| | Dean's Message
Many of our D4 students have completed their final requirements and are ringing in the accomplishment with the Family Dentistry cowbell. This experience represents many years of their hard work—and not just in our college, but it is also an accomplishment for our entire team. Our faculty, staff, residents, and, of course, our patients are there to support, encourage, and cheer on our world-class students. With each ring of the bell, we know you will make a mark on the lives of your patients and the dental profession. We are so proud to be a part of your journey. ~Clark Stanford
| | | Updates for April 28, 2023–May 4, 2023 | | | | Hongli Sun, associate professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, was one of four Iowa faculty members to receive the 2023 Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award. The award recognizes some of the most promising scholars at Iowa with three years of financial support for their research. Sun is a rising star in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering, focusing on innovative strategies to improve bone tissue regeneration. | | | The Academy of Osseointegration awarded I-Ching (Izzie) Wang, clinical assistant professor of periodontics, and Anvita Maharishi, assistant professor of family dentistry, a $30,000 translational and clinical science research grant for their project, Correlation Between Peri-implant Mucosa Color and Tissue Dynamics: Phenotype and Health Recognition Using Dental Ultrasonography. | | | | A large contingent of Iowa Dentistry faculty, students, and alumni attended and presented at the National Oral Health Conference April 17-19 in Orlando, FL. The Iowa Dentistry website includes a list of highlights from the conference. | | | National Prosthodontics Awareness Week is the week of April 23–29. Each year, Iowa Dentistry and the Department of Prosthodontics celebrate the week by having residents construct new dentures for veterans (four this year) for free, which was completed earlier this month. Tarek El Kerdani, graduate program director and clinical professor of prosthodontics, organized the treatments along with Iowa Dentistry social workers. The experience not only gives a little bit back to those who have served our country, but it also benefits our resident's prosthodontics education. Governor Reynolds also issued a proclamation about Prosthodontics Awareness week in Iowa. | | | | On April 27, Jacob Eisenbach ('55 DDS) turned 100 years old. Eisenbach is a holocaust survivor, and regularly speaks about the experience and about the importance of doing our parts to prevent and eliminate genocide, including when he came to speak to Iowa Dentistry in 2017. Eisenbach is an esteemed Iowa alumnus and longtime supporter of Iowa Dentistry. | | | The 2023 Donald B. Osbon Memorial Lecture was held on April 22, 2023. The keynote speaker was Daniel Buser, an internationally recognized implant surgeon and professor of oral surgery at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The lecture was well received, but you can learn more about the course and the Osbon lecture series on the Iowa Dentistry website. The participants in the lecture are shown with Buser in the image above. | | | | Iowa Dentistry students serve the college and fellow students in a multitude of ways. The Student Leadership Awards recognize some of their work. | | | Second-year dental student presents at the New England Science Symposium Amam Nasir, a second year dental student, presented his research project, Differential Gene Expression in E11.5 Murine Right and Left Facial Prominences, at The New England Science Symposium in Boston, MA. Shankar Rengasamy Venugopalan, adjunct associate professor of orthodontics was the mentor for the project.
The New England Science Symposium (NESS), established in 2002 by Harvard Medical School, provides a forum for postdoctoral fellows; medical, dental and graduate students; and post-baccalaureates to share their biomedical and health-related research activities through oral or poster presentations, to engage in discussions related to career development in the sciences, to exchange ideas and to expand their professional networks. The experience was positive for Nasier and could offer opportunities to other Iowa Dentistry students in the future. | | | | Iowa Dentistry welcomes Maria Meller Maria Meller is joining Iowa Dentistry as a patient manager, replacing Joan Welsh-Grabin. Maria has worked for the University of Iowa for almost 10 years. Most recently, she was with the Carver College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program as Coordinator of Clinical Program Services. Her other roles were at Patient Financial Services as a Revenue Cycle Representative for Medicaid patients, and as Revenue Cycle Coordinator over the Registration Department. Maria resides in Riverside with her husband Kevin and their three children Calvin (12) Amelia, (9), and Colin (6). When she is not in the office, she is studying for her MBA or chauffeuring her children to their sports activities. | | | All dental students and dentists are encouraged to attend the New Dentist Reception at Black Sheep in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, May 4, beginning at 4:00 PM. Take advantage of this opportunity to catch up with classmates, expand your professional network, and enjoy drinks and appetizers! This event is part of the Iowa Dental Association Annual Session, IDEAS23. For more information about the New Dentist Reception or the IDEAS23 meeting visit ideas.iowadental.org. We hope to see you in Cedar Rapids! | | Events
April 28, Noon Seminar: Nick Jakubovics, Newcastle University, United Kingdom, "From oral health to the written word: an editor’s perspective on dental research," hosted by Sukirth Ganesan, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
May 2, Noon Seminar: Ashraf Ayoub, Glasgow University, UK, The genetic basis of the dento-facial phenotypes, hosted by Azeez Butali, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
May 5, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with IDA Annual Meeting, Cedar Rapids, IA, 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
May 5, Noma—a global oral health disease, Fidel Strub, Galagan B and Zoom, (CE for students only; meets cultural competency requirement) 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
June 1, Culturally Responsive Health Care Conference, College of Public Health, 8:00 a.m.–1:00 pm. Co-sponsored by the College of Dentistry.
September 15-16, Dentistry Alumni Reunion Weekend
October 13-14, IMOM, Waterloo Convention Center, Sullivan Brothers Plaza, 200 W Fourth Street, Waterloo, IA.
Notes and Resources
Lend a helping hand. Due to medical issues, Holly Bolt has exhausted her sick leave and vacation. If you would like to help Holly 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 banner Hawkeye Smile image shows Shaoping Zhang, an assistant professor in periodontics, with Herky. | | | |
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