News & Media
Two faculty newcomers – Yasmine Haddad, DDS, PhD, and Debra Stewart, DDS – along with popular faculty veteran Harold Henson, RDH, MEd, have won teaching awards at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston. Haddad is the winner of the John Freeman Award for Outstanding Non-Clinical Teaching, chosen by first- and second-year dental students. Stewart won the John P. McGovern Award for Outstanding Teaching, selected by third- and fourth-year dental students. And dental hygiene students have chosen Henson as winner of the Lorna J. Bruning Award for Clinical Teaching Excellence. They were among 10 faculty members were nominated for teaching awards this year. The other nominees were Dr. Stephen Laman, Dr. Art Jeske, Dr. Amity Gardner, Dr. Long-Duc Tran, Dr. Ted Pate, Dr. Dedra Davis-Wallace and Dr. Cameron Jeter. Henson was the only nominee for the dental hygiene award.
Houston-area children are a little safer this week after UT School of Dentistry and Lifeprint Next Generation teamed up May 11 to provide free dental screenings and oral hygiene information, plus the children’s palm and fingerprints saved on CDs for their parents to keep. Students from UT School of Nursing also volunteered to do blood pressure screenings for both children and adults. UTSD Community Outreach Director Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd, thanked approximately 30 volunteers for their help, noting that while the turnout was lower than expected, the children and parents really appreciated the services provided.
At an open house this week, The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston unveiled its newest state-of-the-art laboratory facilities inside the UT Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Building adjacent to the School of Dentistry. The buildings are connected on four levels. The BBS fourth floor will house UTSD’s Center for Craniofacial Research, and during the open house, guests got a peek at the area’s cutting-edge research space and equipment.
Safdar “Sid” Khoja has joined the Office of Technology Services & Informatics at The University of Texas School of Dentistry as a systems and applications specialist. He is the department’s newest employee since Brittany Bock joined the staff in October, also as a systems and applications specialist.
Khoja earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UT-San Antonio; Bock earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. Both she and Khoja earned certificates in health information technology from UT-Austin in 2012 and have experience with various electronic health record programs, including AllScripts, eClinicalWorks, eMDs, Greenway and Nextgen.
Endodontists from The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston made an impressive showing at the recent American Association of Endodontists annual session. Two faculty members presented a symposium; a resident won third place in a research contest; and five others showcased projects and table clinics. At the AAE gathering in Honolulu, UTSD Associate Professors Ariadne Letra, DDS, PhD, MS and Renato Silva, DDS, PhD, MS – together with a collaborator from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil – were invited to give a symposium titled, “What’s Going on Beyond the Apex? Understanding the Molecular Aspects of Inflammation-Induced Apical Tissue Destruction.”
More than 30 University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston faculty members, residents and student volunteers participated in the recent 2013 Spring Fling Dog Wash Fundraiser to benefit Project Rusty, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing abandonment and needless euthanasia of dogs.
When the day was over, 45 dogs had been washed and photographed, and a total of $2,200 had been raised. The money will help increase awareness of the importance of canine behavior management and rehabilitation in decreasing the homeless dog population in Houston.
The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston will unveil its newest, state-of-the art laboratory and research space at an “Open House” from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 on the fourth floor of the UT Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Building (BBSB) at 1941 East Road, adjacent to the School of Dentistry. Refreshments will be served.The BBSB is already home to faculty members and researchers from UTSD’s Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences. Now it will also host the offices and laboratories of UTSD’s Center for Craniofacial Research, a new research cluster in the works since the School of Dentistry moved into UT Research Park last year.