| | Dean's Message
I hope you all have had time to settle into the semester as January comes to a close in a few short days. We have much to look forward to in 2024 and already some great moments to look back on. I have already gotten the opportunity to meet some of our alumni in Denver and will get the chance to meet another group in Chicago next month for our annual reception in the Windy City. We host the 71st meeting of the Iowa Section of the AADOCR in mid-February, which is always a highlight for me to be a part of. In March, some of our students and faculty will head to New Orleans for the ADEA Education Meeting and AADOCR/IADR research meeting to share their incredible research with a national audience. In May, the annual IDA meeting will take place just down the road in Coralville where we will connect with professionals from around the state. Those are only a few of many events we have going on this semester. We are a college full of opportunities and knowledge, so I want to challenge you all this spring. Go outside of your normal routine or comfort zone and try something new. Make the most of the opportunities here and you will achieve the best possible version of yourself. Cheers! ~Clark Stanford | | | Updates for January 26, 2024–February 1, 2024 | | | | The UI College of Dentistry is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, beginning in June. Dr. van der Hoeven is currently the John M. Powers Endowed Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at the Houston School of Dentistry. She is a highly sought-after national opinion leader in professional education, clinical critical thinking, and curricular integration in faculty development. | | | Please welcome Dr. Ransome van der Hoeven to the UI College of Dentistry, beginning in June. Van der Hoeven is appointed as Associate Professor in the Iowa Institute of Oral Health Research (IIOHR) and the Department of Periodontics. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston and brings a National Institute of Health (NIH) R01 Award to Iowa City. During his visit to the college in December, he highlighted his use of C. elegans as a model in studying pathogens that affect oral health. | | | | Arshi Munjal, a DDS student, was named a 2024 Dare to Discover student. Munjal is studying ways our diets can impact the oral microbiome. The primary aim of her research is to compare microbial composition and co-occurrence patters in different areas of the oral cavity and then evaluate how they vary in individuals with different diets. Research in this area is limited, so Munjal hopes to better understand how our diets influence the oral microbiome and evaluate potential consequences on dental and perioral diseases. | | | Great seeing you, Denver! Thank you to our alumni who joined us for an alumni reception last Friday at Maggiano's Little Italy in Denver. It is always great to chat, connect, and listen to what is happening in your world after leaving Iowa City. | | | | Iowa Dentistry is pleased to announce the 2024 Seed Grant Awards. This is the fourth year of the seed grant program, and these grants fund innovative projects from early-career investigators or established investigators who are developing a new line of research. Since 2020, Seed Grant awardees have secured $9,471,347 of external research funding, with an additional $16,437,937 of external grant proposals under review. Furthermore, seven new NIH grant proposals (3 R01s, 1 R21, and 3 R03s) are to be submitted in the spring of 2024. The seed grant awardees and applicants have become a major driving force of the collegiate research enterprise. | | | Third-year Iowa Dentistry student Jorge Ceballos comes from a family of medical professionals—his mother is a nurse, and he has uncles, aunts and cousins who are doctors and dentists. However, his future in the medical field was never guaranteed. Ceballos is a recent immigrant from Cuba, and if it weren’t for a chance encounter with an Iowa Dentistry alum, Jorge’s career path might have taken a different turn. | | | | Do you like food? How about helping children smile again? If so, the Tau Sigma Military Dental Club is selling cookbooks written by our very own Dr. Kanellis for the newly established Pediatric Smiles Fund. The $20 book will be sold in-person only on Feb. 1, 5, and 8 from 12-12:50 on the first-floor link, where Kanellis will be on hand to talk recipes. Due to limited supply books can be reserved in advance.
100% of money collected in this fundraiser goes directly to help children receive necessary dental care that is not covered insurance or by other means. | | | College of Dentistry participates in kids Go STEM event Last month, the UI College of Dentistry participated in the Kids Go STEM event to highlight careers in dentistry which included interactive exercises. Over 260 6-8th graders and their parents had the opportunity to perform a pulp test and endo ice test and learn more about a career in dentistry. Thank you to Sherry Timmons, associate dean for student affairs, Jodi Graff, director of dental student admissions, and Carrie Mcknight, associate professor of oral pathology, radiology, and medicine, for representing the college. | | | | Kudos to you! Rebecca L's review: "Dr. Mike Callan is the sweetest most personable doctor we have ever met! He explained everything so well and we felt like he genuinely cared, we never felt rushed or uncertain about anything he went over. We decided to continue my sons care here because of him and his whole team, very pleasant experience all around!" | | Events
January 31, Seminars in Dental Research: Afsar Naqvi, "Viruses in Periodontal Disease Pathogenesis," hosted by Juhi Uttamani, W220A/B, 12-1 p.m.
February 9, Live Distance Course: Simplifying Alveolar Ridge Preservation — Open membrane technique; Flying Safely in dental implant practice — implant safety checklists
February 24, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with the Chicago Mid-Winter Meeting, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, IL, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
March 8, Live Distance Course: Beyond Bonding: Resin Cement in Modern Dentistry with Dr. Nikkita Madhu; From Hues to Hardness: Understanding Color and Mechanical Properties in Dental Materials with Dr. Franciele Floriani.
April 9, Seminars in Dental Research: Ping Zhang, "Periodontitis: from local destruction to brain dysfunction," hosted by Huojun Cao, Galagan B, 12-1 p.m.
April 12, Live Distance Course: An update on Posterior Restorations with Dr. Hiromi Saisho.
April 25, Seminars in Dental Research: Ronald Stauss, "Blessings in Disguise: Finding Wisdom from Facial Difference," hosted by Steve Levy, Galagan B, 12-1 p.m.
May 5, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with IDA Annual Meeting, Cedar Rapids, IA, 4-6 p.m.
May 17, IASDA Talent Show at the Coralville Center for Performing Arts emceed by Dr. Michael Kanellis and Dr. Karen Baker. $5 admission. Email Amam Nasir to sign up for a performance slot.
September 15-16, Dentistry Alumni Reunion Weekend
Notes and Resources
Lend a helping hand. Due to family caregiving needs, Alanna Keating has exhausted her sick leave and vacation. If you would like to help Alanna by contributing vacation time, please go to the following website: CAT Leave, and click on “Catastrophic Leave Donation Form.”
M-R: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; F: 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
The Hawkeye Smile banner image shows two first-year dental students, Ann Luo and Katie McAllister, at the Dental Public Health booth of the Bone Dash 5K. | | | |
