
Third Prize Robert Schneider
(MS Certificate, Mentor: Tatiana Botero)
The Effect of White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate on Migration, Proliferation, and Odontoblastic Differentiation on Stem Cells
from the Apical Papilla
Dental Hygiene
First Prize Emily Fish, Kelsey Kress
(DH4, Mentor: Dan Chiego)
Bacterial Contamination in Dental Operatories
Second Prize Tiffany Mendryga
(DH4, Mentor: Anne Gwozdek)
Assessment of WIC Providers’ Perceptions of Oral Health Counseling and
Availability of Associated Resources
Third Prize Kristin Koltuniak, Taylor Morton,
Jenna Wheaton (DH4, Mentor: Marita Inglehart)
Do Prolonged Wait Times Prior to a Scheduled Appointment Effect Patient-Provider Relationships?
PhD/Postdoctoral Fellow/Staff
First Prize Fabiana Soki
(PhD Candidate, Mentor: Laurie McCauley)
Macrophages and Prostate Cancer Skeletal Metastasis
Second Prize Jamie Lane
(PhD, Mentor: Vesa Kaartinen)
Simultaneous Loss of Canonical and Non-canonical Transforming Growth Factor
Beta 3 Signaling Leads to Defects in the Palatal Epithelium
Third Prize (Tie) Chris Donnelly
(PhD Pre-candidate, Mentor: Brian Pierchala)
Characterizing a p75/Ret Receptor Complex that Mediates Cell Survival and Apoptosis
Luis Villa (Faculty/Staff, Mentor:
Paul Krebsbach)
Derivation of Transgene-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Xeno-Free and
on Synthetic Polymer Substrates
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Dr. Peter Ma, a professor of dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, received the Distinguished Scientist-Isaac Schour Memorial Award for his outstanding scientific contributions in tissue engineering, regeneration and stem cell research. Presented during the IADR’s annual meeting, the award
recognizes scientists whose research has led to significant advances in oral health.
“As a biomedical engineer, I am humbled to receive this high honor given by the International Association for Dental Research because it recognizes the significant research that has been conducted in our laboratory,” Ma said.
Ma began his career at the University of Michigan in 1996. He is a tenured full professor with quadruple appointments in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences in the School of Dentistry; in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center; and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.
Ma has published 205 articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and book chapters, and edited a book, “Scaffolding in Tissue Engineering” (CRC Press). He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and a Fellow of the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering.
IADR Distinguished Scientist
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AADR/IADR Awards School of Dentistry faculty, students, and a resident won major awards during the recent annual sessions of the American Association for Dental Research and the International Association for Dental Research.
Dr. Jill Bashutski, a clinical assistant professor of dentistry in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, received the William B. Clark Clinical Research Fellowship. The $5,000 award was provided to support Bashutski’s research.
Dr. Darnell Kaigler, an assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, received the Sigmund Socransky Young Investigator Award from IADR’s Periodontal Research Group. The award is annually presented to a promising young investigator in periodontology who is in the early phase of his or her academic and research career.
Dr. Aaron Havens, a third-year resident in the School’s Graduate Orthodontics Program, won a second place Hatton Award for his research investigating if it may be possible to use a person’s cells to develop therapies that can regenerate tissues in the cranio-facial region following trauma or infection, or perhaps to repair congenital anomalies.
Dr. Vincenzo Desiderio won an IADR/Colgate Research in Preven-tion Travel Award. The award encourages young investigators to conduct research to prevent oral health diseases and present the results of the work to the international oral health community. His research focuses on stem cell implications in oral carcinogenesis. Mentor: Silvana Papagerakis
DDS/PhD Oral Health Sciences student Jae Shin received the GlaxoSmithKline 2013 Student Research Fellowship.* Mentor: Peter Ma
Dental student Saalini Velamakanni received the DENTSPLY International 2013 Research Fellowship.* Mentor: Petros Papagerakis
*The research fellowships encourage dental students in the U.S. to consider careers in oral health research.
You are invited to join… The newly formed Michigan
Section of the AADR invites
anyone—practitioners, health
professionals, scientists, faculty,
staff, and students—interested
in the development and exchange
of interdisciplinary scientific
information related to dental
research to join this section.
For more information contact: Dr. Petros Papagerakis ([email protected])
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A third-year resident in the graduate periodontics program won first place for her research during the Midwest Society of Periodontology’s recent meeting in Chicago.
Dr. Suzanne Mason investigated the possible use of stem cells from alveolar bone marrow to regenerate large oral and craniofacial bone defects. Alveolar bone is the part of the bone that surrounds each tooth and makes up the jaw bone.
In her study, five U-M clinicians used three different methods to collect alveolar bone marrow from 44 patients. Her research revealed that, regardless of which method was used, this novel
approach of harvesting alveolar bone marrow and then extracting stem cells for use in patients “may one day be used to regenerate large oral and craniofacial bone defects,” Mason said.
She noted that approximately 500,000 dental related bone grafting procedures are performed annually and stem cell based therapies are being developed to overcome the limitations of traditional grafting techniques, especially for large oral reconstructive procedures.
The alveolar bone site is less invasive for patients compared to harvesting stem cells from other sites, such as the iliac crest, the curved ridge and the most prominent bone on the pelvis, which is often the harvest site when a bone graft is required. Unfortunately, the procedure in that area can result in pain that often lasts for several years.
Perio Resident Wins 1st Place
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Dr. Suzanne Mason, mentor, Dr. Darnell Kaigler (L) and her father, Dr. William Mason (R), (DDS 1981, MS periodontics 1984).
Resident Wins Milo Hellman AwardIt’s a first! For the third consecutive year, a resident in the Graduate Orthodontics Program has won the prestigious Milo Hellman Research Award from the American Association of Orthodontists.
Dr. Aaron Havens, a third-year resident, received the award during the AAO’s annual session in Philadelphia. The Milo Hellman Award recognizes the most meritorious research paper submitted by a resident in a graduate orthodontics program in the U.S. and Canada.
Havens is exploring if it is possible to use a person’s cells to develop therapies that can regenerate tissues in the craniofacial region following trauma or infection, or perhaps to repair congenital maladies.
Using specialized stem cells found in adult bone marrow, Havens and mentor Dr. Russell Taichman, profes-sor, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, are investigating if these specialized stem cells have
regenerative properties and can repair a craniofacial wound in animals.
“UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT”
“This unprecedented achievement demonstrates that our students are engaged in some of the most cutting-edge research in the profession that not only brings recognition to our students and the program, but also helps advance the field of orthodon-tics and patient care,” said Dr. Sunil Kapila, Chair of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry.
Past Milo Hellman Award recipients who won the award when they were in the Graduate Orthodontics Program include:
Dr. Ashwini Joshi (2012) Dr. Brad Hudson (2011) Dr. Courtney Dunn (2005) Dr. Fedon Livieratos (1994) Dr. Eric Brust (1993) Dr. Rolf Behrents (1985) Dr. James McNamara (1973)
U-M Orthodon-tics Claims 2013 Graber Award Also this year, Dr. Dylan Schneider (DDS 2012) won a Thomas M. Graber Award of Special Merit for his work identifying the optimal dose of osteoprotegerin to enhance post-orthodontic stability.
3 in a Row for Orthodontics
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Dr. Aaron Havens
School of Dentistry dental hygiene educator and clinician Anne Gwozdek recently received the 2013 Mentor of the Year Award from Philips Sonicare and PennWell Corp., publisher of RDH magazine. Her photo appeared on the cover of the magazine’s April issue. A story accompanied the photo. The award was presented during the American Dental Hygienists’ Associa-tion’s annual session in Boston.
Gwozdek, a clinical assistant professor of dentistry, has directed the School’s dental hygiene e-learning degree completion program since its inception in January 2008. The distance learning program enables dental hygienists to earn a Bachelor of Science degree while remaining employed or maintaining family com-mitments. The success of that program
led to the School launching a second online learning program last Septem-ber leading to a Master of Science degree in dental hygiene.
Two dental hygiene colleagues and two former students nominated Gwozdek for the award: Karen Essell (BS DH 1969), Mary Gilson Layher (BS DH 1981), Elizabeth Easter (BS DH 2012), and Kathy Yee (BS DH 2009).
PROFESSIONAL, PERSONAL INFLUENCE DESCRIBED
“Anne’s contributions to our profes-sion are the result of her encouraging, collaborative and well-prepared approach,” Layher wrote in her nomination.
Layher also lauded Gwozdek’s “amazing ability to network, educate and collaborate with those she has encountered.” That approach, Layher noted, led to the state legislature approving a bill in 2002 that allowed dental hygienists to administer local
anesthesia as well as developing and implementing the School’s online Bachelor of Science degree
completion and Master of Science programs.
Essell said she listened to advice Gwozdek gives to dental students and dental hygienists: Be open to new
opportunities and looking for new ways to apply your
education. “My newest role as a research hygienist was facilitated by
Anne who has a wonderful way of evaluating people’s strengths and nurturing them.”
Easter, a past president of the U-M Student American Dental Hygienists’
Association, said, “Mrs. Gwozdek always offered advice and
encouragement that helped me to see how my educa-tion could benefit me in areas I may not have even thought about before, such as research.”
Dental Hygiene Program Director Janet Kinney, said, “This prestigious award couldn’t be given to a more deserving person. Many of us, myself included, have stories about how Anne has impacted our lives and professional careers for the better, helping us to achieve goals we never thought we could reach.”
“Every dental professional fondly remembers a mentor who made a difference in their lives, someone who acted as a trusted and loyal adviser and friend, who motivated, inspired and supported our personal and profes-sional growth,” said Gail Stoops, RDH, the senior manager of professional relations at Philips Oral Healthcare. “The Philips Sonicare/RDH Mentor of the Year Award recognizes outstanding dental hygienists who have positively impacted the lives of other profession-als,” she added.
Gwozdek Mentor of the Year
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Anne Gwozdek, Mentor of the Year Award recipient.
Anne’s contributions
to our profession are the
result of her encouraging,
collaborative and well-
prepared approach.
Three U-M School of Dentistry dental hygiene alumnae received major awards for their contributions to the profession during the annual House of Delegates meeting of the Michigan Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA) last fall.
KAREN ESSELL — FRANCES SHOOK AWARD
Karen Essell (BSDH 1969) was recognized for a career of mentoring on-campus dental hygiene students and those in the online Degree Completion Program, advocating for oral health care services for youngsters in the Headstart Program in Washtenaw County, and providing opportunities for the underserved to receive oral health care.
An adjunct faculty member in the dental hygiene program at the School of Dentistry, Essell is also an advisor to the Student Chapter of the American
Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and is the Washtenaw District Dental Hygienists’ Society (WDDHS) liaison to the School’s dental hygiene program.
During her 36 years of service in private practice, Essell was active in the WDDHS, MDHA, and the ADHA. She served as president, trustee, delegate, and board member of WDDHS; was a member of MDHA’s Membership Council and the organization’s historian; and served as an ADHA delegate.
ALLISON RESTAURI — OUTSTANDING RDH OF THE YEAR AWARD
A graduate of the School’s degree completion program in 2011, Allison Restauri received the Washtenaw District Dental Hygienists’ Society’s Outstanding Registered Dental Hygien-ist of the Year Award for her active involvement in WDDHS as well as for leadership roles with both MDHA and ADHA.
As a student in the dental hygiene program, Restauri was chosen as an ADHA District Five Alternate Student
Delegate in 2010. That year she also participated in the ADHA’s Center for Lifelong Learning and was a member of the House of Delegates during the ADHA’s annual session in Las Vegas. A year later, she accepted an invitation to serve as WDDHS Trustee and faculty advisor to the U-M Student Chapter of ADHA. She has served on the Michigan Dental Association’s annual session planning committee for last two years.
Dental Hygiene Alumnae Receive Awards
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Karen Essell (L) was presented with the Frances Shook Award by MDHA president Brenda Marriott.
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Allison Restauri (R) with Beth Nicely, ADHA District Five Trustee.
ELIZABETH EASTER — MDHA SPRINGBOARD AWARD
Elizabeth Easter (BSDH 2012) received the MDHA’s Springboard Award. Presented annually to a recent graduate who is now an active MDHA member, the recipient must have served as a student delegate to the MDHA House of Delegates or served as an officer in their student chapter of ADHA.
Easter was active in the U-M Student Chapter of ADHA during the three years she was in the dental hygiene program. She was its secretary in her
junior year and president during her senior year. She was also a student delegate to the MDHA’s House of Delegates in 2010 and 2011.
As a dental hygiene student, Easter worked with the Great Start Fluoride Varnish program and participated in independent study at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research. At graduation she received the Pauline Steele Leadership Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership as a U-M student. Ph
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Oral Health Care for Veterans The Wolverine Patriot ProjectDENTAL STUDENTS, DENTAL ALUMNI INVOLVED
A group of dental students from the School of Dentistry and a husband and wife dental team who earned their dental degrees from U-M in 1989 and run a private practice have joined forces to provide oral health care to disabled and homeless veterans in Gaylord, Michigan.
The veterans-focused oral health care initiative is called the Wolverine Patriot Project. Its origins can be traced to a second-year dental student, Jesse Edwards, who asked himself, “How can I help those who served this country?”
Edwards was a dental technician at the Great Lakes Naval Air Station in Waukegan, Illinois, and also served at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona.
“I saw many oral health care problems. That fueled my desire to go to dental school, become a dentist, and help our veterans,” he said.
Edwards is helping veterans sooner than he thought.
The School’s Pathway program gives dental students opportunities to explore career options in health care delivery, leadership, and research as part of the curriculum. The Leadership Pathway gave him the opportunity to discuss his idea with dental student col-leagues Tony Guinn, Ameen Shahnam, Kevin Goles, and Mariam Dinkha. They uncovered some startling discoveries about the plight of military veterans seeking oral health care in Michigan.
They learned that of the 723,000 veterans who live in Michigan more than seven percent are homeless and most do not qualify for dental benefits. “Veterans receive medical care, but dental care for them is virtually nonexistent,” Edwards said.
ALUMS RESPOND
When two School of Dentistry alumni and U.S. Air Force veterans, Dr. Edward Duski and his wife, Dr. Janis Chmura Duski, learned about the project they jumped at the chance to participate.
Last October, the students and the Duskis discussed their plans with local community and political leaders, dentists, and representatives from charitable organizations at a meeting in Gaylord.
In the group was Jason Allen, senior deputy director of Veterans Affairs with the State of Michigan. “I was impressed with the efforts of everyone to help veterans in Michigan,” Allen said. “The dental students did their homework. They understood what the veterans needed to do to receive the oral health care they are eligible for.”
VERY EMOTIONAL
The Duskis closed their private practice for two days and worked with eight dental students and four community dentists. For most of the 18 veterans who were examined, it was their first visit to a dentist in years.
“Since many of the veterans had not seen a dentist in a long time, we took the time, in some cases two or three hours, to listen to what they had to say,” Edwards said.
The experience profoundly affected the Duskis. “It was hard to hold on to your emotions listening to some of the stories the veterans told us about their military experiences as well as listening to their health concerns,” Janis Duski said.
The dental students have returned to Gaylord several times since last fall.
“We want to continue working with the School of Dentistry to make this a sus-tainable program in the Gaylord area because there is a need for oral health care for veterans,” Ed Duski said.
He praised the dental students. “The professionalism of the dental students and their ability to connect with the veterans was incredible. I’m glad Jan and I were able to witness that. It was an experience we will never forget,” he said. “The University of Michigan School of Dentistry has so much to be proud of and we’re just getting started.”
“We want this to be an on-going program, and we would like it to become a template to provide oral health care to veterans elsewhere in Michigan,” he said. “We would also like to get more dentists in other communities involved.”
Drs. Bill Piskorowski and Howard Hamerink are the faculty mentors for this project.
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Participants in the Wolverine Patriot Project last fall in Gaylord.
Ida Gray Awards
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Students: Wolverine Patriot ProjectFive second-year dental students, led by Jesse Edwards, himself a veteran, established the Wolverine Patriot Project to bring free oral health care to homeless veterans in Gaylord, Michigan. The other dental students sharing the award were Tony Guinn, Dental Class of 2015 president, Ameen Shahnam, Kevin Goles, and Mariam Dinkha.
“This group of dental students exemplifies what dentistry should be all about: bringing the best possible care to those who suffer from a lack of dental care and making the world a better place,” said Dean Peter Polverini.
Staff: Elizabeth EasterCurrently a staff member at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research after earning her dental hygiene degree last spring, Elizabeth Easter “has displayed an exceptional degree of community involvement,” said Dean Peter Polverini.
He cited Easter’s participation in the Head Start Smiles Fluoride Varnish Program Practicum Project where she performed oral health screenings on low-income preschoolers and
provided oral hygiene education to the preschoolers and staff.
Easter was involved in other programs including volunteering at the Wash-tenaw Community Dental Clinic as well as at the New Beginnings Academy where she taught oral health care to 4 and 5 year olds, participated in the annual Give Kids a Smile program, and participated in the Ypsilanti High School Mentoring program.
Faculty: Juana GissendannerAn adjunct clinical lecturer in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, Gissendanner (BSDH) has been actively recruiting underrepresented minority students from high schools across Michigan to consider a career in oral health for more than a decade.
Gissendanner has been a faculty advisor for the National Dental Hygienists’ Association and was president of the organization in 2011.
She helped establish the student chapter (SNDHA) at the School of Dentistry.
“Juana Gissendanner plays an important role in our School, and we are grateful for all her work,” Polverini said. “She encourages students from underrepresented minority backgrounds to be role models in their communities and motivates other students to pursue a career in dentistry.”
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Elizabeth Easter with her parents, Betty and Rev. George Easter.
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Juana Gissendanner and her husband, Terry.
The 2013 recipients of the IDA Gray Awards included a group of dental students who created a service project for homeless veterans who lack access to dental care, a dental hygiene alumna who provides oral health care screenings to low-income preschoolers, and an adjunct clinical lecturer who recruits underrepresented minority students from high schools across Michigan and encourages them to apply to the School of Dentistry.
The School of Dentistry’s Multicultural Affairs Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Marita Inglehart and Ms. Cheryl Quiney, presented these awards to the recipients during the School’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Dean Peter Polverini with student recipients of the Ida Gray Award (left to right): Anthony Guinn, Jesse Edwards III, Ameen Shahnam, Kevin Goles, Steven Kilpatrick, Mariam Dinkha.
“You’re doing a good job of brushing and flossing your teeth. I can tell when I look at them,” says Jessica Gillis (D2)as she looks at the teeth of 7-year-old Alex Kim.
Alex was one of 27 children seen by U-M dental and dental hygiene students at the School of Dentistry in February as a part of the American Dental Association’s annual nationwide Give Kids a Smile program.
One parent, Jaami Muhammed of Ann Arbor, said, “It’s my fourth or fifth time I’ve been here with my daughters.” “We keep returning,” Muhammed said, “because the dental students are so friendly and they do a good job. And
since there is no cost, this program helps us financially.”
For Kathryn Brown (D2), it is the fifth time she participated in the program, beginning as a dental hygiene student. The difference participating as a dental student compared to the first time as a dental hygiene student is that “I have more confidence now than I did then. That confidence continues to grow the more I participate,” she said.
Other dental and dental hygiene students said they were grateful for the opportunity to help those in the community and that they gained additional experience treating pediatric patients.
Oral Cancer Screenings
GKAS Offers Free Dental Care
Student IDs Warthin’s Tumor“The people are great. The care is great. This school is great. I have always recommended the dental school to anyone who needs good oral health care. But I’m doing that even more now following the way my student dentist, Jody, took good care of me,” says William Ruber.
Ruber travels from his home in Brooklyn, Michigan to Ann Arbor to receive dental care. Jody Atzmon (D4) has been Ruber’s “student dentist” since June 2011.
When Ruber returned for his appoint-ment with Atzmon in November 2011, both thought the visit would be routine. It was not. During the extraoral examination, Atzmon detected a small, hard, dime size lump on the left side of his neck. “It felt like an enlarged lymph node but only on the left side,” Atzmon said.
Ruber was “urged to have his medical doctor check the lump and let us know the results,” Atzmon said. He saw his physician who referred him to a specialist.
LUMP GROWS
At Ruber’s December follow-up appointment Atzmon noted that the lump was still present, only larger. Ruber was advised to have the lump re-evaluated. An aspiration biopsy was conducted in January 2012. The results were negative.
But when Ruber returned a month later for another appointment with Atzmon the lump was still there, bigger, about
the size of a quarter, and growing rapidly. Ruber made an appointment with a surgeon who removed the tumor.
DIAGNOSIS: BENIGN WARTHIN’S TUMOR
A report revealed the lump in Ruber’s neck was a Warthin’s tumor, a benign salivary gland tumor that is frequently found in men 60 years of age and older, especially those who smoke.
Atzmon said this was the first patient she has treated with a Warthin’s tumor. Ironically, since treating Ruber, she has discovered other lesions in three patients where biopsies have been necessary. “Because of the excellent education and clinical training we receive throughout dental school, I was able to recognize these growths, give my patients vital information, and recommend appropriate follow up care. I cannot stress enough the importance of doing oral cancer screenings on all patients because this procedure can save a life,” she said.
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7-year-old Alex Kim looks in the mirror after Jessica Gillis (D2) tells him about the work she did on his teeth.
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William Ruber praised Jody Atzmon (D4) for her approach to an oral examination that detected a lump in his neck.
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Student AwardsClark Wins 1st Place at AAIDDaniel Clark (D4) won a first-place award from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry last fall for his poster presentation that described how a novel coating, applied to dental or medical implants or bone scaffolds, might be used in the future.
Clark’s research was supported by a student research grant from AAID. His mentor was Dr. Jun Liu, an assistant research scientist in the School’s Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics.
Dery Wins ACP AwardJill Kristine Dery (D3) won third place for her poster presentation at the annual session of the American College of Prosthodontists last fall. Her work focused on an innovative approach to conventional removable complete denture fabrication using CAD/CAM technology. Her mentor, Dr. Renee Duff, a clinical associate professor, Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, said the technology applied in Dery’s work “may lead to fewer
appointments for patients and shorter treatment times in select cases.”
Dery used a digital denture process using CAD/CAM technology. The technology has been used for some time in areas of dentistry such as fixed restorations, implant planning, placement, and restoration. According to Duff, Dery’s approach to using CAD/CAM in conventional removable complete denture fabrication is a recent innovation.
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Daniel Clark with his mentor, Dr. Jun Liu (L), and Xiaodong Wang (R), research assistant.
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Dental student Jill Kristine Dery (right) and her mentor, Dr. Renee Duff.
Forest Wins Award for Cancer Research ProjectAlexandra Forest (D3) recently won a third place award in basic science research for her work investigating possible connections between oral cancer and prostate cancer. She received the award during the annual American Dental Association/Dentsply Student Clinician Research Award program and reception last fall.
Forest investigated how metastatic prostate cancer competes with other cells for “space,” especially in the
bones in the jaw. Her mentors are Drs. Russell Taichman and Yusuke Shiozawa in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine who collaborate with Dr. Kenneth Pienta at the Medical School.
Kennedy Receives MDAF Scholarship Emily Kennedy (DDS 2013) has received a $1,000 scholarship from the Michigan Dental Association Foundation. The annual award
is presented to Michigan residents attending Michigan universities and colleges.
“Receiving this scholarship has strengthened my confidence in my achievements and successes at the
dental school,” she said. After earning her dental degree, Kennedy said she plans to work in the office of her father, Dr. Daniel Kennedy (DDS 1981) and his two dental partners, Dr. Chris Marzonie (DDS 1981) and Dr. Steven Gray (DDS 2002).
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Third-year dental student Alexandra Forest (fourth from left) was one of six U.S. Student Clinician Research Award Program winners.
Dr. Richard Shick (DDS 1954, MS 1960, MICD 2012)He’s still on Cloud Nine. It’s easy to understand why.
Last fall, Dr. Richard “Dick” Shick received two of the highest honors the International College of Dentists can bestow.
During its annual session in San Francisco, he received the Outstanding Dental Leader Award and the Master Fellowship Award. It was the first time since it was founded in 1928 that ICD presented both awards to the same person. The awards recognized Shick for his lifelong dedication, leadership, and contributions to dentistry and the ICD.
Previous recipients of the Outstand-ing Dental Leader Award include Drs. Harold Slavkin, Gordon Christensen, and Representative Charles Norwood.
The Master Fellowship Award is a rare distinction bestowed upon Active or Life Fellows with approval of ICD’s Executive Committee. Receiving the honor allows Shick to include MICD (Master International College of Dentists) along with his educational degrees. Some previous Master Fellow-ship Award recipients include Dr. L.D. Pankey and Admiral Richard Shaffer.
“These awards are the pinnacle of achievement in my nearly 60-year career in dentistry,” Shick said shortly after receiving the awards. “I am humbled to be included in both groups of highly regarded professionals.”
However, Shick said “I had a feeling something was up early last year,” when Dr. Ronald Paler (DDS 1961), an ICD regent, “called requesting a copy of my CV.” Then, two months later Paler called again and advised me “to find a chair and sit down. Moments later he told me ICD would be honor-ing me with two awards during its annual session. I was speechless.”
NO REGRETS
Looking back, it was the influence of a family dentist who earned his dental degree from Michigan, who set Shick’s career in motion.
“Our family dentist, Dr. Arthur Harrison (DDS 1917), was probably the person who had the most impact on my decision to become a dentist,” Shick said. “I saw him twice a year for my dental checkups and was always
impressed with his demeanor.”
As a senior at Davison (Michigan) High School in 1947, Shick said he decided to pursue dentistry after also considering a career as a pilot or physician. “Not once did I change my mind after I decided to become a dentist,” he said. “And I never regretted it.”
Shick enrolled in Flint Junior College, today known as Mott Community College, and earned an associate’s degree in science in 1949. “I wanted to go to Michigan, but since I was one of six children, the $150 annual tuition at Flint was more affordable for our family,” he said. Shick later enrolled in U-M’s College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts before beginning his dental education in 1950.
MEMORABLE FACULTY
“I continue to appreciate the great teachers and clinical instruction I received at the School of Dentistry,” he said. “I had some truly outstand-ing instructors” as he mentioned the names of Drs. Donald Kerr, Philip Jay, Kenneth Easlick, Ralph Summers, Frances Vedder, Sigurd Ramfjord, and Prof. Albert Richards.
Other instructors left indelible impres-sions on Shick.
He recalled asking a question, as a second-year dental student, in a class taught by Dr. John Kemper, chair of oral surgery.
“Dr. Kemper was showing us how to remove a tooth and, after he finished, asked if we had any questions,” Shick said. “As I was asking my question, I used the phrase ‘pulling teeth,’ and he stopped me right there and said, rather sternly, ‘Young man, we never pull teeth. We extract teeth or remove teeth, but we never say we pull teeth’.”
Lesson learned. Shick said during the 43 years he practiced general dentistry and periodontics he never used the phrase “pulling teeth,” only “extracting teeth” or “removing teeth.”
Likewise, Shick said he never used the phrase “dental work” in conversa-tions with his patients or staff. It was always “dental therapy” or “dental treatment.”
Another faculty member Shick said he still remembers fondly is Dr. Louis Schultz.
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“He was a perfectionist, which was understandable because dentistry is a profession where one has to be precise,” Shick said. “But his perfec-tionism also included how you dressed, how your fingernails were trimmed, as well as the way you addressed your patients and even your peers.” Describing Schultz as “an entertain-ing dentist,” Shick said other dental students frequently called his lectures “The Hour of Charm.”
LEADERSHIP ROLES
After earning his dental degree, Shick plunged into active roles, often in lead-ership positions, in organized dentistry.
He has been a member of the Genesee District Dental Society, the Michigan Dental Association, and the American Dental Association since 1956; the American Academy of Periodontol-ogy since 1960; and the International College of Dentists since 1976.
He served as president of GDDS (1966), the MDA (1976-1977), a 10-year member of the MDA’s Board of Trustees (1968-1978), first vice president of the ADA (1978-1979), president of the U.S.A. section of the International College of Dentists (2001), world president of ICD (2009), as well as chair and a member of
dozens of committees at district, state, national, and international levels.
Shick’s voice was often heard on WJR Radio in Detroit when he wrote and produced Ask the Dentist programs (1962-1964) and was a guest on 120 live radio programs, Tips from the Top on Teeth, hosted by the late J.P. McCarthy (1977-1992).
Shick never forgot his alma mater.
He was a researcher, clinical instructor, and assistant professor at the School of Dentistry (1961-1979) and served two terms on the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors (1964-1971) includ-ing a one-year term as chair (1968).
Shick has been extensively involved in civic activities in Flint and Genesee County, including serving on the Mott Community College Foundation Board, Executive Committee, and the Finance Committee which he chaired for five years. He also served on Grand Blanc’s Vision 2020 Committee and received that community’s Citizen of the Year in 2002 and Volunteer of the Year Award in 2004.
“I could not have achieved any of my success without the loving support I have received from my wife, Rose Marie,” he said. Married 54 years, the Shicks have five children. Although all earned a total of nine degrees from U-M, none is in dentistry or dental hygiene. However, his 16-year-old granddaughter has said she is going to become a dentist.
ADVICE FOR DENTAL STUDENTS
As he reflected on his career and days as a dental student, Shick said if there was one suggestion he could offer dental students it is “to get involved in organized dentistry.”
Being involved, as a dental student, “allows you to get your foot in the door. Over time, you will have unique opportunities to help shape your profession of dentistry and influence its direction. That’s an opportunity that is just too good to pass up,” he said.
Paler, ICD regent, agrees, recalling his experience as a trustee of the Michigan Dental Association in the early 1980s.
“I remember as a new and young trustee the debates we had about the use of tobacco at the MDA office and social events. Dick initially requested the elimination of smoking at all dental events. As ridiculous as this seems today, 30 years ago this was resisted by many who were, of course, smokers,” Paler said.
“As usual, Dick’s resolution prevailed because of his persistence, logic, and the force of his leadership. That alone convinced me he was an exceptional person. Dick is certainly a leader in the dental profession,” Paler said. “His work will continue to influence generations to come.”
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Dr. Richard Shick and his wife, Rose Marie, after he received the Outstanding Dental Leader Award and the Master Fellowship Award. On the left is Dr. Michael Kenny, ICD World president, wearing a chain made of plaques with the names of former ICD World presidents.
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Dr. Richard Shick recalls the life and achievements of the late Dr. Sigurd Ramfjord who was inducted into the School’s Hall of Honor in 2003.
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Board of Governors Learn about School Programs, Initiatives
“It was a superb meeting,” said Sheree Duff (BSDH 1980, MS 1991), chair of the School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Gov-ernors, as she talked about last fall’s Board meeting that featured 11 School adminis-trators, depart-ment chairs, and program directors who gave updates
on activities and initiatives as well as answered questions from Board members.
“We all left with a strong sense of commitment from everyone; that they continue to care deeply about student learning and providing the resources that prepare them for the future,” she added.
DEAN SEARCH
Dean Peter Polverini briefed the group about the search, saying that five candidates were invited for interviews which were completed in December. A new dean was named in March. (See page 9.)
Dr. Stephen Bayne, chair of the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics said, “The U-M School of Dentistry is so highly regarded, that more than 200 names were submitted to the Search Commit-tee for consideration before five were invited to Ann Arbor for interviews and presentations to faculty, staff, students, and alumni.”
CLINIC RENOVATIONS
“Major renovations are needed to the predoctoral clinics,” said Dr. Stephen Stefanac, associate dean for Patient Services.
“Our current cubicle design does not easily allow us to teach clinical dentistry in a modern fashion,” he said, noting that the cubicles are small and were built at a time when cabinets used to store student-owned instruments were important and dental equipment was smaller.
Stefanac said there was no planning for “four-handed dentistry, computers and monitors, and space for equip-ment such as digital-impression taking devices, and CAD-CAM machines. We are also limited in our ability to accommodate wheelchair transfers and caregivers in many of our cubicles.”
Stefanac said he has been working with an architect specializing in dental clinic and operatory design. A plan has been created to reconfigure clinic space to meet the needs of contemporary clinical teaching. A mockup of the new operatory design will be built in the Foundation Clinic for faculty, students, and staff to evaluate before a final decision is made.
ORAL SURGERY CLINIC
Dr. Joseph Helman, chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery and Hospital Dentistry, agreed there is a need for a new or completely renovated oral surgery clinic at the dental school.
“We have had to defer any action on that because of the economy the past few years. The cost of renovations might be as high as $5 million,” he said.
Polverini said U-M has a new process that assigns priorities to renovations and the construction of new facilities. “I’ve been assured that our School is high on the list of ‘High Priority’ projects,” he said, adding, “we cannot speculate when the priority projects will receive funding approval.”
ADMISSIONS AND ACADEMICS
The U-M School of Dentistry continues to be highly-regarded in dental education, according to Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, associate dean for Academic Affairs.
“We received 2,168 applications for the Dental Class of 2016. We interviewed 300 and then offered admission to 108 of them,” she said.
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Members of the School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors. Seated, left to right: Ms. Kathleen Early, Dr. Janis Chmura Duski, Dr. Michael Cerminaro, Ms. Sheree Duff (chair), and Dr. Sondra Moore Gunn. Back row: Dr. Carl Pogoncheff, Dr. Kerry Kaysserian, Dr. Frank Alley, Dr. Jerry Booth, Dr. Scott Schulz, Dr. Reggie VanderVeen (chair-elect), Dr. Mike Palaszek, Dr. Jeff Smith, and Dr. Wayne Olsen.
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Board chair Sheree Duff said she and other members appreciated information provided by School leaders.
Board of Governors Learn about School Programs, Initiatives
REVISED CURRICULUM
Launched in the summer of 2010, the revised curriculum gives students the opportunity to explore more career path options, enhances collaboration and offers more exposure to scientific knowledge they will need in providing patient care.
As chair of the Curriculum Committee, Murdoch-Kinch said the School’s core focus “continues to be excellence in dentistry.” Polverini agreed, adding, “we strive to do better in all areas of our mission — clinical and classroom education, research and discovery, patient care, and outreach.”
NORTH CAMPUS RESEARCH COMPLEX
The School of Dentistry also has a presence at the University’s North Campus Research Complex, Board members were told.
Dr. Paul Krebsbach, chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, recently moved his laboratory to the former Pfizer facility in northeast Ann Arbor as a part of the University of Michigan Biointerfaces, a group of interdisciplinary biomedical research-ers from the School of Dentistry, the Medical School, the College of Engineering, the School of Pharmacy, and the College of Literature, Arts and Sciences.
“With so many people in so many different areas working together in this facility, we think there is significant potential for new discoveries that will ultimately benefit the public in many different areas,” Polverini said.
SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS
Duff (BSDH 1980) said the information provided by the School’s leadership “allows us, as Board members, to spread the good news about the School of Dentistry when we talk to our peers and even students who may be considering a career in dentistry or dental hygiene.”
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“Let Public Officials Know What’s Going On”“One of the things I enjoy talking about when I meet with state officials in Lansing, federal officials in Washing-ton, or others in government is how the University of Michigan School of Dentistry is involved in local communi-ties, providing oral health care across our state. It’s great to let them know how involved the School is with local providers and how they work together to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people.”
That remark from Cynthia Wilbanks, vice president for Government Relations and special advisor to U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, brought smiles to the faces of the School’s Board of Governors during their spring meeting.
Wilbanks spoke on a range of topics, including state support for higher education.
STATE FUNDING
“During the past ten years, we have seen a dramatic decline in state support for higher education,” Wilbanks said. She presented data that showed how state support has dropped more than 50 percent, from about $13,260 per student in 2002,
to about $6,400 today. More students are enrolled at U-M now compared to 2002, and that factors into state support per student, “but the state is annually spending about $1 billion more for the Department of Corrections than for higher education,” Wilbanks said.
With the decline in state funding, tuition and fees at U-M have increased. None of the publicly supported universities receives more than 30 percent of its revenues from the state.
MICHIGAN’S ADVANTAGE
“The key to the state’s long-term success in turning around its economy is a productive workforce, and that requires increased funding for higher education,” she said.
Pointing to North Carolina as an example, Wilbanks said that state addressed the decline of two of its major industries, tobacco and textiles, by making a long-term commitment to funding post-secondary education.
“Michigan is in a similar position given the dominance of the auto industry and the companies that support it,” she said. “All of us, whether we are officials of this University or alumni, need to
emphasize the importance of funding higher education to our public officials, otherwise Michigan’s opportunities for growth will be modest, at best, in the future.”
Wilbanks told the Board of Governors, “What we do here at Michigan, be it in our Health System or at the School of Dentistry, is very important to Michigan, its citizens and the world. Let your local and state officials know what’s going on at your alma mater, including the dental school,” she said. “Our challenge is to stay the course and maintain a high level of awareness.”
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Cynthia Wilbanks answers a question from Dr. Kerry Kaysserian.
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The School of Dentistry welcomed graduates of the dental and dental hygiene programs to three days of Homecoming Weekend activities October 11-13.
Events began on Thursday, October 11 with a ceremony honoring emeritus alumni.
Twenty-six members of the Dental Class of 1962 and five members of the Dental Hygiene class received a medallion and pin celebrating the 50th anniversary of their graduation. In addition, three widows accepted these mementos on behalf of their deceased husbands. They were Shirley Snyder (Dr. Daniel Snyder), Anne Marie Rudell (Dr. Jackson Rudell), and Delores Duddles (Dr. Ronald Duddles).
Following the ceremony, more than 110 graduates and their spouses attended a luncheon in the Sindecuse Atrium which featured the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award and the School’s Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony.
Friday’s Grand Rounds/Morawa Lecture explored the diagnosis, management and clinical treatment of congenital tooth defects. More than 150 alumni joined dental students for the program that included lectures by faculty members and renowned experts in the field. Grand Rounds encourages the collegial discovery, exploration and discussion of a featured topic presented by recognized experts.
That evening, 350 graduates and spouses from dental and dental hygiene classes who graduated in years ending in 2 and 7 attended the Home-coming Gala at the Sheraton Hotel.
The weekend ended on a favorable note when many alumni saw the Wolverines beat Illinois 45-0 at the Big House.
Homecoming Weekend 2012
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The Dental Class of 1962 wearing their emeritus medallions.
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Emeritus alumnae of the Dental Hygiene Class of 1962.
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Many alumni and their spouses stopped to see the Dental Class of 1962 photo.
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Thomas Brown (D2) enjoyed talking to Drs. Lawrence Penrod (center) and Vartkes Tadian (right) about how technology is being used in the preclinic.
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Dental Class of 1962 reunion coordinator Dr. John Logan was one of 26 dental alumni present to receive an emeritus medallion.
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Gietzen Receives Distinguished Service Award“I will be forever grateful to the Uni-versity of Michigan School of Dentistry for what it allowed me to become and what it has enabled me to do,” said Dr. Timothy Gietzen after receiving the School’s Distinguished Service Award. “It has been a sincere honor and pleasure to give back to this school and the dental profession.”
From the time he joined the Young Dentists Club as an undergraduate at Western Michigan University, Gietzen has been involved at all levels of organized dentistry. Since earning his dental degree from Michigan in 1976, Gietzen has served as President and Director of the West Michigan Dental Society, Chairman of the Board of the Delta Dental Fund, Chairman of the
Michigan Dental Association’s Mem-bership Committee, and Chairman of the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors.
Reciting a list of Gietzen’s service to the dental profession and the commu-nity, Dr. Charles Caldwell (DDS 1977) said, “Tim has service in his blood. Through it all, his statesmanship, grace, leadership, and diplomacy have all reflected favorably on his alma mater.”
Presented annually during Homecom-ing Weekend, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes a living person who has made an outstanding contribution to the School of Dentistry, the School’s Alumni Society, and to the dental profession.
Dr. James Avery Inducted into Hall of HonorThe late Dr. James Avery was inducted into the School of Dentistry’s Hall of Honor.
During an illustrious 37-year career at Michigan he taught at both the School of Dentistry and the Medical School, authored three textbooks, was president of the International Associa-tion for Dental Research, directed the Dental Research Institute, and chaired the Department of Oral Biology.
“His career in dentistry was remark-able,” said Dr. Mark Fitzgerald, vice chair of the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, who presented Avery for induction. “Most people knew Dr. Avery as ‘Jim’ or ‘Doc.’ He was a kind, humble, gentle gentleman to all,” Fitzgerald added. “His lifelong passion was to help others.”
Fitzgerald presented Avery’s daughter, Nancy, a replica of the Hall of Honor plaque bearing the image of her late father and a description of his
achievements. “This means so much to our family,” she said. “I’m sorry my mother, Dody, was unable to attend the ceremony.”
Established in 2003, the Hall of Honor posthumously recognizes those from the U-M School of Dentistry who have had a major impact on the oral health care profession. Plaques bearing the names, images, and a description of the achievements of the 44 men and women who have been inducted are on a wall in the Kellogg Building near the Continuing Dental Education office.
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Dr. Charles Caldwell (DDS 1977), left, presented the School’s Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Timothy Gietzen (DDS 1976).
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Nancy Avery received a replica of the Hall of Honor plaque honoring her late father, Dr. James Avery, from Dr. Mark Fitzgerald.
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Zann Periodontics Scholarship FundAdmiration. Affection.That is what you hear in the voices of people as they talk about the late Dr. Gregory Zann (DDS 1975, MS periodontics 1980) who passed away in December 2010 at age 61. Shortly after his death, members of Zann’s family and U-M colleagues established a graduate periodontics scholarship fund to honor his memory.
After earning his master’s degree, Zann and his wife, Janet, moved to Florida where he established his dental practice. “He never retired, nor did he plan to,” said Janet, his wife of 38 years.
Those who knew Dr. Zann said “he cared deeply about the University of Michigan, the School of Dentistry, the Graduate Periodontics Program, and his patients.”
His passion and commitment were apparent to all.
As a member of the Dean’s Faculty, Zann traveled from Florida to the School of Dentistry every month for more than two years (2008- 2010) to share work with residents in the School’s Graduate Perio- dontics Program.
“He did not want to miss returning to Michigan. It was important for him to go,” Janet Zann said. “He loved the faculty. He loved the residents. He loved the staff. And they loved him. It was obvious listening to him as he talked about his experiences when he returned home after those trips.”
“A PASSION FOR LIFELONG LEARNING”
But there was another reason Dr. Zann kept returning to Michigan.
Dr. Laurie McCauley, who becomes dean of the School on Sept. 1 and past chair of the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, said, “Greg had a passion for lifelong learning. His mind
was like a sponge, and he wanted to soak up as much as he could when he was at the School.”
Janet Zann agreed. “Greg felt the more he learned, the more he wanted to learn. He would tell me about some of his new discoveries when he was in Ann Arbor and would say ‘I never would have tried doing this or doing that in my own practice had I not gone to Michigan’.”
Dr. Hom-Lay Wang, director of the Graduate Periodontics Program, said the learning was a two-way street. “Our residents enjoyed talking to him and learned a great deal from Greg, not just about clinical techniques, but about patient management too,” he said.
Wang added that Zann’s presence “sent a powerful message to everyone that said ‘I want to be involved. I want to help’.”
Almost $80,000 of the $100,000 goal has been gifted to honor Greg’s name through the Zann Periodontics Scholar-ship Fund. Those who have made significant gifts to the fund include Janet Zann; Greg’s twin brother, Dr. Robert B. Zann; McCauley; and Wang. “Many of Greg’s friends have also contributed to the fund so his influence on dental education will be felt long into the future,” Janet added.
Dr. Greg Zann with Dr. Hom-Lay Wang, director of the School of Dentistry’s Graduate Periodontics Program.
Remember the School in Your WillHelp shape the future of dentistry by planning a gift to the School of Dentistry in your will or trust. Planned giving offers ways for you to substantially increase your support to the School you love and achieve your financial goals and family objectives at the same time.
To learn more, contact us by phone 734.763.3315 or email [email protected].
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What we have done for ourselves alone
dies with us; what we have done for others
and the world remains immortal. – Albert Pike
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Alumni NewsJohn Mullally (DDS 1969) of Muskegon, Michigan, has written and published an action novel, “The First Lady
Sleeps”, based in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area. The villain and the first lady in the political thriller are both University of Michigan graduates;
the protagonist from the School of Nuclear Engineering, the first lady from the School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program.
Using his knowledge of science and the classics, as well as vignettes from
his own life, the message Mullally said he tries to convey in “The First Lady Sleeps” is that self-knowledge is the be-ginning of wisdom. A sequel is tentatively
scheduled for publication this summer. The ebook or the printed book can be ordered at www.thefirstladysleeps.com
G. Peter Kelly (DDS 1970, Perio1973) and his wife, Barbara, were honored with the Michigan Historic Preservation Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award on May 10 in Marquette, Michigan. The award recognizes the significant contri-butions the Kellys
have made to the historical heritage of Marquette and the State of Michigan for the past 37 years.
Raymond Hancock and Pamela Kloote (both DDS 1978) are retired Air Force dental officers. Kloote is a contract dentist on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and Hancock is a volunteer instructor in the periodontics and general dentistry residencies on base.
“It is always a treat to see Dr. Kloote when I’m on base and reminisce about our times at Michigan,” Hancock said.
Jane Grover (DDS 1979, MSPH 1988) is the new director of the ADA’s Council on Access, Prevention, and Interprofes-sional Relations (CAPIR). The Council is a unit of the Division of Government and Public Affairs. She will lead, direct, and manage ADA activities in areas of access to dental care, fluoridation and caries prevention as well as seek opportunities to integrate oral health with systemic health.
Grover has served as dental director for the Center for Family Health, a federally qualified health center in Jackson, Michigan. She has been active in organized dentistry as a trustee of the Michigan Dental Association and a member of the ADA’s Strategic Planning Committee. She chaired the ADA’s Political Action Committee and served two years as an ADA vice president.
Steven Niergarth (DDS 1985) of Cedar, Michigan, was inducted into the Academy of Dentistry International during its annual meeting last fall in San Francisco.
IN MEMORIAM’54 Dr. Charles Johnson November 6, 2012 Grand Ledge, Michigan
’56 Dr. James Greig, Jr. April 10, 2013 Holly, Michigan
’57 Dr. Murray A. Shekter ’79 MS, Endodontics October 6, 2012 Herzliya, Israel
‘57 Dr. Eugene Buatti ‘62 MS, Orthodontics April 18, 2013 Ann Arbor, Michigan
’76 Dr. Gregory Peacock January 9, 2013 Clio, Michigan
’81 Rosanne Kosko (Dental Hygiene) November 1, 2012 Dearborn, Michigan
Send us Your News!We want to hear from you. Send us
news about your achievements, awards, or honors.
Contact:[email protected]
University of Michigan School of Dentistry 1011 N. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Below are short biographies of candidates seeking to become members of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors.
Choose 4 dentists and 1 dental hygienist who will serve a three-year term begin-ning September 1, 2013. Then clip and mail your ballot to the School of Dentistry at the address below. Envelopes must be postmarked by August 15, 2013.
Dr. Steven M. Dater (DDS 1988) has been involved in organized dentistry since 1989. He was President of the MDA 2007‐2008, a member of the ADA House of Del-egates for 15 years and has served on the ADA Council of Government Affairs and numerous state and local committees.
Dr. Lawrence D. Duffield (DDS 1982) is president of the Oakland County Dental Society. He was also president of the Oakland County Peer Review Quality of Care Committee and Ethics Committees, and has served on the MDA Peer Review Committee. A graduate and mentor of the Kois Center (Seattle), he is a fellow of the International Congress of Implantologists, a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Francis
B. Vedder Crown and Bridge Society, and the American Equilibration Society.
Dr. Matthew K. Gietzen (DDS 2005) practices restorative and cosmetic dentistry in Grand Rapids. Dr. Gietzen is a member of the ADA, MDA, and WMDDS. He currently serves on the Spectrum Health Community Council, U-M School of Dentistry Dean’s Advisory Group, and the West Michigan Dental Foundation.
Dr. Bruce E. Turpin (DDS 1980) has been in private practice in Pontiac since 1980. He is a member of the ADA, MDA and OCDS and has been an attending dentist with the Baker College dental hygiene program since 2009. Dr. Turpin has coordinated the dental screenings
for the Healthy Affair community outreach program in Pontiac for five years, a program where U-M dental students participate.
Dr. Michael R. Wolfgram (DDS 1990) maintains a general practice in Genesee County and served as dental hygiene faculty member at Baker College of Auburn Hills. His memberships include ADA, MDA, and Fellowship with the AGD. As Grand Blanc City Councilman, he chairs the Public Safety Committee.
Janet Souder Wilson RDH (BSDH 1973) is a past president of WDDHS, MDHA, and recipient of the Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumnae Award. She is currently working as a clinical hygienist in Northville and a part-time clinical faculty member at the School of Dentistry, she is a member of WDDHS, MDHA, ADHA, and MDHEA.
Alumni Society Board of Governors Election
ELECTION BALLOTVote for 4 dentists:
Dr. Steve Dater
Dr. Lawrence D. Duffield
Dr. Matthew Gietzen
Dr. Bruce E. Turpin
Dr. Michael Wolfgram
Vote for 1 hygienist:
Janet Souder Wilson
The envelope with your ballot must be postmarked by August 15, 2013.
Please mail your ballot to: University of Michigan School of Dentistry 540 E. Liberty, Suite 204 Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210
ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD OF GOVERNORS STAY CONNECTED!
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1011 N. University Ave. | Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078
Advanced Periodontal/Implant Surgery: A Practical Training Course August 6-10, 2013 (Tuesday-Saturday)
Technological Innovations in Pain Rehabilitation September 20, 2013 (Friday) In conjunction with the 16th Annual Alumni and Friends Golf Classic Location: Polo Fields-Washtenaw
Delta Gaylord – Medical Considerations for the Dental Patient and Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office September 27, 2013 (Friday) Location: Treetops Resort, Gaylord MI
Easlick Symposium – A Review of Pediatric Pain and Anxiety Control October 17-18, 2013 (Thursday – Friday) Location: Palmer Commons
Am I at Risk for Malpractice Suits: Will the Oral/Systemic Evidence Hold Up in Court? October 18, 2013 (Friday) – Homecoming/Morawa Lecture Location: School of Dentistry
Delta Novi - Prosthodontics Today October 25, 2013 (Friday) Location: Sheraton, Novi MI
Removable Partial Denture Design: Stress Control November 8, 2013 (Friday) Location: School of Dentistry
Upcoming Continuing Education Courses
For more information visit the CDE website at dent.umich.edu/cde