A Publication of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry Alumni Association and the J. Dean Robertson Society

SPRING 2007

OU Dentistry

Unsung Pioneers 03

Alumni Spotlight 11

New Faculty 19

J.D

EAN ROBERTSON

SOCIETY

OU Dentistry is published twice a year by the J. Dean Robertson Society and the OU College of Dentistry Alumni Association. Please address all correspondence to:

University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry

c/o Dr. Frank J. MirandaOU College of Dentistry1201 N. Stonewall Ave.

Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1214(405) 271-5735

David L. BorenPresident

Dr. Joseph J. FerrettiSenior Vice President and Provost

Dr. Stephen K. YoungDean, College of Dentistry

Jodana C. JohnsonDirector, Office of Development

Dr. Matthew E. CohlmiaPresident, Alumni Association

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

College of Dentistry

Editorial BoardFrank J. Miranda, Editor

E. Jane AmmeM. Amanda Bleakley

John J. DmytrykJ. Mark FeltonKevin L. Haney

Jodana C. JohnsonKathy F. MillerCarol F. Zerby

Design byPublic Affairs

J.D

EAN ROBERTSON

SOCIETY

CO N T E N T SFrom the Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01

Alumni President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

Unsung Pioneers: The Early Years of the DH Program . . . . . . . 03

Alumni Spotlight: The Burris Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Founding Implantology Chair Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Bridges for Smiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

New Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

News Briefs

Ortho Program Moves Closer to Endowed Chair . . . . . . . . 24

OUCOD Hires New Development Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Class of ’81 Celebrates 25 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Khajotia Named ADEA Leadership Fellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

OMS and Ortho Departments Hold Graduation Dinners . . 28

Class of 2010 Receives White Coats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

College of Dentistry Receives Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Good Shepherd Awarded Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

OU Grads Sowing “OATS” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Students Participate in Summer Research Program . . . . . 32

OUCOD Hosts First Foreign Exchange Student . . . . . . . . . 33

Staples Society Shows Dedication to Community . . . . . . . 34

Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

On the Cover: Dental Hygiene program pioneers: (l-r) Sharon Barton (founding director) and Betty Durland (first faculty member in program) (Photos courtesy of Fran Reisner)

If you have not joined the OU College of Dentistry Alumni Association, please consider doing so. Dues are only $25 a year and will make you part of a vital and growing organization devoted to addressing the interests of all alumni and friends of the college. Donors of at least $100 to the J. Dean Robertson Society have automatic membership in the Alumni Association.

Please send your dues (payable to OUCOD) directly to:

University of Oklahoma College of DentistryOffice of Alumni Affairs1201 N. Stonewall Ave.Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1214

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call the Office of Alumni Affairs, (405) 271-4380.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is an equal opportunity institution. 2,800 copies of this publication, printed by the University of Oklahoma Printing Services, have been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

Please share news items and pictures for the Class Notes section. Send to Dr. Frank J.

Miranda at:

frank-miranda@ouhsc.edu(405) 271-5735, Ext. 46880

Department Phone Number:(405) 271-5735Fax Number:(405) 271-3423

OU Alumni Association Announces New Lifetime

E-mail Program

OU College of Dentistry alumni now have the ability to sign up for a free permanent forwarding-only e-mail address. This new program will allow your friends and classmates to contact you via e-mail even if you change service providers frequently. Note that the e-mail address ends in the extension @alumni.ou.edu.

You will just need to assign an e-mail address with an active account (such as a Hotmail or AOL account) to your new alumni e-mail address, and keep the assigned address updated. To sign up, just register as a new user on the new OU Alumni Web site at http://alumni.ou.edu. Once registered, you can take advantage of the many features of the new site, including an extensive online directory and the new permanent e-mail address.

Disclaimer

The content of this magazine does not necessarily represent the opinions, views, interests or concerns of the University of Oklahoma.

01

IFrom the dean

n the fall 2006 issue of OU Dentistry, we highlighted the retirement of five faculty members who were instrumental in building the college’s tradition of clinical excellence. This issue focuses partly on some new faculty and also on current faculty with new roles who will build on that strong foundation and make it even better.

Six new faces have joined the ranks at the College of Dentistry and are featured in the “New Faculty” section. We extend a sincere welcome to Colin Foster, Randy Jones, Jim Kessler, Rosita Long, Lida Radfar and Tim Rudd. Colin is an instructor in Operative Dentistry; Randy is our new director of Student Affairs and Admissions; Jim chairs the Restorative Dentistry Division; Rosita is a new research and grant funding specialist in Dental Services Administration; Lida has joined the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology; and Tim is the new director of the University Dental Faculty Group (our intramural faculty practice).

We also have some familiar faces taking on new responsibilities. We have some new chairs replacing a few who retired last year. They include Terry Fruits (Operative Dentistry), Dunn Cumby (Community Dentistry and Dental Services Administration), David Clement (Endodontics), Nancy Jacobsen (Oral Implantology) and Fräns Currier (Orthodontics). Fräns also is the new director of the Graduate Orthodontics Program.

Ken Coy is the new associate dean for Academic and Administrative Affairs, and Frank Miranda has assumed a new position, associate dean for Alumni Affairs, along with his increased clinical teaching responsibilities in Operative

Dentistry. Frank also is director of Continuing Education and editor of OU Dentistry. Other changes this past year include Jeanne Panza as assistant dean for Clinical Affairs and Kathy Miller as assistant director of clinics.

Tarisai Dandajena, a 2001 alumnus of the Graduate Orthodontics Program, completed his doctoral degree last

spring and is now a full-time faculty member with the Department of Orthodontics. Mark Felton, who has taught in the orthodontic department for many years, recently increased his commitment to 50 percent.

It is truly exciting to be a part of this time of change and the possibilities it brings to the continued growth and development of our programs. I am confident that the many faculty and administrative changes of the past year bode well for the future of our college and our students.

Stephen K. YoungDean David Ross Boyd Professor

Message

A TIME OF CHANGE

02

Message

OSecond Alumni Weekend To Be

Bigger And Bettern behalf of the Alumni Association, I

would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with plenty of family, friends and, of course, food!

Since last summer, your Alumni Association Executive Committee has been very busy planning the second annual Alumni Weekend. The event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31. I hope that you already have made plans to attend. This will be a great opportunity to see your friends, have plenty of fun, and even get excellent continuing education for the upcoming reporting year.

On Friday, we’ll start the fun with a scramble golf tournament at OU’s Jimmie Austin Golf Course, 1 Par Drive, near the intersection of Constitution Street and Jenkins Avenue in Norman. This will be for all levels of golfers, from pros to hackers. Teams will be organized so that everyone can participate and have a good time. Following the golf tournament, we will have an alumni reception at the Robert M. Bird Library on the OU Health Sciences Center campus. There will be plenty of food, drink and camaraderie throughout the evening. Come and shoot the breeze with past alums while checking out the latest dental products at the corporate sponsor booths.

Our continuing education course is scheduled for Saturday morning, March 31. Ann Spolarich will be in town to talk about commonly prescribed medications and managing the oral side effects of medication use. Ann received her dental hygiene certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Thomas Jefferson University, and both a master’s degree in dental hygiene and a doctoral degree in physiology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She currently practices dental hygiene in a

general dental practice in Annapolis, Md. During her presentation, Ann will review the 20 most commonly prescribed medications taken by patients treated in the oral health-care environment. New drugs in dentistry also will be discussed. This will be a very informative course for both dentists and dental hygienists. That Saturday evening, we will have our alumni reception and formal awards dinner. The evening festivities will be held at the Petroleum Club in downtown Oklahoma City. If you’ve never been to the Petroleum Club (located on the top floor of the BankOne building), you’re in for a treat – a truly fabulous view of Oklahoma City at

night while enjoying excellent food and fellowship with your colleagues. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of our dentist and dental hygienist alumni and young alumni awards as well as the 2007 Distinguished Service Award. We’ll finish off the evening with dancing to the always entertaining music of Souled Out.

The whole weekend promises to be a fun and informative time, so I hope you can attend. While you’re at it, mark your calendars for next year’s event. The 2008 Alumni Weekend will be held March 28 and 29, with our Saturday evening festivities in the Grand Ballroom of the newly renovated Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.

As always, this is your Alumni Association. Feel free to contact me; Dr. Frank Miranda, associate dean for Alumni Affairs; or one of our committee members with any ideas you may have or directions in which you’d like to see the association go.

Matthew E. Cohlmia, D.D.S. (’91)President

UNSUNG PIONEERS

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LUNSUNG PIONEERS:

The Early Years of theOU Dental Hygiene Program

ast spring the College of Dentistry’s inaugural Alumni Weekend was billed as a “celebration of 30 years.” The spring 2006 edition of OU Dentistry was also heralded as a “30th anniversary issue.” Both the weekend and the alumni magazine were commemorating the 1976 graduation of our first class of dental students. While indeed a milestone in the history of the college, a historic event of at least equal significance occurred three years earlier with the graduation of our first dental hygiene class in 1973. The 16 young women of that class blazed a trail for a fledgling program that began in 1971, a full year before our first dental students began their studies.

With the publication of the school’s first yearbook in 1976, our dental and dental hygiene graduates of that and every year since have been captured in pictures and print. However, the 48 women from the DH classes of 1973 to 1975 were never featured in any official publication. Their graduations have never been officially celebrated (except through whatever reunions they themselves have held). And except for an occasional newspaper article at the time, their role in OUCOD’s early history has never been formally acknowledged. Yet, these women quietly and efficiently continue to make their marks on their profession. From their ranks have come four hygiene program directors (three in Oklahoma and one in Florida), two others who have gone on to become dentists, and numerous officers and other leaders of local, state and national professional organizations. The first DH Alumnus of the Year Award was

presented to one of their members. A remarkably high number of them are still in practice. And if you were to visit with any of the 47 still with us, I’d wager that not one of them regrets being a part of this pioneering group.

A fascinating and entertaining glimpse into the birth and early growth of the hygiene program was provided recently through interviews I conducted with two of its most integral players. Sharon Barton, the founding program director, and Betty Durland, the program’s very first faculty member (and later its fourth director), graciously shared their remembrances of those heady days. Thirty-plus years later, their recollections are crystal clear. Both remain grateful for the opportunities those early years presented; they are aware yet humble of their place in OUCOD’s history, and they unselfishly lavished praise on the colleagues who helped create what still remains the only baccalaureate-level hygiene program in the state. But the most compelling and inspirational part of talking with Sharon and Betty was their undiluted love and admiration for what “their girls” accomplished back then and what many are still accomplishing today. Through their words and memories, this is a long-overdue tribute to what they started, to the many other people who helped make it happen, and to the 48 women who left a wonderful legacy for the 700-plus hygienists who have followed.

“I was slicked!” This is Sharon Barton’s succinct description of how she became the founding director of the new dental hygiene program in Oklahoma. In the Wolf House, 1972

UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

By Dr. Frank J. Miranda

Betty Durland lectures to the first class.

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spring of 1970, Sharon was back in her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, after retiring from the University of South Dakota, where she had started the hygiene program several years previously. After 11 years of practice, teaching and administration, she had decided to leave the profession and was about to enroll in an MBA program at Arizona State University. “That’s when my old friend Jack called,” she recalled. “Jack” was Reginald “Jack” Sullens, associate dean of the new dental school being established at the OU Health Sciences Center. “Through Janet Burnham, Jack asked me if I’d be interested in directing a new hygiene program down there. Janet was one of my mentors, a past president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and also the second director of the Rose State College dental hygiene program. I told Jack I was changing careers and wasn’t interested, but he kept gnawing on me and finally convinced me to come down as a ‘consultant.’ Long story short: I came, I saw, and he conquered. He and (dean) Bill Brown really slicked me! In fact, for many years, Dr. Brown would call me ‘Slick’! I couldn’t resist the opportunity and came on board that fall. So much for my new career in business!”

Formal approval of Oklahoma’s first four-year curriculum for dental hygienists was granted by the OU Board of Regents in March 1969. Plans also were in the works to start a dental school, but there was widespread consensus by the Board of Governors, the Oklahoma Dental Association and others that a program in dental hygiene should precede that move. According to Sharon, the primary reason for the program was “to provide private practicing, clinically superior dental hygienists for the dentists of Oklahoma.” She continued, “One of the things that enticed me to take the job was the plan to integrate the dentistry and dental hygiene programs through a shared curriculum. This was innovative. Most of the hygiene programs in the country were affiliated with dental schools, but they were

independent entities within the schools. There was very little, if any, sharing of curricular content.” While the degree of integration envisioned by Sharon didn’t fully materialize to her expectations, she was quick to acknowledge the contributions of many people who helped develop a still-innovative series of courses. “Bill Brown, Jack Sullens and Bob Hansen (associate dean of Academic Affairs) were instrumental in providing initial direction. But it was Bill Slagle, Jim Limestall and Hugh Maguire, three dentists practicing in the community, who developed the lion’s share of the early curriculum and gave it practical relevance. Rex Billington, an educational psychologist on the dental faculty, also was invaluable. He met regularly with the faculty to help them write behavioral course objectives. His guidance really helped our curriculum pass accreditation inspection.”

With a program (officially affiliated with OU’s School of Health Related Professions, in cooperation with the still-to-come dental school) in place and a curriculum being developed, it was time to recruit some faculty. Sharon remembered that she and Bob Hansen were driving down to Dallas in February 1971 to attend a seminar. “Betty Durland, who was ODHA president at the time, also was going, so we invited her to come along with us. By the time we returned, Bob and I had decided that we needed Betty on board.” A native of Retrop, Okla., and a graduate of Baylor’s hygiene program, Betty also had a certificate (and 10 years of practice experience) in nursing. Ironically, she also had worked as a hygienist for two of the three dentists developing the hygiene curriculum. At the time of the Dallas trip, she was working with Bill Hopkins, a local dentist who was to become one of the dental college’s longest tenured part-time faculty. “Betty was a natural,” Sharon said. “She had a nursing degree, private practice experience and ties to organized dental hygiene. With few hygienists practicing in Oklahoma at the time and dentists needing them badly, Betty was well aware of the pending threat of preceptorship training. We had to get the program going that fall or possibly face that battle. So we ‘slicked’ her!” Like Sharon, Betty was not originally looking at education as a career move, but “Sharon came after me with the same enthusiasm and energy used on her a year earlier. I got caught up in the excitement of a new venture and had to sign on. I started later that spring and took over development of the clinical component of the curriculum.”

Betty was the first of a stellar faculty that included such early lights as Vivian (Dills) Walton, Beverly Lincoln, Janie Welch, Eloise Manley, Jeanne Anne Swanson and many others. They all were local Oklahomans working in private

UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

In the Wolf House reception area are (l-r) Karen Newnam, Jack Sullens, Dean William Brown and ODA Executive Director Bob Berry (circa 1972).

Cyndy Vogler (DH ’73) practices waxing for her morphology class.

(Continued on Page 8)

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UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

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practice, and they all brought valuable “real-world” experiences to their new roles. Betty and Sharon both made particular note of the contributions of Vivian: “She developed the community health component of our curriculum, making it such a top-notch part of the program that it became well-known around the country. It also was mentioned as one of the program’s strengths during our first accreditation. We simply couldn’t have done it without her.” Sharon added, “Each of those original faculty played critical roles in our program. They were inspired choices. They made me look good, because they made our program so good.”

The next order of business was finding the space to put the new curriculum to the test. The Wolf House, purchased with contributions from local dentists made through the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, became the program’s first home in 1971. It was next door to the dental program’s first home. Following its remodeling, it became the hygiene program’s main classroom/clinic facility starting in January 1972. The first four classes received most of their training there; the DH Class of 1977 became the first class to move into the new dental school building when it opened in the fall of 1976. A 10-room English Tudor structure at 644 N.E. 14th St., the Wolf House had belonged to Dr. Stewart Wolf, former head of the Department of Medicine at OU MEDICAL CENTER. After its purchase, all of the rooms were remodeled to accommodate the educational needs of the program. Sharon and Betty explained, “We put four dental chairs each in the dining room and den, and our darkroom was a converted coat closet! The master bedroom became a classroom for lectures, the kitchen was our sterilization and dispensary area, and the living room became the patient reception area. The bedrooms on the second floor were faculty offices, and the student lockers were upstairs on the third floor. It was one creative arrangement! It was cramped quarters, but the students really enjoyed the closeness.” Except for rotations (called “extramural activities”) to such sites as the cleft palate clinic, campus hospitals (Children’s, St. Anthony and VA), the oral surgery clinic at University Hospital and eventually the interim

dental building, the Wolf House was classroom, clinic and laboratory. It even became the occasional recreational area. Sharon couldn’t help chuckling when she recalled that one of the students “snuck a TV up to the locker room, so they could watch All My Children during the lunch hour!”

In addition to the dental and dental hygiene faculty who contributed so much in shaping the program, Sharon and Betty were quick to recognize their staff – two in particular. “Karen Newnam, our departmental secretary, was an absolute jewel. As soon as patients walked through the front door, they felt at ease and at home because of her. And Judy Vance was worth three of anyone else! She was our clinic coordinator, sterilization/dispensary clerk, in-house dental assistant and appointments secretary.”

Despite the hard work and constant energy of starting a program literally from scratch, it was inevitable that Betty’s and Sharon’s reminiscences would include a lighter moment or two – one of which had them both laughing hysterically. Betty was so aware of her novice status in hygiene education at the time that she made her employment conditional on not having to make any of what she called “irrevocable decisions.” Sharon, of course, immediately agreed. Not long after, Sharon had to take a short leave to recover from a minor surgery. Betty ruefully recalled, “Wouldn’t you know it? While she was gone, an on-site decision needed to be made right away about where to plumb and drill for our dental chairs! So who do Bill Brown and Jack Sullens turn to? I’ll tell you, I really sweated through that one!”

It’s inevitable for the “newness” of any venture to wear off eventually and for some of the players to seek new mountains to climb. While spearheading a hygiene program from scratch, Sharon also had been going to school at night to earn her master’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma (then Central State University). “I was requiring my faculty to have master’s degrees, so I needed to get mine.” She took some learning and developmental psychology classes and began to develop a strong interest in the subject as a new potential creative outlet. She eventually switched her major from higher education to counseling psychology. “Hygiene was a great career choice and getting a chance to establish the program at OU was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But after 10 years in education and administration, I wanted to get back to patient care.” Sharon resigned her position as professor and chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene in 1976 and continued her psychology and psychometry training at UCO. In 1978, she became a pediatric psychology assistant with the

UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

(l-r) Martha Morland, Diane Steele and Leanne Pierson perform exams on classmates in the Wolf House clinic.

Founding faculty (l-r) Beverly Lincoln, Jeanne Ann Swanson, Sharon Barton and Betty Durland

(Continued from Page 4)

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Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital. A year later, she worked with a clinical psychologist in his private pediatric counseling practice and finished her career in the late 1980s, serving as a classroom assistant in the Oklahoma City public school system.

Betty was a logical choice to succeed Sharon as program director and was actually approached about the job. “But I didn’t feel I had the necessary credentials. I had no master’s degree and I’d only been in education for five years. I also felt that the administration was looking to take the hygiene program to the next phase involving scientific research in the public health arena. So I declined.” Sharon’s immediate successor was Dolores Malvitz, a dental hygiene educator from Michigan with a doctorate in public health. Betty stayed as clinical coordinator for another year and left in 1977 to become the College of Dentistry’s assistant director of clinics. Twelve years later, eager to get back into hygiene education, she returned to the dental hygiene department as its fourth chair and spent her last six years at OUCOD redirecting the program’s main focus back to clinical training.

Both Betty and Sharon relocated to Texas in 1995, where they’ve been ever since. Sharon said, “I always had to go south through Dallas to go north to see my family in Iowa, so I thought, ‘Why not move there?’ Plus, it’s warmer down there, and I love all things outdoors. Easy decision!” In Betty’s case, it was like returning home. “I’d gone to school in Texas and had many friends there.” Both women also are avid horse lovers and have common friends through the Morgan Horse Association. They make annual trips back to Oklahoma to attend horse shows, see old friends and occasionally attend a reunion of their students. Describing the 30-year reunion of the Class of 1973 a few years back, they both came close to tears when commenting on what wonderful examples of professionalism their students were. “Every one of them at the reunion was either practicing or otherwise involved with the profession – every one! They were great for our program, great for hygiene, and selecting them was one of the best things we ever did.”

Sharon and Betty have much for which to be thankful and proud. Their strong Oklahoma ties will keep them coming back north for many years to come. In between, they’ll have no trouble keeping busy. Sharon plans to “play, play

and play some more! I don’t have too many unmet goals – oh, maybe flying a jet or taking a hot air balloon ride over the grapevines of Europe, but I’m not holding my breath!” Betty just plans to “travel some more and continue enjoying retirement!”

As they considered how best to end our last interview, they both got wistful and serious. “Dental hygiene has been a great profession. It has been especially rewarding to watch our students develop into professionals and become productive, contributing members of their communities. That was the real joy of those early days. The program was young, we were young, and all of us, especially the students, were hungry. It was a unique experience that could only have happened then. And we are blessed that it happened to us.” Their final words were directed to their students, echoing the same words they used to say to them back in 1973, 1974 and 1975: “Be happy. Work hard. And be good to the people around you. We remain so very proud of all of you.”

(Grateful appreciation is extended to Becky Burris and Connie Morrison for graciously providing the composite photos of the first three classes reproduced in this article.)

UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

Then… (l-r): Judy Kratzer, Paula Crossley, Virginia Nelson and Martha Morland in 1972

… and now at the Class of 1973’s 30-year reunion: (l-r, front row) Virginia Schwarz, Nancy Lesser, Nancy Woodrow, Paula Glass, Martha Morland and Becky Burris; (back row) Sharon Barton,

Leann Waddell, Judy Gibson, Betty Durland, Kathy Link, Nancy Pryor and Donna McDonald

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UNSUNG PIONEERS: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE OU DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

THE FIRST “48”The following are the 48 students who made up the OU dental hygiene program’s first three classes. Last names according

to class rosters of the time are listed in parentheses; current last names are capitalized. If no parentheses are listed, surnames then and now are the same. The information below is accurate according to the best information available.

Apologies are extended for any erroneous listings. OU Dentistry appreciates any corrections.

CLASS OF 1973

BEARD, JanetGANGWER, Glynnis (Black)BURRIS, BeckyLINK, Kathy (Burris)GLASS, Paula (Crossley)HOLCOMB, Rosemary (Miller)LESSER, Nancy (Heathcock)GIBSON, Judy (Kratzer)WOODROW, Nancy (Mills)MORLAND, MarthaSCHWARZ, Virginia (Nelson)GALLOWAY-WADDELL, Leanne (Pierson)PRYOR, Nancy (Smith)RIPPETOE, Diane (Steele)McDONALD, Donna (Strange)VOGLER-HENRY, Cynthia

CLASS OF 1974

*ABLA, MellisiaRAY, Nancy (Andrews)ANTHAMATTEN, Jackie (Cameron)JOHNSTON, Jane (Ely)ELKINS, Jani (Fuller)MATTHIES, Chris (Hart)MARTIN, MaryREMY, Gail (Miller)FLEMING, Ann (Munger)*STORSETH, NancyTURLEY, Janet*VEITENHEIMER, Sheri (Criswell)WEICHBRODT, DarleneWILSON, Jean (Wheatley)OLZAWSKI, Mary Ann (Robertson)WINKLER, Dicy

CLASS OF 1975

BOWERS, Jane (Adams)NESBIT, Linda (Alcorn)WADE, Kathryn (Bever)BLUMENTHAL, LouiseMORRISON, Connie (Claunch)LODES, Latricia (Dickson)COIT, Susan Jane (Elliott)LLOYD, Sharon (Hammon)HOSKINS, PatriciaWULFEKOTTE, Laurel (Lacy)JOHNSON, Jo Anne (Shelton)MITCHELL, LindaRIVAS, BrendaBOOKMAN, Mary Jo (Stone)#VANDERLINDE, RamonaBURKHART, Susan (Watson)

# Deceased * No updated information available

OU DENTAL HYGIENEPROGRAM DIRECTORS

The OUCOD dental hygiene program has had seven directors over its 36-year history. Of these, two are currently serving as co-directors, one of whom also served a previous two-year term as interim director. These individuals, who

held the official title of chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene, are:

BARTON, Sharon

MALVITZ, Dolores

FULLER, Vicki

DURLAND, Betty

NUNN, Patricia

BOWERS, Jane

COURY, Vicki (Fuller)

1970-1976

1976-1987

1987-1989

1989-1995

1995-2005

2005-

2005-

SPOTLIGHT

11

As the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry has gotten older, it has become less and less of an “event” when relatives of graduates also attend OUCOD. In earlier days, excited conversation greeted the news of one sibling following another. And when we got old enough to start seeing children of graduates enter school, the talk reached fever pitch. The inaugural issue of the alumni magazine back in 1992 spotlighted our first parent-child combination, Gary (’77) and Steve (’92) Jones. Gary’s wife, Linda, also was a 1977 graduate of the dental hygiene program, so the Joneses can lay claim to being the college’s first dental “family” to span two generations. Thirteen years before Steve’s graduation, Roley McIntosh (’79) and brother Stan (’76) became the first siblings to go through the program – the dental program, that is. You have to go all the way back to 1973 to find two young women who hold the distinction of being the very first members of the same family to graduate from OUCOD.

When Becky and Kathy Burris graduated as part of OUCOD’s first dental hygiene class, they started a real trend that has included numerous sibling (including twins) and parent-child combinations over the past three decades. It is only a matter of time before we see our first grandchild of a graduate. The Burrises actually hold another “first”; when younger sister Julie graduated from the hygiene program in 1980, they became the first trio of siblings in our history. Three sisters going through the same program is quite rare. Given that two of them graduated nearly 34 years ago, it is even more noteworthy that all three are still in active practice. And most amazing, all are still working in dental practices they’ve been with for literally decades. Becky Burris has been with Jeff Miles (’84) in Tulsa for 17 years. Julie Burris Tinsley has spent her entire 26-year career with Grant Ritchey in Norman. In Kathy Burris Link’s case, it has been more than 33 years in the same office. Immediately after graduating in 1973, she joined her dad’s Bartlesville practice. When he retired, she stayed on with new owner Ron Hart (’88). She’s still there. If you were to ask what it was that drew three sisters to the same profession and spawned such lifelong devotion to dental hygiene, their answer (in unison) would be “Dad.”

“Dad” is Dr. Thomas G. Burris, a University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate who practiced in Bartlesville for more than 40 years until his retirement in 1995. While at UMKC, he met and married Betty Jeane, and the two eventually produced a Burris brood of four: Mike and his three younger sisters, Becky, Kathy and little Julie (aka “Mooney”). “Dentistry seemed to be in the Burris blood,” Julie said. “Dad was a dentist forever in Bartlesville, our grandfather Wallace practiced dentistry in Bixby for more than 40 years, and we also had a great-uncle Otis who practiced in Ponca City. We grew up around dentistry, so

it’s no surprise that my sisters and I went into hygiene.” Kathy added, “Mike also considered dentistry at one time and was even accepted into dental school. But he had already started a career with Phillips Petroleum and decided to stick with that. It was a good decision, too; he recently retired from Chevron Phillips after 30-plus years with them.”

Although their father attended Oklahoma State University prior to dental school, the Burris girls all attended OU and are avowed Sooner fans. Although they were continuously exposed to dentistry their entire lives, it was OU’s dental hygiene program that provided the spark for their career choices. Becky said, “When I went to OU, I didn’t have a specific career in mind. I was thinking about something in the health field, maybe physical therapy or nursing. There was no dental hygiene program yet.” Julie recalled that “Dad was the first to steer Becky and Kathy toward hygiene. He had a hygienist in his practice when hardly anyone had heard of the profession. In fact, he may have been the first dentist in Bartlesville to employ a hygienist! He really appreciated their value to his practice. When he learned that a hygiene school was opening at OU, he encouraged my sisters to look into it.” Becky, Kathy and 14 other young ladies made history when they began the hygiene program in the fall of 1971 as members of the DH Class of 1973.

Both ’73 graduates have fond memories of their days in “school,” with courses taught in a two-story house on 14th Street that was remodeled to provide classroom and clinic space. Kathy nostalgically recalled her “daily drives to school from Norman with Becky, Nancy Woodrow and

The Burris clan (l-r): Mike, Tom, Becky, Julie and Kathy

The Burris Sisters

All In The Family: The Burris Sisters

By Dr. Frank J. Miranda

07

History

12

SPOTLIGHT

Nancy Robinson.” Becky added, “We had an incredible staff and faculty. Sharon Barton, Betty Durland, Bev Lincoln, Jeanne Ann Swanson and many others made the absolute best of a brand-new situation. We lacked a lot of the things that today’s students enjoy, but the closeness and friendship we had with one another and with the faculty made up for anything we might have missed.” They acknowledged that 16 girls working so closely together in such tight quarters was at times very trying, but they were quick to add, “We wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Many of us are still in contact and are close friends.”

It was probably even easier for Julie to take the plunge. “I’m six and seven years younger than my sisters,” she said, “so I had lots of time to watch them go to school, graduate and start working. I obviously had a lot of family influence, but my decision didn’t come that easily! I also considered other options in the health field. Maybe I knew all along that I’d end up in hygiene, but I’m glad I looked into other fields. I’m a lot more confident that I made the right choice!” Graduating seven years after her sisters, Julie didn’t have the excitement of being part of a new program. She also was part of a larger class (24 students starting with the Class of 1978), so the “closeness” with faculty was slightly diluted. On the plus side, all of her clinical training took place in the new dental school building that had

opened its doors two years before she started the program. And with a father and two sisters already in the profession, she was well ahead of her classmates in exposure to the “real world.”

Each of the Burris sisters has kept dental hygiene as an integral and important component of her life. Julie and Kathy have worked in only one dental office since their graduations almost 27 and 34 years ago, respectively. Becky worked for a few years after graduation before becoming a stay-at-home mom for several years while her children were young. She acknowledged going through a brief period of burnout, questioning her career choice and taking some graphic arts classes in anticipation of a possible career change. “I thoroughly enjoyed those classes, but I eventually had to admit that I missed my hygiene work and especially my patients and co-workers. Once I got a handle on how to deal with the stresses of practice, I began to love my work all the more. It’s still very physically demanding; I’ve had surgery on both hands for carpal tunnel syndrome, but it saved my career.” After rediscovering hygiene, Becky worked for several dentists in Tulsa before finding her “ideal job” with Jeff Miles 17 years ago. She has been with him ever since. For the past two years, she also has spent one day each week in the office of Jeff’s 1984 classmate Chris Bussman.

While all three sisters have shown an uncommonly strong commitment to their profession, they readily admit that hygiene is a distant second to family. They all have their own separate families that dominate the focus of their lives. The combined Burris, Link and Tinsley clans currently number eight children and three grandchildren (and counting). Becky has three children: Stacey, Sara and Tom. Both Stacey and Sara live in Tulsa with their husbands, and Tom graduated last December from OSU with a degree in video production. Becky proudly reported, “Last August I became a grandmother when Sara and Donnie had a baby boy, Christian. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic!” Kathy’s three children are Todd, Lindsay and Matt. The first of the sisters to become interested in dental hygiene, Kathy also was the first to become a grandmother when Lindsay and her husband, Kyle, gave birth to their daughter, Riley, three years ago. By the time you read this, Todd and his wife, Blair, will be the proud parents of their first child. Matt and his wife, Stacy, also are expecting their first in 2007. “Obviously, I have a busy year ahead,” an excited Kathy said, “especially since all my kids also live here in Bartlesville! Who knows? Maybe there’s another hygienist in the bunch!” Julie and her husband, Loyd, have two children: son Michael and daughter Taylor. Both are students at (where else?) OU. Julie is fervently hoping that Mike can keep the Burris

Kathy and Becky (back row) in class at the Wolf House (circa 1972)

Waiting for clinic are Julie Burris (top) and Judy Boatman (1979)

The Burris Sisters

Getting ready for clinic: (l-r) Becky Burris, Diane Steele, Nancy Mills and Donna Strange (fall 1972)

SPOTLIGHT

13

dental legacy going; he graduates this spring and plans to apply in the fall to the OU College of Dentistry. “We’re excited that Mike wants to be a dentist. We also may have a future hygienist in the works – time will tell!”

With about 90 years of combined dental hygiene experience, the Burris sisters could certainly be expected to contemplate retirement in the near future, right? But according to them, it won’t happen anytime soon. Kathy: “I’ve enjoyed working for 33 years, and I’m not through yet! I still see many of the same patients I’ve seen for 30 years – that’s my greatest honor.” Becky: “I’ve been happy doing what I do, and I look forward to work every day. I love seeing my patients, many of whom have become friends after 17 years.” Julie: “Dr. Ritchey has given me the freedom and flexibility to be a professional, wife and mother. It doesn’t get much better than that! I plan on continuing to work for the foreseeable future and continue to grow and learn.”

These three seemingly tireless women have somehow found the time to fully enjoy their families and hobbies, despite full-time jobs. Julie is up every morning at 5:30 to join a group of neighborhood women for morning walks. There’s also soccer, snow skiing, Grand Lake and all the college activities of her children. For Becky, there’s art, calligraphy, swimming and bicycling. Her only regret is never running a marathon, but “my old knees don’t like running much anymore!” And Kathy enjoys golfing, OU football and basketball, watching her kids play on a co-ed softball team together and baby-sitting her grandkids.

Would they do it all again? Without question, yes, yes and yes. As with any profession, there are rewards and drawbacks, especially for those also planning to be wives and mothers. Becky said it for all three: “Make sure you love what you do. Lots of hours are spent at work, so you have to enjoy the work and the people with whom you work. If you can’t be happy when you leave for work in the morning and, just as important, when you leave at the end of the day, you need to do something else.”

The dental hygiene profession couldn’t ask for better ambassadors.

Becky’s latest pride and joy: grandson Christian at 8 weeks

The Burris Sisters

CHAIR RETIRES

14

donald L. Mitchell was born on Feb. 22, 1942, in a small

suburb of Milwaukee to Leo and Mary Leona Mitchell. His

father was a machinist at Allis Chalmers for more than 40

years, and his mother was first a schoolteacher and then a

bookkeeper. Don has three siblings, sisters Pat and Bonnie

and brother Bill. After a varied and full life, he has decided

to follow in his two sisters’ footsteps and retire. Considering

all that he has put into that life, retirement is certainly well-

deserved.

Beginning in grade school and continuing through

his undergraduate years at Marquette University, Don

worked at The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as a newspaper

carrier. He also worked as a summer replacement for the

newspaper’s vacationing distribution manager during his

college years. He would work nights and weekends during

the academic year.

Don can relate to

dental students who

get married while in

dental school because

he did the same thing in

1965, between his junior

and senior years at the

Marquette School of

Dentistry. Interestingly,

he and wife-to-be

Marilyn grew up about

two blocks apart. She

went to public school

and he went to Catholic

school, and they met at

church. The Mitchells

have two grown children,

Michelle and John. Michelle currently lives in Monterey,

Calif., with her husband, Ra’ed, and their son, Zane, 6. John

lives in Oklahoma City. He and his fiancée, Cori, plan to

marry in May.

Don always has funny stories to share about the nuns

from his Catholic school. “They knew how to run a tight

ship,” he recalled. “They would constantly ask us students

what we were going to do.

After one career day, I said

‘dentistry’ and they stopped

bothering me. Then, when I

signed up for college, they

asked what major and I

checked ‘pre-dent’ – again,

no more questions. So,

in a sense, the nuns are

responsible for me going

into dentistry. After my

first undergraduate year at

Marquette, I was called to

come to the dental school

to see if I wanted to apply for

the next class. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Immediately following graduation from dental school,

Don was drafted into the Navy. I have always enjoyed

hearing him tell stories about dentistry on the ship. From

1966 until 1989, he was stationed in Pearl Harbor; the Great

Lakes; Washington, D.C.; Bethesda, Md.; Norfolk, Va.;

Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va.; and on the USS

Independence. It was during his time in Bethesda that he

received his prosthetic and maxillofacial training.

In 1989, Don joined the University of Oklahoma College

of Dentistry faculty, beginning his career with the

Department of Removable Prosthodontics and working

in the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic. In 1994, he was

appointed chair of the college’s Graduate Prosthodontics

Program. Two years later, he was named the inaugural

chair of the newly created Department of Oral Implantology

and has been largely responsible for its success. He has

masterfully coordinated pre-doctoral collaboration efforts

with the Graduate Periodontics and Oral Surgery programs

to provide complete implant care for the department’s

patients. His curriculum was one of the first formalized

programs in pre-doctoral implantology instruction in the

country. It continues to be one of the strengths of OUCOD’s

curriculum when compared with other institutions. When

most people would be anxiously counting down the days

FOUNDING IMPLANTOLOGY CHAIR RETIRES

Newlyweds Don and Marilyn (Aug. 28, 1965)

Founding Implantology Chair RetiresFounding Implantology Chair Retires

By Kathryn F. Miller, R.D.H.

Lt. Cmdr. Mitchell, 1972

until retirement,

Don focused his

remaining months

on continuing

to make his

department the

best it could

be. Just prior to

stepping down, he

completed a custom

remodeling of the

office area to accommodate the large and growing inventory

of implant parts, and he also enlarged and completely

remodeled the implant laboratory.

Throughout his 17-year tenure, Don’s service to the College

of Dentistry has been truly commendable. In addition to his

service on numerous committees, he and John Dmytryk,

associate dean of research, organized and coordinated the

college’s annual Scientific Day to showcase the research

efforts of dental and dental hygiene students, faculty and

residents. His role with Scientific Day was critical to its

success from 1992 until his retirement. His support for the

service and research efforts of his fellow faculty members

will be sorely missed.

Don’s many honors and activities reflect a strong

commitment to his profession. His numerous recognitions

include the 2001

Student Council

Best Full-Time

Faculty Award,

the 2002 Burton

C. Borgelt Faculty

Adviser Award,

and a Presbyterian

Health Foundation

Presidential

Professorship

in 2002. Don continues to be a member of the American

Dental Association, the Academy of Osseointegration,

Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the American College of Dentists,

the International College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard

Academy, and the American Academy of Maxillofacial

Prosthetics (for which he served a term as president). He

also is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics

and a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists.

Personally, I have a very sentimental attachment to Don.

He possesses an ideal combination of professionalism,

personal touch, intelligence, clinical skills, reality, sensitivity,

compassion, understanding and humor. Students and

patients alike often comment that they like being in the

implantology clinic because it is very evident that we all

enjoy working there. A great leader and mentor, Don always

worked hard during his tenure at OUCOD to see his many

visions through to completion. This always included seeking

and respecting the opinions and advice of those around him.

Don has no regrets and has always been extremely

satisfied with the rewards of dentistry, from both the

financial and humanitarian standpoints. On today’s students,

Don said, “I think

current students have it

easier than I did. When

I went to school, we

didn’t have high-speed

handpieces, and all of

our crown and bridge

and operative work

was done with belt-

driven handpieces at

the chair. All lab work

for pre-clinical courses

was locked up each night. The seats in the lecture halls

had large numbers on the back and we would be assigned

numbers and seats for attendance purposes. And if we

complained about something or went to see the dean, it was

possible we would not be in school the following week! It

was like we walked to school uphill in the snow BOTH WAYS.

And yes, I would do it again!”

Don now has plenty of time to pursue his hobbies, which

include traveling; the Model A Club, where he enjoys

showing off his 1931 Coupe Model A Ford; working as a

volunteer at his church (a special favorite volunteer activity:

the bake sales!); and working around the house (lucky

for Marilyn!). Veteran

travelers, he and Marilyn

have enjoyed cruises to

Alaska, Antarctica and the

Mediterranean. They’ve

also visited Holland,

Croatia, China, India,

Europe, the Scandinavian

countries and the Holy

Land. Don will be greatly

missed at the college,

but there is no one who

deserves the rewards and

joys of retirement more than he does.

CHAIR RETIRES

15Founding Implantology Chair RetiresFounding Implantology Chair Retires

The Mitchell family: (l-r) Michelle, John, Don, and Marilyn

Don with his Model A Ford Coupe at the “Oil Slick 2006” auto show

On China’s Great Wall (September 2004)

Zane loves his grandpa!

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

16

Situated in the Negev desert of southern Israel, less than a mile from Gaza’s northeast corner, is Sderot, a ragged industrial town of about 40,000 people. Since the Palestinian uprising in 2000, Sderot has been the target of frequent attacks by militants firing crude rockets called Qassams. Hundreds of these rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip since Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in September 2005. Although notoriously inaccurate, they have killed and maimed many people in the town and cast a pall of fear and depression that has become part of daily life there.

In the northeastern corner of Oklahoma is the little Delaware County town of Grove, about 10 miles from the Missouri and Arkansas borders. It is a peaceful little town with a population of just over 5,500, attractive and affordable housing, and a low crime rate. Half a world away from each other and at opposite ends of any scale measuring comfort and safety, Sderot and Grove are nevertheless linked through the humanitarian

efforts of Grove residents and OUCOD graduates Stan and Audrey Crawford.

The Crawfords were already veterans of numerous local and foreign missions, including five to countries of the former Soviet Union, when they made their first trip to Israel in February 2005. Stan had taught business seminars in the Ukraine, Audrey had provided dental care in Siberia, and both had brought needed supplies and education to their colleagues in the region. Their visit to Israel awakened a compelling need to give their talents to the people of this war-torn region. (As of this writing, they have returned four additional times.) On their second visit in September 2005, they worked for the first time in Sderot and treated more than 80 children in two and a half days. With that visit, their nonprofit dental outreach ministry, Bridges for Smiles, was born. The ministry, affiliated with House of David Ministries Inc. of Fairland, Okla., has become a major part of Stan and Audrey’s life and has shaped their view of themselves and of the world around them.

When Stan and Audrey first met in the fall of 1988 as freshman dental students, they had taken very different paths getting there. Audrey had known that she wanted to be a dentist since the eighth grade. “Christina Poor (DDS ’87) was my friend’s big sister, and she took the two of us on a tour of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry,” Audrey recalled. “I made dental

school my goal and stuck with it throughout high school and college.” Dentistry was a second career for Stan. He had an accounting degree from the University of Oklahoma and had worked the previous four years for Arthur Andersen & Co. Audrey continued, “Dental school scared me into a state of anxiety from which I didn’t fully recover until five years after graduation. It was Stan who got me to love the profession as much as he does. There hasn’t been one day in his entire dental career that he has complained or not wanted to go to the office. In fact, I don’t think he has ever had a sick day! Maybe it’s a combination of having had a career he so disliked and finding one that he loves so much. Whatever it is, it’s hard not to feel his enthusiasm and enjoyment!”

A native of Calico Rock, Ark., Audrey Davis and her family moved to Wilburton, Okla., just before she started kindergarten. Stan and Ella Davis were both schoolteachers, so the values of

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

Audrey with one of her young Israeli patients

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

By Dr. Frank J. Miranda

Stan and Audrey with daughter Ellise at the Israel/Lebanon border (February 2006)

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

17

education, family and community were instilled early into Audrey and her four siblings. It came as no surprise that her three sisters (Cindy, Julie and Peggy) all went into education; brother Jeff opted for the oil business. After high school, Audrey attended Eastern Oklahoma State College and later transferred to OU as a Presidential Transfer Scholar. With her excellent grades and her determination to attend the dental school she had toured years earlier, Audrey was accepted into OUCOD after three years of undergraduate study.

Oklahoma-born and bred, Stan is one of four children of Stan and Doris Crawford. Sister Sharon is a plastic surgeon in New York; sister Lisa is a geologist working in Dallas; and brother Greg is an Oklahoma City attorney. Dissatisfied with his career in accounting, Stan decided that dentistry was an attractive alternative and was accepted into the same class as his future wife. While Audrey was driven to master a profession with which she admits to being initially uncomfortable, Stan took to the intense environment with ease. He was class secretary/treasurer for three years and moved up to vice president during his senior year. Both were driven to succeed and were on the honor roll frequently

during their student days. In addition to the closeness inherent in being classmates, Stan and Audrey also were drawn to each other through a mutual love of family and a shared spiritual nature.

After their graduation in 1992, they both enrolled in general residencies: Stan at St. Anthony

Hospital and Audrey with the Advanced Education in General

Dentistry program at OUCOD. Just prior to the completion of their one-year programs, they were married on May 1, 1993. The newlyweds moved to Grove soon after and entered practice with Rick Miller (DDS ’88). The three OUCOD alumni have been partners in Grove Dental Associates ever since. “I can’t imagine being anywhere other than here in Grove,” Audrey said. “Our children were born here and both Stan’s and my parents have moved here. We have a wonderful dental office that sits in a beautiful natural setting of gardens and a koi pond that was established by Rick’s father, Dr. Leonard Miller, 32 years ago. Rick is the technical genius in our office and has been fantastic in holding down the fort while we’re out of the country. And we’re blessed with a loyal staff of 14 women, many of whom have been with us for years. Stan’s dental assistant, Holly Tullis, has been with him since the day we showed up in Grove.”

In the beginning, the Crawfords devoted all their energies to establishing their practice. “I remember Stan and I attended

a CE course in Dallas when our daughter, Ellise, was only 4 days old! I remember going back to work when she was just 2 weeks; we’d keep her in our break room at the office.” But along with working hard for the success of their practice, Stan and Audrey were always looking for ways to give back to the community for the blessings they feel they’ve been privileged to enjoy. This led to an early commitment to donate their time to local and foreign missions. “When Stan was exploring his idea for a dental mission in Israel, he explained it to me as a way to reach people and countries, using dentistry to bridge the cultural and language barriers. The name “Bridges for Smiles” says it all. When we made our second trip to Israel in September 2005, we treated more than 80 children in Sderot. It is amazing to feel the hope and love that comes from something as simple as cleaning a child’s teeth or fixing a front tooth

fractured during a game of street soccer.”

It didn’t take long for others to see that the Crawfords were onto something very special. The Israeli government was extremely supportive of their efforts and eased as much red tape as possible to open doors to other areas of the country. In February 2006,

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

The Crawfords in their Grove office gardens with children (clockwise from top) Stan III, Andrew, twins Jeff and Greg, and Ellise

Grove Associates: Stan, Audrey and Rick Miller

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

18

Teri White (DDS ’93) joined them to serve underprivileged children (both Palestinian and Jewish) in Jerusalem, where 750,000 of them live in poverty. In May 2006, they returned once again, this time with a team of 20 physicians and other health specialists, to work in the large medical center and university in Beersheba. Stan and Audrey reported, “Not only does the hospital serve all people of Israel, it is also often the first choice for our American soldiers and those of other countries as well.” Last October, the Crawfords showed the ultimate commitment to their mission work when they took their daughter, Ellise, with them back to Sderot with an expanded team of 28 other health professionals. On that trip they also were invited into other northern border cities to work in local clinics and schools. Stan and Audrey want to expand Bridges for Smiles to other countries and are already exploring opportunities in Africa, Europe and Mexico. “We invite other dentists and dental team members to come along and share the talents and riches they’ve been blessed to receive.”

While they direct their main missionary efforts overseas, the

Crawfords also are missionaries at home. Stan sits on the board of Grove’s Christian Dental/Medical Clinic, and both he and Audrey provide dental services at the free clinic. Their son Stan III often volunteers to staff the clinic and also is hoping to become a dentist.

In addition to Stan’s older sons, Stan III and Andrew, and daughter Ellise

(age 12), the Crawford family also includes twin sons Jeff and Greg (age 7). The family’s favorite group activities include vacationing on the beaches of Florida and attending OU games. Stan also loves to fish for crappie in Grand Lake with his dad. Audrey enjoys reading and entertains dreams of writing and publishing children’s books.

On their education at OUCOD, Audrey said, “We’ve been out in the world for almost 15 years now, and our appreciation for our education (and for our dental profession) has grown by leaps and bounds. The high standards we were taught have enabled us to be confident in exchanging ideas with international leaders in the field. We are both

very proud of our training, and we consider it an honor to use our talents to serve others. Stan is especially gifted. It’s good that my passion in dentistry is diagnosis, because Stan really does have the best hands in the family!

“We both owe whatever talents we possess to God; we are constantly thankful for those talents and for the opportunities we’ve had to use them in the service of others. Serving in Israel and getting to know the land and the people have certainly been the most humbling and enjoyable opportunities we’ve experienced thus far in life. Our ministry there has changed both of us immensely – we’d like to think for the better.”

(Editor’s note: If you would like to find out more about Bridges for Smiles, visit Stan and Audrey’s Web site at www.houseofdavid.us/bridges.html or contact them by e-mail at drsecjr@aol.com.)

Stan and Audrey in Israel with daughter Ellise and some of their Grove office staff

BRIDGES FOR SMILES

19

New Faculty

NEW FACULTY

L. COLIN FOSTER, D.D.S. (Instructor, Department of Operative Dentistry)

A 1999 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Colin has “come full circle,” joining the OUCOD full-time faculty last September after seven years of general practice in Clinton, Okla. The Lawton native is the second youngest of eight children and says, “It was an easy choice to become a dentist. My dad was an orthodontist and, before he retired in 1995, his office was like a second home to me.” Colin wasn’t the only one to follow in his father’s footsteps. Older sister Cathy is a dental hygienist who still works in brother Chris’ dental practice. “Chris is six years older than me and was a nurse back when I started school,” Colin recalled, “but he was getting burned out on nursing and decided to go into dentistry. He started at OUCOD when I was a senior and graduated in 2002. He has been practicing in northwest Oklahoma City ever since.” Colin and his wife, Angela, met during their second year of college at Cameron University in Lawton. “It was love at first sight,” he says. “We got married during my third year in dental school, and we’ve been blessed with three beautiful daughters. Autumn is almost 6 years old, Peyton is 3, and Ava will be 2 next September.” As of this writing, the Foster family is still searching for a new home in either north Oklahoma City or Edmond. Colin’s hobbies include reading and golfing, but they are distant seconds to his main joy: “my three girls.” In addition to taking an instant liking to his new teaching career, Colin is impressed with the changes that have taken place at the college. “I can’t believe all the great changes that have taken place since I graduated just seven years ago. I invite all my classmates to come back and visit OUCOD. I guarantee you’ll be impressed!”

RANDOLPH P. JONES, D.D.S. (Director, Admissions and Student Affairs)

Not only has Randy come back to Oklahoma, he has come back to dentistry after being away from the profession for more than 15 years. From 1987 until returning to OUCOD last June, Randy was director of admissions and dean of admissions and financial aid at Northwest Christian College, a small private school in Oregon. He says, “Moving from anyplace where you’ve spent so many years is a challenge, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity at OU. My new position allows me to utilize my dual background in both dentistry and admissions and student

NEW FACULTY

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services. Besides, it was an opportunity to return to my alma mater and to family and close friends in Oklahoma and Texas.” A 1980 graduate of OUCOD, Randy got his undergraduate training at Phillips University in Enid and, ironically, at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas! “It’s confusing,” he says, “but I only took some physiology courses at Baylor; the classes just happened to be at the dental school. I didn’t get any dental training there, but I did meet some dental students who sparked my interest in the profession. Before he opted for dentistry, though, Randy spent two years as an admissions counselor at Phillips, an experience that eventually was to influence his future career. “When I decided I wanted a health professions career, I chose dentistry because of its interpersonal aspects and because of the role models I had met at Baylor. I actually applied to both Baylor and OU. I chose Oklahoma because I’d lived there for 15 years and met my wife, Jane, at Phillips, so it was a no-brainer.” After graduation from OUCOD in 1980, the Eugene, Ore., native returned west and established a general practice in Harrisburg, Ore., where he stayed for eight years. When the position at Northwest Christian became available, Randy decided to change career paths and gave up dentistry. The break was somewhat gradual, though; he continued to teach part time for three years in the dental hygiene program at Lane Community College. “When Ken Coy called and outlined a job that combined dentistry, admissions, counseling and student affairs, I couldn’t resist.” Randy and Jane, a psychometrist, have been married 33 years and currently reside in Edmond. They have three children: Emily, 22; Philip, 19; and Will, 15. Randy is an avid sports fan, listens to and collects a wide range of musical styles, and enjoys exercise and fitness training. He also is currently enrolled at the OU College of Public Health, working toward a master’s degree in public health. He adds, “I’m really glad to be back ‘home.’ God willing, I’ll be here for quite a while.”

JAMES M. KESSLER, D.D.S. (Chair, Division of Restorative Dentistry, and Associate Professor, Department of Fixed Prosthodontics)

Although Jim came (back) to OUCOD last January after 17 years of private practice in Tulsa, he is a veteran of dental education. In fact, this is Jim’s second stint on the OUCOD faculty. After his graduation from OUCOD in 1977, he was an associate in Dr. John Miles’ Norman office, while teaching part time in Endodontics. In 1979, he joined the faculty full time in Fixed Prosthodontics, becoming the department’s resident expert in ceramics and esthetics. After seven years, Jim and his family relocated to Charleston, S.C., where he joined the crown and bridge department of the Medical University of South Carolina and stayed until returning to private practice in 1989. “I’ve wanted to return to education for some time,” Jim said, “and had actually called Dean Young awhile back and asked him to let me know when any positions opened in Restorative Dentistry. I never dreamed I’d end up as divisional chair! But my greatest honor is being

New Faculty

NEW FACULTY

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New Faculty

recipient of the endowed chair position given in Dr. Herb Shillingburg’s name. Herb has had a profound influence on my career and remains a valued friend and mentor.” Jim and his wife, Dee, have been married for six years. Dee is currently a student at Southern Nazarene University and will graduate later this year with a degree in Family Studies and Gerontology. There are four children in the Kessler family. Jim’s daughter, Sarah, a 2003 OUCOD dental hygiene graduate, currently lives in Kansas City with her husband. His son, Adam, is teaching high school in Costa Rica. Dee’s daughter, Kali, is currently serving with the Peace Corps in the Ukraine, and her son, Matt, is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University. Jim says, “We don’t have any grandchildren – yet – but we’re available if anyone needs a baby-sitter!” The Kesslers had not relocated from their residence in Cleveland, Okla., as this issue went to press, but their preference is the north Edmond and Guthrie area. “We are building a cabin on the Conejos River in southern Colorado, though. We’ve fished, hiked and backpacked in this area for years and building a cabin there has been a longtime dream. We hope to have it completed this fall.”

ROSITA BROWN LONG, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Department of Dental Services Administration)

Rosita is unique among our new faculty, because (a) she is not a dentist, (b) she does not live in Oklahoma, and (c) her appointment to the faculty is temporary. However, she does have strong ties not only to Oklahoma but also to OU and the College of Dentistry. Rosita is a native of Muskogee and attended OU, where she earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees. She then attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, graduating with a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology (Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics). Rosita has worked for many years as an administrator at the OU Health Sciences Center, including three years (1997-2000) as assistant director of the OUCOD intramural faculty practice. She also is a former director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department and former director of the Mary Mahoney Memorial Health Center. To cap an already impressive résumé, she also worked as a high-level budget officer for the Resolution Trust Corporation, a temporary FDIC agency created to help resolve the savings and loan debacle of the late 1980s and early 1990s. What would draw someone with such a varied (and non-dental) background to the College of Dentistry? “In a word, research,” Rosita says. “The research area in dentistry is wide-open, and the opportunities to establish a research niche are ripe. My current research interests are related to health: health-seeking behaviors, compliance behaviors and measurement methods to address health disparities.” Divisional Chair Dunn Cumby saw this potential and specifically recruited Rosita to establish a research agenda for the Division of Community Dentistry. As founder and

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New Faculty

NEW FACULTY

operator of a consulting firm that conducts research to evaluate service-driven programs, Rosita plans to apply her expertise to an area due some much-needed attention. Since her clients have been awarded in excess of $20 million in federal and private grants over the past seven years, having Rosita on board bodes well for the college’s research coffers. Currently residing in Carrollton, Texas, Rosita has no immediate plans to move to Oklahoma. But since she owns acreage in Eufaula that she plans to develop, eventual relocation is not out of the question. Rosita has three adult daughters (Adrianne, Angela and Alisha) and three grandchildren. A fan of outdoor activities, she spends her free time gardening, crafting, fishing and boating. Her latest passion is learning to play golf.

LIDA RADFAR, D.D.S., M.S. (Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Diagnosis/Radiology)

Lida joins the OUCOD faculty after five years teaching in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. But this is not her first visit to Oklahoma. A native of Iran, Lida received a nursing degree in 1980 from the Azadeh Nursing College in Tehran, and eventually spent two years (1987 to 1989) at Oklahoma Memorial Hospital, now part of University Hospitals, as a registered nurse in gynecology and nephrology. She also took graduate coursework in epidemiology and biostatics at the Health Sciences Center. Lida received her dental training at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1994. Following a general practice residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, she practiced general dentistry in Maryland and New Jersey until 1997, when she became a senior staff research fellow at a government clinic in Bethesda, Md. Lida brings a wealth of research and clinical experience to OUCOD. In addition to her GPR training, she is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine, has a master’s degree in oral biology and certificates in both oral medicine and clinical research, and has been principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous research projects. She has a special interest and expertise in the management of oral lesions, salivary gland dysfunction and Sjögren’s syndrome. Lida also has a family connection to the College of Dentistry. Her niece, through marriage, is Golnaz Naghdi, a fourth-year dental student. Lida and her husband, Behrooz, have been married three years and currently reside in the Val Verde area of north Oklahoma City.

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New Faculty

NEW FACULTY

M. TIMOTHY RUDD, D.D.S. (Executive Director, University Dental Faculty Group, and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Operative Dentistry)

Between his graduation from OUCOD in 1988 and his return to head up the college’s intramural faculty practice, Tim spent 18 years practicing general dentistry in Murietta, Calif. He is no stranger to education, having taught part time at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for five years. The Paducah, Ky., native grew up in Anaheim, Calif., and earned his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University before being accepted to OUCOD in 1984. Tim says, “The rest of my education has been from the school of hard knocks. I’ve heard it said that ‘an education is what you get if you read the small print and experience is what you get if you don’t.’ I guess I’ve gotten some of both over the years.” Tim’s decision to return to Oklahoma was the result of many factors. “After 18 years of practice, I was ready for a change. My wife, Becky, is originally from Oklahoma City and was ready to come back, and our kids were ready to start school. I called to ask about opportunities at the college and after a few conversations with Dean Young about the faculty practice position, I knew it was the right thing to do.” Tim and Becky have been married for 19 years and have three children. Thomas, 14, is a freshman at Edmond North, plays football and baseball, and proudly earned his Eagle Scout Award last spring. Emily, 11, just started middle school at Sequoyah and is a multi-sport enthusiast, including diving, soccer, gymnastics and volleyball. Savanah, 7, is a second-grader at Cross Timbers Elementary School and is into diving, singing and playing guitar. When it’s time to relax, Tim is most at home with sports and outdoor activities. “I love baseball, softball, snow skiing and shooting. I’ve also been known to show my ‘cultural’ side every now and then, like shopping for antiques or attending musicals and other good plays. And if it involves my family, it’s automatically on my list of hobbies!” In closing, Tim says, “It’s really good to be back!”

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News Briefs

The Orthodontics Residency Program is making great

strides in its objective to establish a graduate alumni

endowed chair in the Department of Orthodontics.

Spearheaded by Fräns Currier, department chair, the

project began in December 2005 with solicitation of

donations from alumni of the residency program who

had graduated at least five years previously. Graduates

contacted were asked to pledge $5,000 per year for three

years for a total of $15,000. To date, the project has

amassed more than $245,000 in pledges in a little over

one year! Currier proudly noted, “We are less than $5,000

away from the amount needed ($250,000) to fund an

endowed faculty position and already almost halfway to

our endowed chair goal!” Once the $250,000 amount has

been reached, the university also will apply for a matching

amount from the State Regents for Higher Education.

As of this writing, 18 individuals have made pledges

totaling $246,600. Sixteen are alumni of the program, 13 of

whom pledged the full amount of $15,000. In addition, two

OUCOD faculty members also have financially supported

this project. Currier added, “With the level of generous

support we’ve enjoyed so far, we are confident that we will

attain our endowed chair goal of at least $500,000 in the

near future. On behalf of the department, I express grateful

appreciation and thanks to our supporters and hope that

their efforts will spur others also to participate in this

worthy project.”

In addition to their roles as founding contributors to this

endowment, our donors also will be listed in the Robertson

Society’s next Annual Report to Donors as members of the

Dean’s Society, which recognizes cumulative giving. The

18 contributors (with year of program graduation, where

applicable) are:

ORTHO PROGRAM MOVES CLOSER TO ENDOWED CHAIR

ANGOLKAR, Raj (’90)BIRTH, Sheila (’86)CARPENTER, Chris (’88)CURRIER, G. FränsFITZGERALD, Jay (’90)GHOSH, Joydeep (’93)HOUSLEY, Jeff (’02)HUBBARD, Greg (’92)KIERL, Michael (’89)KIRKPATRICK, Douglas (’93)KIRKPATRICK, Thomas (’86)KLONTZ, HerbLAI, Joe (’99) MERRILL, Robert (’90)OLTJEN, Jay (’94)SHANNON, Tim (’98)SINHA, Pramod (’95)SOROKOLIT, Chris (’89)

Last summer, after two years as director of development for the College of Dentistry, David Quirk resigned to accept a similar post with the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication on the OU Norman campus. We are pleased to introduce Jodana C. Johnson, who became the college’s new director of development in August. Prior to joining OUCOD, she spent six years in resource development with United Way of Central Oklahoma, so she is no stranger to fund raising and other development activities.

A native of Fairfield, Calif., Jodana considers herself an “Okie” since she was raised and attended school in Altus. She is the youngest of William and Janet Johnson’s three children. Older sister Jacinda lives in Hays, Kan., with her husband, and brother Jeremy and his wife reside in Columbia, Mo., where he is a physician at Columbia Regional Hospital. Jodana is a “Cowboy-Sooner hybrid,” spending her first two years of college at Oklahoma State University before transferring to OU, where she received her bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2000.

Influenced by the reports of a good friend who had interned at United Way, Jodana accepted a position with

the organization immediately after her graduation. “I loved the job and all the community volunteers I worked with,” she said. “When I met Kenneth Conklin (executive director, OU Health Sciences Center Office of Alumni and Development) at a wedding in Santa Fe, N.M., early last summer, he invited me to come talk with him about available opportunities at the Health Sciences Center. I did, and here I am!

“I’ve enjoyed meeting all of the college’s faculty, staff and alumni, and have been so impressed with how supportive the alumni are. It also was a lot of fun getting to know some of the students and faculty a little better during our phone-a-thon last November. Everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel like I’m part of the family, especially Amanda (Bleakley, development coordinator) and Dr. Frank Miranda. They have been absolutely wonderful to work with and learn from. I couldn’t do it without them!”

Currently a resident of Moore, Jodana is considering moving to Oklahoma City to be closer to her work.

OUCOD HIRES NEWDEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

OUCOD’s development team: (l-r) Amanda Bleakley, Frank Miranda and Jodana Johnson

News Briefs

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The Class of 1981 held its 25-year reunion Sept. 29 and 30, beginning with an informal luncheon by the fountain on the Health Sciences Center campus and in sight of the College of Dentistry, where it all began over a quarter-century ago. The reunion was well-attended, with 30 classmates and their families participating in part or all of the festivities.

A special treat during the luncheon (in addition to the gorgeous weather) was the attendance of current and former faculty members who dropped by to honor the class and revisit the “good old days.” The afternoon included a tour of the college’s renovated facilities and three hours of continuing education. Following a recent and popular trend, the class provided its own CE, with class members Jeff Baggett, Denny Southard and Allen Wells doing the honors. Jeff spoke on “Simple Ideas and Techniques

to Make You a Better Dentist,” followed by Denny with “Immediate Restoration of the Endodontically Treated Tooth” and Allen on “Laser Dentistry.” The afternoon also included door prizes donated by Sullivan-Schein Dental, Alexander & Strunk, Patterson Dental and Midwest Dental as well

as chocolate, wine and coffee baskets. Many of the alumni went out for dinner that evening in Bricktown.

The following day included a golf tournament at Rose Creek Golf Club in Edmond and a special class dinner that evening at Pearl’s Crabtown, which was attended by 49 people. On behalf of the class, very special thanks are extended to Ed Garrett, who contacted class members and

faculty, collected registrations and coordinated all of the events. Ed reported, “We had such a great time, there was talk about having get-togethers more often, maybe even yearly but on a smaller scale. We’re also hopeful we can put together a Class of ’81 Web site for class members to post current information and keep in touch through the Internet.”

CLASS OF ’81CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

Back in Room 108

The Class of ’81

Ed Garrett and Scott Fooshee

Denny Southard reminisces with Ruchi Nanda.

Ed Harroz taking care of business

News Briefs

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KHAJOTIA NAMEDADEA LEADERSHIP FELLOW

Sharukh Khajotia, associate professor and chair of the Department of Dental Materials, has been named a Fellow of the American Dental Education Association Leadership Institute. One of the country’s premier development programs in health professions education, this yearlong program guides selected faculty members from around the country through intensive leadership development, higher education management, and team and network building. This year’s group of 17 Fellows is the seventh annual class of the institute.

Sharukh received his dental degree in 1988 from the University of Bombay. After two years of general dental practice in India, he moved to the United States to pursue his postgraduate education. He received his master’s degree in dental biomaterials from Marquette University in 1992 and his doctoral degree in oral biology from the Medical College of Georgia in 1997. Sharukh immediately succeeded OUCOD’s founding Department of Dental Materials Chair Manville Duncanson in 1997.

Since arriving at OUCOD, Sharukh has been instrumental in the research development of both students and faculty. He has mentored more than 30 research projects, and authored or

co-authored 65 publications and abstracts. He currently is one of four principal investigators in a multi-million-dollar Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant awarded to the College of Dentistry by the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Research Resources. Sharukh is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Outstanding Classroom Instructor awards from three graduating classes, membership in the Omicron Kappa Upsilon national dental honor society, the Dean’s Service Award for his efforts on behalf of the college’s annual Scientific Day research program, and a Faculty Governance Award for his service as chair of the OUHSC Faculty Senate.

News Briefs

CORRECTIONS

In our last issue, we incorrectly reported that Krista Jones (’81), who received one of 10 Regents’ Alumni Awards during a special ceremony on May 12, was the first OUCOD graduate ever accorded this honor. Phil Abshere (’81) was actually the first alumnus to receive this award 10 years earlier when he was recognized for his accomplishments in organized dentistry (including being the first OUCOD alumnus to be elected president of the Oklahoma Dental Association) and for his efforts as co-leader of the dental forensic team in charge of identifying the victims of the 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing. We extend our apologies to Phil for this oversight. We also should point out that with Krista’s ascendance to the ODA presidency in April 2007, the CLASS OF 1981 will hold the unique distinction of being the only class to produce two ODA presidents and two Regents’ Alumni Award winners!

Also, in our 2005-2006 J. Dean Robertson Society’s Annual Report to Donors, we identified “Don and Shirley Mitchell” in a photo on Page 15. Don was quick to point out that he doesn’t know any “Shirley”! Our apologies to Don and his wife, Marilyn.

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OUCOD’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program held its graduation dinner on June 23, 2006, to honor the three residents who completed the four-year program last summer. The three residents honored were Justin Bley, Robert Bryan and Rocky Cullens. Rocky is an alumnus of the OUCOD Class of 2002. The dinner was held at the Gaillardia Country Club, with Steven Sullivan, professor and chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Kevin Smith, associate professor and director of the residency program, hosting the event. The graduates presented awards to oral pathology faculty members Glen Houston and David Lewis, who were voted the outstanding faculty of the four-year program.

On Aug. 25, 2006, the Department of Orthodontics hosted its 24th graduation ceremony at the Petroleum Club for the four members of the Class of 2006. The ceremony was made even more special since it was the first time that graduates received both their certificates and their master’s degrees at the same time. In all previous years, the degrees were awarded months after the presentation of certificates. In addition to many of the program’s faculty, Joseph Ferretti, OUHSC senior vice president and provost, was on hand to formally present degrees to this year’s class, which included Aurelia Bedard, Brian Diemer, Brent Dobson and Eric Neuer. As with the OMS program, the Graduate Orthodontics Program also boasted one OUCOD grad, Brent Dobson (’00). We extend sincere congratulations to the seven graduates of these two outstanding programs.

OMS AND ORTHO DEPARTMENTSHOLD GRADUATION DINNERS

OMS faculty Alan Miyake, Kevin Smith and Steve Sullivan with new program graduates (starting third from left) Robert Bryan, Rocky Cullens

and Justin Bley

Program Director Fräns Currier and founding Chair Ram Nanda congratulate new Grad Ortho graduates (l-r) Aurelia Bedard,

Brian Diemer, Eric Neuer and Brent Dobson.

News Briefs

The 58 members of the Class of 2010 were officially welcomed to the dental profession on Sept. 22, 2006, during the second annual White Coat Ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Oklahoma City. The ceremony brought together family, friends, faculty and alumni for an occasion of reflection and anticipation for what lay ahead for these doctors-to-be.

In his opening remarks, Dean Stephen Young noted that health-care providers have worn white coats for more than 100 years and that the white coat ceremony symbolizes the responsibility of putting the interests of patients first – an obligation that commences on day one and continues throughout one’s entire career.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Raymond Cohlmia, president of the International College of Dentists (Oklahoma section), former president of the Oklahoma Dental Association and 1988 OUCOD graduate. His remarks centered on the role of dentists as caretakers of their profession in much the same way that parents

are caretakers of their children. “As a parent of the profession, it is my responsibility, and yours to come, to continue its upbringing. Not only does it provide for me, but I must provide for it as well.”

The students were led in reciting the Dental Student Oath and committing themselves to the professional standards outlined in the oath. As the students’ names were called, they proceeded to center stage and were helped into their white coats by members of the dental college faculty.

In closing, Dean Young thanked the faculty for their participation in this symbolic but important introduction to the profession. He also congratulated students on their achievement, recalling the famous words of the noted attorney, journalist and author Albert Pike: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

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CLASS OF 2010RECEIVES WHITE COATS

Dean Young addresses the audience at the 2006 White Coat Ceremony. Marilina Resasco receives her white coat from Dr. Sharukh Khajotia.

News Briefs

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News Briefs

Last fall, the OU College of Dentistry was placed on the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service in Higher Education. The honor was in recognition of the college’s strong ongoing commitment to such worthwhile community service activities as the Good Shepherd Mission dental clinic, Kids’ Day and various Staples Society projects (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Dewey Elementary School Christmas adoption, etc.).

John Dmytryk, associate dean of research, reported, “The honor roll was established by the Universities Rebuilding America partnership, a joint effort of the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

URA’s goal is to have 5 million college students engaged in community service by 2010 and to recognize colleges and universities that support this effort in exemplary ways. Other than the Baylor College of Dentistry, which also received a special citation, we were the only dental college to receive this recognition. We can all be thankful that we are part of such a great college with a long history of commitment to serving our community.” Joseph Ferretti, senior vice president and provost of the Health Sciences Center, added, “The OU College of Dentistry is indicative of the dedication and commitment of our students and faculty to the community.”

COLLEGE OF DENTISTRYRECEIVES HONOR

Good Shepherd Ministries of Oklahoma Inc. was awarded three separate grants last year totaling $40,000 to help fund its adult and child dental clinic activities. Oklahoma Eldercare awarded $23,000, with the Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation donating $10,000 and the Pierre Fauchard Academy adding $7,000. These funds will be integral to the Good Shepherd Mission’s ongoing goal of offering emergency, preventive and restorative care to the needy.

The dental clinic offers free dental care to the indigent population of Oklahoma City. Staffed by dental and dental hygiene students, faculty of the college and dentists in the private community, the adult clinic has been in operation since 1983. The children’s clinic opened its doors in January 2002.

GOOD SHEPHERDAWARDED GRANTS

The five dentists of Orthodontic Associates have a unique way of getting their patients to “do the right thing.” Brian Amy (’92), John Archer (’92), David Birdwell (’81), Justin Power (’03) and Geoff Sparks (’03) reward the children in their practice for various good deeds through an in-office program called “OATS” (Orthodontic Associates Treasuries). Patients receive reward tokens for such accomplishments as keeping their teeth clean, doing community service, getting good grades in school, and even for wearing office T-shirts. The tokens, which look like dollar bills, can then be redeemed for gift certificates and other prizes from an in-office display cabinet.

A special part of OATS for the past five years has been the candy buyback program. For every pound of candy turned in to the office, a child can earn five tokens. Obviously, the buyback receives its greatest attention

during Halloween. Last season, Orthodontic Associates’ two offices in Oklahoma City and Edmond collected nearly 300 pounds of candy – their most productive year yet. To honor national Orthodontic Health Month and national Diabetes Awareness Month, one dollar was donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for every pound of candy collected. Dr. Birdwell said, “The candy buyback is a fun way to reward the kids for their efforts. When we pay them for their candy, we help them avoid the potential for harming their braces or teeth. In addition, we get to help the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.” Dr. Amy added, “Since the average age of our patients is 12 to 13 and many juvenile diabetes patients are also in this age range, it makes sense to support the foundation.”

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OU GRADSSOWING “OATS”

Orthodontic Associates partners (clockwise from upper right) Geoff Sparks, John Archer, Brian Amy and Justin Power with some of the 300 pounds of candy they

bought from their patients

News Briefs

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Last summer, 20 dental and dental hygiene students

participated in the college’s student/faculty research

program. Seventeen projects received funding from the

Robertson Society and the National Institutes of Health

Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence grant to

financially support student stipends, research equipment

and supplies. These projects included a variety of topics

from both the clinical and basic sciences. The goals of the

summer research program are to provide opportunities for

students to (1) have a positive research experience under

the guidance of a faculty mentor, (2) gain an appreciation

for research protocols and experimental design, (3) develop

skills in critical thinking and problem solving, and (4)

foster stronger faculty-student relationships outside of the

classroom.

We extend congratulations to our student researchers of

2006: Class of 2010: Zachary French; Class of 2009: Tyler

Hoelzer, Christopher Johnson, Michael Flint, Drew

Brown, Stephen Knox and James Peck; Class of 2008:

Phillip Kierl, Ryan Streight, Zane Weaver and Heath

Whitfield; Class of 2007: Byron Tucker; and DH Class of

2007: Amber Dearman and Lyndie Swink (Bartlesville),

Jenna Hudson, Monica Newman, Kala Kretchmar and

Erin Watson (Oklahoma City), and degree-completion

candidate Kim Graziano (Oklahoma City). These research

opportunities would not exist without the support of many

dedicated faculty members who gave their time and talents

to ensure the completion of these projects. Many thanks

to our nine research mentors: Vicki Coury, Fräns Currier,

John Dmytryk, Tammie Golden, Kevin Haney, Sharukh

Khajotia, Farah Masood, Kevin Smith and Dan Tylka.

All of the student research projects will be presented as

table clinics during our annual Scientific Day scheduled for

April 11. Look for them!

(Report provided by Dr. John Dmytryk, associate dean for

research.)

STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM

Ryan Streight works on his summer research project.

Students and faculty relax after a hard day of research presentations (2006 American Association for Dental Research meeting, Orlando, Fla.).

News Briefs

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News Briefs

Millie Audas, director of Education Abroad and

International Student Services on the OU Norman campus,

has long encouraged student exchanges between the

University of Oklahoma and the Université de Nice-Sophia

Antipolis in Nice, France. When she suggested last spring

that the College of Dentistry host an exchange with the

dental school in Nice, OUCOD spent the next few months

working out the details and, on Aug. 12, welcomed Paul

Ferracci as our first foreign exchange dental student.

At the time of his exchange, Paul had completed

five years of the six-year program at Nice, making him

educationally equivalent to our senior students. According

to Randy Jones, director of Admissions and Student

Affairs, “In consultation with our department chairs, a

special curriculum was created for Paul to emphasize

those areas of particular interest to him. While Paul had

opportunities to provide patient care in oral surgery and

emergency clinics, a sizable portion of his schedule was

devoted to observation and assisting in implantology,

periodontal surgery and oral surgery. He also was allowed

time for personal travel and during his stay was able to

visit New York, San Francisco and Dallas. I also must

acknowledge Edward Harroz, one of our senior students,

who graciously allowed Paul to room with him during his

time here and also served as his ‘peer mentor.’”

When Paul returned to Nice on Dec. 20, he took with him

a certificate signed by Dean Stephen Young recognizing

successful completion of the curriculum developed for him

at OUCOD. Jones said, “Since this was our first formal

exposure to foreign exchange, it was somewhat of a ‘test

case.’ We learned a lot about what to do to maximize

the experience, and it’s definitely something we’d like to

do again. Our counterparts at the dental school in Nice

have extended an offer to send one of our students or

faculty members over there in the near future. One of our

junior students has already expressed an interest in the

program.”

OUCOD HOSTS FIRSTFOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT

Paul Ferracci (third from left) with Director of Admissions Randy Jones, Student Council President (and Paul’s roommate) Edward Harroz and Dean Stephen Young

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The 2005-06 academic year was a busy and productive one for the Staples Society, OUCOD’s student-led service organization. Two of our most fun and visible activities each year are the annual Christmas project for Dewey Elementary School and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Halloween party. Many student volunteers give their time and effort

to make these events and others happen, and we extend grateful appreciation

to them and to the society’s 2005-06 officers: President Ryan Streight (DS3), Vice President Blake Sulaver (DS3) and Secretary Kristi Miner (DS2).

For our Christmas 2005 project, we “adopted” Dewey Elementary School for the seventh consecutive year. We raised more than $2,500 and provided toys, clothing and school supplies to all 55 kids in the fifth-grade class. We also presented Christmas stockings to each of the other 300 students at the school. We repeatedly hear from Dewey’s principal that these gifts are the only ones many of these children receive. We delivered the gifts on Dec. 16, 2005 (the last day of fall final exams), and hosted a Christmas party complete with cookies, punch and Christmas carols. Nate Turnbow (DS2) was great in the role of Santa, even growing

a nice beard for the occasion! At the time of this writing, we are gearing up for our Christmas 2006 project. This will be a huge effort, since the students of Dewey and another elementary school have been merged into the new Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School.

On Oct. 24, we held our fifth annual Big Brothers/Big Sisters Halloween party at the dental college. Booths were set up for all kinds of games and activities, including face painting, Twister, washer toss, cookie decorating, boo-la hoop and several others. The first-floor locker room was transformed into a haunted house, complete with lots of cobwebs, fog, scary noises and plenty of surprises. All of the kids were assigned dental students to serve as “Party Pals” to get to know them, guide them through all the activities, and make sure each of them got plenty of pizza and cookies. The previous March, we had treated these children to a bowling party, so the partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters has become a strong and meaningful one. It is our hope that perhaps some of these children will become future dental students.

Another exciting project under way at the college is the renovation of the old copy room on the first floor. Thanks to the combined efforts and funding from the Staples Society, the Student Council, ASDA and the dean’s office, this room will be transformed into a student business office, which will include new carpeting and lighting, built-in workstations and a computer.

All of these projects (and others) are made possible because of the tremendous dedication of our students, faculty and staff. The Albert F. Staples Society is obviously alive and well at OUCOD, and this is an exciting time to be a member!

(Report provided by Dr. John Dmytryk, associate dean for research and faculty adviser to the Staples Society.)

STAPLES SOCIETY SHOWS DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY

Santa (Nate Turnbow) with one of Dewey’s happy fifth-graders.

The beard is colored, but it’s real!

Big Brothers/Big Sisters bowling party

Junior dental students (l-r) Kendra Hammond and Somer Pfeifer check out oral hygiene

techniques during the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Halloween party.

News Briefs

35

Class Notes

DH CLASS OF 1973BECKY BURRIS: See Alumni Spotlight article. KATHY (BURRIS) LINK: See Alumni Spotlight article.

DH CLASS OF 1975JANE BOWERS: See Brandon Bowers (’76).

CLASS OF 1976BRANDON BOWERS’ daughter, Blaire, is a member of the OUCOD Class of 2010. Brandon practices in Shawnee, Okla. Blaire’s mom is Jane Bowers (DH ’75), co-chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene.

DUNN CUMBY was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists during the 2006 ACD annual meeting and convocation in Las Vegas last October. Other OUCOD alumni also inducted as ACD Fellows were Leon Bragg (’77),

Jeff Lunday (’81), Rieger Wood (’81) and Trent Yadon (’87).

J. ROBERT RENEAU and his wife, Mary, have a new son-in-law. Their daughter Margo and Harper Ward were married on Oct. 14 in Oklahoma City. Younger daughter Elaine was the maid of honor. Harper will graduate from OU medical school this spring and plans to pursue an anesthesiology residency.

BRUCE SCOTT: See Ryan and Shawn Scott (’01).

CLASS OF 1977LEON BRAGG: See Dunn Cumby (’76).

KEN COY returned last November from Kosovo, Serbia, after a five-month deployment with the Army National Guard. In addition to providing dental care to troops and some of the indigent population, Ken described the experience as very eye-opening: “Dentistry is very inexpensive over there, but the dental IQ also is very low. Traffic is terrible; there are only one-lane roads and it takes an hour to travel five to 10 miles! Schools are poor and health care is inadequate, but every village has a mosque! The

food in most cases looked better than it tasted. But overall, I can’t complain. It was a great experience!” Ken is now attending to his new duties at OUCOD as associate dean for Academic and Administrative Affairs.

GARY JONES and LINDA JONES (DH): See Stephen Jones (’92).

JAMES KESSLER: See New Faculty Profile.

CLASS OF 1978BRYAN CHRZ is teaching part time in the Department of Operative Dentistry at OUCOD. Bryan received the Alumni Association’s inaugural Alumnus of the Year award during Alumni Weekend festivities last spring. Bryan practices in Perry, Okla.

WAYNE KING and his wife, Tina, are on the run. The two hard-core running enthusiasts entered about 20 marathons last year, on occasion even competing on back-to-back weekends! They practice by running a few miles every morning,

Class Notes

The Reneau family at daughter Margo’s wedding: (l-r) J. Robert, Mary, Margo, Harper and Elaine

Ken Coy

beginning at 5 a.m., around their Edmond neighborhood. Wayne practices in northwest Oklahoma City and Tina is his administrative assistant.

CLASS OF 1979MARK FELTON has increased his part-time teaching commitment to 50 percent time as a clinical associate professor of orthodontics. He has been teaching in the Department of Orthodontics since 1984. Mark splits his practice time between two offices in Oklahoma City and Edmond.

MIKE KINCAID has two reasons to be happy these days. Son Matthew began his dental studies last fall as a member of the OUCOD Class of 2010. And he’s also a new grandfather. Just two days after dental school orientation, Matt and his wife welcomed their first child, daughter Courtney Reese, who was born on

June 28. Mike and his wife, Lynn, will celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary in April. Mike is in private practice in Broken Arrow, Okla.

CLASS OF 1980MIKE BLOSS and his wife, KIM (WIRTZ) (DH), live in Lakewood, Colo., have been married 26 years and have two grown daughters, Natalie and Cassie. Mike is a managing partner with Comfort Dental in Colorado.

RANDY JONES: See New Faculty Profile.

DAVID NITTLER retired last January and sold his practice to his associate, Mike Wallace (’05). With three grown children, Dave and his wife, Betty, plan on “enjoying some good years.” The Nittlers reside in Edmond, Okla.

JAMIE THOMAS is traveling the world again. He is currently working in Canberra, Australia, and has been there since mid-January after spending seven weeks in Thailand, six in California

and then another six in Thailand. Jamie says, “It’s hard to believe that the 59th-ranked student in my class of 63 has passed licensing exams in three countries and four different U.S. regions! Says a lot about my education at OUCOD. Don’t tell Dr. Shillingburg – he’d probably faint!”

CLASS OF 1981DAVID BIRDWELL: See News Briefs (OATS).

Last October, JEFF LUNDAY returned to the United States from his latest military deployment to northern Afghanistan. He was stationed at a

36

Class Notes

(l-r) Greg Brasher (’89), Mark Felton (’79) and Eli Jarjoura (’97)

Jamie Thomas

“Docs on the Rocks” are (clockwise from left) John Archer, Geoff Sparks, Justin Power, Brian Amy

and David Birdwell.

Jeff Lunday with his assistant, interpreter and Afghani patients, Anesa (10) and Basri (7)

37

Class Notes

NATO base near Kabul and provided dental treatment to the troops and through MEDCAP (medical/civil action program) to the Afghani people in nearby villages. Jeff explains, “The MEDCAP program is designed to improve the health and well-being of Afghani nationals and, in the process, improve their opinion of us and foster better relations with the West.” (See Dunn Cumby [’76]).

DENNY SOUTHARD: See Amy Stone (’03).

RIEGER WOOD: See Dunn Cumby (’76), Kristi Broussard (DH ’87) and Marti Lane (’06).

CLASS OF 1982Both MARK ALLEN and BRAD WILLIAMS have sons (David and Bradford Jr., respectively) in the OUCOD Class of 2010. Mark practices in Oklahoma City and Brad in Skiatook, Okla. The Williamses’ dental heritage extends beyond father and son. Brad Jr.’s uncle is Bruce Williams (’89) and his cousin is Leslie Williams (DH ’03).

MIKE DAY has been named dental director of Durham County (North Carolina) and is now an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry. His wife, Janna Stegall Day (’83), has transferred from Pitt

County and now also works in Durham County.

GENE LITTEKEN: See Tamara Worthen (’95).

CLASS OF 1983JANNA STEGALL DAY: See Mike Day (’82).

RODNEY NELSON’s son-in-law, Chris Corbin, is a member of the OUCOD Class of 2010. Rodney practices in Duncan, Okla.

JOE SEAY is serving as editor of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry newsletter for 2006-07. Joe represents District 6 on the board and practices in Norman. CLASS OF 1984HUYEN NGUYEN sold her north Oklahoma City practice last fall to Calvin Doan (’06) and moved to California to accept a full-time faculty position in restorative dentistry with the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry.

CLASS OF 1985DON CARD and his wife, Denean, have been married 19 years and have four children: Ethan, 17; Galen, 15; Caleb, 13; and Taryn, 7. Don practices in Wenatchee, Wash., where he has been since leaving the U.S. Public Health Service in 1997.

MARK HANSTEIN was installed as president of the Oklahoma County Dental Society during

installation ceremonies at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club on Jan. 19. Other county officers for 2007 include President-elect Thai-An Doan (’98) and Vice President Matt Cohlmia (’91).

MARK KRAVER has been in southwest Florida since 1988 after three years in the Air Force. His practice (Cape Dental Care) is a four-doctor office in Cape Coral, where he and his wife, Nita, also reside. Nita is the office manager at Cape Dental Care. The Kravers have three children: Phillip is a freshman at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville; Laura is a health administration coordinator for a rehabilitation rest home and is currently working on a master’s degree; and James is pursuing a degree in civil engineering.

CLASS OF 1987KRISTI LOLLI BROUSSARD (DH) and her husband, Jeff, reside in Mannford, Okla., and have four daughters: Sheridyn, 9; Sophia, 6; Sydney, 2; and Serena, 1. Kristi fills in occasionally for local dentists E.J. Vaught, Brent Burchard and Rieger Wood (’81).

MICHAEL JACKSON is in private practice in Lawton, Okla.

TRENT YADON: See Dunn Cumby (’76).

CLASS OF 1988RAYMOND COHLMIA was the keynote speaker for OUCOD’s second annual White Coat Ceremony on Sept. 22 (see News Briefs). Raymond practices in northwest Oklahoma City with his dad, Ray, and younger brother, Matt (’91).

TIM RUDD: See New Faculty Profile.

CLASS OF 1989BRENDA CHOCKLEY and her husband, Jon Cooper, graciously hosted a J. Dean Robertson Society Dean’s Circle

gathering at their Tulsa home last September for about 20 local dentists and OUCOD representatives. Brenda is a current Robertson Society trustee. She and Jon have a joint orthodontic practice (Cooper & Chockley Orthodontics) in Tulsa. They have two children, Alec and Joel.

KURT GIBSON and his wife, Carrie, will celebrate their first wedding anniversary in July. Kurt has three children from a previous marriage: Lea, 18; Grant, 17; and Lauren, 13. The Gibsons reside in Guymon, Okla., where Kurt also has a general practice.

KEMIE HOUSTON recently took on an associate to help with her burgeoning pedo practice in Englewood, Colo. Kemie and her husband, Doug, have three children: Jamie, Julie and Tanner. Kemie says, “Julie is expecting, so I’m going to be a grandmother soon!”

BRUCE WILLIAMS: See Brad Williams (’82).

CLASS OF 1990As of Jan. 1, NANCY JACOBSEN is the new chair of OUCOD’s Department of Oral Implantology, replacing founding Chair Don

Mitchell upon his retirement. Nancy graduated from the Graduate Prosthodontics program in 1995 and has been teaching full time at the school for the past 10 years. She and her husband, John, have two children, Nathan and Thomas.

CLASS OF 1991MATT COHLMIA: See Mark Hanstein (’85) and Raymond Cohlmia (’88).

CLASS OF 1992BRIAN AMY and JOHN ARCHER: See News Briefs (OATS).

STAN and AUDREY CRAWFORD: See Bridges for Smiles article.

STEPHEN JONES is in practice in Tahlequah, Okla., with Mark Smith (’98) and Heather Bobb (’01). Steve bought his dad’s – Gary (’77) – Stilwell practice in 1999 when Gary retired, and stayed there five years before relocating to Tahlequah. Steve’s mom, Linda (DH ’77), works three days a week in the office as office manager.

KELLY ZUKAITIS and her husband, Mark, are the proud parents of twins, Ellise and Jillian, 7. To spend time with her girls, Kelly now works 50

Class Notes

38

Joel Cooper

Raymond Cohlmia

Class Notes

39

percent time, but it’s a busy 50 percent: teaching predoctoral pediatric dentistry at the University of North Carolina dental school; working with GPR residents in the operating room at Carolina Medical Center; and practicing her specialty at Gaston Memorial Hospital. The Zukaitis family has lived in Gastonia, N.C., for the past seven years.

CLASS OF 1993JAMES McANALLY has launched an international dental marketing company for doctors wishing to attract patients needing full mouth reconstruction and dental implant therapy. More information can be found at the company Web site, www.bigcasemarketing.com. Jim is in private practice in Seattle and was united in marriage with his life partner, Christian Hogue, on Aug. 1 in Montreal, Canada.

CLASS OF 1994LISA ARNHART opened a practice in Albuquerque, N.M., in December 2005. She and her husband, David, have two daughters: Camber, 10, and Mary, 6.

DONNA BROGAN (DH) is a new dental hygiene member of the Alumni Association’s Executive Committee. She replaced Melissa Farmer (DH ’99), who moved to Cottleville, Mo., early last fall. Donna works for Phillips Sonicare and also teaches part time with the Department of Dental Hygiene.

RUSSELL DANNER: See Jeff Danner (’01).

MICHELLE DECKER sold her Oklahoma City practice to Megan Hill (’05) in September. Michelle is looking forward to staying at home with her three children: Lauren, 9; Brandon, 6; and Reagan, 3.

CLASS OF 1995TAMI BERG practices in Yukon, where she and her husband, Lowell, also reside with their two sons, Clayton and Karsten. Tami is a former president of the Oklahoma County Dental Society and just completed her term as a member of the ODA Council on Membership and Membership Services.

SCOTT BRELAND and his wife, Donne, welcomed a new addition to the family when Bradley Scott Breland was born on July 28. Bradley joins big brother Bobby, 6. Last October, Bradley had to have surgery to correct a blockage in his right kidney, but Scott reports

Jim McAnally (left), Christian Hogue and their families

The Arnhart family

Future Sooners Clayton and Karsten Berg

Bradley and Bobby Breland

that “everything went very smoothly.” Scott practices in Sapulpa, Okla.

TAMARA WORTHEN has been practicing with Gene Litteken (’82) in a pediatric dentistry partnership in Ardmore, Okla., since 2000. In the last issue, we reported that she was still practicing in Englewood, Colo. We apologize for the error.

CLASS OF 1996CHAD GARRISON and his wife, Candace, have four children: Kelsey, 10; Gracie, 8; Matthew, 5; and Joshua, 3. Chad practices with a Baylor grad and a University of Missouri-Kansas City grad in two practice locations in Jay, Okla. Chad says, “OU, Baylor, UMKC – we have three states covered!”

LENA OWENS and Brad Craig are engaged to be married sometime this summer. When Lena reported the happy news

in October, she said, “We’re still working on who’s going to move! I’m hoping he’ll be able to find a job here in Ada so we can stay here. But if he can’t, then I’ll move back to Texas.” Lena has been working with the Chickasaw Nation Dental Clinic since June 2006.

Last year was a busy one for JOHN PHILLIPS. First, he moved into his new Chickasha, Okla., office after almost 10 years at his original location in town. Then in June, his wife, Angie, gave birth to their first daughter, Aspen Faith, who joins big brothers John IV, 11, and Preston Dale, 9. One month later, the Phillips family moved into their new home (of sorts). John says, “It’s a big metal 68-by-80-square-foot barn out in the country. The kids love it, because it looks like a huge gymnasium! At the very back of it is a two-story log cabin where we’ll live until our ‘real’ new home is built right next to the barn.”

TIM SHANNON: See Mark Revels (’01).

JULIE SPEIGHTS: See Eli Jarjoura (’97).

CLASS OF 1997MARY BRANNOCK is still in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she has been since graduation. “Everything

is going well out here,” she reported. “You told us that staffing would be our biggest problem. We didn’t believe you and whaddya know! I’m thinking of going into teaching just to escape it – just kidding!” She added, “(Classmate) JOHN LANDERS is organizing our 10-year reunion this summer, so I’m looking forward to seeing all of the upgrades at OUCOD.”

ELI JARJOURA and his wife, Julie Speights (’96), have added four additional office locations (Del City, Harrah, Norman and Oklahoma City) to complement their original Edmond office. They also are building a new 7,000-square-foot office in Edmond to replace the original one. Eli and Julie have four girls: Angela, 8; twins Amy and Sara, 5; and Kelly, 3.

DUSTIN LIVELY and his wife, Elizabeth (Tooney), have three children:

40

Class Notes

Jarjoura jewels: (l-r) Kelly, Amy, Angela and Sara

Lena Owens and Brad Craig

Class Notes

41

Loclynn, 9; Lynsi, 5; and Landry, 1. The Lively family (pun intended) live in Mangum, Okla., where Dustin also practices.

CLASS OF 1998THAI-AN DOAN: See Mark Hanstein (’85).

SABRINA HUCKABAY got her license to practice in Minnesota and has returned to work after taking time off to raise second child Jack, born in December 2005. Sabrina and her family (Jack, husband Chad, and daughter Olivia, 5) have been in Minnesota for about a year and a half after six years in Temple, Texas, and one year in Manhattan, while Chad completed his urology residency and fellowship. As if she doesn’t have her hands full with her practice and two active children, Sabrina also wants to return to school. “I’ve applied to a few

graduate ortho programs and hope to get accepted. I’d love to do ortho full time.”

MARK SMITH: See Stephen Jones (’92).

CLASS OF 1999ASHLEY DANNER (DH): See Jeff Danner (’01).

MELISSA FARMER (DH): See Donna Brogan (DH ’94).

COLIN FOSTER: See New Faculty Profile.

BECKY SWAN (DH): See Pete Swan (’00).

BERNIE WYNN: See Reynolds Cristelli (DH ’03).

CLASS OF 2000JOHN CARSON moved into his newly built Tucson, Ariz., office last June. He and his wife, Kim, have been in Tucson since 2003, after John completed a three-year stint with the Air Force following graduation.

BRENT DOBSON graduated from OUCOD’s grad ortho program last August and is now in private orthodontic practice with classmate JEFF HOUSLEY.

MITCH KRAMER has been elected to the board of Delta Dental of Oklahoma. Mitch is in private practice in Edmond.

PETE SWAN and his wife, Becky (Cole) Swan (DH ’99), are the proud parents of Asher, 3, and twins Noah and Finley, 1. Pete practices in northwest Oklahoma City. Becky is a stay-at-home mom, although she occasionally helps out in Pete’s office.

Sabrina and Jack Huckabay

Pete and Becky Swan with Asher (center) and twins Finley and Noah

Five years later: Class of ’01 alums (l-r, back row) Dennis Rothschild, Jay White, Cullen Harrod

and Ryan and Shawn Scott; (front row) Samantha Marley-Harrod, Erin Roberts, Kristie Hobart

and Stephanie Kendrick

DAVID WONG became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology on Nov. 17, 2005. David is in private practice in Tulsa, Okla. David’s son, Landon, was born on Sept. 8 and joins big sister Maddie, 2.

CLASS OF 2001HEATHER (COX) BOBB: See Stephen Jones (’92).

TARISAI DANDAJENA (Grad Ortho) received the 2006 Educator Research Award from the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists during the SWSO annual meeting in Kansas City last September. He was one of four candidates representing the grad ortho programs in the SWSO geographic region. The $6,000 award (matched by OUCOD), which provides funds for faculty development, was presented by SWSO Educator Forum

Committee Chair Mark Felton (’79). Tarisai earned his doctoral degree in cell biology in 2005 and is now teaching full time as a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Orthodontics.

JEFFREY DANNER and his wife, Ashley (DH ’99), have two children: Alexander, who will be 7 in April; and Brayden, 4. Jeff practices two days per week in Oklahoma City with his brother, Russell (’94), and spends the rest of the week in the Kingfisher office he opened last July. Ashley works the front desk for Jeff and no longer practices dental hygiene.

RICK FREEMAN is in private practice in Moore, Okla., with classmate KURT CLARK, Neil Ayers (’06) and Seth Evetts (’06). See Tambree Hobbs (DH ’05).

CULLEN HARROD’s cousin, Seth Bingham, is currently a freshman (Class of 2010) at OUCOD. Cullen practices in northwest Oklahoma City with his wife (and classmate), SAMANTHA MARLEY-HARROD.

MARK REVELS completed his orthodontic residency last August and, one week later, joined Tim Shannon’s (’96) brand-new practice (Orthodontics Exclusively) in Norman, which opened in June 2006.

RYAN and SHAWN SCOTT are the proud parents of son Ty, 2. Ryan and Shawn practice in

42

Class Notes

Ryan and Shawn Scott

Ty Scott

SWSO Educator Research award recipient Tarisai Dandajena with (l-r) Fräns Currier, Dean Stephen

Young and Mark Felton

Tim Shannon and Mark Revels (Photo courtesy of Bramlett MultiMedia)

Class Notes

43

Marlow, Okla., with Ryan’s dad, Bruce Scott (’76).

CLASS OF 2002ROCKY CULLENS completed his four-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency last summer. Rocky has been practicing his specialty in Fort Smith, Ark., since August.

ROBIE HERMAN and his wife, Krista, a post-partum care nurse, are expecting their first child, Caroline Lynn, in April. The Hermans did a lot of traveling during 2006, including Thailand; Hong Kong; Vienna, Austria; Paris; Holland; Tokyo; and, for New Year’s, Seoul, South Korea. Robie is winding down his tour in Okinawa, Japan, with the U.S. Navy and is scheduled to rotate out in September. He says, “We’ve requested orders to the United States and look forward to reuniting with all of you again soon.”

CLASS OF 2003REYNOLDS CRISTELLI (DH) and her husband, Tony, are expecting their first child, a girl, in early May. Reynolds works in the Tulsa office of her brother-in-law, Bernie Wynn (’99).

KERRY EDWARDS is in private practice in Jenks, Okla.

JUSTIN POWER and GEOFF SPARKS: See News Briefs (OATS).

LaTONYA SHELTON-MILLER and her husband, Robert, celebrated their second wedding anniversary Sept. 4. Robert is a cameraman for KFOR-TV Channel 4. LaTonya practices in northeast Oklahoma City.

As we went to press, AMY STONE and her husband, Jason, were expecting their first child. Sam was due on Dec. 13 and should by now be celebrating his three-month birthday! Amy practices with Denny Southard (’81) in Tulsa.

DREW WENDELKEN: See Lara Foerster (’06).

LESLIE WILLIAMS (DH): See Brad Williams (’82).

CLASS OF 2004SCOTT BEDICHEK is in his final year of the periodontics residency

program at OUCOD. After graduation in May, Scott will enter private practice in Keller, Texas (near Fort Worth).

JACOB HAGER and his wife, Kelly, welcomed their second son, Landon Scott, on Nov. 8. Landon joins big brother Grant, who was born in June 2005. Jacob is in his final year of the periodontics residency program at OUCOD. After graduation in May, he will associate with Conrad Hornbuckle in south Oklahoma City.

ANDREA MONTGOMERY and her husband, James Stanley, became parents for the first time with the birth of their son, Luke, on Nov. 13. Andrea practices general dentistry with her dad, Patrick, in Lawton, Okla.

As of January, ABBY ONAN VANOVEN is a part-time (50 percent) faculty member with the Department of Fixed Prosthodontics at OUCOD. Abby is currently

Moms-to-be (l-r) Amy Stone and Reynolds Cristelli

Andrea Montgomery-Stanley and Luke

building a new office in Midwest City that should be completed later this year.

CLASS OF 2005 AARON BULLEIGH practices in Bartlesville, Okla., with classmates OTT and VALERIE (NGUYEN) HOLLEMAN. Aaron’s little brother, Adam, is a freshman (Class of 2010) at OUCOD.

MEGAN HILL: See Michelle Decker (’94).

TAMBREE HOBBS (DH) and her husband, Ian, are the proud parents of new baby boy Cole Lane Hobbs, born Oct. 11. Tambree works in the Moore practice of her father (and equally proud granddad!), Rick Freeman (’01). Classmates JAKE MENDENHALL and ERIC TUGGLE are second-year residents in the oral and maxillofacial surgery program at OUCOD.

JAMIE TALLEY is teaching part time in the Department of Oral Diagnosis at OUCOD. She is in private practice in Oklahoma City.

MIKE WALLACE: See David Nittler (’80).

CLASS OF 2006 NEIL AYERS: See Rick Freeman (’01).

CHASE DIGHTON and his girlfriend, Sarah Murray, live in Albuquerque, N.M., where Chase also has a general dental practice.

CALVIN DOAN: See Huyen Nguyen (’84).

SETH EVETTS: See Rick Freeman (’01).

CORD FITZGERALD and his wife, Joanne, are first-time parents. Reed Michael was born on Sept. 15. Cord is completing his one-year general practice residency at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

LARA FOERSTER and Drew Wendelken (’03) were married Sept. 30 in Oklahoma City and honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Lara now works for MyDentist in a brand-new Midwest City office with classmate KIMBERLY GREENLEE-LEWIS. Drew is a second-year resident in OUCOD’s oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program.

Six members of the Class of 2006 make up the entire AEGD Class of 2007! Currently in the middle of their one-year program are TRYM GIBBONS, MATT HOLLOMAN, JASON KNAPP, CHANCE LAWLESS, JASON WALKER and YU JUN XU.

MATT HEIM (Grad Ortho) must have really impressed one of his instructors! Immediately following his graduation from OUCOD’s Graduate Orthodontics Program last July, Matt joined part-time ortho faculty member Tom Weirich’s specialty practice in north Oklahoma City. A graduate of Marquette University, Matt had planned on returning to Wisconsin to practice but enjoys being an Okie too much! Both he and Tom also teach part time in the Department of Orthodontics.

44

Class Notes

Chase Dighton and Sarah Murray

Cole Lane Hobbs with mom Tambree and granddad Rick Freeman

Class Notes

MARTI LANE and Andy Levinson were married on July 22. Marti has been practicing in Tulsa with Rieger Wood (’81) since graduation.

CLASS OF 2007 Classmates HANH DANG, GABE NABORS and GRANT PITT were each presented with $5,000 scholarships from the Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma Foundation during a special luncheon on Dec. 7. DDPO officials John Gladden and Jim Hampton also presented scholarships to Randi Hobbs (’08) and Brian Ludwig (’08).

Last October, KALA KRETCHMAR (DH) was selected to receive the 2006-07 Cadbury Adams Community Outreach Scholarship. The award was presented by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Institute for Oral Health.

JON LINDBLOM represented OUCOD at the 2006 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Program in Las Vegas last October. One of 53 student clinicians from dental schools around the country, Jon won the honor of representing the school when he was awarded the top table clinic prize during Scientific Day 2006.

MONICA NEWMAN (DH) received the 2006-07 Outstanding Senior Award at the Parents’ Association Outstanding Senior Awards Reception and Ceremony held Nov. 10 at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the OU Norman campus. These awards are presented to students from each undergraduate college. Monica represented OUCOD’s undergraduate dental hygiene program.

CLASS OF 2008 RANDI HOBBS and BRIAN LUDWIG: See Hanh Dang (’07).

45

2006-07 Delta Dental Scholarship winners (l-r) Brian Ludwig, Randi Hobbs, Grant Pitt, Hanh Dang

and Gabe Nabors

Table clinic grand prize winner Jon Lindblom with dental materials chair Sharukh Khajotia during

Scientific Day 2006

Rieger and Donna Wood with Marti and Andy Levinson

46

Class Notes

LYLE EDWARD FENSKA1955-2007

We are deeply saddened to report the death of Lyle E. Fenska, who passed away on Jan. 10 at Integris Baptist Regional Health Center in Miami, Okla., at the age of 51. Although born in Oklahoma City, Lyle was raised in Bartlesville, where he attended Sooner High School. After graduation, he attended Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1978 with his bachelor of science (chemistry) degree. Lyle remained at OSU for an additional two semesters in an analytical chemistry graduate program. He was accepted at the OU College of Dentistry as a member of the Class of 1983 and began his dental studies in the fall of 1979.

After graduation, Lyle and his wife, Sally, moved to Miami, Okla., where he established a private general dental practice and also worked part time for the Ottawa County Health Department, providing dental care to low-income children. In 1988, Lyle joined the Public Health Service as a commissioned corps officer. He was assigned to the northeast Oklahoma Indian Health Service and achieved the rank of commander. He remained with the Indian Health Service for the rest of his professional career.

Among the many traits that characterize the true professional are integrity, empathy for the less fortunate and a spirit of volunteerism. Throughout his career, Lyle lived those qualities and was the essence of the true professional. He served on four medical missions to Bolivia, Jamaica and Mexico. He was a member of the Miami Educational Enrichment Foundation, a Vacation Bible School leader for his church, and a Boy Scouts cub master and founder of Cub Scouts Pack 51. Loved and admired by his community for his numerous public service contributions, he and Sally also were respected for their grace and strength in the face of a nearly unbearable personal tragedy: the death of their infant daughter, Leslie Anne.

The words of former OUCOD Dean Russell Stratton from a 1988 letter of support for Lyle’s application to the Public Health Service serve as a fitting legacy of which his family can be most proud: “Dr. Lyle Fenska is kind and compassionate and shows genuine interest in the well-being of his patients. He is a devoted husband and father. His ethical standards are of the highest level.”

Lyle is survived by Sally, his wife of 28 years; his three children, Ryan, Kristen and James; his only grandchild, Kate Elizabeth; his brother, Terry Fenska (Marietta, Ga.), and sister, Teresa Burchfield (Plano, Texas); and his mother, Alice Fenska, of Bartlesville. We extend our sincere condolences to them and to the many others Lyle touched during his brief but eminently productive life.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOKLAHOMA CITY, OK

PERMIT #220

University of OklahomaHealth Sciences CenterCollege of Dentistry1201 N. Stonewall Ave.Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1214

Grant Pitt (DS-4), wife Becky, and children Jackson, 7, Gracie, 4, and Ava, 2, at OUCOD’s fall 2006 Back to School picnic

2006-07 Good Shepherd Mission student coordinators (l-r) George Zakhary, Spencer Sautter and Brandon Jenson

Students enjoy the newly renovated Room 108 lecture hall. FPD faculty member Frank Lipsinic’s specially painted “Sooner Cruiser”