Topics at a glance: Dental Branch replacement building construction to begin: Everyone invited to Dec. 11 ‘Stake-Out’ … UTDB teams pound the pavement for Heart Walk 2009 …UT System Chancellor Cigarroa to speak at UTDB commencement … NIH grant allows UTDB, Tufts, Harvard, UCSF to create oral health research database … Bone regeneration work earns Young Investigator Award for Dr. Yang … UTDB shines at Hispanic Dental Association meeting in Houston … Help Desk phone number change … 2 from UTDB latest to complete Educational Scholars Fellowship Program … Just in time for Thanksgiving! DH2 Flying Saucer Pie Sale … Nominations sought for Distinguished Professional Woman Award … Special Olympics Special Smiles Screening Event … Watch for signs of elder abuse

Everyone invited to ‘Stake-Out’ at Dental Branch Replacement Building site

By Rhonda Moran, Dental Branch

After years of planning and hard work, a new era for the UT Dental Branch is nearly here, as construction of the Dental Branch replacement building will officially begin in December. Interim Dean John A. Valenza, D.D.S., said Project Manager Deborah Hardt, AIA, notified him and others at the health science center Nov. 2 of the official “go-ahead” for construction.

To commemorate this special occasion in Dental Branch history, all faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends are invited to the Dental Branch “Stake-Out” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11 at the site of the new Dental Branch Building, 7500 Cambridge (behind Kroger on Old Spanish Trail). Bus transportation has been arranged, and heavy hors d’oeuvres, wassail and other refreshments will be served.

The highlight of the event will be a chance to create a unique historical photograph. The perimeter of the future building will be staked out ahead of time and Dental Branch students, faculty, staff and alumni will be invited to form a human outline of the new building. If you have a white coat, you’re asked to wear it, but Valenza stressed that the entire Dental Branch family is invited to be in the photo.

“For most of us, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, and it’s definitely a special moment in the history of our school,” Valenza said. “It’s also a chance for everyone to see where we’ll be in the fall of 2012.”

More details about the Stake Out will be announced as Dec. 11 gets closer. In the meantime, for more information, contact Development Director John Greer at Ext. 4380 or John.T.Greer@uth.tmc.edu.

The Hearty Smile Walkers Team was the largest group from the Dental Branch to participate in the Nov. 7 Heart Walk.

UTDB teams pound the pavement for Heart Walk 2009

The Dental Branch was well represented at the Houston Heart Walk on Nov. 7 in Sam Houston Park with at least two teams (and maybe more) participating. The “Hearty Smile Walkers” led by Inga Leon and Anita Rodriguez had 70 members, and the team “Mamie Ellis and Friends” had 11 members, including Development Director John Greer, who was co-chair of the UT Health Science Center effort along with President Larry R. Kaiser, M.D. All proceeds from the event will benefit the American Heart Association.

Lauren Laman, daughter of UT*Dentists Executive Director Stephen Laman, D.D.S., designed the T-shirt that won an award for best design at the event. She is a graphic designer in the Office of Institutional Advancement. MORE PHOTOS.

Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.

UT System Chancellor Cigarroa to speak at UTDB commencement ceremony in May

The Dental Branch learned Wednesday that University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D. has accepted an invitation to attend and speak at the school’s 2010 commencement ceremony. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, May 21 in Cullen Auditorium at the University of Houston. Cigarroa was appointed chancellor on Jan. 9 and began serving on Feb. 2, succeeding Dr. Kenneth I. Shine and Mark G. Yudof.

Muhammad Walji, Ph.D.

NIH grant supports creation of oral health research database

Electronic patient record systems can amass huge amounts of health information, yet compiling usable data has been a problem. Now, The University of Texas Dental Branch and School of Health Information Sciences will work with three other dental schools to develop a searchable, interuniversity oral health research database that could have as many as 500,000 patients within three years. The project, supported by a $400,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, involves the Dental Branch and Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry. The principal investigator is Assistant Professor Muhammad Walji, Ph.D., of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences. FULL STORY

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Bone regeneration work earns Young Investigator Award for Dr. Yang

Honoree Dr. Yunzhi “Peter” Yang addresses the audience at the fifth annual Young Investigators Awards Luncheon, after Interim Dean John Valenza, D.D.S., happily presented the award. Photo by Chris Matula.

A researcher from the Dental Branch was among those recognized at the UT Health Science Center’s fifth annual Young Investigators Awards Luncheon last month. Yunzhi “Peter” Yang, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Houston Biomaterials Research Center in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials, was recognized for his work with bio-inspired biomaterials, with emphasis on bone regeneration for cleft palate and dental and orthopedic implant devices.

Yang earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China in 1997 and completed two postdoctoral fellowships, first in China in 1999, then in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials at the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio in 2003.

Prior to joining the Dental Branch faculty in early 2009, he was an assistant professor and director of the Biomaterial Engineering Solutions Laboratory at the University of Tennessee’s School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging, and he has maintained an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor there. Currently, Yang is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Rice University Bioengineering Department and a program faculty member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.

Among the Dental Branch students and faculty who attended the National Hispanic Dental Convention in Houston were (from left) Olivia Bustos, Erin Gutierrez,Krystelle Barrera, HSDA Faculty Co-Advisor Dr. Sergio Ortegon, Dr. Phil Pierpont, Dr. Rodney Beetar, Iven Gonzalez, Hilda Guerrero, Yudith Rodriguez and Sergio Lopez; and (front from left) HSDA faculty advisor Margo Melchor, Montsy Rodriguez , Veronica Perez and Melissa Uriegas.

UTDB shines at Hispanic Dental Association meeting in Houston

When the national Hispanic Dental Association held its annual meeting Oct. 22-24 at the Hilton Americas-Hotel in downtown Houston, the Dental Branch was involved on many levels – hosting the welcome reception, providing speakers and continuing education programs, and presenting scientific posters. The theme of the convention was “Launching Solutions for Optimal Hispanic Oral Health” — an area of concern for dental professionals nationwide. FULL STORY.

Help Desk phone number change

The university's Help Desk has successfully transitioned to its new extension and can now be reached at 486-4848. The old extension, 500-4848 will forward to the new number through mid-November and then will no longer be active. Please adjust your speed dial accordingly and update the number wherever posted. A new Help Desk feature that announces the current status of Information Technology Services on campus is now available to callers.

Prosthodontics Department Chair Ray Koeppen, D.D.S. (left) and Associate Professor Harold Henson, R.D.H., of the Department of Periodontics completed the Educational Scholars Fellowship Program.

2 from UTDB latest to complete
Educational Scholars Fellowship Program

Associate Professor Ray Koeppen, D.D.S., chair of the Department of Prosthodontics, and Associate Professor Harold Henson, R.D.H., of the Department of Periodontics, are now fellows of the Educational Scholars Fellowship Program, a collaborative program between the Dental Branch, the UT Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine. Koeppen and Henson recently completed the two-year program that is designed to expand participants’ teaching skills.

Veronique Delattre, D.D.S. and Jay Welch, D.D.S., both associate professors in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, were selected for participation in the ESFP group now under way. They began their fellowship activities in September and will graduate in 2011, which is also when the program will accept new participants. For more information, contact Paula O’Neill, Ed.D., associate dean for educational research and professional development, at Ext. 4292.

Just in time for Thanksgiving! DH2 Flying Saucer Pie Sale

The Dental Hygiene Class of 2010 has made it easy to get your hands on famous Flying Saucer pies – the very same pies people line up around the block for in downtown Houston each Thanksgiving. For only $15, you can have a pie in one of these flavors: pecan, pumpkin, apple, peach, cherry, coconut cream, chocolate cream, lemon cream or strawberry. All orders are due by Monday, Nov. 16. Pies will arrive at the Dental Branch for distribution on Monday, Nov. 23. Payment is by cash or check only, with checks payable to: UTDH 2010. To order, contact any second-year dental hygiene student or e-mail Diana.Tejeda@uth.tmc.edu or Jessica.H.Mccrorey@uth.tmc.edu.

Nominations sought for Distinguished Professional Woman Award

The Committee on the Status of Women is seeking nominations through Monday, Nov. 23 for the Distinguished Professional Woman Award to be presented at the annual awards reception during Women’s History Month in March 2010. The winner should be someone who has made significant contributions to overall health, quality of life, and public service. She does not have to be a University of Texas employee. For detailed information on the award and the nomination process, CLICK HERE.

Special Olympics Special Smiles Screening Event

Volunteers from the Dental Branch (faculty, staff and students) are needed to help with the Greater Houston Area Special Olympics Special Smiles Screening Event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Willowbrook Sports Complex, 12539 Perry Road, Houston. Special Olympics athletes will get dental screenings throughout the day during their Greater Houston Area Volleyball Tournament. To volunteer for this event, complete this form and return via e-mail to Vanessa.ponce@uth.tmc.edu or fax to 713-500-4179. Dr. Sanford Fenton will conduct a training session beginning at 8 a.m. the day of the event.

Watch for signs of elder abuse

November is both National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month, and Assistant Professor June Sadowsky, D.D.S., encourages everyone to be on watch for signs of elder mistreatment. Dementia has long been identified as a significant risk factor for elder mistreatment, and these observances provide a month of opportunities to initiate or strengthen outreach efforts to increase the visibility of elder abuse. She suggests these Web sites for more information:
National Family Caregivers Association
Alzheimer's Association
Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly