2012 News & Events

  • 12/07/12
    Drs. Steve Leifker and Karin Weber-Gasparoni Receive Delta Dental Grant for Research Project
    Dr. Steve Leifker, first-year pediatric dentistry resident, and Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, have received a $6,040 Delta Dental grant for a research project, "Survey of Iowa General Dentists Regarding the Age 1 Dental Visit."

    Providing dental care for infants represents a special challenge in private practice that can be intimidating if one has limited experience. This research project will assess the willingness of providers to treat infants and will include a component assessing the influence of the WIC clinic rotation during dental school on the attitudes of practicing general dentists. These results will be used to determine the efficacy of the WIC clinic rotation. Drs. Leifker and Weber-Gasparoni will also compare results to previous surveys to determine if there are any trends in access to care for infants in Iowa.

  • St. Luke's Dental Health Center to be Renamed the Dr. Rhys B. Jones Dental Health Center
    Dr. Rhys B. Jones (d. 2012), former adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, will be honored on December 12 at the rededicated and renamed St. Luke's Dental Health Center, which will become the Dr. Rhys B. Jones Dental Health Center.

    The Cedar Rapids dental health center opened in 1976 with Dr. Jones's help. He was the center's director until his death in April 2012.

    Low-cost dental services are offered at the center to infants, children, adolescents, as well as children and adults with developmental disabilities. Nearly 130,000 dental patients have been treated since the center's inception.

    The December 12 rededication ceremony of the Dr. Rhys B. Jones Dental Health Center will be private.

  • Several Big 10 Dental Deans Meet at the College of Dentistry
    Several Big 10 dental deans met in Iowa City and at the College of Dentistry on December 2 and 2, 2012, to discuss various issues, such as dentist demand, research funding, infrastructure, strategies to increase clinic revenue, potential collaborations, and teaching, learning and curriculum.

    The dental deans who attended were Dr. John Reinhardt, former head of the UI Operative Dentistry department and now dental dean at the University of Nebraska; Dr. Patrick Lloyd, former head of the UI Family Dentistry department and now dental dean at Ohio State University; Dr. Leon Assael, dental dean at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Bruce Graham, dental dean at the University of Illinois, Chicago; Dr. John Williams, dental dean at Indiana University, Indianapolis; and Dean David Johnsen.

  • 11/30/12
    Dr. David A. Gimer Elected to the AAID Board of Trustees
    Dr. David A. Gimer (DDS '76) has been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), the only implant organization to offer implant credentials that are protected by federal court decisions. The AAID, the world's preeminent implant organization, has more than 4,500 members, including oral surgeons, periodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists from the U.S. and 40 other countries.

    For 36 years, Dr. Gimer has practiced general dentistry with a concentration on implant dentistry. He became an associate fellow of the AAID in 2001, a fellow in 2004, and was voted as an honored fellow in 2010. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry and a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

  • Pediatric Dentistry student Group Receives Delta Dental Mini-Grant
    Katie Nagel (D3), president of the Pediatric Dentistry Student Group, recently received word that the student group has received a $5,400 mini-grant from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation for a project entitled "Oral Health Information for Pregnant Women." The project was designed to provide pregnant wmen and the facilities and clinics that deal closely with pregnant women, the resources, and information to assist in maintaining a healthy mouth during pregnancy and to prepare them to be proactive in the oral health of their baby. The pediatric dentistry student group plans to assemble and distribute 500 packets of oral health information and oral health care supplies to pregnant women attending nearby prenatal health care facilities and WIC clinics. A portion of the grant funding will also go towards providing DVDs of educational videos for office and clinic reception room viewing. Ms. Cathy Skotowski, clinical assistant professor in the Departmentj of Pediatric Dentistry, is the faculty mentor for the pediatric dentistry student group and will assist in the project.
     
  • Drs. Teresa Marshall and Cheryl Straub-Morarend Features in ADEA's CCI Liaison Ledger
    Drs. Teresa Marshall, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, and Cheryl Straub-Morarend, Department of Family Dentistry, were interviewed and featured in ADEA's online publication, CCI Liaison Ledger. Drs. Marshall, Straub-Morarend, David Holmes (head of the Department of Family Dentistry), and Michael Finkelstein (Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine) designed and implemented a series of Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) continuing education courses for the private practice community. This series of EBD courses evolved to included esteemed College of Dentistry faculty: Associate Professor Karen Baker, directory of Pharmacy Services, and Dr. Steve Armstrong, head of the Department of Operative Dentistry. Their collective work has earned the University of Iowa College of Dentistry national recognition in a Campus Spotlight on Evidence-Based Dentistry. More information can be found at http://www.adea.org/Secondary.aspx?id=17347

  • 11/16/12
    Alumnus Dr. Bruce Rotter Appointed Dean of SIU School of Dental Medicine
    Dr. Bruce Rotter, who earned his master’s degree and an oral and maxillofacial surgery certificate from Iowa in 1990, has been appointed dean of the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Dental Medicine (Alton, IL). He earned his DMD from the SIU School of Dental Medicine (SDM) in 1982 and a general practice residency certificate from Ehrling-Bergquist U.S. Air Force Regional Hospital (Omaha, NE) in 1983.

    Dr. Rotter joined the SDM faculty as an assistant professor in 1993, became an associate professor in 1997, and a professor in 2009.

    He has created and administered one of the first implant fellowship training programs in the country. As a result of the training program, Dr. Rotter also designed, helped develop, and directed a freestanding implant clinic.

  • 11/02/12
    UI Publication Hawk Talk Month Includes College of Dentistry Ad
    The College of Dentistry's clinic services are being advertised in the UI's online publication, Hawk Talk Monthly. To view the ad on page six of the October 25 issue, go to: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/89746. The ad also includes a short video narrated by Jairus Houston (D3).
     
  • 10/30/12
    Periodontics Faculty Attend AAP Annual Meeting
    During the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) annual meeting recently held in Los Angeles, the AAP Foundation Board approved the constitution of the New Century Committee, and Dr. Gustavo Avila-Ortiz from the Department of Periodontics was designated as its chair. The primary function of this new committee will be to collaborate with the Foundation to achieve its mission by facilitating and promoting networking among young periodontists involved in education, research, and patient care in the United States. 

    Dr. Satheesh Elangovan was honored as a new diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology at the Sounding Board Breakfast on October 2. He completed board certification in May 2012. Dr. Georgia Johnson served as co-chair of the board from 2011-12 and was recognized for her service as a director from 2006-12. She has also served as an examiner for the board from 2005-06 and will continue in this capacity.
     

  • College of Dentistry Building Campaign Committee Wins Silver Award for the Pride of CASE V Awards Program
    The Building Campaign Committee for the College of Dentistry has won the silver award for the Pride of CASE V Awards Program (Best Capital/Comprehensive Campaign). Committee members include Penni Ryan, director of Continuing Education and Alumni Affairs; Jamie Sharp, associate professor emeritus; and Laurie Swanson, Dental Administration.

    Award certificates will be distributed at the CASE V Á VI Conference: Better Together, which will be held in Chicago on December 10, 2012.

  • 10/22/12
    Annual Regional Dental Public Health Conference Hosted by Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry
    The Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry hosted its annual Regional Dental Public Health Conference on September 23-24, 2012, with 93 dental and public health professionals from nine upper Midwest states in attendance. 

    This year's theme was "Strengthening Community-Based Prevention Through Community Water Fluoridation." This meeting was timely because several states, including Iowa, have been experiencing periodic challenges about the necessity of fluoridation. 

    Dr. Howard Pollick, professor at the Unviersity of California at San Francisco and ADA spokesperson on fluoridation, gave the keynote address, which highlighted the continuing need for community water fluoridation, its effectiveness and safety, and the cost effectiveness in reducing dental caries.  

    Several national speakers were featured, including Dr. Jay Kumar (New York Department of Health), RADM William Bailey (CDC), and Ms. Sharon Clough (ADA). 

    This conference was sponsored by four state Delta Dental foundations (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) and the US DHHS, Health Resources and Services Administration. 

  • Spanish Version of Textbook by Dr. Robert Staley and Mr. Neil Reske Now Available
    Dr. Robert Staley and Mr. Neil Reske, Department of Orthodontics, have received copies of the Spanish language version of their textbook, Essentials of Orthodontics. The Spanish edition, Fundamentos en Ortodoncia, was recently published by AMOLCA (Caracas, Venezuela).  
     
  • 10/12/12
    College of Dentistry participates in the 2012 Iowa Mission of Mercy     The 2012 Iowa Mission of Mercy (IMOM), sponsored by the Iowa Dental Association, was held October 5-6 at the River Center in Davenport, Iowa.
    There were a total of 1,389 patients seen and $923,373 in donated care. 

    There were 209 volunteers from the College of Dentistry, including 42 D1s, 63 D2s, 58 D3s, 14 residents, 11 staff, 13 faculty, and 8 other volunteers.  
     

  • 10/05/12
    Dr. David Gratton Presents at ITI Congress Canada
    Dr. David Gratton, Department of Prosthodontics, attended the International Team for Implantology Congress Canada, which was held in Toronto, Canada, September 21-22, 2012.

    Dr. Gratton presented "Using Intra Oral Scanning and CAD/CAM Technology to Create Accurate and Esthetic Restorations." 

  • Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend Attends First Iowa State Board of Health Meeting as Newly-Appointed Member
    Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend, Department of Family Dentistry, was appointed to the Iowa State Board of Health (ISBH) by Governor Branstad on July 1, 2012. 

    Dr. Straub-Morarend's term will be three years. As a board member, her responsibilities will include evaluating problems and supporting resolutions for public health issues. She must also be willing to dedicate time and energy promoting and protecting the health of Iowans. Dr. Straub-Morarend attended her first board meeting in September.  
     

  • 09/28/12
    Iowa Dental Alumnus Receives 2012 Ohio Dental Association Achievement Award
    Dr. Dennis McTigue (DDS '74, MS in pediatric dentistry '76) was awarded the Ohio Dental Association (ODA) Achievement Award on September 14 during the 2012 Callahan Celebration of Excellence Dinner, which was held during the ODA Annual Session in Columbus. The award reflects the recipient's personal and professional commitment to dentistry and public oral health.  
     
  • Dr. Isabelle Denry Attends the 2012 Academy of Dental Materials Meeting
    Dr. Isabelle Denry, Department of Prosthodontics and Dows, attended the 2012 Academy of Dental Materials meeting, which was held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, September 19-22, 2012. She presented, "When and How Does Processing Damage Adversely Affect the Clinical Performance of Ceramic Restorations?"  
     
  • Dr. Christopher Squier Receives Honorary Membership Award from the Hungarian Dental Association
    Dr. Christopher Squier, director of graduate studies and professor in the Dows and Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, received an honorary membership award from the Hungarian Dental Association. Dr. Squier received the award for his international contributions to oral cancer research, including his work on oral cancer research in Hungary. During Dr. Squier's 25-year relationship with the organization, he has been a keynote speaker at several Hungarian scientific meetings, and he assisted with developing a tobacco control program in Hungary 

    During his visit, Dr. Squier gave a presentation, "Dying for a Smoke?"
     

  • Dr. Jerry Walker, 2012 Educator of the Year
    During his elementary and secondary schooling, Dr. Jerry Dean Walker lived in Burlington, Iowa, and then Marion. When he graduated from high school in 1954, he briefly considered pre-law but, reflects, “I had no reason to become an attorney.” Through a process of elimination, Jerry decided to pursue dentistry. After completing two years of pre-dental requirements at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) in 1957, Jerry entered dental school at Iowa. He married his sweetheart, Judy, in 1959 and graduated with his DDS in 1962. 

    Dr. Walker then spent two years in the Army where he was stationed in West Berlin. As a pedodontist, he treated American soldiers and their families, German children, and for one year, three German war criminals at Spandau Prison: Rudolph Hess, who was Adolf Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi Party; Albert Speer, who was minister of armaments and war party production for the Third Reich; and Baldur von Schirach, who was the head of the Hitler Youth. Dr. Walker visited these three men each month to give them an oral health exam and completed a restoration for Speer. 

    After returning from Germany, Jerry Walker and Judy moved to Webster Groves, Missouri, where he worked temporarily in the dental practice of a seriously ill pedodontist, provided dental education to the University City school district, and worked one half day per week in the St. Louis University dental clinic. 

    Then Dr. Michael Till contacted Dr. Walker about taking over his faculty position in the University of Pittsburgh pedodontics department so Till could pursue a PhD. Walker accepted and spent one year in Pennsylvania. The traveling, however, became a chore. “I wanted a life that was not encumbered by commuting,” he says. 

    Dr. Walker and his family returned to Iowa City where Jerry pursued an MA in educational psychology. Dr. Dale Redig, then head of Pedodontics at Iowa, gave him a part-time position working in the clinic with the dental students. When Jerry received his MA in 1969, he was offered a full-time position in Pedodontics. 

    During his career as an Iowa dental faculty, Dr. Walker enjoyed working with his colleagues and “an exceptional group of students,” and also living in Iowa City, which he describes as “a good community.” 

    Dr. Walker has authored many articles and book chapters. He served as director of the Johnson County Dental Services for Indigent Children, a United Way Agency (now named Dental Care for Kids). He has been a reviewer for Pediatric Dentistry and an SRI perceiver (calibrated scorer for the admissions interview). He has also served as a consultant for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry’s written exams and as a member of the Johnson County Visiting Nurses Association Board of Directors and the Iowa Track Club Board of Directors. 

    In 2000, Jerry Walker received the George W. Teuscher Silver Pen Award from the American Society of Dentistry for Children. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Academy of Sports Dentistry, the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the International College of Dentists, and a member of Iowa Society of Pediatric Dentistry (and was president in 1993), the American Dental Association, the Iowa Dental Association, the American Society of Dentistry for Children, the American Dental Education Association, the Johnson County Dental Society, Delta Sigma Delta, and the University District Dental Society. 

    Since retirement, Jerry has been a volunteer coach at Iowa cross country and track meets. He has also officiated at state high school track meets and is a member of the Iowa High School Track Officials Hall of Fame. For three years, he worked part time with the pediatric dentistry residents at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. During the past four years, Dr. Walker has worked in the College of Dentistry student clinics as an adjunct faculty. He is active with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and has helped local elementary school children who need assistance with reading. Currently, he assists in a learning support class. Jerry enjoys walking, Hawkeye sports, and spending time with his daughter, Betsy, her husband, Shayne, and their five children, who live in Lincoln, Nebraska; and his son, Jim, who is involved with local TV in Cedar Rapids. 

    Dr. Jerry Walker’s contributions and commitment to dental education at Iowa reflect the quality of our graduating dental students. The University of Iowa Dental Alumni Association and the College of Dentistry would like to honor Dr. Walker with the 2012 Educator of the Year Award.  
     

  • 09/21/12
    Dr. Kathryn Kell, 2012 Alumna of the Year
    Growing up in Davenport, Iowa, Dr. Kathryn Kell's interest in science drew her to dentistry as did having an uncle and cousin who were dentists. She received her BA from the University of Iowa in 1974 and her DDS in 1979. After graduation, Dr. Kell joined Dr. R.C. Wienert's private practice in Davenport. When Dr. Wienert retired, she joined the practice of her good friend and mentor, Dr. C.F. "Larry" Barrett. Since 1995, Dr. Kell has had her own private practice. 

    Among her many professional accomplishments, Kathy Kell is proud of her successful dental practice, and she appreciate her patients who sometimes includes generations of the same family. For Dr. Kell, it is gratifying to know that these long-term patients put their trust in her and consider her a highly regarded dentist. 

    As a result of volunteering, Dr. Kell pursued an MA in health care administration because she wanted to become more involved with health care. She received her degree from St. Ambrose University in 1979. Since then, Kathy has been closely involved with the Federation Dentaire International (FDI), an organization of nearly 200 worldwide dental associations and specialist groups. As one of the oldest health profession groups in the world, it represents more than 1 million dentists internationally and strives to develop health policy and continuing education programs and support the oral health promotion efforts of member associations. Dr. Kell currently serves as treasurer for the FDI and is a member of the FDI Executive Committee. She is a past FDI Council member as the liaison for North America, and as a former chair of the FDI's Education Committee, she was responsible for running the FDI Annual International Congress. She has also served on the FDI Science Committee and the FDI Strategic Planning Sessions.  

    Dr. Kell is also involved with the American Dental Association (ADA). She chairs the ADA Committee on International Programs and Development and was a member of the ADA's officer delegation to Beijing in September of this year. From 20008-2011, Dr. Kell was chair of the ADA Monitoring Committee for the Commission on Dental Accreditation and served on the ADA Board of Trustees from 2004-2008. She has served as the ADA 10th District trustee for Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. As a member of the ADA governing board, she has been a liaison to many ADA councils and committees, including Finance, Dental Benefits, Dental Practice, the ADA Foundation, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, the Dental Economics Advisory Group, the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics, and the Committee on International Programs and Development and its Strategic Planning Task Force. 

    In her spare time, Kathy Kell enjoys reading fiction and history, trivia, playing golf, traveling, and seeing friends and family. 

    Dr. Kell is an avid University of Iowa and UI College of Dentistry supporter. She is a member of the President's Club and serves on several UI College of Dentistry campaign committees. She is also a member of the UI Dental Alumni Association Baord. From 2010-2011, Kathy was chair of the UI Alumni Association. 

    Dr. Kell values education and research, especially the excellent education she received at the UI College of Dentistry. "The College offers very good standards," she says. "People around the world acknowledge its reputation. I thank the College of Dentistry for my excellent education." 

    Kathy Kell is a member of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry International, the American Association of Health Care Executives, Delta Mu Delta Honorary Society, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. She is a past president of both the Iowa Dental Association and the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD). In 2007, Dr. Kell received the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Women Dentist of the Year Award. 

    The UI Dental Alumni Association and the College of Dentistry proudly recognize Dr. Kathy Kell's achievements and her commitment to oral health, not only locally but also nationally and abroad It is because of these achievements that we are pleased to award Dr. Kathryn Kell the 2012 Alumna of the Year Award. 

  • 08/31/12
    Dr. Jennifer Hill Named Pediatric Dentistry Chair at GHSU
    Dr. Jennifer Hill (DDS '93, PhD '07) has become chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta. She was previously a faculty in the pediatric dentistry department at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston.  

    Dr. Hill also completed both an advanced Education in General Dentistry and a pediatric dentistry residency at Iowa. Before coming to Iowa, she received a doctorate of medical dentistry and certificate of orthodontics from the University of Ulm (Germany). 

  • College of Dentistry Dental Researchers Meet with Astra Tech Representatives
    Representatives from Dentsply Implants (formerly Astra Tech) met on August 22, 2012, with College of Dentistry research faculty for an annual evaluation review of the Astra Tech Preferred Development Partnership Agreement (PDPA) clinical research. During the meeting, dental faculty reviewed the progress on their current clinical research trials, basic science projects, CE courses, and the set of resident- and faculty-sponsored projects that have been ongoing. Meeting attendees from the College of Dentistry included Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research ; Dean David Johnsen; Dr. Georgia Johnson, head of the Department of Periodontics; Drs. Steven Clark, Paula Weistroffer, Satheesh Elangovan, and Gustavo Avila Ortiz, Department of Periodontics; Dr. David Gratton, Department of Prosthodontics; and Sharon Hansen, Donna Stark, Lauren Thomann, Sharon Seydel, Marie Phillips, and Richard Barwacz, Dows. Dr. James Wefel, director of the Dows, was unable to attend. Dentsply attendees included Fredrik Ceder, head of Clinical Research Dental; Rex Smith, director of Clinical Research for North America; Sandy Montgomery, clinical research associate; AnnaKarin Lundgren, head of Global Scientific Management; Casey Baldwin, regional sales manager; and Greg Loeffelholz, district sale manager. Dr. Stanford is principal investigator for the five-year research project, which totals $4,245,746.  
     
  • 08/24/12
    Dr. Deborah Dawson Presents at 2012 Joint Statistical Meetings
    Dr. Deborah Dawson, Dows and Department of Pediatric Dentistry, attended the 2012 Joint Statistical Meetings, which were held in San Diego, California, on July 28-August 2. Dr. Dawson chaired a session on semiparametric modeling and also presented "The Incorporating Principles and Methods of Evidence-Based Practice into Statistical Teaching," which was co-authored by Dr. David Drake, Dows and Department of Endodontics. The paper was presented in a session sponsored by the Section on the Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences.

    Dr. Dawson was named secretary-treasurer of the section in January.

  • 08/24/12
    Project SEALED to Improve the Oral Health of Underserved Children of Allamakee County
    A collaborative project between the UI College of Dentistry Departments of Preventive & Community Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, and Operative Dentistry, with the College of Education Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations will be funded for $148,170 by the UI Office of the Provost's "Better Futures for Iowans Fund." Project SEALED (Service, Engagement and LifeCareer Education in Dentistry) will complement the University of Iowa's outreach and engagement efforts by establishing a community partnership with Allamakee County. UI faculty and students will focus on career development as well as improving the oral health of underserved children.

    The project's two goals are to deliver on-site educational programs to elementary and middle school students and their parents to spark the students' interest in dental careers and also provide on-site, community-bad "service learning" educational and leadership experiences to dental students through the delivery of dental care to children in grades 1, 2, 6, and 7. The short- and long-term goals are to enhance the educational experiences of dental students, improve the oral health of Allamakee County's underserved children, and help diversify Iowa's dental workforce.

    UI faculty who are involved with the project so far include Drs. Dan Caplan, Michelle McQuistan, and Steven Levy, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry; Drs. Rad Mabry, Rebecca Slayton, and Michael Kanellis, Department of Pediatric Dentistry; Drs. Steven Armstrong, Marcela Hernandez, and Sandra Guzman-Armstrong, Department of Operative Dentistry; and Dr. Saba Ali, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations in the College of Education.

  • 08/17/12
    The Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey Results Are Featured in IowaNow
    The results of the 2010 Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey (IHHS) are now available and are currently featured in a recent issue of IowaNow (http://now.uiowa.edu). The IHHS is a comprehensive, statewide effort to evaluate the health status, access to health care, and social environment of children and families in Iowa.

    The study found that overall, Iowa children seem to be healthy and well-adjusted. It also found that 97 percent of Iowa children have health insurance, which gives Iowa one of the highest rates of children's health. However, particular areas of the population, which include lower income children, continue to have unmet health needs.

    The survey is the result of a collaboration between the UI Public Policy Center, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Child Health Specialty Clinics. Dr. Peter Damiano, professor, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, and director of the UI Public Policy Center (PCC), was principal investigator for the study. Jean Willard, research manager at the PPC, and Ki Park, a UI graduate student, helped compile the study and analyze results.

    This survey is the only statewide study of the health and well-being of Iowa's children. The surveys, led by UI PPC, began in 2000 and are conducted every five years. The full report is available at: http://ppc.uiowa.edu/health/study/iowa-child-and-family-household-health-survey.

  • 07/17/12
    Third Annual Extramural Site Directors Conference Held at the College of Dentistry
    On June 22, 2012, the third annual extramural site directors conference was held at the Holiday Inn in Coralville. The purpose of the conference was to bring current and potential site directors together to discuss the extramural program and update sites about concepts currently being taught at the College of Dentistry. Representatives from Broadlawns Medical Center; the Des Moines Health Center; Primary Health Care; Davenport Community Health Care; Community Health Center of SE Iowa-Burlington; River Hills Community Health Center-Ottumwa and Centerville; St. Luke's Dental Health Center; Private preceptorship-Okoboji Dental; Indian Health Services-South Dakota; the VA Hospital in Des Moines; and Iowa Primary Care Association attended the meeting.
     
  • 07/06/12
    Dr. John Hellstein Elected Vice President of the AAOP

    Dr. John Hellstein, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, has been elected vice president of the American Academy of Oral Pathologists (AAOP) for 2012. In 2013, he will become president elect. Dr. Hellstein will become president of the AAOP in 2014.
     

  • 06/29/12
    Dr. Derek Willard to Retire: the College of Dentistry Notes His Contributions to Dental Education

    Dr. Derek Willard, who became a faculty member in the Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry in 1975 under the founding chair, Dr. Phil Phair, will be retiring July 1, 2012. As director of behavioral sciences, Dr. Willard focused on psychosocial aspects of patient care and initiated an innovative communication curriculum for dental students. The curriculum focus was to enhance dental students' ability to gather valid health-related information from patients as well as to improve students' ability to educate and inform patients about their oral conditions.

    The innovative program, which was among the first in the U.S., included videotaping students' interactions with patients, followed by faculty and peers critiquing students' communications content and style. The program Dr. Willard developed continues to evolve and remains an essential component of UI dental student education.

    Dr. Willard also taught dental ethics and oversaw the dental externship program at the Independence Mental Health Institute. He served on several collegiate and university committees, including the Dental Admissions Committee, various curriculum and accreditation committees, graduate student thesis committees, and was elected as a College of Dentistry representative to the University of Iowa Faculty Senate. In this capacity, he chaired the Faculty Senate Committee on the Selection of Central Administration Officials. In 1981, this committee was charged by the Board of Regents to search for and recommend outstanding candidates to become president of the University of Iowa following President Willard (Sandy) Boyd's departure. As a result of this search, the Board of Regents named Dr. James O. Freedman as the University of Iowa's sixteenth president in 1982.

    In 1983, Dr. Willard was appointed associate vice president for research, responsible for research administration and development and representing the University to Congress and the Executive Branch. In 1999, he was also appointed special assistant to the president for governmental relations.

    Over the years, Dr. Willard has maintained close ties with the College of Dentistry and has retained his academic appointment in the Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry. The College of Dentistry thanks Dr. Willard for his contributions to dental education at Iowa and wishes him the best of luck in retirement.

  • 06/22/12
    Dr. Richard Walton Receives I.B. Bender Lifetime Educator Award

    Professor Emeritus Richard Walton, Department of Endodontics,recently received the I.B. Bender Lifetime Educator Award from the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). The award honors an AAE member whose contributions to endodontics in the field of education have demonstrated selfless commitment to full-time educational pursuits, and whose valuable contributions have instilled in students the desire to pursue excellence in their careers.

    Dr. Walton received the award during the recent AAE meeting.

  • 06/22/12
    Dr. Howard Cowen and Ms. Penni Ryan Receive Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Grant
    Dr. Howard Cowen, Department of Preentive & Community Dentistry, and Ms. Penni Ryan, director of continuing education and alumni relations, have received a Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Grant for $10,000 for their program, "Elderly and Special Needs Patient Oral Health Care Training and Education."

    The grant funds will be used for program development (10 modules); videotaping; editing of modules; travel to nursing homes for videotaping; rental of required lighting; and reduction in cost of registration fees for CE participants.

    Dr. Cowen and Ms. Ryan are co-principal investigators on the grant.

  • 06/07/12
    Ms. Nancy Slach Appointed as Member of the Iowa Dental Board
    Ms. Nancy Slach, Department of Periodontics, has been appointed as a member of the Iowa Dental Board. Her term will begin May 1, 2012, and end April 30, 2015.

    The Iowa Dental Board members address issues related to licensing, discipline, and regulation of the practice of dentists and dental hygienists as well as the certification of dental assistants in dental radiography.

  • 06/15/12
    Dr. Satheesh Elangovan Becomes Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology
    Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, Department of Periodontics, has become a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. He successfully completed a written, qualifying examination followed by a comprehensive oral examination covering all phases of periodontal therapy, including dental implants. One hundred eighty-seven candidates participated in the oral examination, which was held in May in Dallas, Texas.
     
  • Dr. Richard Walton is President Elect of the UIRA
    Professor Emeritus Richard Walton, Department of Endodontics, is now president elect of the University of Iowa Retiree's Association (UIRA). His major responsibility will be to chair the organization's program committee, which selects and manages monthly programs during the academic year.
     
  • 05/31/12
    Dr. Julie Reynolds Receives 2012 AAPHD Herschel Horowitz Fellowship Award
    Dr. Julie Reynolds, graduate fellow in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, received the 2012 Herschel Horowitz Fellowship Award from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) Foundation. The competitive award was given to Dr. Reynolds during the recent National Oral Health Conference, which was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from April 28-May 2, 2012.

    The competitive award is named in honor of Dr. Herschel Horowitz, who was a well-known dental epidemiologist, educator, and public health advocate whose work focused on the prevention of dental caries and dental fluorosis. The $25,000 fellowship award is given each year to a dentist who is entering the discipline of dental public health through a masters level degree program and whose career plans include a dental public health career. The award will provide Dr. Reynolds with support for tuition and other expenses as she continues her dental public health program at the UI College of Dentistry.

  • Dr. Sarah Swenson Places First Overall in the AAPD Annual Meeting's Poster Competition
    Dr. Sarah Swenson, a second-year pediatric dentistry resident, won first place overall for her research poster at the recent American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Her research was titled "Effectiveness of Group Home Caregivers' Training Regarding Oral Care Delivery."

    Dr. Karin-Weber Gasparoni, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, is a co-author and also Dr. Swenson's mentor. Other co-authors include Dr. Fang Qian, Biostatistics Unit, and Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Dows and Department of Prosthodontics.

  • Dr. Steven Levy Completes ABDPH Term as President
    Dr. Steven Levy, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, has completed his term as president of the American Board of Dental Public Health (ABDPH) as of April 30, 2012, during the ABDPH annual meeting in coordination with the National Oral Health Conference (NOHC). This completes his six-year term on the ABDPH Board of Directors.
     
  • Dr. Axel Ruprecht Invited Speaker at the OSU College of Dentistry 2012 Annual Post College Assembly
    Dr. Axel Ruprecht, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, was recently an invited speaker at the May 17, 2012, Annual Post College Assembly of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus. Dr. Ruprecht's presentations were "Warning: Computers at Work;" "CBCVT: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly;" and "CBCT in Modern Dental Practice."
     
  • Dr. Satheesh Elangovan Receives 2012 Pilot Grant to Study the Effect of Obesity on Peri-implant Health
    The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) at the University of Iowa has awarded Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, Department of Periodontics, and his collaborators the 2012 pilot grant ($41,012) for a one-year cross-sectional study of the effect of obesity on peri-implant helath.

    This study will provide insights into the effect of obesity on peri-implant health by looking for inflammatory and bone turnover markers both in the crevicular fluid around implants as well as in saliva of individuals with different body masses.

    Co-investigators for this project include Drs. Gustavo Avila Ortiz, Department of Periodontics; Dr. Kim Brogden, Dows and Department of Periodontics; and Dr. Deborah Dawson, director, Biostatistics Unit. Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research; Dr. William Haynes, UI Internal Medicine; and Dr. Georgia Johnson, head, Department of Periodontics, are consultants.

  • Dr. Steven Levy Receives Funding for a Research Project Subcontract
    Dr. Steven Levy, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, has received funding for a research project subcontract to further develop and validate a caries risk assessment tool to be used without dental examination in medical offices and social services settings outside the dental office. The overall principle investigator (PI) of the NIDCR-funded contract, entitled "Predicting Caries Risk in Underserved Toddlers in Primary Healthcare Settings" is Dr. Margherita Fontana, University of Michigan. The sites for recruitment of children aged 12 months and their parents will be in Iowa, Indiana, and North Carolina. Dr. Levy is serving as PI of the Iowa site. other UI investigators include Dr. Barcey Levy, Department of Family Medicine and director of the Iowa family medicine office practice-based research network (PBRN), entitled IRENE, and Dr. Jeanette Daly, Department of Family Medicine and coordinator of the IRENE network. Total Iowa funding will be about $2,017,586.
     
  • 05/09/12
    Dr. Lina Moreno Awarded a Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Grant
    Dr. Lina Moreno, Dows and Department of Orthodontics, has been awarded a two-year Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust grant for $180,000. The grant will support her resarch, "Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Development of Malocclusion." The proposed project will build upon the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS) and will utilize advanced imaging capture and three-dimensional geometric morphometric (GM) techniques to generate a set of clinical and morphological dental maloccusion phenotypes from existing longitudinal dental casts. These new outcome data will then be related to longitudinal environmental behaviors and exposures as well as genome-wide association scan (GWAS) data in order to identify both the genetic and environmental factors that predispose to the occurrence of malocclusion phenotypes. The results of this study will be essential for developing prevention programs and for improving the orthodontic care outcomes of affected individuals. Such efforts ultimately will enhance the overall health of Iowans.

    Dr. Moreno is the principal investigator for the project. Drs. Steven Levy and John Warren, Preventive & Community Dentistry, are co-investigators. Dr. Mary Marazita, University of Pittsburgh, is a consultant, and Dr. Steve Miller is a postdoctoral research fellow on the project.

  • 05/09/12
    Marlee Hansen, Amber Shimek, and Lauren Harvey Receive the Michael W. Finkelstein Award for Superior Achievement in Dental Histology
    The UI Anatomy and Cell Biology Student Awards Ceremony and Reception were held on May 1, 2012, in the MacEwen Conference Room, Bowen Science Building. Three second-year College of Dentistry dental students, Marlee Hansen, Amber Shimek, and Lauren Harvey, received the Michael W. Finkelstein Award for Superior Achievement in Dental Histology. The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology presents the award annually to first-year dental students who have demonstrated high scholastic achievement in histology, together with particular dedication to those ideals of scholarship and professionalism as exemplified by Dr. Michael Finkelstein, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, during his tenure as professor of oral pathology and anatomy.
     
  • 05/04/12
    Jairus Houston (D2) and the Class of 2014 Honor Dr. Steven Aquilino and the Department of Prosthodontics with a Video
    Jairus Houston (D2) and the Class of 2014 created a music video, "Pros Pros Baby" to honor Dr. Steven Aquilino's remarkable teaching efforts as well as those of the Department of Prosthodontics. The video's music is a parody of Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby." Jairus said that Dr. Aquilino took a difficult prosthodontics class and forced the D2 students "to go above and beyond what any of us thought we were capable of."

    Dr. Aquilino also received the Class of 2014 Teacher of the Year Award during the recent 2012 Annual Apollonian Frolic "Dentoformal," which was held April 21 at the Riverside Casino and Resort.

    The Pros Pros Baby video is available on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFOpRbZztE

  • Dr. Matthew Geneser Receives the AAPD Master Clinician Scholarship Award
    Dr. Matthew Geneser, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has received the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Master Clinician Scholarship Award. The scholarship provides all tuition for the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) program as well as the course fee to participate in any upcoming AAPD Comprehensive Review of Pediatric Dentistry course.
     
  • 04/20/12
    Go Green Committee to Receive Improving Our Workplace Award
    The College of Dentistry's Go Green team will receive the Improving Our Workplace Award (I.O.W.A.) in May for their efforts to reduce the college's environmental footprint. Committee members include Nancy Slach, Periodontics; Maggie Hogan, Dows; Scott Arneson, Dental Administration; Dr. Peter Damiano, Endodontics and Dows; Dr. Michael Kanellis, Dental Clinic Administration; Ron Roskam, Dental Informatics; Ann Synan, Dental Clinic Administration; Megan Danforth (D4); and Julie Reynolds, graduate fellow in Preventive & Community Dentistry.

    Since 2008, the committee has produced two waste audits (2008 and 2011), which have resulted in several improvements: biodegradable plates and silverware at the Filling Station restaurant; reusable shopping bags and water bottles; automatic computer turn off at the end of the work day; paper forms (no longer use), which are now scrap paper; lab coats are now placed in provided lockers instead of daily disposal; the practice of compositing is spreading from one department to others, including Dining Services; styrofoam packing is being reused; and the College's Sustainability Pledge is being used by faculty, staff, and students to help the UI attain the goals of Vision 2020.

  • 04/13/12
    Several UI College of Dentistry Faculty Elected as ADEA Section Officer
    Several UI College of Dentistry faculty have been elected as American Dental Education Association (ADEA) section officers in their specialty section. To qualify, a person must be a member of ADEA as well as a member of a particular section in order to be eligible for office in that section.

    Dr. Marcela Hernandez, Operative Dentistry, was elected to a one-year term as secretary of the ADEA Operative Dentistry Section; Dr. Sandra Guzman-Armstrong, also Operative Dentistry, was elected secretary of the ADEA Cariology Section; Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend, Family Dentistry, was elected secretary of the ADEA Comprehensive Care/General Dentistry Section; Dr. Larry Squire, Family Dentistry, is chair-elect of the ADEA Practice Management Section; Ms. Marsha Cunningham-Ford, Preventive and Community Dentistry, was elected secretary of the ADEA Community and Preventive Dentistry section; Dr. Bruce Justman, Endodontics, was elected councilor for the ADEA Endodontic Section; Dr. William Synan, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, is currently the ADEA liaison for the American Association for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS); Mr. Scott Arneson, Dental Administration, has been elected councilor of the ADEA Business and Finance Section; and Ms. Penni Ryan, director, Alumni Relations, has been elected secretary of the American Dental Education Association's CE Section.

  • 04/03/12
    Dr. Matthew Geneser Appointed Pediatric Dentistry Graduate Program Director
    Dr. Matthew Geneser, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has assumed the graduate program directorship, effective October 1, 2011. As the graduate program director, he will oversee the training and development of eight Pediatric Dentistry residents.
     
  • Dr. Satheesh Elangovan and Collaborators Awarded 2012 Osseointegration Foundation Clinical Research Grant
    The Academy of Osseointegration has awarded Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, Periodontics, and his collaborators the 2012 Osseointegration Foundation Clinical Research Grant ($25,000), for a one-year project, "The Effect of Obesity on Peri- Implant Health: a Cross-sectional Study.

    Recent research has shown that obese individuals express higher levels of inflammatory mediators in gingival fluid and may be at greater risk for periodontitis. Individuals with a history of periodontitis are also at risk for peri-implantitis; this study will provide insights into the effect of obesity on peri-implant health. Co-investigators for this project include Drs. Gustavo Avila Ortiz, Periodontics; Kim Brodgen, Dows and Periodontics; and Dr. Deborah Dawson, director, Biostatistics Unit. Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research; Dr. William Haynes, UI Internal Medicine; and Dr. Georgia Johnson, head of Periodontics, are consultants.

  • 03/30/12
    Cathy Solow, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Receives the Distinguished Achievement Award
    Cathy Solow, associate dean for student affairs, was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award during a public reception and awards program that was held Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in the Iowa Memorial Union's ballroom. Ms. Solow and Dr. Linda Kerber, UI History, were chosen from the list of nominees by the Committee on the Celebration of Excellence Among Women. The award is given to a staff and faculty member who have distinguished themselves and the University through their accomplishments. The award is given for an outstanding achievement or a lifetime record of service within the University community in a professional or service capacity. Their contributions demonstrate significant impact through attirbutes such as leadership, innovation and/or subject matter expertise; and awardees are considered role models for women and/or girls.

  • Dr. Straub-Morarend Receives the American Dental Education Association's Prestigious 2012 Olav Alvares Award for Outstanding Articles Published in JDR
    Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend, Department of Family Dentistry, received the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) prestigious 2012 Olav Alvares Award for Outstanding Articles Published in the Journal of Dental Education. Dr. Alvares, who presented the award during the opening ceremony of the 2012 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition, served 19 years as editor-in-chief of Critical Reviews in Oral Biology and Medicine, which was published by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). He also served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dental Education from 2000 through 2009. During this time, he was a strong advocate for publishing articles by junior faculty and students. His mentoring of young dental educators and professionals resulted in the creation of the award, which is presented every year during the annual ADEA meeting to those who publish outstanding work.

    Dr. Straub-Morarend won the award this year for her article, "Informational Resources Utilized in Clinical Decision Making: Common Practice in Dentistry," which was published in the April 2011 issue of Journal of Dental Education.

    Co-authors for the article were Dr. Teresa Marshall, Preventive & Community Dentistry; Dr. Michael Finkelstein, Oral Pathology, Radiology & Medicine; and Dr. David Holmes, head of Family Dentistry.

  • Dr. Steven Fletcher Assumes the OMS Graduate Program Directorship
    Dr. Steven Fletcher, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, will assume the \ graduate program directorship, effective March 26, 2012. As the graduate program director, he will oversee the training and development of twelve Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents.
     
  • Dr. Laurie St-Pierre Receives the 2012 Carl Svare Dental and Graduate Student Research Award
    Dr. Laurie St-Pierre, a resident in the Department of Operative Dentistry, has received the 2012 Carl Svare Dental and Graduate Student Research Award for her work with biomaterials. The award was established by Dr. Svare's widow, Ms. Marlys Svare, and her family to honor her husband and his legacy. Dr. Svare was a member of the Department of Prosthodontics and the Dows Institute. His expertise, which was internationally recognized, provided a better understanding of dental restorative materials. Dr. Svare died suddenly in February 1986 at the age of 52.

    Dr. St-Pierre's Local AADR Research Day presentation, "Effect of Finishing and Polishing Direction on the Marginal Adaptation of Resin-Based Composite Restorations in Vitro" also won first place in the Graduate Dental Specialty Award in Operative Dentistry.

    Dr. Cathia Bergeron, formerly Department of Operative Dentistry, is Dr. St-Pierre's mentor.

  • 03/12/12
    Dr. Julie Holloway Appointed DEO of Prosthodontics
    Dr. Julie Holloway has been appointed to the position of departmental executive officer of the Department of Prosthodontics, effective March 9, 2012.

    Dr. Holloway was previously a faculty in the section of restorative dentistry prosthodontics at Ohio State University College of Dentistry from 1993-2011. She joined the UI College of Dentistry's Department of Prosthodontics in July 2011 and served as interim DEO for several months.

  • Dr. Steven Armstrong Appointed DEO of Operative Dentistry
    Dr. Steven Armstrong has been appointed departmental executive officer of Operative Dentistry, effective March 1, 2012.

    Dr. Armstrong received his DDS from Iowa in 1987. He receive a general practice residency at the US Air Force base in Langley, Virginia, in 1988, followed by a certificate in operative dentistry and a PhD in oral science from Iowa in 1998.

    Dr. Armstrong has served as interim DEO in Operative Dentistry since July 1, 2011.

  • 03/05/12
    Dr. Christopher Barwacz Receives UI Instructional Improvement Award
    Dr. Christopher Barwacz, Department of Prosthodontics and Dows, has received a $5,000 competitive UI Instructional Improvement Award from the UI Council on Teaching. The award will support an upcoming study on the impact of the dental operating microscope (DOM) on prosthetic self-evaluation by preclinical dental students. The study’s goal is to expose preclinical D2 students to the use of the dental operating microscope during their D2 Fixed Prosthodontics course and to evaluate whether enhanced visual acuity (provided via the DOM) improves students’ ability to self-evaluate their pre-clinical work. Carl Zeiss Meditec will be supporting this study initiative by temporarily donating microscopes for use in the Simulation Clinic.
     
  • Dr. Richard Walton to Receive the I.B. Bender Lifetime Educator Award
    Dr. Richard Walton, professor emeritus of the Department of Endodontics, will receive the I.B. Bender Lifetime Educator Award during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Endodontics, which will be held in April 2012.

    The I.B. Bender Lifetime Educator Award is given annually to acknowledge an active, educator, or life member whose contributions to endodontics in the field of education have demonstrated excellence through selfless commitment to full-time educational pursuits, and whose valuable contributions have instilled in his/her students the desire to pursue excellence in their careers.

  • ADA Standards Program Establishes the John W. Stanford New Investigator Award
    The American Dental Association (ADA) Standards Program has established the John W. Stanford New Investigator Award to honor Dr. John Stanford, a 40-year member of the ADA staff who was credited with establishing the ADA's current standards program. He is the late father of Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research at the UI College of Dentistry.

    The new award honors Dr. Stanford's legacy and emphasizes the important role of dental standards for dental products in patient health and safety. Dental students or dentists who received their DDS or DMD no more than five years prior to the time of selection may submit applications. Their research must be original and address some aspect of using standards in dental research or clinical application. For more information, go to http://www.ada.org/en/science-research/dental-standards.

  • Dr. Gustavo Avila Ortiz Receives an AAP Teaching Fellowship
    Dr. Gustavo Avila Ortiz, Department of Periodontics, received an American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) $50,000 teaching fellowship during the recent 97th AAP Meeting, which was held in Miami Beach, Florida.

    There were 100 applicants and only four finalists. Dr. Avila Ortiz was one of two finalists who received the fellowship. The award will support his career as a full-time faculty.

  • Dr. Steven Armstrong Appointed DEO of Operative Dentistry
    Dr. Steven Armstrong has been appointed departmental executive officer of Operative Dentistry, effective March 1, 2012.

    Dr. Armstrong received his DDS from Iowa in 1987. He receive a general practice residency at the US Air Force base in Langley, Virginia, in 1988, followed by a certificate in operative dentistry and a PhD in oral science from Iowa in 1998.

    Dr. Armstrong has served as interim DEO in Operative Dentisstry since July 1, 2011.

  • Dr. Kim Brogden Presents at ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting
    Dr. Kim Brogden, Dows and Department of Periodontics, attended the 10th American Society for Microbiology Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting, which was held in Washington, D.C. on February 26-29. As an invited speaker for the plenary session, he presented "Antimicrobial Peptide Modulation of Chemokine and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Responses: It's All in the Timing."

    The plenary session's topic was antibiotic resistance as a global crisis resulting from antibiotic overuse/misuse and an examination of successful clinic treatment approaches, as well as the difficulties with other attempts (e.g., reaching intracellular microbial targets within tissues, specificity, redundancy, etc.

  • Dr. Roy L. Irons (DDS '76) Becomes President of the National Dental Association
    Dr. Roy L. Irons, who received his DDS from Iowa in 1976, has been elected president of the National Dental Association.

    Dr. Irons received his BS from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. After receiving his DDS, he later became a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Dentistry. He is a member of the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees. He practices dentistry in Gulfport, Mississippi and is an instructor at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. Dr. Irons is also a retired captain in the US Navy.

  • NIDCR Deputy Director Isabel Garcia is Keynote Speaker at 59th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Section of the AADR
    Dr. Isabel Garcia, deputy director of the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDCR), was the keynote speaker during the 59th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Section of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR). The NIDCR is the federal government's largest funder of research and research training. The institute focuses on oral, dental and craniofacial diseases and disorders. As deputy director, Dr. Garcia shares the responsibility with the director in leading and managing NIDCR's programs and activities.

    Dr. Garcia received her BS from the University of Mary Washington, her DDS from the Medical College of Virginia, and an MPH from the University of Michigan where she also completed a residency in dental public health. She has more than 40 years of experience in dental public health, research, and administration at the local, state and national levels. Dr. Garcia joined the NIDCR in 1995 and has held several positions, including acting institute director from August 2010-2011.

    Dr. Garcia is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. She has served as an officer in the American Association of Public Health Dentistry's Executive Council, the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association, and the American Board of Dental Public Health. Besides her duties as deputy, Dr. Garcia directs NIDCR's residency program in dental public health and serves as the NIDCR's coordinator for international health. Her numerous honors and awards include being recognized for her role in a presidential and secretarial health diplomacy mission, which provided health care to people in twelve Latin American countries.

  • 02/16/12
    Dr. Moabin Yang Presents Lecture as Part of the College of Dentistry's Visiting Scholars Program
    On March 7, 2012, Dr. Moabin Yang, a 2010 AAE Endodontic Educator Fellow, presented a lecture as part of the College of Dentistry's Visiting Scholars Program, "The Role of the Endogenous Glucacorticoids in Bone Remodeling." He later also presented a seminar, "Regenerative Endodontics," to the UI College of Dentistry endodontic faculty and residents.
     
  • 01/27/12
    Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend to Receive 2012 Olav Alvares Award for Outstanding Article in the JDE
    Dr. Cheryl Straub-Morarend, Department of Family Dentistry, has been selected as one of this year's recipients of the Olav Alvares Award for Outstanding Articles Published in the Journal of Dental Education. Dr. Straub-Morarend's article, "Informational Resources Utilized in Clinical Decision Making: Common Practices in Dentistry," represents the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) commitment to encouraging junior faculty, allied and predoctoral students, residents, and fellows to conduct publishable research. The award recognizes authors who have published outstanding work.

    Dr. Straub-Morarend's co-authors were Dr. Teresa Marshall, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry; Dr. Michael Finkelstein, Department of Oral pathology, Radiology & Medicine; and Dr. David Holmes, head of the Department of Family Dentistry. Data support was provided by Ms. Jean Redlinger, Department of Family Dentistry.

    Dr. Straub-Morarend will receive the award on March 18 during the opening ceremony of the 2012 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida.

  • Dr. William Johnson Attends ADA Roundtable
    Dr. William Johnson, head of the Department of Endodontics, recently attended the American Dental Association (ADA) Roundtable in Chicago, IL. The meeting was attended by various dental association presidents. The roundtable topic was "Collaboration in Research."

    Dr. Johnson is currently president of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). His service to the AAE has included two terms as secretary of the American Board of Endodontics (ABE), followed by two terms as president of the ABE.

    Dr. Johnson has been a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics since 1985.

  • 1/03/12
    Dr. Julie Reynolds Selected as Obermann Graduate Fellow
    Dr. Julie Reynolds, dental public health resident, has been selected for the UI Obermann Graduate Institute on Engagement and the Academy. Julie will receive a monetary award and will attend the Institute on January 10-16, 2012, as an Obermann Graduate Fellow.

    The Obermann Center encourages scholarly interaction to explore broad frontiers of knowledge and investigate complex ideas and problems. The interaction is achieved through informal gatherings and formal programs hosted by the Center.