Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004

 

Herrin to retire after 24 years

Mark Herrin, director of Educational Support Services at the Dental Branch, will retire from his position Monday, Dec. 20, after more than 24 years on the job.

 

Herrin, who worked for the University of Oklahoma before coming to the DB in 1980, is responsible for the management and upkeep of educational equipment, and other support-related services.

 

“It’s been rewarding and challenging,” he said. “The job cuts across all lines of the school, which makes it extremely interesting.”

 

After retirement Herrin said he is looking forward to doing “nothing professional,” and plans to focus more on golf and spending time with his two children, three grandchildren and new wife, Sue. Herrin is moving back to Oklahoma at the beginning of the year.

 

DH students go where they’re needed most

For the fourth year, first-year dental hygiene students traveled to Hines Nursery in Fulshear, located in Fort Bend County, to provide oral health education to the community.

 

The group distributed oral health brochures to 700 employees (80 percent Hispanic) and spent time teaching oral hygiene, answering questions and making referrals for dental care. 

 

Ft. Bend does not have a dental health department for low-income individuals so dental health needs are extremely high.  Students said opportunities like this are important for communities but also for the students’ educational and personal development.

 

DB professors receive TMC grant

Nadarajah Vigneswaran, D.M.D., associate professor, and Jerry Bouquot, D.D.S., chairman, both of the department of Diagnostic Sciences, were awarded the 2004 Fleming and Davenport Awards for the grant proposal “Emmprin: A potential prognostic marker in oral leukoplakia,” for $14,982 from the Texas Medical Center advisory board. The Dental Branch family applauds this great accomplishment.

 

D’Souza represents Dental Branch in the Orient

Rena N. D’Souza, D.D.S., Ph.D., (center) represented the Dental Branch with a plenary lecture, “Molecular Insights into Tooth Agenesis and Supernumerary Dentition: From Bench to Clinic to Bench” at the 52^nd Japanese Association for Dental Research (JADR) Annual Meeting.

 

The meeting was Nov. 27 at the National Center of Sciences Building in Tokyo, Japan.

 

While there D’Souza also gave two lectures on “Basic and Clinical Research for Regenerative Dental Medicine,” one at The University of Tokushima and the other at Tokyo Medical and Dental University

 

Happy Holidays!

Celebrate the season at the following Dental Branch holiday events:

• The UTDB Student Council Holiday Party, 8 p.m.-midnight, Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Texas Medical Center. Tickets are $10 pre-purchase and $12 at the door. Join DB students for dancing, free food and drinks.
• The Employee Relations Committee Holiday Party, 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 17, in Dental Branch Room B81. Don’t forget to bring a dessert.

Kick-off this joyous season with your fellow students and employees!

 

UTDB eflash is an electronic newsletter produced by The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Submit items for consideration to Erika.Durham@uth.tmc.edu by Tuesdays at noon. Items may be edited for length and style.