Ms. Regina Stephens (Periodontics Department) receives Employee of the Year Award for the year of 2004.

Two dedicated scientist-educators received President’s Scholar Awards Oct. 6 at the Faculty Honors Convocation of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. full story by Distinctions.

We were well-represented at UT Reseach Day on Friday. All of our DDS students did an outstanding job and represented us with enthusiasm and pride. I received numerous kudos from colleagues about the students. I am pleased to list the following award recipients:

DDS Students-Outstanding Achievement in Research

Colin Lathrop (mentor - Dr. Hoffman, NIDCRO)

Darryl Baucum (mentor - Dr. Vigneswaran)

Valerie-Santiago Doyle (mentor - Dr. O’Keefe)

All of these students were supported by UT-TORCH.

Congratulations also to Dr. Jung-Wei Chen, Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, for winning third place in the poster competition at the School of Health Information Sciences, where she is pursuing her Ph.D., also supported by UT-TORCH.

Julie Robertson, a GSBS Ph.D. student in Dr. Yahaun Lou’s lab, won second place in the pre-candidacy category in the GSBS competition. Congratulations to Julie!

Leticia Perezous, D.D.S., assistant professor in the Department of Prosthodontics, won first place in the 2004 American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) John J. Sharry Competition. Deemed the most prestigious prosthodontics award, it honors “the culmination of both excellent written and oral presentations of completed research in the field of prosthodontics and related sciences.”

Perezous walked away with the award after presenting her research on “The effect of complete dentures with a metal pallet on Candida species in H.I.V. infected patients.”

“It was very extensive clinical research,” Perezous said. “So it feels good to know that all the hard work paid off and will be recognized.”

Members of Perezous’ thesis committee were Millicent Goldschmidt, Ph.D., professor of Periodontics, Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., dean of the Dental Branch,  Robert Engelmeier, D.M.D., associate professor of Prosthodontics, Gene Stevenson, D.D.S., assistant professor of Diagnostic Sciences and Mark Nichols, D.D.S., director of the Bering Omega Dental Clinic.

Perezous’ research will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Prosthodontics. This year’s competition was in Ottawa, Ontario.

For the second year in a row the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) came away from the National Hispanic Dental Meeting as winners. This year’s HSDA team won the third place Orgullo award Oct. 16 at the 12th annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The award is presented to a national student chapter that exhibits an exemplary commitment to community service and career recruitment.  Participants from the UT Dental Branch were Nedith Casquete, Zoe Delany, Sylvester Gonzales, Claudia Hernandez, Angelica Lozano and Tatiana Ramirez.

Margo Y. Melchor-Rodriguez, R.D.H., a HSDA faculty sponsor, said she is extremely proud of the students for following up last year’s first place win with this year’s victory. Melchor-Rodriguez and Rodney Beetar, D.D.S., also a faculty sponsor, say “great job to a wonderful group of men and women!”

Sheila Koh, D.D.S., associate professor, and Ralph Cooley, D.D.S., clinical assistant professor, both in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials, DB, and Scott Makins, D.D.S., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Endodontics, DB, were inducted into the International College of Dentists. The International College of Dentists is an honorary dental organization dedicated to the recognition of outstanding professional achievement and meritorious service and the continued progress of the profession of dentistry for the benefit of all humankind.

Faculty member elected trustee of the National Hispanic Dental Association

Margo Melchor-Rodriguez, clinical assistant professor in periodontics, DB, was elected trustee of the National Hispanic Dental Association. Melchor-Rodriguez is one of two registered dental hygienists on the board of officers and will serve in this capacity for three years.

Third-year dental student Ashley Farrar represented the Dental Branch well Oct. 2 at the Dentsply Student Clinician American Dental Association Table Clinic Competition.

Farrar, mentored by Susan Seybold, D.D.S, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics at the Dental Branch, presented "Effects of Tobacco Smoke on Children's Dental Health.”

Farrar competed with representatives from over 50 dental schools in the United States, as well as international students.
The Dental Branch was honored during the awards ceremony for being one of the few schools in the country that has sent a representative every year the competition has been held.

Two members of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston faculty will receive 2004 President’s Scholar Awards, one each for research and teaching. James T. Willerson, M.D., president, will present the awards, the highest faculty recognition given by the institution, at the Faculty Honors Convocation beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, in the Texas Medical Center’s Edwin Hornberger Conference Center.

The research award will go to Barry R. Davis, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Division of Biostatistics at the UT School of Public Health at Houston. The teaching award will go to Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., dean of the UT Dental Branch at Houston. For complete Distinctions story.

Jose Pinales, Radiologic Technologist I, working in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Maria E. Rodriguez, Support Specialists, in the Department of Clinical Services have been chosen to represent the Dental Branch on The University Classified Staff Council for the coming year.

Kelly Peters, D.S.S., faculty member and currently the director of the Graduate Practice Residency Program, Dental Branch (DB), was named a Fellow of the Academey of General Dentistry at the annual meeting July 10 in Anaheim, Calif. To become eligible for this honor, Peters completed 500 hours of continuing dental education, passed a comprehinsive written exam and fulfilled five years of continuous membership with the academy. The Award recognizes excellence in the dental profession and a commitment to providing excellent patient care.

William Butler, D.S.S., President for the 8th International Conference on the Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Tissues, held in Banff, Canada.

Prosthodontics faculty of the Dental Branch has established student awards for outstanding performance in the Prosthodontics preclinical and clinical courses. The recipients of these awards are: Freshman Occlusion Award:  Charles Spurlock; Outstanding Award for Sophomore Preclinical Prosthodontics:  Ashley Farrar; Outstanding Award for Junior Clinical Achievements:  Neda Obredovic-Dodig, Ai Mitome, Thai Vuu and Natalya Bejar. Five additional sophomores were awarded certificates of excellence. They are Ryan Leonhart, Troy Gor, Angela Incrapera, John McGrory, and Ginger Rome.

Flaitz Named Dean of Dental Branch In July, Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., was named dean of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston after serving as interim dean of the school since September 2002. “This is an exciting time for the school,” said Flaitz, “as we look forward to beginning our second century of providing excellent education and clinical care and further developing our research and discovery enterprise. There is an optimistic and collaborative spirit within the school and the community that is generating a positive momentum for growth. The timing is perfect for the Dental Branch to partner with colleagues in the Texas Medical Center to explore the ways that molecular medicine can improve oral health.” For The Rest Of The Story See The Leader.

The Dental Branch’s Freeman Award went to Gary N. Frey, D.D.S., assistant professor of restorative dentistry and biomaterials. A graduate of the Dental Branch, Frey has more than 20 years of clinical dental practice, with 10 of those concentrated in a crown and bridge laboratory. He received the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2000-2002. For The Rest Of The Story See Distinctions.

At the Dental Branch Donna P. Warren, assistant professor of dental hygiene, received the McGovern Award. A registered dental hygienist, Warren has taught at the Dental Branch since 1991.Previously she served as director of the Ivanhoe Institute of Health Careers and as a clinical assistant professor of dental ecology and dental hygiene at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Warren is particularly interested in patterns of fluoride use and the effects of fluoride on restorative materials. For The Rest Of The Story See Distinctions.

Congratulations again to Ashley Farrar, Kevin McGrory and David Wan! Ashley will be competing in the national SCADA Table Clinics competition, representing us in October at the annual ADA Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Congratulations to Dr. Yahuan Lou and Lisa Torres, a research assistant in Dr. Lou’s laboratory. They were awarded a minority supplement to support Ms. Torres in her work on the Role of T Cells in Mediating Glomerulonephritis.

Following a national search, Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., has been named dean of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston after serving as interim dean of the school since September 2002.

“I am honored to have been chosen as the dean of the Dental Branch, especially as we prepare to celebrate our centennial in 2005,” said Flaitz. “This is an exciting time for the school, as we look forward to beginning our second century of providing excellent education and clinical care and further developing our research and discovery enterprise. There is an optimistic and collaborative spirit within the school and the community that is generating a positive momentum for growth. The timing is perfect for the Dental Branch to partner with the components of the Texas Medical Center to explore the ways that molecular medicine can improve oral health.”

The appointment was announced today by James T. Willerson, M.D., president of the health science center. “I am truly proud of Dr. Flaitz’s accomplishments and the enthusiasm she brings to this position,” he said. “Her experience in private practice and in academia is superb.”

The announcement of Flaitz’s appointment was followed by sustained applause from the audience in the full lecture hall and a standing ovation at the end of the meeting. For the rest of the story

   Present at the diversity celebration at the UT Dental Branch at Houston were, Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., interim dean; Frank Catalanotto, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Education Association; Paula O’Neill, Ed.D., assistant dean at the Dental Branch; and Eugene Sekiguchi, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association.
   The following dental students represented their organizations in a panel discussion: Erin Cummings, Student American Dental Hygiene Association; Sylvester Gonzales, Hispanic Student Dental Association; Yousef Jefferson, Student National Dental Association; Alice Luan, American Student Dental Association; Linh Luu, Asian American Student Dental Association; Katie Olson, Texas Association of Women Dentists; and Tyrone Rodriguez, Houston Student InterCouncil.
For the rest of the story (Distinctions).

   Congratulations to Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., and John Valenza, D.D.S., have been honored with the President’s Award from the Greater Houston Dental Society.
   “The President’s Award recognizes people who have exemplified excellence through their unselfish commitment to organized dentistry,” said Mark C. Frnka, D.D.S., president of the Greater Houston Dental Society. “These two individuals each spent countless hours, in addition to their ‘day jobs,’ to ensure the success of Centennial Smiles.”
   Sealants are applied to a child’s teeth during the Centennial Smiles event April 3rd, at the UT Dental Branch at Houston. A joint community project with the Greater Houston Dental Society, the event provided free dental care to local low-income families.
   Additional congratulations and thank you to John Coy, director of UT Dental Branch facilities improvement, who literally worked 10-15 hours a day before and after the event with a huge smile and a giving heart,” Frnka said. “I will always remember his contributions.” Also congratulations and thank you to all the volunteers who made the event possible. For the rest of the story (Distinctions).

   Julia Javarone, the first D.D.S./Ph.D. trainee at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has been elected president of the National Student Research Group, which operates under the umbrella of the American Association of Dental Research.
   “Julie is supported by UT-TORCH, a training grant awarded to the UT Health Science Center in 2003. Her leadership skills and commitment towards excellence bode well for her success in this office,” said her mentor Rena D’Souza, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and director of research in the Department of Orthodontics at the UT Dental Branch at Houston. For the rest of the story (Distinctions)

   Four over-the-counter teeth whiteners are tested and compared by Dr. Joe Ontiveros – with help from UT Dental Branch students Elisa Bueso-Mendoza, Christina Cole and Ahmad El-Bjeirami – to “Zoom” treatment.

Ms. Adriana Cavender (ORTHODONTICS - DBB 371)
Mrs. Olivia L. Hartzog (RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY & BIOMATERIALS) - DBB 493
Ms. Deirdre S. Hill (ADVANCED EDUCATION IN GENERAL DENTISTRY) - DBB 2.071
Ms. Regina Stephens (ENDODONTICS & PERIODONTICS) - DBB 1.084

These employees will he honored at the Annual End of the Year Party tomorrow Thursday, July 1, 2004 at 12:15. Please come by and congratulate them on their achievement or stop by their offices

   Congratulations to Drs. Art Jeske, Al Levine and Ted Pate, the American Dental Association reappointed them to the National Board Part I Test Construction Committee for Biochemistry-Physiology for 2005.

   Congratulations to Dr. Rami Guiha of the Department of Endodontics and Periodontics. Dr. Guiha successfully completed the Oral Examination of the American Board of Periodontology and is now Board Certified in Periodontics.

   Congratulations to Darla McKitrick received the Career Achievement Award from The Ohio State University College of Education. She also was recently appointed a Consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.

UNLV & UTHSC-H Dental Schools Selected for Cultural Competency Program

   The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in collaboration with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Foundation, has selected five dental and medical schools to test new curricula designed to help train future dentists and physicians in cultural competency and ethnogeriatrics. The objective is to incorporate the courses into the schools' core curricula once they have been tested. The project is part of the Achieving Diversity in Dentistry and Medicine (ADDM) program, which began in September 2003 as a four-year contract awarded by HRSA's Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Medicine and Dentistry. The program addresses issues in medical and dental education, the health workforce and leadership in medicine and dentistry. The new research project entitled “Achieving Diversity in Dentistry and Medicine: Integrated Cultural Education in Dentistry (ICED)” will be under the direction of Dr. Paula O’Neill, professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and special assistant to the dean of the Dental Branch. Co-investigators include Drs. Deborah Franklin, associate professor, and Dr. Douglas Simmons, associate professor from the Department Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials. Dr. David Taylor, associate adjunct professor in Diagnostic Sciences, will assist with project evaluation. Amy Luedemann, 3rd year, is the student representative on the research team. The project will develop, implement, and evaluate a curricula based on AMSA’s culture and diversity guidelines over two consecutive academic years beginning in the summer of 2004 and ending in the spring of 2006. The purpose of this grant is to provide training and essential experiences for students and development opportunities for faculty in issues related to cultural competency. This project will focus on the unique aspects of providing care for patients from diverse backgrounds with the goal of promoting better oral health through greater cultural awareness, empathy and improved communication. An Advisory Panel of community leaders from Houston and Health Science Center faculty will provide guidance for the project.

Two dental and two medical schools were selected for the cultural competency curricula:

*University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston
*University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
*Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
*Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

Stanford University School of Medicine was selected to test ethnogeriatric curriculum.

Congratulations to Dr. Peggy Martin, 2003 graduate of the Endodontics Advanced Education Program, won an Award for an oral presentation competition at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Endodontists in Anaheim, CA May 5-8, 2004. Mentor: Dr. Roberta Pileggi.

   Congratulations to Dr. Raouf Hanna of the Department of Endodontics and Periodontics. Dr. Hanna successfully completed the Oral Examination of the American Board of Periodontology and is now Board Certified in Periodontics.

   Congratulations to all nominees for the John H. Freeman Award, it is an honor to be nominated by the students for these awards. Please take time to congratulate all the nominees: Dr. Christopher Minke, Dr. Antonio J. Moretti, Dr. Leslie Roeder

   Congratulations to all nominees for the John P. McGovern Award, it is an honor to be nominated by the students for these awards. Please take time to congratulate all the nominees: Dr. Richard Bebermeyer, Dr. Stephen Laman, Dr. Matthew Seals

   Congratulations to Julia Javarone (DDS1/PhD student) on receiving an American Association for Dental Research Student Research Fellowship! These fellowships are very competitive, with only 20 awarded this year. Julia's mentor is Dr. Rena D'Souza and her project is entitled "Molecular Studies on the Patterning of Dentition."

   Dr. Leticia Perezous, Third Year Resident in the Graduate Prosthodontic Program, won Frist Place at the Table Clinic Presentation of the American Prosthodontic Society in Chicago this past week February 19 an 20.

   Chun-Nun Lin, Third Year VA Resident in the Graduate Prosthodontic Program, won Third Place in the Table Clinic Presentation at the same meeting.

   Two UTDB Dental Hygiene students won table clinic awards at the Texas Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association meeting in Dallas on February 6. The 1st Place winner received a check for $100 and will be funded for the American Dental Hygienists’ Association meeting in June. The 2nd Place winner received $50. UTDB had a total of 5 table clinics at the meeting. Congratulations to all.

First Place: Leslie Ng "Xylitol: Can Chewing Gum Prevent Caries?" (Mentor - Holly Rice, RDH, BS)

Second Place: Than Nguyen “Chlorhexidine Varnish Today Keeps the Caries Away!” (Mentor – Darla McKitrick, RDH, MS)

Leslie was also nominated for the “Outstanding Dental Hygiene Student in Texas”.

   Congratulations to the following UTDB dental and hygiene students who won the Table Clinic Competition at the Star of the South meeting last Thursday:

Dental Student Competition:
First Place: Ashley Farrar - "Effects of Tobacco Smoke on Children's Dental Health" (Mentor - Dr. Seybold)
Second Place: Kevin McGrory - "Periodontics in the Esthetics Zone" (Mentor - Dr. Anderson)
Third Place: David Wan - "Post-Operative Pain - What Can We Do?" (Mentor - Dr. Pileggi)

Dental Hygiene Competition:
First Place: Tina Vasquez, Amber Ragland, Heather Wilson, Kristen Brodie - "Bilateral Submucosal Claft Palate: An Incidental Finding in a 68 Year Old Male" (Mentors - Ms. McWherter, Dr. Vigneswaren)
Third Place: Leslie Ng, Christina Cole, Anna Miner, Shanna Watkins, Opal Wood - "Wylitol: Can Chewing Gum Prevent Caries?" (Mentor - Ms. Rice)

   All three dental students will compete at the Texas Dental Meeting in San Antonio in May, and Ms. Farrar will compete in the SCADA national table clinic competition at the ADA meeting in Orlando, Florida in October.

   Also congratulations go to Dr. Adrienne Andress (AEGD resident) who won Third Place in the Dentist Category of the Star of the South Table Clinic competition. Her title was: "Oral Manifestations of Substance Abuse", faculty sponsor Dr. Cleverick D. Johnson.

Please congratulate your colleagues for their efforts!

   Casey McGinnis (DH I) was elected the 2004-2005 Student Delegate at the Texas Student American Dental Hygiene Association Annual Session in Dallas. She will act as the the student representative for all the dental hygiene schools in Texas and will represent them at the Texas Dental Hygienists' Association Annual Session in Corpus Christi in September.

Leslie Ng (DH II) was a nominee for the Outstanding Dental Hygiene Student in Texas-Leslie was nominated by the Hygiene Faculty.

   Results have been received for National Board Examination, Part II, and I am delighted to announce that the Class of 2004 scored above the national average. In addition, five students scored 90 or above. This accomplishment represents a significant improvement over last year.

   A special acknowledgement goes to those student doctors who scored in the 90s - Neil Horn, Kathleen McGrory, Nathan Phillips, Eric Schatz and Randa Zarka. Also a sincere thank you is due to all of the faculty who worked with our students to achieve this important goal.

   Dr. Scott R. Makins received the Literary Award from the International College of Dentists, Texas Section in recognition as guest editor of the Texas Dental Journal issue for March 2003. The issue was dedicated to endodontics and was especially unique as it was a joint publication with the Journal of the Tennessee Dental Association. Dental Branch faculty members who contributed articles to the issue were Drs. Art Jeske and Roberta Pileggi.

   Ten UT Dental Branch faculty members have been selected by their peers to be included in the 2004-2005 edition of The Best Dentists in America, published by Woodward/White, Inc. The Best Dentists in America is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which 9,680 leading dentists throughout the country rate the abilities of other dentists in their specialties. Included in the consumer guide are: Diagnostic Sciences: Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., John Valenza, D.D.S.; Nadarajah Vigneswaran, D.M.D.; Orthodontics: Harry Bussa, D.D.S., Anna Marie Salas, D.D.S.; Pediatric Dentistry: Elsa Alfonzo Echeverri, D.D.S., Michael Milano, D.M.D., Susan Seybold, D.D.S.; Prosthodontics: Jeffrey Chang, D.D.S., Phil Pierpont, D.D.S.

   Julia Javarone has been awarded a travel grant to the IADR meeting in Honolulu. 1st Year, Doctor of Dental Surgery. Her mentor is Dr. D'Souza. Congratulations to them both!