Dean's Message

What a ride the last year has been! With a full year under my belt as dean, I've had the opportunity to get reacquainted with old friends and colleagues and my fellow alumni and to get to know our newer faculty and staff, our students, and our younger alumni. Thank you for welcoming me back into our community. I've appreciated hearing the stories. Iowa is a special place—and it is the people that make it special. I'm also pleased to say that over this past year, we have made progress on updating our new strategic plan, and we will be announcing some new initiatives in the coming months in support of that larger vision as we lean into our role as Iowa's dental hospital. ~Clark Stanford

Updates for April 7, 2023–April 13, 2023

Weber-Gasparoni receives 2023 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence

The 2023 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence recognizes the exceptional impact six University of Iowa faculty members, including our own Karin Weber-Gasparoni, have made in teaching, scholarship, and service. The winners will be honored at an awards celebration during the June 2023 Board of Regents, State of Iowa, meeting. 

50 years later, Iowa state champ reflects on changes, similarities in women’s basketball

This past Sunday as the Hawkeyes played in the NCAA National Championship game, the Cedar Rapids Gazette published an article and interview with Heather Heddens (’80 DDS), adjunct professor in family dentistry, on her 6-on-6 basketball playing days in the 1970s (to see her in action, watch this video). With the excellence that the Hawkeyes showed in this years NCAA tournament, it's fun to look back on the legacy of women's basketball in Iowa.   

Geneser receives AAPD Jerome B. Miller "For the Kids" Award

Established in 2007 by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Foundation, the annual Jerome B. Miller "For the Kids" Award  is presented to an up-and-coming clinician, researcher, or academician in pediatric dentistry for their outstanding efforts directed to children's oral health and welfare. The AAPD selected Matt Geneser, clinical professor of pediatric dentistry, was selected as the 2023 recipient of the award. 

Iowa Dentistry students and alumni speak to Iowa legislators

On Thursday, March 30, Iowa Dental Association member dentists, University of Iowa dental students, and Dean Clark Stanford were at the Iowa Statehouse to speak with legislators about the issues facing the dental profession. For this work, Alumni John Arend ('82 DDS and IDA president), Zach Kouri ('03 DDS and IDA immediate past president), Sara Stuefen ('10 DDS), and Dean Clark Stanford, were joined by six Iowa Dentistry students Carter Coppinger, Zachary Graham, Tyler Jennings, Mallory Obenauf, Morgan Swanger, and Sydney Washington.

The day began with the two dentists in the Iowa House, Steven Bradley and Tom Jeneary ('85 DDS), speaking to the group about why they ran for public office and the importance of dentists being involved in advocacy and politics. Both encouraged the dentists and students to continue to support oral health in Iowa through their advocacy. The dentists and students then broke out into groups and met with their legislators, including House Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills (Spirit Lake), House Health and Human Services (HHS) Chair Ann Meyer (Fort Dodge), Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls (Coralville), Senate Appropriations Chair Tim Kraayenbrink, Senate HHS Ranking Member Sarah Trone Garriott (Waukee), and many others. Many of the conversations focused on maintaining the practice of dentistry in Iowa, improving Iowa’s dental Medicaid program, and the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact (HF 656). Hat tip to the Iowa Dental Association for the story!

IPR's River to River features Damiano on Medicaid benefts

On IPR's River to River, University of Iowa public policy expert Pete Damiano, professor of preventive and community dentistry, shares how the end of COVID-19-era Medicaid benefits could impact millions of low-income Americans.

Why Iowa: We Produce the Best Dentists

Newly minted alumni throughout Iowa's history have routinely heard from their colleagues—whether in the military, graduate programs, or private practice—that “we know you will hit the ground running because you’re from Iowa.” Prospective students apply to and choose to attend Iowa because they too have heard that message consistently around the dental profession. Keep it up, Hawkeyes!

Kudos to you!

Timothy Byers' review: "A great place with no exception. Dr. William Burns is a huge asset to this great institution."

Iowa Trailblazers: The Iowa Facial Growth Study

L. Bodine Higley graduated with a DDS from Iowa in 1926, he was promptly hired by the college to assist with predoctoral clinical teaching and developing a new orthodontics graduate program. At Iowa, he developed ground-breaking research with the Iowa Facial Growth Study. This study still provides data for research today. 

Events

April 10, Thesis Defense: Gurjot Bhatia, “Associations between Longitudinal Fluoride Intake and Bone Densitometry Outcomes,” N212, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

April 11, Thesis Defense: Mary Tandon, “Prevalence of Fluoride Varnish Application in the Medical Setting and its Associated Factors,” S483, 2:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

April 11, Noon Seminar: Hong Li, University of Colorado, AMC, “Understanding Orofacial Clefting at Single Cell Resolution,” hosted by Eric Van Otterloo, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

April 13, Thesis Defense: Mustafa Tattan, W333 , 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

April 13, Thesis Defense: Maria Rosas Diaz, S422, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.  

April 14, Live Distance Course: Thinking Game for Maxillary Full Arch Implant Restorations, Aaron Cho, 8:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

April 18, Noon Seminar: Erin Bumann, University of Missouri, KC, “Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Tooth Emergence & Development,” hosted by Aline Petrin, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

April 25, Noon Seminar: Luiz Meirelles, Ohio State University, “Precision Dental Medicine for Improved Periodontal Diagnostics Using Intra-Oral Scans,” hosted by Thiago Soares Porto, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

May 2, Noon Seminar: Peter Mossey, University of Dundee, Title TBD, 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, Learn about Noma (a bacterial infection that rapidly destroys the soft and hard tissues of the face and mouth) by Mr. Fidel Strub—a Noma survivor, Galagan B, 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

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.”

Filling Station Menu

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.