Contact Information for the University of Iowa College of Dentistry

Dean David Johnsen; Dr. David Drake, president of the UI Faculty Senate, and professor, Department of Endodontics, and the Dows Institute; Dr. Wallace Loh, UI executive vice present and provost; Doug True, senior vice president and University treasurer; and UI President Sally Mason, attended the September 17 Board of Regents meeting in Council Bluffs. The Board recommended $25 million for support of the UI College of Dentistry building transformation (renovation and addition). The Board also approved schematics and a budget for the building addition.

The Iowa Mission of Mercy (IMOM) was held September 25-26, 2009, at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. More than 1,200 dental professionals, dental assistants, dental hygienists, and others volunteered to treat over 1,500 patients free of charge at a value of more than $843,000.

The Iowa Dental Foundation led the organizational effort for Iowa Mission of Mercy. Delta Dental Foundation, Iowa Speedway, Principal Financial Group Foundation, Professional Solutions Insurance Co., Patterson Dental, Iowa Dental Supply, Henry Schein, and others were generous sponsors.

Volunteers from the College of Dentistry, including 127 dental students and residents, 17 faculty, and 18 staff, treated fellow Iowans during the two-day event. "We were honored to be part of such an important event," said Dr. Michael Kanellis, associate dean for patient care. "Our faculty, staff and students have looked forward to this event since Iowa's first Mission of Mercy a year ago. The opportunity to provide dental care to so many people in need is very rewarding."

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) dental student group chapter at Iowa will be at Sycamore Mall, Iowa City, on October 29 from 5-7 pm. The Iowa predoctoral and postdoctoral students will participate in the annual "Trick-or-Treat" night by handing out toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as providing oral hygiene education with puppets, stickers, costumes, and handouts to the children.

In addition to a cache of toothbrushes the students already have, Proctor and Gamble has donated additional toothbrushes and is also lending a Sparkle toothpaste costume. As Jessica Flanigan (D3), AAPD Iowa chapter president commented, "It should be very fun!"

The Iowa City-Cedar Rapids Alumnae Chapter & Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., held their Second Annual "Teen Summit" on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center. Misha Lockey (D2), Celia Mimms (D2), and Melissa Brown (D3) attended the "Teen Summit" as representatives of the UI College of Dentistry.

The theme this year was "Empowering Our Youth in the 21st Century." The organization's goal is to help young African American men and women between the ages of 14-18 acquire the necessary tools for personal and professional success.

The event included a series of workshops as well as a Career Expo with tables of information and individuals who answered questions about different careers.

During the 2009 Alumni Weekend dinner on September 18, Dr. Jackson Roe and Mrs. Nona Seberg-Roe received the Alumni of the Year Award, Dr. Michael Kanellis received the Dental Educator of the Year Award, and Dr. James A. Raecker received the Service Recognition Award.

2009 Alumni of the Year: Dr. Jackson Roe (DDS '44) and Mrs. Nona Seberg Roe received the 2009 Alumni of the Year Award to honor their loyalty to the College of Dentistry. Their commitment to the College has included their support of the Simulation Clinic; the creation of the Jackson H. and Nona Seberg Roe Lectureship in Pediatric Dentistry; and the Jackson H. and Nona Seberg Roe Faculty Fellowship of the Special Care Clinic. The establishment of the Jackson H. and Nona Seberg Roe Professorship in Orthodontics also reflects their continuing loyalty to the College of Dentistry.

2009 Dental Educator of the Year: Dr. Michael Kanellis (DDS '79), associate dean for patient care, was honored with the 2009 Dental Educator of the Year Award. Dr. Kanellis has made innumerable contributions to dental education and the pediatric oral health care of eastern Iowans and migrant workers. He helped create a three-year combined pediatric dentistry/dental public health degree program, initiated several pediatric dentistry outreach activities, and also helped establish the Muscatine Pediatric Dentistry Clinic in a collaborative effort between the College of Dentistry and the Muscatine Center for Social Action. His dedication to the implementation of electronic patient records and the transformation of the dental science building continues.

2009 Service Recognition Award: Dr. James A. Raecker (DDS '59) distinguished himself during his professional careers in several ways: he was a member of the American Association of Dental Examiners (AADE) for nine years; served on the AADE's National Board Advisory Panel for seven years; served on the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) Steering Committee Board of Directors for three years; and served five years in the Iowa Dental Association (IDA) House of Delegates. He was also chairman of the IDA Insurance Council and chairman of the IDA Ethics, Intraprofessional & Public Relations Committee. To honor Dr. Raecker, his family established the James A. Raecker Service Award Fund, which supports one or more annual awards to deserving Iowa dental students who are involved with service to the community.

Dr. Patricia Meredith, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, and Larry Carl, the Iowa Dental Association's executive director, attended the Summit Awards dinner in Washington, D.C. recently to accept the Summit Award for the 2008 Iowa Mission of Mercy, on behalf of the organizers, volunteers, and contributors who made the event in Waterloo possible.

The American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership's Associations Advance America (AAA) Committee honors associations with the Summit Award for implementation of innovative community-based programs that improve the quality of life in America.

The inaugural Iowa Mission of Mercy was held October 3-4, 2008, at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa, where 1,254 patients received necessary, no-cost oral health care valued at over $602,000.

The honor comes days after the second Iowa Mission of Mercy was held at the Iowa Speedway in Newton September 25-26, 2009, during which over 1,200 volunteers treated more than 1,500 patients with care valued at over $800,000.

Thanks to the generosity of the College of Dentistry faculty, staff and students, $1575 was collected on Friday, October 2, 2009, during Lee National Denim Day. Faculty, staff and students were encouraged to break away from the dress codes and wear denim for the day in return for a $5 donation to breast cancer research. The response was overwhelming.

The Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine took the theme to heart by buying and wearing breast cancer awareness shirts.

Lee National Denim Day is one of the largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer. Donations support the Women's Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and Lee Labs, whose researchers are working to develop an early detection blood test and find less toxic, more effective treatments for breast cancer patients.

Four UI dental students competed in the 28th Annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America on Sunday, October 4, 2009.

Will McBride (D4); Allison Fuller (D3); Mike Schiff (D4); and Ashley Charmichael (D4) ran the full 26 miles, 385 yards race. The course began in downtown Minneapolis, continued along Lake of the Isles and Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Nokomis, followed the north side of the Mississippi River, and finished on the south side of the river at the Medtronic Plaza, near the University of Minnesota campus.

Dr. Galen Schneider, professor and chair of the Department of Prosthodontics, participated in the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute Legislative Workshop, which was held September 13-15, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The workshop prepared participants to meet with Congressional members on Capital Hill to advocate several key issues related to oral health care and dental education, on behalf of ADEA and its membership.

Dr. Schneider met with U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack (2nd District of Iowa); U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa; and U.S. Congressman Bruce Braley (Iowa 1st District Representative) to discuss the importance of access to oral health care services and good oral health in relation to an individual's overall health. Dr. Schneider also discussed the importance of recruitment and retention of dental school faculty across the country to maintain high standards in dental education for training the next generation of dentists and oral health care providers. These meetings occurred during the current healthcare reform debate.

Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Department of Prosthodontics, and Dows, and Dr. Steven Levy, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, recently traveled to Thailand to attend the 9th World Congress on Preventive Dentistry, which was held September 7-10, 2009, in Phuket, Thailand. The meeting's theme was community participation and global alliances for lifelong oral health for all.

Dr. Ettinger was a moderator and speaker during the symposium, "Comprehensive Oral Care for the Elderly." Dr. Levy was a participant during the plenary session, "Fluoride and Health."

Dr. Philip Wertz, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, and Dows, recently attended the 11th Barrier Function of Mammalian Skin Gordon Research Conference, which was held August 9-14, 2009, at the Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire.

The conference is held every two years to promote discussions and the exchange of ideas of studies in the biological, chemical and physical sciences.

Dr. Wertz was a discussion leader for the Membrane Lipids & Trafficking in Barrier Formation & Function group of attendees. He was also elected as a vice chair for the next Gordon Conference. Dr. Wertz will hold this position for two years then become a chair for two chairs, and finally, an immediate past chair for the remaining two years.

Dr. Deborah Dawson, director, Biostatistics & Research Design, was elected to membership in the Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research.

The organization was formed in the late 1960s when a small group of biostatisticians met as one of four subcommittees of the organizing committee of the 1968 Conference on Testing of Cariostatic Agents for Dental Caries. This conference was co-sponsored by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the US Public Health Service (PHS).

The task force has two primary goals: to foster and promote the use of sound and innovative methodologies in the design and analysis of oral health clinical research and to encourage a continuous dialogue between all stakeholders in oral health research.

Dr. Dawson will attend the next meeting of the Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research, which will be held in Newark, New Jersey, November 9 and 10, 2009.

Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Department of Prosthodontics, and Dows Institute for Dental Research, presented several lectures during a recent trip to Australia. On July 20, 2009, he presented "Dental Treatment of Patients: End of Life Care" to the University of Melbourne special needs faculty at the Melbourne Dental Hospital.

Dr. Ettinger presented the lecture, "An Introduction to the Treatment of Geriatric and Special Needs Patients," on July 23 to the dental faculty, staff and students at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

On July 24, Dr. Ettinger presented "Dental Management of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias" to the staff of Perth's Central Clinical and Dental Health Service.

During Dr. Ettinger's July 30-31 visit to Sydney, he presented "Clinical Assessment and Practice Management of Medical Conditions and Medications in Older Adults" to senior dental students at Westmead Dental Hospital. He also presented a one-day program, "Treatment of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias" to the staff of Sydney South West Area Health Services and the faculty of the University of Sydney, University of Newcastle, and Charles Sturt University. The last lecture was given at the Dental Hospital of Sydney.

Fourth-year dental students, Lindsey Pingel and Whitney Dunn were each presented with the Colgate Palmolive Research Award during the recent 89th Annual American Association of Women Dentists meeting in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The award honors national excellence in research. Ten national scholarships were awarded with a $500 prize; Iowa was the only dental school with two awardees.

Whitney's research, "Smile Esthetics: Buccal Corridor Width, Gingival Display, and Tooth Shape," studied what aspects of smiles non-dental professionals find attractive and how the information can be applied to patient treatment plans to maximize attractivness while performing restorative dentistry. Her study also examined the psychological aspect of what makes a smile esthetic by examining the correlation between people's perceptions and actual ratings of attractiveness.

Lindsey's research was "HBD3 Inhibits Binding of Porphyromonas gingivalis Hemagglutinin B (rHagB) to Human Keratinocytes and Dendritic Cells." During the project, she used confocal microscopy to illustrate that HBD3 inhibits the binding of rhagB, a virulence factor of P. Gingivalis, to both dendritic cells and keratinocytes. This was a continuation of previous projects aimed at identifying ways to attenuate inflammation caused by periodontal disease.

Dr. Teresa Marshall, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, has received a Collegiate Teaching Award for the 2008-09 academic year. The award represents the highest honor a college bestows on its faculty for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching.

Dr. Marshall is director of the experiential course for first- and second-year dental students. She also coordinates and teaches the nutrition curriculum within the College of Dentistry. She is associate director for the Dental Student Research Program as well.

Ms. Karen Baker, director, Dental Pharmacy, was awarded the Hancher- Finkbine Faculty Medallion during the recent 92nd anniversary Finkbine Dinner. This award is given to a faculty member on a rotating basis among each college.

Ms. Baker joined the College of Dentistry's Dental Pharmacy Services in 1981 after receiving her M.S. in clinical pharmacy from Iowa. In 1991, she became director of Dental Pharmacy. She is an associate professor in both the Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, and the Division of Pharmacy Practice.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership, learning and loyalty, and is named after William O. Finkbine, a Des Moines businessman and 1880 UI law graduate, and Virgil M. Hancher, who served as president of the UI from 1940-1964.

The College of Dentistry is pleased to announce that the Orthodontic and General Dentistry Departments at the UI Hospital Dentistry Institute have moved to the College of Dentistry. Hospital Dentistry orthodontic patients are now being seen in the Orthodontic Clinic at the College beginning June 9, 2009. These patients will include those with craniofacial anomalies and problems associated with congenital birth abnormalities such as cleft lip and/or cleft palate, whose care will be overseen by a team of UI doctors and dentists whose specialties include plastic surgery, oral surgery, prosthodontics, orthodontics, and pediatrics. The phone number for the Orthodontics Clinic at the College of Dentistry is 319-335-7287.

Hospital General Dentistry moved to the College on July 1, 2009. Drs. Patty Meredith, Mark Dittmer, Lance Forbes, Terrance Riley, and Ellen Morris are now seeing general dentistry patients in their clinic on the third floor of the College, adjacent to the Family Dentistry Clinic. The contact number for Hospital General Dentistry will remain 319-356-2743. On July 1, the phone number for Hospital General Dentistry at the College became 319-335-6659.

We are confident that the relocation of the Orthodontic and General Dentistry clinics to the College of Dentistry will allow for greater comprehensive dental care for patients, especially for patients who require consultations with dental specialists. The Oral Surgery and Prosthodontic Departments at the Hospital Dentistry Institute will remain in the Pomerantz Family Pavilion.

Penni Ryan, director of Alumni Relations, received a mini-grant of $9,600 from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. The grant will support an October 30, 2009, continuing dental education program, "Pediatric Dentistry Boot Camp: a New Hands-on Course on Essential Pediatric Dentistry."

Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Department of Prosthodontics, and Dows, was an invited speaker at the 2009 Biennial Conference: Dental Education and Geriatric Patients. The meeting was held at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, on June 17-20, 2009.

Dr. Ettinger presented "The Development of Geriatric Programs in the USA and Canada: an Update."

The conference was hosted by the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry; L'Association des Facultes Dentaires du Canada; the University of Toronto; and the University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Deborah Dawson, director, Biostatistics, and professor, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, was an invited speaker at the Scientific Session of the Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research. The meeting was held May 4, 2009, in Newark, New Jersey. Dr. Dawson presented "Remedy in Extremity: Nonparametric Approaches to Analysis of Sparse, Limited, or Otherwise Problematic Longitudinal Data."

Dr. Gerald Denehy, head, Department of Operative Dentistry, received an honorary doctorate during the June 4, 2009, University of Montreal graduation ceremony of the faculty of dental medicine.

Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, received the Faculty Research Award during the 62nd Annual Session of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was one of four finalists who were selected for the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Foundation Research Award competition for her paper, "Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Intervention for Early Childhood Caries Prevention."

Dr. Weber-Gasparoni was judged to have accomplished the most outstanding research based on her manuscript and 10-minute summary presentation of her research, with five minutes of questions. She received the Paul P. Taylor Award.

Dr. Weber-Gasparoni and the other finalists each received a $500 cash award; complimentary annual session meeting registration for herself and a guest; travel and hotel expenses for herself; and a plaque during the 62nd Annual Session's recognition brunch, which was held May 24, 2009.

Dr. Donald Chi, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, was a Graduate Student Research Awards (GSRA) finalist for the current and recent pediatric dentistry postdoctoral students/residents research competition. The competition was held during the recent annual session of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Dr. Chi received a complimentary annual session registration for himself and a guest; travel expense reimbursement; a cash award; and a plaque for his research, "Time to First Dentist Visit for Newly Medicaid-Enrolled Children Identified with an Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability."

In 1987, Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children was established to support and promote education, research, service and policy development that advance the oral health of infants and children. In 1989, the organization began financially supporting the GSRA competition. Following an application process, the Healthy Smiles, Health Children Committee on Scientific Affairs selects eight finalists to present their research at the AAPD annual session.

Ms. Nancy Slach, Department of Periodontics, has been selected for a 2009 Governor's Volunteer Award for her outstanding contribution of volunteer service to her community. She has displayed exceptional service in tobacco cessation education throughout the state and she is an active volunteer in local school, church and community activities.

The award will be given to Nancy at a special recognition ceremony on Friday, June 19, 2009, at Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa.

From April 27-May 1, 2009, Dr. Richard Burke, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, and four Iowa pediatric dentistry residents, participated in the Keiki Dental Project on the island of Hawaii. Drs. Brea Schmidt, Donald Chi, Sean Vostatek, Aaron Blackwelder, and Richard Burke treated as many as 100 Big Island children who ranged in age from one year through the sixth grade. Their services included x-rays, fillings, extractions of non-restorable teeth, and fluoride treatments.

Each child left with a toothbrush kit.

The dentists also presented oral health education to a classroom of preschool and elementary students.

The Keiki Dental Project is a collaboration between the Hamakua Health Center, University of Iowa, Hawaii Kaiser-Permanente, Honokaa Elementary School, the Office for Social Ministry, and St. Francis Community health Services. Dr. Elaine Himadi, a pediatrician on the University of Iowa faculty, began the program in 2007. She is a former Kamuela resident and Waimea Intermediate School administrator.

Dr. Manuel Gomez, Department of Endodontics, received the Dr. John Montgomery, Jim McLeran, Pierre Fauchard Academy Education Fund Award. The fund was established by Dr. and Mrs. Larry Barrett for student tuition or for continuing education of faculty members.

Dr. Barrett received his DDS from Iowa in 1944. He had a private practice in Bettendorf, Iowa, and also was an adjunct assistant professor at the UI College of Dentistry.

Dr. John C. Montgomery joined the UI College of Dentistry as a professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery in 1947. He later became executive associate dean and held the post until his retirement in 1997. After receiving his DDS and MS from the University of Missouri, he received his certification in oral surgery from Iowa in 1959.

Dr. James McLeran served as dean of the UI College of Dentistry from 1974 to 1995. He received his DDS from Iowa in 1957 and his MS in oral surgery in 1962. He joined the UI Department of Oral Surgery in 1963.

Dr. Bob Schneider, Department of Prosthodontics, and Danny Roberts, CDT, Hawkeye Dental Studio, were recently invited to present "The Team Approach to Titanium Laser Assembled and CAD/CAM Full Arch Implant Restorations, Current State of the Art" at the Western States Laboratory Conference in Reno, Nevada.

Dr. Schneider was also honored during the meeting by being presented with an Honorary CD (Certified Dental Technician) by the executive director of the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL). This is only the third time in the 80-year history of the NADL that this honor has been awarded.

Additionally, Dr. Schneider was also presented with the First Annual David Bridgham Leadership Award for "outstanding and continuous leadership in the field of dentistry, dental technology, and dental technology education."

During the May 1 Anatomy and Cell Biology Student Awards Ceremony and Reception, Jordan Poss (D2) received the Award for Superior Achievement in Dental Gross Anatomy, and both Michael Buck (D2) and Jordan received the Michael W. Finkelstein Award for Superior Achievement in Dental Histology.

Maegan Johnson (D3) won the International Association for Dental Research Nutrition Group's 2009 Best Student Abstract Award for her poster presentation, "Colonization of Streptococcus mutanson Carbonated Beverage Eroded Molar Enamel.

Co-authors include John Laffoon and Jeff Harless, Dows; Dr. Fang Qian, Biostatistics; Dr. Kim Brogden, Periodontics and Dows; and Dr. Teresa Marshall, Preventive & Community Dentistry. Drs. Marshall and Brogden are Maegan's mentors.

Dr. Axel Ruprecht, Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, was an invited speaker at the 20th Saudi Dental Society Conference and Workshops, which was held April 20-22 at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

His presentation was "Cone Beam CT: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly." He was also a judge for the young researchers prize.

Following the conference, Dr. Ruprecht and two other international experts from Australia and the UK met for three days at the National Commission on Academic Assessment and Accreditation to draft accreditation standards specifically for dental education.

The Triangle Faculty Club had its annual elections on April 19. The new president-elect is Dr. Ronald Ettinger, Department of Prosthodontics and Dows.

Dr. Axel Ruprecht, Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, won another landslide victory for his 16th consecutive term as secretary/treasurer.

Several students were recognized at the Dean's annual Student Recognition Dinner, which was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center on Wednesday evening, April 22.

Student recipients were nominated by their respective classes, based upon their extra efforts, usually non-academic in nature and often not otherwise publicly acknowledged: (D1)-- Celia Mimms; Tasha Willman; Kelly Huston; Kristopher Hasstedt; Andrew Beer; and Karma Weeden, (D2)-- Joseph Uker; Bailey Hammerberg; Julie Reynolds; Noemi Cruz-Orcutt; Jeffrey Lenius; Thomas Heidenreich; Georgianne Fairchild; and Kirstino Moreno, (D3)-- Adrienne D'Agostino; Diana Choi; Diana Ozuna; Andrew Carrell; Karla Thole; Karl Swenson; Lindsey Pingel; Christi Larson; Scott Anderson; and Asana Mohamad, (D4)-- Angelica Damian; Joe Eckford; Kyle Stein; Jill Shonka; Michael McEwan; Jada Kurth; and Raquia Denson.

Junior student, Diana Choi, was recognized by Dentsply representative, Grant Bearbower, who presented her with the Dentsply Student Clinician Award for having won first place in the College of Dentistry's Student Research Table Clinic competition.

Dr. Rebecca Slayton, head of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, and representatives from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), led the Iowa launch of AAPD's Head Start (HS) Dental Home Initiative on Friday, April 24, in Des Moines. Iowa is the ninth state to launch the initiative, and Dr. Slayton is the state leader of the initiative.

The state launch brought together key individuals in Iowa to serve on a Leadership Advisory Team and Mentorship Teams. The vision is that local networks consisting of local dentists and Head Start personnel, as well as other community leaders, will work together to identify strategies to overcome any barriers to HS children's access to dental homes.

Cathy Skotowski, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, won the Honor Clinic Award at the annual session of the Iowa Dental Association, which was held April 30- May 3 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Her poster, Pediatric Oral Health Resources on the Web, highlighted some of the features of the new Pediatric Dentistry Web page. To check out their Web site, go to http://www.dentistry.uiowa.edu/pediatric/.

Dr. Raymond Kuthy, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, has been named as a member of the External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research's (NIDCR) Collaborative Centers for Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities. Three centers (Boston University, University of Colorado, and University of California at San Francisco) have been funded by NIDCR to address various research issues relating to dental caries in early childhood.

In a resolution, the Special Care Dentistry organization announced the establishment of the Jane Chalmers Memorial Award, which will be presented to a member of the Special Care Association who has demonstrated an outstanding achievement in the areas of minimally invasive dentistry, prevention, and/or restorative oral health care. The award honors the memory of Dr. Jane Chalmers, a University of Iowa Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry faculty member, who died in December 2008.

Dr. Bruce Justman, Department of Endodontics, and Dr. Luke Hamann, endodontics residents, presented "Introduction to Endodontics: Instruments and Their Use," and "Endodontic/Periodontal Disease and Treatment" to the dental hygienists at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa.

Dr. Karen Potter, second-year resident in the Department of Endodontics, presented at the 10th Annual Student Interdisciplinary Health Research Health Research Poster Session, which was held April 23, 2009. Her poster was entitled "Should Endodontists Place Dental Implants? A Survey of Endodontists." Dr. Potter won a general cash award.

The session included posters from all areas of health science research: nursing, dental, medical, public health, and PhD students.

Dr. Potter will attend the American Association of Endodontists Annual Meeting, which will be held April 29-May 2 in Orlando, Florida, where she will present her table clinic.

Dr. David Drake, Department of Endodontics and Dows, will be serving as president of the UI Faculty Senate. He has just completed one year as president-elect, will serve one year as president, and then a third year as past-president.

Dr. Drake is the first dental faculty to become president of the UI Faculty Senate.

The 2009 Apollonian Frolic was held at the Sheraton Hotel, downtown Iowa City, on Saturday, March 28. The evening included cocktails and hors d'oeuvres; dinner; a welcome by Dean David Johnsen; and a presentation of the Teacher of the Year Awards. The recipients were: (Class of 2012): Dr Darren Hoffmann (Anatomy & Cell Biology); (Class of 2011): Dr. Steven Aquilino (Prosthodontics); (Class of 2010): Dr. Lawrence Huber (Prosthodontics) and Dr. Jay Pronk (OMS); (Class of 2009): Adjunct of the Year -- Dr. Arlyn Robinson; Faculty of the Year -- Dr. Larry Squire (Family Dentistry); Faculty of All Four Years -- Dr. Manuel Gomez (Family Dentistry).

Jeffrey Erickson (D3), Thomas Heidenreich (D2) and Scott Anderson (D3), recently traveled as Iowa chapter representatives to the annual session of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA). The meeting was held March 25-28, 2009, in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Iowa attendees received the Most Improved NewsLetter award. The Iowa chapter also received honorable mention for the Procter & Gamble Healthy Smiles competition.

Drs.Cheryl Morarend and Mickey Spector, Family Dentistry, presented at the 86th Annual Session of the American Dental Education Association, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona, March 14-18, 2008.

Dr. Morarend presented "Daily Evaluation of Clinical Competency I: Implementation of Assessment Instrument."

Dr. Spector presented "Daily Evaluation of Clinical Compentency II: Implementation of Assessment Instrument and Faculty Calibration."

Lindsey Pingel (D3) and Dr. Karen Potter, resident, Department of Endodontics, received awards during the 11th Annual James F. Jakobsen Conference, which was held March 27-28.

Lindsey won third place for her oral presentation, "HBD3 Inhibits Binding of Porphyromonas gingivalis Hemaglutinin B (rHagB) to Human Keratinocytes and Dendritic Cells." Co-authors included Tina Srikantha, formerly Dows; M. Belanger; A. Progulske-Fox; Dr. Zoya Kurago, now New York University; and Dr. Kim Brogden, Dows and Periodontics, who is Lindsey's mentor.

Dr. Potter won first place for her poster presentation, "Should Endodontists Place Dental Implants? A Survey of Endodontists." Members of her research committee included chair Dr. Michelle McQuistan, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry; Dr. Anne Williamson, Department of Endodontics; Dr. Peter Damiano, Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry; and Dr. Fang Qian, Biostatistics, and Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry.

All participants submitted 10-page papers, which were judged by faculty members throughout the University of Iowa. Lindsey and Dr. Potter won their awards based on their papers.

During the 40th Annual Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum that was held February 27-28 in Omaha, Nebraska, Karl G. Kohlgraf (D1) won the 4th Place Award in Oral Presentation. His presentation, "Quantitation of SPLUNC in saliva by an xMAP particle-based immunoassay," was one of 125 oral and poster presentations.

The Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum is co-sponsored by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University Medical Center, and the American Medical Association Foundation.

Dr. Rebecca Slayton, head, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, is an author of a new childhood textbook, Early Childhood Oral Health. Her co-author is Dr. Joel Berg, a faculty member at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The textbook, which is being published by Wiley-Blackwell, includes two chapters that are co-authored by Dr. Arthur Nowak, a UI College of Dentistry emeritus, and another chapter that is authored by Dr. Kevin Donly, former UI College of Dentistry faculty, who is now at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

The 56th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Section of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) was held March 3, 2009. The local research day events included a keynote address, "Delivering Health Care in Developing Countries," by Dr. John Canady, UI Department of Otolaryngology. Following Dr. Canady, Dean David Johnsen addressed the attendees.

Forty-two students, staff and faculty presentated poster, oral and table clinic presentations. The winners were announced during the awards banquet dinner, which was held at the Coralville Holiday Inn. The dinner was sponsored by the College of Dentistry, Procter & Gamble, and the Iowa Chapter of AADR.

Dr. Steve Aquilino, Department of Prosthodontics, received the 2009 George H. Moulton Award from the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics (AAFP) during its annual meeting, which was held recently in Chicago.

The Moulton Award recognizes members who have made a significant impact and contribution to the art and science of fixed prosthodontics and have demonstrated lifetime service to the field.

The award is named for Dr. George H. Moulton, one of the visionary founders of the Academy, its first secretary and sixth president, and the first recipient of the award. This prestigious award is the highest honor bestowed by the Academy. Recipients are nominated by members and chosen by a standing committee of the Academy.

Four Iowa dental students recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Student Lobby Day.

Jordan Ledger (D2), Karl Swenson (D2), Mike McEwan (D4), and Kevin Dow (D2) met with all five Iowa representatives, two senators and appropriate staff members. The dental students lobbied for increased funding for the National Health Service Corps, which allows loan forgiveness to practitioners who serve areas that are considered to be shortage areas for health professions. They also lobbied for the Meth Mouth Prevention Act, which allocated funds for prevention, research, and continuing education to combat Meth Mouth.

Dr. Galen Schneider, head, Department of Prosthodontics, has been accepted in the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute Class of 2010. The ADEA Leadership Institute is one of the nation's premiere leadership development programs in health professions education. Selected promising faculty members from academic dental institutions are guided through intensive development in leadership and organization theory, higher education management, team and network building, and other aspects of personal and professional growth. The institute is designed to build faculty members' personal and interpersonal leadership competencies, expertise in higher education and health care policy issues, and administrative abilities.

Dr. Ana Elashvili, a 2008 Operative Dentistry graduate, will receive the Journal of Dental Education's (JDE) Outstanding Manuscript Award at the upcoming 86th ADEA Annual Session and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona.

Annually, ADEA presents an award for the best article published in a given section of the JDE to a junior faculty member or student who is the lead author of the article. Dr. Elashvili published "Evaluation of an Audience Response System in a Preclinical Operative Dentistry Course" in the November 2008 issue of JDE. Her article was included in the "Milieu in Dental School and Practice" section of the journal. Co-authors include Dr. Jerry Denehy, head, Operative Dentistry; Dr. Deborah Dawson, director, Biostatistics; and Marsha Cunningham, Preventive & Community Dentistry.

Dr. Elashvili is currently a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Pediatric Dentistry, has been selected as a finalist for the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Foundation Research Award competition for the abstract titled "Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Intervention for Early Childhood Caries Prevention." She will submit a manuscript to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and deliver a 15-minute oral presentation at the AAPD Annual Session in May. The recipient who is judged as having accomplished the most outstanding research, based on his/her manuscript and presentation, will receive the Paul P. Taylor Award.

Dr. J. Michael (Mike) Leary received his DDS degree from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1968. After serving an internship at the U.S. Army Williams Beaumont General Hospital in Texas, he was commanding officer at the Arlington Heights Missile Base Dental Clinic (Illinois). Dr. Leary was in private practice in Washington, Iowa, from 1971-1985. After receiving his MS and certificate in prosthodontics from Iowa in 1984, he taught full time as a professor in the UI Department of Family Dentistry until his death. In 1984, he achieved diplomate status of the American Board of Prosthodontics. Dr. Leary served in the 294th Iowa Army National Guard Medical Detachment until 1999 when he retired at the rank of brigadier general (brevetted). He served as president of the Iowa Dental Association from 1989-1990.

Dr. J. Michael Leary passed away on August 7, 2008.

Dr. Jane M. Chalmers received her BDS from the University of Melbourne (Australia) in 1987. In 1995, she received her MS in dental public health from Iowa. After returning to Australia to work at the Dental Statistics and Research Unit, she completed her doctoral degree at the University of Adelaide in 2001. In 2004, Dr. Chalmers joined the UI College of Dentistry as an associate professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry. She participated in the family practice for patients in the College of Dentistry's Special Care Clinic. Dr. Chalmers also had a secondary appointment in the College of Nursing. She was an editor and reviewer for numerous journals. Internationally recognized as an expert in the care of dental patients with special needs, Dr. Chalmers provided continuing education and seminars to dentists and other health care providers in many countries.

Dr. Jane Chalmers passed away on December 6, 2008.

During the 4th Annual Research Conference and Fair at the University of Lagos (Nigeria), Dr. Tunde Bamgbose, a 2008 Iowa oral and maxillofacial radiology program graduate, won the Distinguished Faculty (College of Medicine) Research Award.

His poster presentation, "Prospective, Randomized, Open-label, Clinical Trial Comparing Effects of Dexamethasone Co-administered with Diclofenac Potassium or Third Molar Extractions in Adults," was one of 28 presentations. Three of these, including Dr. Bamgbose's poster, were selected for the award.

Dr. Bamgbose is currently in the predoctoral DDS program at the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry.

Dr. Daniel Caplan, head, Preventive & Community Dentistry, and Dr. Rebecca Slayton, head, Pediatric Dentistry, talked with UI President Sally Mason during the New Faculty Reception, which was held December 8, 2008, at the Old Capitol Rotunda.

The Iowa student chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) has been very active during the past and present years. Laura Mausser (D3) and her mentor, Dr. Marcela Hernandez (Operative Dentistry), attended the Hispanic Dental Association's 16th Annual Meeting in Carefree, Arizona, from November 13-15. Both participated in enlightening seminars concerning issues about nationwide access to care for both the Hispanic population as well as for other minority groups. Laura gave a short oral presentation at the student dinner, which highlighted the Iowa HDA chapter's accomplishments for the past year as well as the organization's future goals.

Laura also had a poster presentation for the Orgullo program titled "Improving the Oral Health of the Hispanic Population in Iowa," which focused on the many outreach programs that the HDA has implemented during the past year. Some of the places visited by the HDA included St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City, after the Spanish mass, June 1, 2008; the annual Latino Health Fair in Ottumwa, Iowa, on March 2, 2008; and St. Mary's Church in West Liberty after the Spanish mass, November 23, 2008.

During these mission trips, the students educated patients about the importance of oral health, hygiene, prevention and opportune treatment. They also performed dental screenings and administered fluoride varnish to children. The HDA is planning different activities for next year, which will involve Spanish workshops with the HDA, Iowa chapter students facilitating the communication and care for our clinic patients, and patients in the different outreach programs.

Dr. Lina Moreno Uribe, assistant professor, Orthodontics and Dows, was one of the faculty who was recently featured in The University of Iowa's Annual Report 2007-2008. The features describes her work on the genetic causes of cleft lip and palate and mentions that in 2007, her work earned her the Milo Hellman Research Award, which is the highest award for research that is given by the American Association of Orthodontists. She also received the Junior Investigator Award from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

From November 7-14, Dr. Axel Ruprecht, OPRM, was at the King Saudi University College of Dentistry, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of a National Commission on Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) site vist team. The following week, Dr. Ruprecht visited King Faisal University College of Dentistry in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, as part of a different team for the NCAAA.

Cindy O'Toole, Dental Patient Services, and visiting assistant professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, has received Instructional Improvement Award funding for her proposal to incorporate a video component into the standardized patient exercise within the College of Dentistry's communications curriculum.

Brendan Young, Preventive and Community Dentistry, will coordinate the communication curriculum activities.

Dr. David Gratton, Department of Prosthodontics, recently attended the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Advanced Implantology (AIAI), which was held in Tokyo, Japan, October 26.

Dr. Gratton presented "Innovation in Implant and CADCAM Dentistry" at the meeting.

Dr. Christopher Squier, OPRM and Dows, attended the 5th Preventive Dental Conference, which was held in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Squier was one of the moderators for the General and Oral Health component of the conference. He also presented "Detection and Primary Prevention of Oral Cancer -- the Role of the Dental Team.

The conference was organized by the Hungarian Dental Association. Attendees were from Hungary, the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, France and Germany.

Dr. Karin Weber-Gasparoni, Pediatric Dentistry, was recently featured on the UI Web home page in a Be Remarkableseries. In her interview, Dr. Weber-Gasparoni discussed working with the Johnson County Women Infant Care (WIC) Clinic to provide dental care to low income women and young children. Over the past ten years, the College of Dentistry's outreach Infant Oral Health Program has served more than 1,300 children. Two predoctoral students work at the WIC Clinic once a week under the supervision of a resident.

Dr. Steve Aquilino, Department of Prosthodontics, was presented the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) Educator of the Year Award by Dr. David L. Pfeifer, then president of the ACP.

This award is given to dental educators for outstanding contributions to the welfare and advancement of the College and/or specialty or prosthodontics, overall achievement to academic dentistry, and contributions to the sciences and health profession.

In his acknowledgement, Dr. Aquilino said, "I am honored to accept the ACP Educator of the Year Award. I have been fortunate in my career at The University of Iowa to work with some amazingly talented students. This award is a tribute to each one of them. I would like to acknowledge former mentors: Dr. James White and the late Dr. H.V. Murray who encouraged me to go into prosthodontics, and Dr. Kenneth Turner, who recruited me to Iowa. I would also like to recognize my family: my daughter, Kristin, for never letting me forget the child within; my son, Michael, for reminding me what's important in life; and my wife, Mary, for her love and support throughout my career. Finally, I would like to accept this award in memory of Dr. James Michael Leary, who died recently after a courageous battle with leukemia and who had more passion for teaching than anyone I have known."

Dr. Paul Cashman (third-year resident) won first place in the graduate division of the Table Clinics Session during the 38th Annual Session of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP). His winning presentation was "Analysis of Post-Fatigue Reverse- Torque Values at the Abutment/Implant Interface for a Unitarian Abutment Design."

Dr. Cashman's thesis advisor/mentor is Dr. Robert Schneider, Department of Prosthodontics.

Dr. Min-Chieh (Jacob) Liu (MS 2008) won the John J. Sharry Award in the research competition for his presentation "Human Perception of the Translucency of Dental Porcelain Materials Correlated to Spectrophotometric Measurements." He won based on his abstract, his manuscript, and his oral presentation.

Dr. Liu's thesis advisor/mentor is Dr. Steve Aquilino. His committee menbers include Drs. Ana Diaz-Arnold and Marcos Vargas, Department of Family Dentistry, and Drs. David Gratton and Peter Lund, Department of Prosthodontics.

The Department of Preventive and Community Dentisty hosted a very successful Regional Dental Public Health Conference, which was held November 2-3, 2008 in Coralville. The theme of this Midwestern event, with representatives from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, was "Perspectives Within the Dental Public Health Community: Access to Care."

Highlights of the conference included Dr. Don Marianos, former head, Division of Oral Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who gave the keynote address, "Expanded Access to Oral Health Care: Challenges, Complexities, and Opportunities;" representatives from each of the eight states who spoke about oral health access initiatives in their respective states. Such success stories -- as well as learning what doesn't work -- are critical as personnel in the public sector implement programs for the most dentally vulnerable populations; national perspectives from the American Dental Association and the nation's uniformed services concerning dental access; an update about the framework for Healthy People 2020, the national health objectives; and discussion groups addressing community- based, pre-doctoral dental education, alternative approaches and models for dental care and prevention, and health care reform advocacy, and oral health public policy.

The conference was funded in part by a Dental Public Health training grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Health Resources and Services Administration; and four Delta Dental organizations (Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota).

Several Department of Prosthodontics faculty attended the 38th Annual Session of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP). The meeting was held October 29-November 1, 2008, in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Clark Stanford, Prosthodontics, and associate dean for research, was the annual session chair for the meeting. Dr. Steve Aquilino, Prosthodontics, was presented the ACP Educator of the Year Award.

Dr. David Gratton, Dr. Rick Williamson, and Mr. Henry Husemann all presented at the meeting. Dr. Gratton's presentation was "Perspectives on the Prosthodontist's Participation in the Digital Revolution." Dr. Williamson participated in the "Prosthdontic Diagnostic Index (PDI) Calibration Panel/ Workshop." Mr. Husemann was a presenter for the "New Horizons in Dental Laboratory Technology" discussion.

Former College of Dentistry faculty, Dr. Debra Haselton (now at Virginia Commonwealth University), presented "Dental Ceramics: Current Technologies and Future Trends."

Several Iowa dental alumni also attended the meeting: Dr. Rhonda Jacob (DDS '79 and MS Prosthodontics '81) presented "Cancer Treatments: Surgery, Radiation & Chemotherapy." She also received the ACP Distinguished Lecturer Award. Dr. Thomas Taylor (DDS '74) and Dr. Susan Brackett (MS Prosthodontics '87) participated in the Board Preparation Course workshop. Dr. Kent Knoernschild (MS Prosthodontics '90) was a participant in the Mentors/Educators Workshop: Achieving Excellence in Prosthodontic Education.

Dr. Christopher Squier, OPRM, and director of graduate studies, was invited to present at the Ehrlich II -- 2nd World Conference on Magic Bullets, which was held in Nürnberg, Germany, October 3-5, 2008.

Dr. Squier was co-chairman of the Pharmaceutics: Drug Delivery Through the Skin, Pt. 1 meeting section. He also presented "Penetration of Bioactive Proteins and Peptides Across Stratified Mucosae in a Porcine Ex-Vivo Model." Mary Mantz, Dows, was co-author.

In all, there were 1,546 presentations given by attendees from 100 countries.

The first Iowa Mission of Mercy, a free dental clinic, was held October 3-4, 2008, at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo. The field clinic was a spectacular success: during the two days, 1,176 patients received free dental care worth $538,000.

Volunteers included 52 Iowa dental students, 14 faculty, 6 residents, and 20 College of Dentistry/Hospital Dentistry staff who participated in the two-day event.

Dr. Martin Averill, the Iowa Mission of Mercy Local Steering Committee chair, mentioned in an interview with the WCF Courier that a couple from Mason City had spent the night in their car because they weren't sure when the free clinic would open.

Drs. Ali Fakhry, Kumar Neppalli, Georgia Johnson, and Matt Carlisle (Perio resident) attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology held in Seattle on September 5-9. The meeting featured program tracks on interdisciplinary therapy, periodontal medicine, periodontal plastic and reconstructive surgery, tissue engineering, therapies to obtain/maintain a health periodontium, and practice management.

Dr. Fakhry presented a course, "Accelerated Orthodontic Extrusion" in the Innovations in Periodontics session, which was designed to introduce new concepts to practitioners. Drs. Neppalli and Johnson represented the College of Dentistry's program at the Educators' Workshop, which focused on faculty recruitment and retention. Dr. Johnson also participated in an oral examination workshop for the American Board of Periodontology.

More than 25 volunteers participated in a waste-characterization project September 17 on the UI College of Dentistry grounds. Collegiate faculty and staff, along with students from Engineers for a Sustainable World and the UI Environmental Coalition, donned protective white coveralls and safety goggles to examine hundreds of bags of trash. The comprehensive waste characterization audit was conducted with the help of representatives from the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center. Trash was sorted into bins and then weighed to determine the amount of dental college recyclable waste that annually goes to the Iowa City landfill. (Details will be posted in the next edition of the DSB Weekly.)

The College of Dentistry's Go Green program is designed to motivate staff, students, faculty, and college administrators to nurture a culture of environmental responsibility at the college. Students who are interested in participating in this initiative are encouraged to contact Dr. Fakhry for more details (ali-fakhry@uiowa.edu).

Dr. Clark Stanford, associate dean for research, was a keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Scientific Congress of the European Academy of Osseointegration (EAO), which was held September 18-20 in Warsaw, Poland. The title of his talk was “Image-based Virtual Treatment Planning and Prosthetic Options.”

Dr. Stanford also presented at the Loma Linda University’s 5th Annual Implant-Periodontal Esthetic Symposium on Sunday, September 21, 2008. As part of the conference on inter-disciplinary approaches, he presented, “Tooth Replacement Therapy: the Predictability and Esthetics of Restoring Dental Implants.”

Dr. Keelen Tymkiw, who completed his periodontics certificate program and MS in oral sciences in 2008, participated in the prestigious Balint Orban Research Program, which is a competition that provides periodontal residents or recent graduates to present clinical or basic science research. His presentation was entitled, “Measurement of a Comprehensive Panel of GCF Mediators in Chronic Periodontitis Smokers and Nonsmokers Using a Novel Quantitative Multiplex Assay.” Dr. Tymkiw’s research committee included Dr. Janet Guthmiller (director), formerly Department of Periodontics; and Drs. Kim Brogden, Department of Periodontics, and Dows; Sophie Joly, Dows; and Georgia Johnson, head, Department of Periodontics.

Dr. Paula Weistroffer, Department of Periodontics, was named the recipient of an American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Foundation Teaching Fellowship at the Academy meeting in Seattle. This major award was established by the AAP Foundation to address recruitment and retention of promising full-time periodontal faculty. Recipients must be in their first three years of faculty appointment, and the $50,000 is intended to address educational debt of young periodontal faculty members.

Dr. Peter Damiano, Preventive and Community Dentistry, and director of the UI Public Policy Center, is one of six UI faculty members who have won the 2008 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. The award honors faculty members for work representing a significant contribution to excellence in public education.

Dr. Damiano has focused his scholarship on finding solutions to the problems faced by people who encounter barriers to receiving health care. His work includes helping the Iowa Department of Human Services evaluate various innovative, managed-care programs that have led to substantial improvements in health care for Iowans. He recently collaborated in developing a network for the delivery of oral health care for nursing home residents.

Dr. Bob Schneider, Hospital Dentistry, and one of his local dental technicians, Mr. Danny Roberts, were recently invited to speak at the 12th International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Implant Prosthodontics section meeting. They presented “A Team Approach to Titanium Laswer Welded Implant Prostheses” to nearly 600 attendees. Several challenging patient treatment situations were presented along with the laboratory techniques that contribute to the successful clinical outcome utilizing the latest laser welded titanium technology. Several other “teams” of prosthodontists and technicians from around the world also presented. The three-day annual symposium was held in Chicago.

Dr. Deborah Dawson, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, and director of Biostatistics, has been awarded the first Morris Bernstein Professorship in Dentistry. Dean Johnsen commented, “Deborah Dawson is a rare individual who is passionate about teaching and scholarship and is an expert in both.”

She received her ScM in biostatistics in 1976 from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) and her PhD in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1981. Dr. Dawson has been at the UI College of Dentistry since 2001. Prior to coming to Iowa, she was associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Community and Family Dentistry.

Morris Bernstein (DDS 1939) was a loyal supporter of the College of Dentistry who was passionate about “his” college and who wanted Iowa to remain a top dental school. He died in 2005.

Dr. Teresa Morgan, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, is one of twenty University of Iowa faculty members who have received Collegiate Teaching Awards for 2007-2008.

The award represents the highest honor a college bestows on its faculty for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching.

Dr. Morgan is the director of the oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program. Her teaching includes hands-on, one-on-one instruction of graduate students in oral and maxillofacial surgery. She is also the course director of a class on anesthesia and pain control and and a problem-based learning facilitator for first- and second-year dental students. Additionally, Dr. Morgan lectures to surgery and otolaryngology residents, dental students, and other dental residency programs.

Dr. John Casko, Department of Orthodontics, received the 2008 Louise Ada Jarabak Memorial International Teachers and Research Award from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). The award was presented during the Excellence in Orthodontics Awards Ceremony, which was held recently in Denver, Colorado, in conjunction with the 108th Annual Session of the AAO.

Because of his recent knee surgery, Dr. Casko was unable to attend so his son, John Casko, Jr., accepted the award on his father's behalf.

Colleagues and former students of Dr. Casko have praised his ability to explain orthodontic concepts in clear and understandable terms.

Dr. Tom Southard, DEO, Department of Orthodontics, noted that Dr. Casko has been referred to as “the master teacher.” “In short,” added Dr. Southard, “Dr. Casko is an educational legend.”

AAO Past President William DeKock (Iowa Class of 1963) said, “John Casko has served the orthodontic specialty for nearly 40 years as a great educator and role model for orthodontic residents. His devotion to and teaching of prospective orthodontic specialists at the university have been all-inclusive and received enthusiastically. This has earned him loyal followers all over the United States.”

Dr. Casko was very honored to receive the Jarabak Award. “As a teacher, this is the highest award one can receive,” he said. “I am gratified to be chosen for this by my peers.”

Dr. Philip Wertz, OPRM and Dows, attended the First International Conference on Environmental Stressors in Biology and Medicine, which was held June 4-6 in Siena, Italy.

The conference was held at the University of Siena and was attended by university faculty from Russia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, China, Norway, Israel, Argentina, the U.K., and the U.S.

Dr. Wertz was a member of the International Advisory Committee for the conference. He also presented “Dietary Stress and Health of the Skin” and was a co-author on another presentation, “Glutathione Peroxidase-1 Inhibits UVA-Induced Ap-2a Expression in Human Keratinocytes” that was given by Dr. Frederick Domann, UI Department of Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Ali Fakhry, Department of Periodonotics, was interviewed for the journal DPREurope, a British publication about video-assisted clinical instruction in dentistry (VACID), which enhances teaching, clinical skills and acquiring clinical knowledge. The article discusses using VACID to help faculty monitor students' work and provide feedback and guidance during clinical procedures.

Dr. Fakhry said a recent student survey in the Department of Periodontics showed the VACID Üenhances real-time visualization of surgical procedures beyond what is offered by the traditional observational format.”

He also discussed creating a Web-enabled, searchable video database repository of clinical techniques and procedures to serve as a resource for faculty and residents.

Dr. Axel Ruprecht, OPRM, is one of six oral maxillofacial radiologists who have been selected as members of an expert panel for Schick Technologies. The panel will be meeting regularly via teleconference to evaluate and rank digital images (radiographs) that have had various post-processing algorithms used.

The radiologists represent several universities, including Iowa; SUNY, Stonybrook; Indiana; and Marquette.

Schick is a world leader in digital dental radiography.

Dr. Jane Chalmers, Preventive and Community Dentistry, recently received the Student Research Group Mentor of the Year 2007-2008. The award is presented by the Iowa Chapter of the AADR Student Research Iowa Chapter of the AADR Student Research Group “in recognition of devotion and tireless efforts to enhance student research.” Dr. Chalmers was nominated by Karla Thole (D2), her research student.

Dr. Peter Damiano, Preventive and Community Dentistry, and director, Public Policy Center, is one of six UI faculty who will receive the 2008 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. Faculty members who are nominated for the Regents Award must have rendered significant service to the University of Iowa and/or to the State of Iowa. Each nominee must also have distinction in at least two of the following four areas: teaching, research/creative activity, extension/professional practice, or service. Each nominee must be a currently active tenured faculty member who has been employed in a tenure-track position at the University of Iowa for a minimum of fifteen years by the date the award is made.

Delta Dental of Iowa has made a $1.5 million gift commitment to help fund a planned major renovation of the Dental Science Building. The gift was made by the newly formed Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation through the University of Iowa Foundation.

Dean David Johnsen said, "Delta Dental of Iowa and the College of Dentistry see this gift as a long-term investment in the oral health of Iowans and in a top-tier dental school."

Donn Hutchins, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa and president of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, commented, “This gift is also an investment in the future, which is critically important given Iowa’s aging population and the growing need for dental services in rural Iowa...”

The College will name the Geriatric and Special Care Clinic area in the renovated dentistry building in recognition of Delta Dental of Iowa's gift. The naming is subject to approval by the University of Iowa's President's Office.

Dr. David Drake, Department of Endodontics and Dows, is now president-elect of the UI Faculty Senate. During his three-year commitment, Dr. Drake will serve as vice president (president-elect) the first year, president of the Faculty Senate during the second year, and past-president during the final year. Dr. Drake is the first dental faculty to become president-elect of the Faculty Senate.

Matt Drescher, a pre-D1, won an award for his poster, which he presented during the 9th Annual Student Interdisciplinary Health Research Poster Session. Matt received the Liberal Arts & Sciences Dewey Stuit Fund for Undergraduate Research Award for his research, “Switch Phenotypes of Peptostreptococcus Micros and Susceptibility to Beta-Defensins.” Drs. Sophie Joly, Dows; Georgia Johnson, Perio; and Janet Guthmiller, formerly Perio and Dows, were Matt’s mentors.

Dr. Justo Bonomie, who graduated from the College of Dentistry’s radiology program in 1998, has been elected dean of the University of the Andes in Merida, Venezula. Dr. Bonomie will serve from 2008-2011 and will assume office on May 16.

Before being elected to his current post, Dr. Bonomie was head of radiology at the dental college and was certified as an oral and maxillofacial radiologist.

Seven UI dental students attended the 2008 Midwest Regional Dental Student Research Conference, which was hosted by the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry: Jared Sorensen (D2); Joe Tesene, Mike McEwan, and David Haderlie (all D3); Matt Drescher (pre-D1); and Will McBride and Lindsey Pingel (both D2). Dr. John Warren, director of the student research program, and Dr. Christopher Squier, director of graduate studies, also attended. They were joined 33 other students from the Universities of Minnesota; Missouri-Kansas City; Illinois-Chicago; Colorado; and Manitoba. The program included talks by Dr. James Swift (’80 UI dental graduate), professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Minnesota, and immediate past president of ADEA, and Dr. Sumita Mitra, a corporate scientist from 3M-ESPE.

Dr. Christopher Squier, Dows, and Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, attended the April 15, 2008, signing of the Smoke-Free Air Act in the State Capitol. With this legislation, smoking will be banned in public places after July 1, 2008. The ban will include restaurants, bars, and workplaces.

Dr. Squier has been an advocate of tobacco cessation and supported the Smoke-Free Air Act. He was appointed to the Iowa Commission on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control in 2002 and is the current chair.

Lindsay Compton (D4) won a Provost Award at the 9th Annual UI Student Interdisciplinary Health Research Poster Session, which was held April 15, 2008, in the EMRB Atrium. Of the 32 student researchers from across the campus who presented research projects, three were from the College of Dentistry: Sarah Murrell (D2), Lindsay Compton (D4), and Maegan J. Johnson.

Sarah E. Murrell (D2): Enamel Erosion from Comparable United Kingdom and United States Beverages. TA Marshall; P.J. Moynihan; F. Qian; J.S. Wefel; J.D. Harless; M. Hogan; J. Heilman. Dr. Teresa Marshall, Preventive and Community Dentistry, is Sarah’s mentor.

Lindsay Compton (D4): Impact of Candida Albicans on Beta-Defensin Expression in Oral Carcinoma. S. Joly; R. Srikantha; Z. Kurago; J.M. Guthmiller. Drs. Janet Guthmiller, formerly Periodontics and Dows, and Sophie Joly, Dows, are Lindsay’s mentors.

Maegan J. Johnson (D2): Dietary Beverages Create Surfaces Conducive to Microbial Biofilm Development. J. Laffoon; J.D. Harless; K.K. Burnell; F. Qian; T.A. Marshall; K.A. Brogden. Dr. Teresa Marshall, Preventive and Community Dentistry, is Maegan’s mentor.