Zack Goettsche (D2) and Nicole Major (D3) attended the 19th Hinman Student Research Symposium on October 25-27, 2013, in Memphis, TN. The symposium is cosponsored by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Collegeof Dentistry and the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society. The symposium is supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, ADEAGies Foundation, Procter & Gamble Co., and the Tennessee Dental Association Foundation.

Zack’s abstract was titled “In Vitro Assessment of Three Dentifrices Containing Fluoride in Preventing remineralization of Overdenture Abutments and Root Surfaces.” Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Department of Prosthodontics and Dows, is Zack’s mentor.

Nicole presented “Community-Based Dental Education and Clinical Performance Among Fourth-Year Dental Students.” Dr. Michelle McQuistan, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, is her mentor.

Dr. Veerasathpurush Allareddy, Department of Orthodontics, will receive two Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) scientific awards. The organization will hold their 43rd Critical Care Congress January 9-13, 2014, in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Allareddy and other awardees will be recognized during a ceremony on Sunday, January 12, 2014. He will receive the two awards for the following studies:

Outcomes of Bone Marrow Transplant Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Requiring Mechanical Ventilation.

Pediatric Fatalities at 30,000 Feet: Characterizing Pediatric Deaths on Commercial Airline Flights.

Dr. Allareddy will receive a monetary award of $750.

Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, who received a pediatric dentistry certificate from Iowa in 2003, has been elected second vice president of the American Dental Association (ADA). He has been an ADA member for 21 years and is past chair of the ADA Council on communications. He has also served as a consultant for the ADA Council on Access, Prevention, and Interprofessional Relations. Dr. Shenkin is past president of the Maine Dental Association.

Dr. Evanthia Anadioti (certificate in prothodontics and M.S. in oral sciences '13) won the first place award in the John J. Sharry Student Research Competition at the 2013 American College of Prosthodontists Annual Session in Las Vegas. Dr. Anadioti's presentation was entitled "3D and 2D Marginal Fit of Pressed and CAD/CAM Lithium Disilicate Crowns Made from Digital and Conventional Impressions and was completed as part of her M.S. thesis. Dr. Steven Acquilino, Department of Prosthodontics, was Dr. Anadioti's thesis advisor; her committee included Drs. David Gratton, Julie Holloway, and Isabelle Denry, all Department of Prosthodontics; Dr. Geb Thomas, College of Engineering; and Dr. Fang Qian, College of Dentistry Biostatistics Unit.

Dr. Anadioti is currently completing an implant surgical fellowship at the University of North Carolina. She is one of seventeen students Dr. Aquilino has mentored who were recognized in a national prosthodontic research competition. Dr. Anadioti is also the tenth student of Dr. Aquilino to win a first place award.

Dr. Christopher Squier, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, and Dows, attended the World Congress on Preventive Dentistry, which was held in Budapest, Hungary, October 12. He presented "The Role of the Dental Team in Oral Cancer Prevention -- Assisting Your Patients with Smoking Prevention and Cessation." Dr. Squier's talk addressed the high rates of smoking in Hungary (one of the highest rates in European economic community (ECC), with nearly one third of adult Hungarians smoking regularly and 30,000 dying prematurely from tobacco use.

Dr. Squier discussed tobacco cessation methods including having patients assisted by dental teams who focus on a brief intervention involving the three As and one R (ask, advise, assess, refer to a quitline or cessation program); utilizing the benefits of pharmacotherapy; and implementing motivational interviewing as well as behavioral support. Dr. Squier noted that recent findings show that training health professionals results in a measurable improvement in smoking cessation among their patients.

The following students participated in the 2013 UI Homecoming Parade: Adam Shroyer (D3) and family; Diana Pickard (D3); Nicholas Luke (D2); Danielle Meirick (D2); Megan Penticoff (D2); Courtney Bohn (D2); Jessica Gradoville (D2); Josh Doyle (D2); Kaisha Brown (D2); Mackenzie Colbert (D2); Adam Halbur (D2); Eric Recker (D1); Reid (Austin) Imerman (D2); Katie Arp (D2); Adam Holton (D3); Abbie Bagenstos (D4); Matthew Wettach (D2); Callie Espanto, an undergraduate who is a College of Dentistry greeter; Kathryn Cook (D4); Kathryn Connell (D4); Lauren Harvey (D4); and Mack, a puppy belonging to Nick Luke (D2).

The dental students handed out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and College of Dentistry tooth-shaped magnets.

The following members of the Morale Committee put the Homecoming float together: Kathryn Cook (D4), Abbie Bagenstos (D4), Katie Arp (D2), Matthew Wettach (D2), Nicholas Luke (D2), Erica Recker (D1), and Kaisha Brown (D2).

Sadly, by the end of the Homecoming game, Iowa Hawkeye fans had to brace themselves for defeat when Michigan State beat the Hawks 26-14.

Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research, traveled to Finland and Italy in September to give presentations and attend a workshop. On September 17, Dr. Stanford presented "Health Technology Assessment for Management of Craniofacial Anomalies" at the University of Turku in Laskut, Finland.

Dr. Stanford presented "Advanced Care Strategies for Patients with Congenital Oligodontia" on September 19 during the International College of Prosthodontists (ICP) biannual meeting in Turin, Italy.

In Seili Island, Finland, Dr. Stanford also attended a workshop as a member of the ORONet Research group on development of new innovative patient-specific outcome measures. This was a continuation of a collaboration that resulted in five published papers.

On Friday, October 4, Dr. Stanford met with the American Dental Association (ADA) Board of Trustees, the ADA executive director, the ADA presidents and president-elect, and the Academy of Osseointegration (AO) president. He also gave a presentation entitled "Current Best Evidence for Management of Edentulous Maxilla" during the Academy of Osseointegration's 2014 Summit.

Dr. Christopher Barwacz, Craniofacial Clinical Research Center and Department of Prosthodontics, has received a two-year $30,000 Dentsply IH AB grant to support a prospective, randomized clinical trial, "Peri-Implant Mucosa Dynamics Around Divergent and Concave Atlantis Abutment Transition Profiles."

The study's goal is to investigate the influence that experimental concavities in the transmucosal transition zone of Atlantic abutments has on the facial peri-implant soft tissue.

Co-investigators include Dr. Gustavo Avila-Ortiz, Department of Periodontics and Dr. Clark Stanford, Dows and Department of Prosthodontics.

Dr. LeRoy Strohman (DDS '58, Pedodontics Certificate '59) has received the 2013 Alumnus of the Year Award from the UI College of Dentistry and the UI Alumni Association.

Dr. Strohman practiced dentistry in Algona, Iowa, from 1960-2003. He was also active in the Iowa Dental Association (IDA) and was president of the IDA from 1981-1982. In 2001, he was the guest of honor at the annual session of the IDA and in 2004, he received the organization's Distinguished Service Award. Other honors have included the University of Iowa proclaiming him Dad of the Year in 1983. He was chairperson of the Iowa Chapter of the American College of Dentists from 1988-1989, a past president of the Algona Rotary Club, and a charter member of the Iowa Board of Directors of Delta Dental of Iowa. In 2008, the Pierre Fauchard Academy named him Dentist of the Year. In 1996, Governor Branstad asked him to serve on the Iowa State Board of Dental Examiners; Dr. Stohrman was elected chairman from 2001-2003. In 2011, Governor Branstad also appointed him to the Iowa Board of Nursing.

Dr. Raymond Kuthy, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, was recently awarded a three-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the amount of $1,364,993. Dr. Kuthy is project director and Dr. Susan McKernan, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, is co-director of the project. Deb Hoyle, Office of Iowa Practice Opportunities, and Kevin Sellers, Technology and Media Services, will also participate in this grant.

The goal of the project is to improve statewide efforts to recruit and retain dental providers to underserved communities through increased collaboration among state stakeholders, supported by data-based workforce evaluation and assessment. The project will build on existing state workforce activities with increased collaborative efforts between partners at the UI College of Dentistry, the Iowa Department of Public Health's Bureau of Oral and Health Delivery Systems, the Office of Iowa Practice Opportunities, and the Iowa Primary Care Association.

The College of Dentistry has been awarded a $1.6 million five-year institutional training grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The award will support PhD or postdoctoral research training of five dentists and non-dentists each year and represents the continuation of a training program that has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1985 when Dr. Christopher Squier, Dows dental research and oral pathology, radiology and medicine, and the College of Dentistry became one of only eight U.S. dental schools to receive NIH funding for a Dentist-Scientist program.

"What is notable about this award," says Dr. Christopher Squier, the program's director, "is that for the first time we will be able to support graduate research training of a foreign dentist. This is an important benefit when U.S. dental schools are increasingly appointing faculty from abroad."

Dr. Steve Levy, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, is the associate director.

The grant represents an interdisciplinary effort involving almost forty faculty mentors from the UI College of Dentistry, Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Training will be available in the areas of biomaterials and tissue engineering, craniofacial biology, cariology, microbiology, epidemiology, behavioral research and health policy, and mucosal diseases.

Over the past three decades, many training grant recipients have become leaders in research and academia. Some of the past trainees include Dr. Clark Stanford who is currently associate dean for research at the UI College of Dentistry; Dr. Steven Armstrong, head of the UI department of operative dentistry; and Dr. Rebecca Slayton, former head of the UI department of pediatric dentistry and currently director of The Center for Pediatric Dentistry and chair of the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of Washington. Other graduates of the training programs are in academic position at the University of Pittsburgh (PA), Regents University College of Dental Medicine (Augusta, GA), University of Alabama School of Dentistry (Birmingham), and Northwestern University (Chicago, IL).

"The distinguished careers of these individuals show the value for academic dentistry of a long-term investment in training and the threat that the current cuts in the NIH training budget pose to dental academics," says Dr. Squier.

Dr. Ghadeer Thalji, Department of Prosthodontics, will begin as the new prosthodontics graduate program director on August 26, 2013. Dr. Thalji received her certificate in prosthodontics and PhD at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She arrived in Iowa City last November as an assistant professor and will be taking over the graduate program from Dr. Holloway who has been both program director and DEO since September 2011.

The Department of Periodontics is now offering an individualized professional development program for dentists and dental specialists. The main objective of the UI Visiting Scholar Professional Development Program in Periodontics is to provide an outstanding and customized professional experience for dentists or dental specialists who are interested in advancing their knowledge in periodontics and oral implantology. Individuals participating in this program will have the opportunity to attend periodontal seminars and lectures, observe periodontal faculty membeers and/or residents in a clinical setting, and participate in research-related activities. They will not have patient care responsibilities. Participants may pursue either a six-month or a twelve-month program and receive continuing education credit for their participation.

Dr. Juan Gonzalez de Buitrago Garcia (above, left) is the first participant in this new program. He earned his DDS from the Unviersity of Grenada (Spain) in 2008. He later initiated his doctorate studies in the same institution, which he combined with part-time private practice work. He also completed a periodontics expert course with Dr. Mariano Sanz at the University Complutense of Madrid in 2010. His research interests are in the area of periodontal and alveolar bone regeneration.

Dr. Gustavo Avila, Department of Periodontics, will serve as the mentor for this program.

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry recently received a $15,000 Philips Sonicare grant towards its community outreach and dental care programs from the National Children's Oral health Foundation (NCOHF). The mission of the NCOHF is to eliminate pediatric oral disease and promote overall health and well being for millions of children from vulnerable populations. The organization NCOHF is a comprehensive resource provider for non-profit community programs delivering critical preventive, educational, and treatment services.

Funding from this grant will enable the department to expand and enhance their ability to provide vital services to underserved children. Ms. Gayle Gilbaugh and Ms. Cathy Skotowski are the lead investigators with this project.

Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, Department of Periodontics, has received a two-year, $104,625 grant from the Osteology Foundation (Switzerland) for his research project, "A Novel RNA Based Biomaterial for Bone Regeneration." The goal of this research will be to develop a safe and efficient non-viral RNA delivery system in vivo for periodontal and bone regeneration and other orthopedic applications. Co-investigators include Dr. Liu Hong, Dows and Prosthodontics; Dr. Aliasger K. Salem, College of Pharmacy; and Dr. Deborah Dawson, College of Dentistry. Drs. Georgia K. Johnson, Clark M. Stanford, and Michael Kormann (Germany) are consultants in this project.

Dr. Arthur Nowak, professor emeritus of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, offered comments in a CNN Health article about baby teeth and scheduling appointments for an infant. He noted that a newborn's teeth are already developing under an infant's gums. Because tooth decay is a very common childhood disease, early checkups for infants are important.

A 2010 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry survey found that 97% of parents were not familiar with the first year, first visit recommendation.

Dr. Kim A. Brogden, Dows and Department of Periodontics, visited Dr. Gary Moran, associate professor of microbiology and director of research in the Division of Oral Biosciences, Trinity College School of Dental Science, at the University of Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Brogden also presented a seminar entitled "Human ß Defensin 3 Modulation of Chemokine and Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Responses: It's All in the Timing" to the faculty, staff, and students at the school.

The 151st Annual Session of the Iowa Dental Association was held May 2-4, 2013, in Coralville, Iowa. Several dental college faculty gave presentations during the meeting. Dr. Bill Johnson, head of Endodontics, presented "Diagnostic Dilemmas in Endodontic Treatment." Dr. Sandra Guzman-Armstrong, Operative Dentistry, presented "Current Concepts of Minimally Invasive Caries Management." Drs. Carrie McKnight and Sherry Timmons, both OPRM, presented "Infection Control Update." Dr. Veeratrishul Allareddy, OPRM, presented "Radiography Renewal Update."

Three alumni of the College of Dentistry received the New Dentist of the Year Award: Dr. Maria Fuller (DDS '06) practices in Corning, Iowa, and is an adjunct faculty in Preventive & Community Dentistry; Dr. Michael Davidson (DDS '09) practices in Urbandale, Iowa; and Dr. Lori Mason (DDS '05) who practices in Parkersburg, Iowa.

Dr. John Arend (DDS '82) and Dr. Brad Kegler (DDS '10), who both practice in Independence, Iowa, each received a Special Recognition Award.

Two alumni received Guest of Honor Awards: Dr. Dave Hennessey (DDS '65) and Dr. Jim Sommers (DDS '52).

Dr. John Montgomery, who served as executive associate dean and professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 1974-1996, and senior advisor to the dean from 1996-2000, received the Distinguished Service Award.

The 2013 James S. Wefel Symposium on Early Childhood Caries (ECC) was held at the College of Dentistry on Friday, April 19, 2013. The symposium began with a welcome, introductions, and a tribute to Dr. Wefel, which were given by Dean David Johnsen and Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Clark Stanford.

Dr. Wefel's family, including his wife, Jan; his son, Jay, wife Kara, and daughter, Sophia; and his second son, Jeff, attended the welcome and introductions. Jan Wefel was presented with a memorial plaque and flowers.

The day-long symposium included several speakers:

Dr. Brian Clarkson, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, who presented “Redefining Cariology.” Dr. Clarkson was a UI College of Dentistry faculty from 1976-1986.

Dr. Kathy Phipps, data and oral health surveillance coordinator consultant, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, presented “Early Childhood Caries: A View from 20,000 Feet.”

Dr. David Drake, Dows Institute and Department of Endodontics, presented “Demonstration Project – ECC Study in Native American Children.”

Dr. Ann Griffen, Ohio State University, gave a presentation, “The Oral Microbiome and its Role in ECC.”

Dr. Margherita Fontana, University of Michigan, presented “Caries Risk Assessment and its Role in ECC.”

Dr. Norman Tinanoff, University of Maryland, presented “Considerations of Risk Factors Related to Management of ECC.”

Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, presented “Role of Behavioral, Social and Psychological Dynamics in ECC.”

Dr. David Quissell, University of Colorado, gave “Preventing Caries in Preschoolers: Testing a Unique Service Delivery Model in American Indian Head Start Programs.”

Dr. James S. Wefel came to the UI College of Dentistry in 1972 after receiving his PhD in physical chemistry from the State University of New York, Buffalo.  He later joined the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and became a research intensive faculty in the Dows Institute for Dental Research.  In 1990, Jim was appointed director of the Center for Clinical Studies and head of the division of cariology. Jim took over directorship of the Dows Institute in 1993, and in 1999, he became administrative director of the Office of Clinical Research.  When the Department of Pediatric Dentistry was searching for a new head in 2007, Jim became interim head of the department.

Jim received his first major grant in 1978 from the National Institute for Dental Research (now NIDCR) to study the kinetics and mechanisms of fluoride.  This grant was later renewed three times.

An intraoral crown model was developed by Dr. Wefel and a former faculty, Dr. Mark Jensen, in 1988 to measure changes in hard tissue lesions in a realistic environment.  This model has been used in more than 20 studies and remains in use today.

During his 40 years at the College of Dentistry, he received NIDCR, NIH, industrial and foundation funding that shaped the future of research at the dental college: an NIDCR short-term training grant, which laid the groundwork for the College of Dentistry’s current dental student research program;  an NIDCR grant, which was later renewed, helped fund the College’s Clinical Core Center for Oral Health Research, the only center in the U.S. to focus on older patients and those who were at high risk for oral disease; an NIH program project grant in 1984 that helped establish the Specialized Caries Research Center; a program project award that was used to study early caries detection and intervention; it was renewed in 2005 for five more years.

As a result of his research on the mechanism of the action of fluoride as well as early caries detection and intervention, Jim Wefel published more than 140 books chapters and journal articles.  He was an invited speaker innumerable times, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Over the years, Jim also mentored more than 80 MS and PhD candidates.

In 2000, Dr. Wefel received the Regent’s Award for Faculty Excellence.  His scientific expertise was also recognized internationally: in 1997 and again in 2010, he received the prestigious International Association for Dental Research Distinguished Scientists E.W. Borrow Memorial Award. Last year, Jim was recognized by the College for his 40 years of service. He died September 1, 2012.

Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Dows and Department of Prosthodontics, recently received two awards. He was given the Special Care Dentistry Association's Presidential Citation for his high level of excellence while serving as editor-in-chief of Special Care in Dentistry for 17 years. Dr. Ettinger also received the Special Care Dentistry Association's Saul Kamen Award, which honors individuals demonstrating exemplary leadership and contributions to the advancement of oral healthcare for persons with special needs. The award is named after Dr. Saul Kamen whose dental career focused on improving oral healthcare for individuals with special needs.

Dr. Haiping Tan, lecturer and coordinator of geriatric dentistry at the University of Adelaide (Australia) visited the College of Dentistry this week to observe the college’s Geriatric Mobile Unit and the Special Care Clinic and program.

As a young child, Dr. Tan was encouraged by her father to pursue dentistry. Dr. Tan received a BDS and also an MS in endodontics from Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) and a PhD in geriatric oral health from the University of Hong Kong.

In 2006, an abstract that Dr. Tan presented at the International Association for Dental Research meeting in Brisbane, Australia, caught the attention of Dr. John Spencer, founder of the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH). In 2007, she was invited to visit the ARCPOH and was offered a position as lecturer and researcher.

Dr. Tan is currently teaching geriatric dentistry to both BDS and BOH (bachelor of oral health) students at the University of Adelaide.

In her spare time, Dr. Tan enjoys playing with her two sons who are four years and 18 months.

The March 2013 issue of Communiqué, a publication of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), includes an interview with Dr. Brian Mykleby, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Endodontics

Dr. Mykleby has been an adjunct clinical instructor for junior dental students for 24 years. He also presents some practice management seminars to endodontic graduate students.

The College of Dentistry's Department of Periodontics has been selected to receive the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Foundation's Dr. Charles Finley Visiting Scholar Award. The $1500 award assists periodontics programs in supporting guest speakers who present at the college and in the Department of Periodontics.

Dr. Gustavo Avila-Ortiz prepared the application for the periodontics department to host Dr. Pablo Galindo-Moreno's visit, which occurred February 25 through March 1. He presented a Lunch and Learn on February 27 and also presented an all-day lecture to the Periodontics faculty, adjuncts, residents, and staff on March 1.

Dr. Julie Holloway, head of the Department of Prosthodontics, is now president of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics. She was inducted as president at the recent AAFP meeting that was held February 22-23, 2013, in Chicago.

Dr. Holloway has previously served as webmaster, vice president and president-elect. She will serve a one-year term as president.

Drs. Clark Stanford, David Gratton, Ghadeer Thalji, and Satheesh Elangovan, all Department of Prosthodontics faculty, attended the 28th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Osseointegration, which was held March 7-9, 2013, in Tampa, Florida.

Dr. Stanford's keynote presentation, "The Dental Implant: What Are the 'Right' Implants for Today's Indications? Surfaces, Connections, and Flexibility," was telecast worldwide.

Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, an Osseointegration Foundation Clinical Implant Research Grant recipient, presented "The Effect of Obesity on Peri-implant Health: A Cross-Sectional Study."

Dr. David Gratton presented "The Role of CAD/CAM in Contemporary Implant Prosthodontics."

Dean Johnsen and Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research, gave welcome comments during the 60th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Section of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) on February 19. Dr. Steven Vincent, head of Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Mark Lingen, from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Lingen's presentation was "Targeting the Angiogenic Phenotype for the Treatment and Prevention of Oral Cancer."

There were 70 abstracts submitted; 68 abstracts were presented at the annual meeting.

The awards banquet was held on the evening of February 19 at the Coralville Holiday Inn. Approximately 115 guests attended.

Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has received a $43,000 Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation grant for her research project, "Development of Videotaped Oral Health Messages for ECC Prevention Among Low-income, High Risk Infants and Toddlers." The grant funding will help finance the development and production of two videotaped oral health messages that can be used in a larger study to address the impact of the self-determination theory (SDT)-framed intervention on ECC prevention. One videotaped message will be facilitated by the SDT, while the other videotaped message will be delivered in a neutral style. The funding will also be used to invite 20 WIC (Women Infants Children) mothers to watch a previous R21 DE016483-02 videotaped oral health message and take part in a focus group to identify knowledge gaps and discuss their perceptions of the message, particularly the education on cariogenic foods and beverages.

Dr. Weber-Gasparoni is principal investigator. Co-investigators for this continuing research include Derek Blanchette and Dr. Deborah Dawson, Biostatistics Unit; Dr. David Drake, Dows and Endodontics; Dr. Matt Geneser and Gayle Gilbaugh, Pediatric Dentistry; Drs. Teresa Marshall and John Warren, Preventive and Community Dentistry; and Dr. Natoshia Skelson, Community and Behavioral Health, UI Public Policy Center.

Dr. Jorge Garaicoa, a second-year resident in the Department of Prosthodontics, was awarded the best clinical poster presentation during the recent 85th Annual Meeting of the American Prosthodontics society, which was held February 21-22, 2013, in Chicago, IL. His presentation was "Accurate Screw Access Guide for Cement-Retained Implant Crowns." Co-authors on his research include Dr. Ayman Ahmed, graduate fellow, and Dr. Julie Holloway (both Department of Prosthodontics).

Delta Dental of Iowa has given a monetary gift of $50,000, which will be used for post-doctoral support of a research project, "Analysis of Genotypes of Streptococcus mutans in Iowa and American Indian Children." Dr. David Drake, Dows and Endodontics, is the principal investigator; Drs. Banas, Dows and Pediatric Dentistry; Tad Mabry, Pediatric Dentistry; and Steven Levy, Preventive and Community Dentistry are co-investigators.

Chad Allen (D2) is one of 48 dental students nationwide to be awarded the 2013 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Bloc Travel Grant for travel funds to attend the IADR/AADR/CADR General Session and Exhibition in Seattle, Washington, on March 20-23, 2013. Based on the scientific excellence of the abstract he submitted, “Sequencing Analysis of CAPZB, a New Candidate for NSCL/P,” Chad will receive $1,000 to assist with paying for his travel expenses to the conference. He will provide a follow-up report to the AADR containing an evaluation of the meeting and how the program enhanced his career plans to pursue research activities.

This grant was received by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

Dr. Rebecca Slayton, head of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has been appointed oral health contributing section editor for AAP Grand Rounds. Her term will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015.

In order to serve as a contributing section editor, one must be a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and have submitted two articles to the journal within a one-year period.

Dr. Michelle McQuistan, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, will serve on the Healthiest State Initiative - Dental Health Committee. As a committee member, she will assist in  the dental health goal to increase the number of adults who visit a dentist annually. The committee will also plan an oral health message campaign.