News @ Tufts Dental

December 2011

News@TuftsDental is distributed each month via email to dental school faculty, staff, students and friends. We welcome your suggestions and story ideas. Contact the editor, Mary-Ellen Marks, at mary-ellen.marks@tufts.edu. Thank you!

In This Issue:

Esther Wilkins to receive Gies Award
Nancy Arbree to step down as associate dean
Laura Camacho-Castro accepted to statewide leadership institute
ChowdaBoys crowned regional flag football champions
Here & There
Tufts Travel-Learn

Dean's Message

At this reflective time of year let us all give thanks for the special family we have here at Tufts and for our successes and accomplishments over the past year. Let us all look forward to the new year with renewed hope and energy.

My best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season to all of you, your families and loved ones.

Sincerely,
Dean Huw Thomas

Esther Wilkins to Receive Gies Award

Esther Wilkins, D49, DG66, clinical professor of periodontology emerita, has been selected to receive the William J. Gies Award for Achievement by a Dental Educator.

The Gies Awards for Vision, Innovation and Achievement "are the pre-eminent recognition of exceptional contributions to and support of oral health and dental education," according to the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the award's sponsor. Wilkins will be honored on March 19 during the 2012 ADEA annual session and exhibition at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fla.

Wilkins has been a member of the Tufts School of Dental Medicine faculty since 1966. Her greatest contribution to dental medicine is her textbook, Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist. Now in its tenth edition, 52 years after it was written in 1959, the book remains the definitive text on dental hygiene. The textbook has been translated into Japanese, French, Korean, Italian and Portuguese.

In 2004, Wilkins received an honorary Doctor of Science in Health Sciences from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. A year later, the college named its new dental hygiene clinic in her honor. In 2006, the City of Boston declared December 9 Esther M. Wilkins Day, and in 2010, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Dental Hygienists' Association.

Nancy Arbree to Step Down as Associate Dean

Dean Huw Thomas announced on December 7 that Nancy S. Arbree will step down as associate dean for academic affairs, effective September 1, 2012.

Arbree has been an outstanding member of the School of Dental Medicine community since her appointment as an assistant professor in 1981. She was promoted to associate professor in 1988, awarded tenure in 1990 and promoted to a full professor in 1998. Dean Emeritus Lonnie Norris appointed Arbree as assistant dean for academic affairs in 1996; she was promoted to associate dean in 2001.

Arbree's accomplishments are many. Early in her Tufts career she incorporated implant dentistry into the pre-doctoral curriculum and made sweeping changes in the school's infection control program. After being named assistant dean, Arbree undertook the Herculean task of updating the entire D.M.D. curriculum and established a competency-based curriculum. She also expanded the school's faculty development program.

Nationally Arbree has represented the school as the first woman president of the American College of Prosthodontists and of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics.

Arbree will retain a part-time faculty appointment as a clinical professor. Dean Thomas said he will announce details on the search process to fill Arbree's position shortly after the new year.

Camacho-Castro Accepted to Leadership Institute

Laura Camacho-Castro (pediatric dentistry) and a member of the Massachusetts Dental Society, has been accepted to the society's Leadership Institute, which is designed to provide dentists with the tools and training to become effective leaders in their communities, nonprofit organizations or in professional associations on a local, state or national level.

Participants are required to attend four sessions with well-known facilitators and speakers as well as a team-building event. Following completion of the training sessions, participants are required to sit on a year-long ad hoc committee that is focused on issues affecting dentistry. Camacho-Castro maintains a practice in Dedham, Mass.

ChowdaBoys Crowned Regional Flag Football Champs

The Tufts ChowdaBoys, the dental school's eight-man flag football team, is heading to Las Vegas in January to compete in the Flag Football National Championships. The team's appearance on the national stage comes courtesy of its victory over 12 other teams in the Northeast Regional Tournament, which took place in East Boston in early December.

"Our team played high caliber every game," said Brad Khankhanian, D12. The ChowdaBoys competed against teams from throughout the Northeast as well as New York. "It was a two-day tourney," said Khankhanian, "with the second day consisting of playoffs. Some of us were questioning our attendance at the tournament, since some of our priorities consisted of studying for finals. But we made the playoffs the second day and beat the remaining teams to reach the final game for the championship."

The regional champs were awarded a $1,000 cash prize, a trophy, championship T-shirts and a berth in the national tourney. Other members of the team include Tyler Fleming, D12; Jonathan Ip, D12; Benjamin Chan, D10, DG13; Omar Abuzaineh, D13; Matt Elston, D13; Kevin McNeil, D13; and Aaron Harada, D14.

Khankhanian said the team is grateful for the support it has received from the Office of Student Affairs. "We would be thrilled and honored to attend Nationals and represent Tufts School of Dental Medicine," he said. For more information on the national tourney, visit www.flagmag.com.

Here & There

Amy Ilief-Ala (pediatric dentistry) is a new diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Janet Markell (clinical affairs) will retire on December 30. Markell came to Tufts in 1993 and worked with Hilde Tillman in support of the geriatric dentistry program. In 1995, she was named administrative assistant to former associate dean David Russell, and since August 2008, has served as patient care and clinic compliance coordinator. Markell has been responsible for addressing patient concerns, HIPAA training, coordinating NERB and WREB licensing examinations, maintaining all clinic licenses and chairing the Golden Crown Committee. In addition, she coordinated the meetings of two standing committees: Patient Care Quality Assurance and Risk Management, Safety & Infection Control.

Joseph Pechter, D09, a third-year resident in periodontology, has developed a mobile dental app called PerioVoice, which is available for download on iPhone and iPad. PerioVoice is a periodontal charting program for hygienists, dentists and specialists that uses voice control to do charting without an assistant. The app employs the newest speech technology and is accurate and fast. The data is output in a text file that you can email, print or upload into any dental software. To download the app, which is free for Tufts periodontal residents, go to www.periovoice.com.

The school's Division of Continuing Education has received a four-year term of recognition, the highest possible, for ADA-CERP providers. The accreditation is valid until June 2016.

Tufts Travel-Learn Program

Join Tufts dental alumni, family and friends on a journey to the Greek Isles and Turkey, scheduled for October 11-19, 2012. Travelers will board an exclusively chartered ship in Athens and set sail to see architectural wonders, stunning landscapes and impressive ruins. The journey will include stops at four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the classical ruins of Delos, the Old Town of Rhodes, the Monastery of St. John on P?tmos and the legendary city of Troy. If you book by March 2, 2012, you will save $1,000.

To learn more about this and other exciting journeys Tufts Travel-Learn has on tap for 2012, visit www.tuftstravellearn.org. For an electronic copy of our brochure, contact Usha Sellers, director, Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at 617-627-5323 or usha.sellers@tufts.edu.

November 2011

In This Issue

Dean's Message
Research opportunities at NIH
Student Places First at ADA
Serving our veterans and supporting our troops
Eid dinner
Here & There
Want to visit Cuba?

From the Dean: My First Semester

It's been nearly a full semester since I was appointed dean, and I'm starting to feel like a member of the Tufts family. I'm excited by the energy of our students, faculty and staff, and although my expectations are high, so is my confidence in everyone in our dental school community. As we continue our journey together, I intend to use this newsletter and our school magazine, Tufts Dental Medicine, to share with you some of the initiatives that we will undertake.

Our profession is facing many challenges. Scientific and technological advances are having a significant impact on the way we practice dentistry and will continue to do so. Over the past several decades, most Americans' oral health has greatly improved. However, the poor, children, the elderly and those with special health-care needs still experience significant disparities in their access to and ability to pay for treatment. New workforce models are being proposed, including ideas that foster group (inter-professional) practice with other members of the health professions.

All these challenges are having a major impact on dental education, and we must provide an environment where our graduates are prepared to address them throughout their careers. It is essential, particularly in the current economic climate, that we prioritize our approaches to these challenges. Therefore, we are embarking on a strategic planning initiative to set our priorities for the future. Although this planning will be predominantly faculty-driven, we will include students, staff and alumni in the process. I welcome your input.

Sincerely,
Huw F. Thomas

Research Opportunities at the NIH

Two students, Helen Fassil, A05, D13, and Jeffrey Tsai, D13, are taking a leave from dental school this year to conduct research at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Md.

Fassil and Tsai were on campus on November 18 to talk about their experiences as fellows in the NIH Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) and to make a pitch to other students to consider applying for the new NIH Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP), which will launch next summer. The new program, led by Bruce Baum, D71, combines the best elements of the CRTP and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-NIH Research Scholars Program.

Fassil is working in the NIH lab investigating a precursor to oral cancer, known as chronic graft-versus-host disease, which often occurs after stem-cell transplants. Tsai is investigating a drug for treating fibrous dysplasia, which causes bone loss and is seen in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome, a genetic disease that results in severe bone malformation, most commonly in the craniofacial area. The drug, Denosumab, is commonly prescribed for osteoporosis, because it disrupts a protein signal that causes bone to weaken. Both students highly recommended the experience to their peers and noted that the dental school has been extremely supportive.

The first MRSP class will matriculate in summer 2012. For more information, visit http://www.cc.nih.gov/training/mrsp/index.html. The deadline to apply is January 17, 2012.

Tufts Student Places First at ADA

Eunice Lee, D12, was awarded first place for her research project, ?Effect of Chlorhexidine on the Bond Strength of a Self-etch and Total-etch Adhesive to Dentin,? in the clinical research/public health category of the ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Program at the American Dental Association meeting in Las Vegas in October. The presentation was based on her first-place poster from last spring's Bates-Andrews Research Day.

Lee was one of 28 presenters from dental schools around the country (http://www.scadaresearch.org/abstract_clinical_research.html). Associate Dean Gerard Kugel, D85, MS93, is her research mentor.

This is the second time in three years that a Tufts student has won the award; Todd Walker, D10, was the top presenter in 2009.

Serving Veterans on Their Special Day

In honor of Veterans Day on November 11, a team from Tufts School of Dental Medicine performed examinations and oral cancer screenings at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans in Boston.

Charles Rankin (endodontics) and Hamasat Gheddaf Dam (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) accompanied Inga Keithly, president of the D12 class, to the center, the nation's first and largest shelter for homeless vets. Keithly, who is in the Navy, received a Schweitzer Fellowship to address the unmet oral health needs of these homeless veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, and 10 percent of them say dental care is their most needed service.

Other students who volunteered to help with the screenings included: Lindsey Brangwynne, D13; Matthew Burdick, D12; Kevin Burke, D13; Chad Cockrell, D13; Jonathan Czerepak, D12; Caitlin Duggan, D13; Broc Flores, D13; Katera Hopkins, D13; Meaghan Hyde, D12; Stephanie Kang, D12; Manpreet Kaur, D12; James Koehler, D13; Jenny Kusner, D13; Britta Lundgren, D13; Gauri Madaan, DI13; Rachel Misuraca, D13; Blaze Negron, D12; Noelle Neill, D12; Kim Newton, D12; Jaskaren Randhawa, D14; Chris Rohe, D13; George Sifain, D13; and JohnWelnak, D12.

Supporting the Troops

Students in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) collected 30 boxes of CDs, DVDs, books, magazines, holiday decorations and food to ship to Tufts dental alumni and relatives of Tufts employees serving overseas, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two-week Support the Troops drive ended on Veterans Day and was led by Alyse Dason and Jessica Dillon, both D12. HPSP provides tuition and a monthly stipend to medical, dental, veterinary and nursing students in exchange for their service as commissioned medical officers after graduation.

The students, who said the drive received tremendous support from the Tufts community, also sold ?I Support the Troops? Tufts rubber bracelets to offset mailing costs.

Eid Dinner

The Tufts Dental Muslim Students Association (MSA) sponsored Eid dinner on November 9 in Alumni Lounge. Eid celebrates the end of Ramadan, a fasting month for Muslims. Eighty-five diners, including pre-doctoral and postgraduate dental students, faculty, medical students, physicians and Dean Huw Thomas enjoyed sumptuous Mediterranean fare, according to Shirwac Mohamed, D13, MSA president.

Here & There

Leopoldo Correa (general dentistry) has been promoted to Associate Professor.

Aidee Nieto Herman (periodontology) received the Women's Leadership Award in Education at the annual meeting of the Hispanic Dental Association, held in San Diego November 3?5. The award honors women who have helped to advance the HDA mission, displayed exceptional character and distinguished themselves as outstanding role models in dentistry.

Maria Kritsineli, DI09, DG91, (pediatric dentistry) completed her certification examinations and is now a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Morton Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery) was an invited expert at a Society for Pediatric Sedation consensus meeting, designed to shape the future of pediatric sedation, on November 13?14 in Baltimore.

On November 4, 2011, the Trustee Academic Affairs Committee approved the School's proposal for a new DMD/MPH combined degree program. The first students are expected to enroll in January 2012. Contact Wanda Wright (public health and community service) for more information.

Travel to Unexpected Places: Cuba

Tufts Travel-Learn has secured a highly sought-after Treasury Department license required for travel to Cuba in March 2012. The trip will include lectures, architectural exploration and an intimate glimpse into a land previously closed off to Americans. Travelers will see beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, learn about Cuban-American relations, meet with contemporary artists and experience the Afro-Cuban culture that defines the island.

Space is is limited. To register, visit the program's Cuba website. To learn about other upcoming trips, visit the homepage.

September 2011

In This Issue

Dean's Message
New Dental Clinic at Massachusetts Hospital School
Mark Gonthier Appointed Executive Associate Dean
Family Welcome
Legacy Reception
Outreach in Alaska
Wide Open Tournament
Global Journeys

From the Dean

The new academic year has begun, and I am enjoying meeting our students and faculty. I have been dean for two months already and have finally settled into my new homes, both at One Kneeland Street and at my residence two blocks from the school. I unpacked my last boxes during Hurricane Irene!

I am very proud to be a member of the Tufts family. The welcome and assistance that I have received from everyone has been superlative, a true indicator of the Tufts spirit, and much appreciated.

This school has an outstanding reputation for its clinical teaching programs, exemplified by our graduates, and for its research and service programs that have made a difference in oral and overall health locally, nationally and internationally. I am excited about the wonderful opportunities we have before us.

Most recently, the Search Committee charged with identifying the next chair of the Department of Public Health and Community Service has concluded its interviews of qualified candidates and has made its recommendations to me.

I want to assure all of you that I work through an open-door policy and consensus building. I look forward to interacting with all of you, learning and experiencing all of the wonderful traditions of this great institution and building a bright future for our students and the communities that we, and they, will serve.

Sincerely,
Huw Thomas

Dental Clinic Opens at Massachusetts Hospital School

The new Oral Health Clinic at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton, Mass., officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 19. The seven-chair clinic, a shared facility of the Tufts Dental Facilities (TDF) program and the Massachusetts Hospital School, serves as the new home of the TDF clinic formerly located at the Fernald Developmental Center in Waltham. It will provide care for more than 1,500 patients with special needs.

The Tufts Dental Facilities Program constitutes a network of eight satellite clinics (seven are state-supported; one is privately funded) that provide care to individuals with developmental disabilities. The TDF program, a partnership with the Massachusetts departments of Public Health and Developmental Services, has been operating for 36 years under the administrative umbrella of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

The new clinic will also serve as a clinical training site for the Tufts General Practice Residency Program, as well as fourth-year dental students in the weeklong special care rotation.

Representing Tufts at the opening ceremony were Dean Huw Thomas, Executive Associate Dean Mark Gonthier, Director of Administration and Finance Beth Conant, budget analyst Melanie Hansen and Kevin O'Dea, manager of information technology.

TDF Director of Clinical Operations Darren Drag and TDF Program Manager Adrian Gillard, along with the clinic staff, including Clinical Director Richard Miller, D78, administrative assistant Marie Burack, dental hygienists Jessica Johnson, Annie Lee and Sahar Forghan, dental assistants Patricia Foti, Louise Laguerre and Lyn Schleicher, and patient services liaison Michelle Harris also attended the ceremony, which was led by Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach.

Renovation of the new clinic space was funded with a federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant. The clinic has an electronic health record system and will have digital radiography and nitrous oxide sedation capabilities within the coming months.

Current TDF patients will continue to receive care from faculty and staff affiliated with Tufts Dental School. The pediatric dentist John Ficarelli, D73, D10P, DG12P, will coordinate care for patients affiliated with the Massachusetts Hospital School.

"The completion of this project marks a true victory for the developmentally disabled population," said Drag. "It is the culmination of a two-year collaborative effort of Tufts School of Dental Medicine, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Hospital School to maintain the dental services previously provided at Fernald."

Mark Gonthier Appointed Executive Associate Dean

Mark Gonthier began service as the school's executive associate dean on August 1, succeeding A. Joseph Castellana, who resigned in June.

Gonthier has worked at Tufts University for 25 years, and since 1990, has assumed progressively more responsible positions in Admissions and Student Affairs, most recently as associate dean for admissions and student affairs since 2001.

As EAD, Gonthier is the school's chief operating officer and will work closely with the dean and others to ensure that management and administrative functions support and strengthen the school's academic objectives and mission. The executive associate dean is also a senior-level ambassador for the university and the school and is often asked to make presentations and attend high-level meetings with internal and external stakeholders, including alumni and donors. The EAD has a dotted line of accountability to the executive vice president of the university, Patricia Campbell, and is a member of her Administrative Council. Gonthier is also responsible for building relationships with key constituents and is expected to be a visible and active participant in fundraising and donor-related activities.

While a national search is conducted for his successor in Admissions and Student Affairs, Stacey Herman, associate dean for student affairs at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, will also serve as interim associate dean for admissions and student affairs at the dental school.

Family Welcome Day

The tenth annual Family Welcome Day for more than 500 students and their guests was held on August 30 at the Shubert Theatre. Tufts President Anthony Monaco brought greetings from the university to the entering students and their families. Dean Huw Thomas, Executive Associate Dean Mark Gonthier and Alumni Association President Peter Delli Colli also welcomed the new students. Nancy Arbree gave an overview of the academic program; James Hanley provided an introduction to the clinical experience; Eileen Doherty discussed student research opportunities and Noshir Mehta talked about community and public health initiatives. After the morning assembly, guests enjoyed lunch at the Courtyard by Marriott.

The new students registered for classes while their parents and family members enjoyed campus tours. The day concluded with a reception in the Alumni Lounge.

View the Family Welcome Day photo gallery.

Fifth Annual Tufts Dental Legacy Reception

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations hosted its fifth annual Dental Legacy reception on August 29 at the W Hotel in Boston for incoming and current dental students with a family relation to a Tufts Dental alum. More than 70 students and alumni gathered to celebrate the arrival of the new dean, Huw Thomas, and their many family connections.

Outreach in Alaska

H.P. Weber, professor and chair of prosthodontics and operative dentistry, joined two colleagues from the University of Connecticut Health Center and the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in providing oral health care to the Native Americans in southeast Alaska, near Sitka, where there is little access to such care.

The dentists made and fitted dentures during the weeklong mission in June, working 12 or 13 hours each day. They made 24 dentures for 12 patients; more than half the dentures also included implants. "Denture fabrication is a labor-intensive process that typically takes four to five appointments, with lab work in between," said Weber, "so 24 dentures in one week for three clinicians is a lot."

The annual Sitka mission is sponsored by the American Academy of Prosthodontics. Tufts School of Dental Medicine supported Weber's travel this year.

Wide Open

More than 120 alumni and friends participated in the 29th annual Wide Open Golf and Tennis Tournament on September 19 at the Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass. The tournament has raised more than $295,000 for the Dental Alumni Association Student Loan Fund since its inception. Co-chairs of this year's event were Peiman Mahdavi, D91, DG94; Derek Wolkowicz, D97, DG00; and John Millette, D91. Tufts President Anthony Monaco and Dean Huw Thomas attended.

The Student Loan Fund is especially important in helping students reduce their indebtedness in a slow economy.

Journeys of a Lifetime

Tufts travelers in Israel, 2011

Tufts Travel/Learn Program has infected Tufts Dental alumni, family and friends with the travel bug. Dental school travelers say they return from the trips with memories that will last a lifetime.

Now it's your turn to come on board. The 2012 schedule includes trips to far reaching corners of the globe. Take a cruise through the French Polynesian islands, or experience the rhythm and passion of Cuba. Journey to Iceland for a weekend getaway, or see the modernity and antiquity of the Holy Land of Israel. For a complete list of destinations, visit www.tuftstravellearn.org, or contact Usha Sellers at 617.627.5323 or email usha.sellers@tufts.edu.

July 2011

News@TuftsDental is distributed each month via email to dental school faculty, staff, students and friends. We welcome your suggestions, comments and story ideas. Contact the editor, Mary-Ellen Marks, at mary-ellen.marks@tufts.edu. Thank you!

In This Issue

Message from the Dean
NDA President's Award
Faculty Recognition Luncheon
DI13 Clinical Advancement Ceremony
2 Awards for Tufts Dental Medicine
Postgraduate Research Day

From the Dean

After serving on the faculty for 31 years, 16 of them as dean, my time of departure from One Kneeland Street has arrived. I am truly appreciative of the unwavering support and dedication you have given to improving our school. Because of your belief in the mission, your innovative thinking in meeting challenges and your positive attitudes in working together, we have accomplished much.

I will always value the experience of us growing together to make those strides that have positively affected the lives of so many. I am extraordinarily proud of having been given the opportunity to serve as your dean.

As of August 1st, Huw Thomas will begin his appointment as the next Dean of TUSDM.? I am confident that the School will continue to thrive under his leadership.

To each of you I extend sincere wishes for continued success, and I look forward to seeing our school accomplish even more in the future.

--Lonnie H. Norris, Dean

Dean Norris receives NDA President's Award

In recognition of his valuable contributions and devotion to dentistry and the mission of the National Dental Association (NDA), Dean Lonnie H. Norris received the organization's President's Award during the 98th annual NDA convention in Baltimore on July 24. NDA President Sheila R. Brown presented the dean with the award.

Faculty Recognition Luncheon

Faculty members were honored for their years of service to the School of Dental Medicine during the 12th annual Faculty Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon on July 27. Dean Lonnie H. Norris gave the welcoming remarks and Associate Dean Nancy Arbree served as emcee. The dean expressed appreciation to Christine Robertson who organized the event.

Recognized for service at five-year intervals were:

Five Years

Elina Fooks (endodontics), Michael Joseph (endodontics), Peter Velyvis (endodontics), Brijesh Chandwani (general dentistry), Lynn Solomon (oral & maxillofacial pathology), Constantinos Laskarides (oral & maxillofacial surgery), Vicky Cartsos (orthodontics), Stanley Alexander (pediatric dentistry), Cheen Loo (pediatric dentistry), Scott Lightfoot (periodontology), Alice Rudin (public health & community service), Thomas Bjornson (public health & community service), Anastasia Foufas (public health & community service), Ricardo Guevara (public health & community service), Paola Pabon (public health & community service), R. Scott Smith (public health & community service), Laila von Andrian (public health & community service), Felicia Zhang (public health & community service), Darren Drag (public health & community service), Nathan Birnbaum (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Amit Sachdeo (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Marcelo Suzuki (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Denise Leong-Yokota (prosthodontics & operative dentistry) and Roland Vanaria (prosthodontics & operative dentistry)

Ten Years

Yonit Levin (endodontics), Aruna Ramesh (general dentistry), Kevin Ryan (general dentistry), Naomi Rosenberg (oral & maxillofacial pathology), Roland Nentwich (orthodontics), Lagina Bickham (public health & community service), Karen Y. Chang (public health & community service), Robert Mandell (public health & community service), Bonnie Zimble (public health & community service), Charles Badaoui (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Frank Chow (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Thomas M. Cleary (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Malek Esrawi (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Vincent Mariano (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Yun Saksena (prosthodontics & operative dentistry) and Roya Zandparsa (prosthodontics & operative dentistry)

Fifteen Years

Daniel Green (endodontics), Charles Rankin (endodontics), Samuel Shames (general dentistry), Louis Rissin (oral & maxillofacial surgery), Julian Osorio (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Frank Shin (prosthodontics & operative dentistry), Daniel Cohen (public health & community service), Jeffrey Rosow (public health & community service) and Steven Speroni (public health & community service)

Twenty Years

Steven Corliss (endodontics), Jitka Janicek (endodontics), Jan Rozen (endodontics), Raina Trilokekar (endodontics), Howard Smith (general dentistry), Carol Kumamoto (infectious diseases) and William DelGizzo (public health & community service)

Twenty-Five Years

Karen Wallach (general dentistry), Peter Brodeur (immunology), Maria Papageorge (oral & maxillofacial surgery), William Chan (pediatric dentistry), Gerard Kugel (prosthodontics & operative dentistry) and Kanchan Ganda (public health & community service)

Thirty Years

Nancy Arbree (prosthodontics & operative dentistry) and Paul Cammarata (prosthodontics & operative dentistry)

Thirty-Five Years

Alfred Rich (pediatric dentistry) and Joel Pearlman (public health & community service)

Forty Years

Paul Marino (oral & maxillofacial surgery), Robert Urbon (prosthodontics & operative dentistry) and Hilde Tillman (public health & community service)

Forty-Five Years

Esther Wilkins (periodontology)

Special Recognition on the Occasion of Their Retirement

Richard Allen (general dentistry), Frank Odlum (general dentistry) and Arthur Weiner (general dentistry)

Clinical Advancement Ceremony for DI13

The Clinical Advancement Ceremony for the International Class of 2013 was held on July 12 to formally celebrate the transition of the 12 members of the class to the patient-care phase of their program. More than 70 faculty members, family and friends attended the event. Members of the class, who arrived at Tufts School of Dental Medicine in April, hail from seven countries: India, Egypt, Jordan, China, Dominican Republic, Sudan and Ukraine.

Dean Lonnie H. Norris, Associate Dean James Hanley and faculty members Robert Doherty and Iqbal Singh gave introductory remarks and welcomed the class into the clinic. The ceremony was followed by a class photo and luncheon.

School Magazine Wins 2 National Awards

The school's magazine, Tufts Dental Medicine, has received two top awards in the 2011 International College of Dentists Journalism Awards Competition: the Platinum Pencil Award for Outstanding Graphic Design for the Spring 2010 issue ("Sleep Interrupted") and the Fall 2010 issue ("Dental Force"), and the Golden Pen Award for an article on a subject of interest to the profession for Jacqueline Mitchell's cover story, "Snooze Control" (Spring 2010), about the dental school's pioneering sleep medicine program.

The awards will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Dental Editors on October 9 in Las Vegas.

Postgraduate Students Present Their Research

Eight postgraduate students participated in the second annual Postgraduate Interdepartmental Research Day, held June 17 in Merritt Auditorium. The winning researchers and their projects were:

First place (tie): David Daniels (orthodontics), "Dentoalveolar and Skeletal Changes During Molar 'Distalization': Pendulum vs. Headgear," and Asma Alyahya (master of science), "A Comparison Between a Triple Antibiotic Paste Consisting of Metronidazole, Ciprofloxacin and Minocycline, and Calcium Hydroxide in Root Canal Disinfection over a Period of One Week"

Second place: Daniel Fanikos (pediatric dentistry), "The Effects of Brita Brand Water Filtration Systems on the Fluoride Concentrations Supplied in Boston Public Tap Water"

June 2011

News@TuftsDental is distributed each month via email to dental school faculty, staff, students and friends. We welcome suggestions, comments and story ideas. Contact the editor, Mary-Ellen Marks, at mary-ellen.marks@tufts.edu. Thank you!

In This Issue:

Commencement
Reunion Weekend
OKU Inductees
Leader in Academic Medicine
Presidential Citizenship Award
Employees of Distinction
Golden Crown Awards
Here & There

174 Awarded D.M.D. Degrees

At a ceremony on Carmichael Quad, 174 dental students received their D.M.D.s on May 22, when Dean Lonnie H. Norris presided over his final commencement at the School of Dental Medicine. Among the degree recipients were 17 graduates of the International Student program and two in the Faculty Track International Student program.

"We will graduate together. I am so pleased to be a member of the Class of 2011," said Norris, who is retiring this summer after having served as dean for 16 years and been on the faculty for 31 years. At the all-university commencement earlier in the day, he was named dean emeritus and professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery emeritus.

"Dean Norris transformed a great school into a truly preeminent one," said Jamshed Bharucha, the Tufts provost and senior vice president.

"It's wonderful to have my leadership recognized, but you never do anything alone," said Norris." I want to thank Tufts University...and all my faculty and staff...for all the support, respect and opportunities."

Also graduating in May were 11 M.S. degree recipients and 57 students who were awarded postgraduate certificates of achievement in dental specialties and fellowships. At least 107 dental school faculty members participated in the ceremony.

The Provost's Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service went to Athena Papas, professor of public health and community service. Frank Shin, associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry, received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching. Charles Rankin, D79, DG86, professor of endodontics, received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching for the 12th year in a row. Kanchan Ganda, professor of public health and community service, and Carol Kumamoto, professor of molecular biology and microbiology, received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching.

For more on Commencement, go to http://now.tufts.edu/articles/tie-what-you-do-what-you-dream.

A Big Turnout for Reunion Weekend

More than 500 alumni, staff, faculty, friends and family gathered at the State Room in Boston on May 5 for the traditional kickoff to reunion weekend, the Toast to Tufts dinner dance.

Dean Lonnie H. Norris presented Dean's Medals to Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow and Adele Fleet Bacow; John Ficarelli, D73, D10P, DG12P; chair of the Dental M Club; Jess Kane, D74, DG76, G78, DG79, D04P, DG06P, chair of the dental school's portion of Tufts' Beyond Boundaries campaign; and Maria Gove Tringale, senior director of dental development and alumni relations.

In acknowledgement of the dean's unwavering dedication to Tufts Dental School, Bacow presented Norris with a painting by Craig Mooney, one of the dean's favorite artists. And, working with Dan Kraft, A87, a Tufts trustee and president of the Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots, Bacow presented Norris with an authentic New England Patriots football jersey emblazoned with #66, the number the dean wore when he played football as an undergraduate at Fisk University.

For more coverage and photos of the 2011 reunion, go to http://tuftsalumni.org/news/detail/1580/.

OKU Convocation

Twenty students were inducted into the national dental honor society Omicron Kappa Upsilon on May 20 at the Radisson Hotel Boston: Karishma Adeshara, Alireza Asharafi, Hannah Ryan Beatty Christiane Marie Colombero, Nicole Cuoccio, Anna Virginia Czechowski, Justin Henry Deckard, Diana Jane Esshaki, Paul Neil Fluckiger, Pamela Beth Jackson, Kathryn Keane Wych, Alexander Chien Ko, Rebekah Nicole Lucier, Rui Ma, Michael L. Rosenthal, Sheila Soroushian, Abeir Mekhail Sourial, Gregory S. Tentindo, Theresa McFadden Woodworth and Andrew Joseph Zwers. David Leader, associate clinical professor, was inducted as an honorary faculty member, and Mary-Ellen Marks, Faculty Relations, was inducted as an honorary member.

This year's guest speaker was Deborah Morosini, a pathologist and sister of the late Dana M. Reeve, wife of the actor Christopher Reeve.

A Leader in Academic Medicine

Associate Dean Nancy Arbree has completed Drexel University's Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women, a yearlong national fellowship that prepares senior women faculty in medicine, dentistry and public health to move into positions of institutional leadership.

Arbree, who was mentored by Dean Lonnie H. Norris during the program, called the experience "life changing" and said it was an excellent opportunity to enhance her leadership skills, especially in managing change. In the photo below, Norris at Arbree's graduation from the program.

Samantha Jordan Recognized for Public Service

Samantha L. Jordan, D11, was selected as a recipient of a 2011 Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service. She is shown here with Assistant Professor Wanda G. Wright and Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow at the awards ceremony this spring. Jordan served in a range of roles at the dental school, including the student representative on the search committee for a new dean, president of the Tufts Dental Student Research Group, councilor of the American Association of Dental Research National Student Research Group and treasurer for the Hispanic Dental Association mission trip to Haiti.

Jordan was the founding president of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry Student Group. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dean's Research Honors Scholarship, the Massachusetts Dental Society and American Student Dental Association Public Health Award and a Tisch College Active Citizen Summer Fellowship.

The president's annual public service awards recognize undergraduate and graduate students from all Tufts' schools for outstanding achievement in community service and community leadership.

Employees of Distinction

Four members of the Tufts Dental community were honored by Tufts University during the fourth annual Distinction Awards ceremony, held on June 8 on the Boston campus.

Receiving the Extra Mile Award for exceptional customer service was Sharon L. Dailey, a practice administrator who schedules appoints for 45 students in a practice group that serves 1,500 patients. Her nomination for the award said she is an "expert juggler" who works "countless miracles" to find appointment times that meet patients' needs. Students say "you can create a dental chair out of thin air," said Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha in presenting the award.

Also receiving the Extra Mile Award were members of the Dental Equipment Mechanics Team: Manny Eustache, Michael A. Irving and Robert J. McIntyre, who work in the university's Operations Division but have strong ties to the School of Dental Medicine. "Your friendly attitudes, humble natures and record response times make you invaluable to the dental school's clinics," Bharucha said. "You find solutions so quickly that no one even realizes there was a problem in the first place."

For a complete list of all the award winners and to watch video clips of the event, go to http://distinctionawards.tufts.edu.

Golden Crown Luncheon

Donald Braho, dental practice administrator, and Alicia Jno-Baptiste Stephenson, dental account supervisor, were chosen by their colleagues to receive this year's Golden Crown Award for outstanding performance by a non-faculty staff member. The criteria for the award, now in its 16th year, includes expertise, exceptional interaction with others, continuous improvement, resourcefulness and results and leadership.

The dental school and its satellite facilities employ about 200 non-faculty staff members. Whether supporting students or faculty or maintaining the facilities, each staff member, in his or her own way, makes an important contribution to the school and Tufts University.

About 175 staff members attended the Golden Crown luncheon on June 6 in Alumni Lounge. Serving on the Golden Crown Committee are Janet Markell (chair), Patty DiAngelis, Tanya Lungelow, Kevin O'Dea, David Paul and Sherry Wilson-Johnson. Dean Lonnie H. Norris expressed appreciation to Ellen Tomassini for coordinating the luncheon.

Here & There

Lauren Castro, D09, a resident in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of California at San Francisco, received the Krevens Award for Patient Care, which recognizes "clinical competence, professional conduct, compassion for patients and outstanding interaction with all levels of staff, including peers."

Melissa Bradbury Friedman (admissions) and Katie Dunn (research office) both received their master's degrees from Tufts' Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on May 22. Friedman was awarded an M.A. in educational studies and Dunn the Master of Art in Teaching, with a focus on secondary school biology.

Namrata Gupte, D12, published a column titled "CAMBRA: A New Approach to Treating Dental Caries" on the American Student Dental Association website.

Morton Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery) gave presentations on "Oral Sedation for the Dental Practitioner" and "The Dental Team Approach to Medical Emergencies: Is Your Office Prepared?" at the annual meeting of the Connecticut Dental Association on May 12.

Lynn Solomon (oral and maxillofacial pathology) is taking a one-year leave of absence from the School, beginning July 1st. She has been accepted to a Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. The Division of Head and Neck Pathology performs over 8,000 biopsies / year from the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, sinonasal tract and ear, so Solomon will have many opportunities to see patients, accession specimens, read biopsies, and attend conferences to expand her pathology training. She is also hoping for a Red Sox / Braves World Series!

Lawrence Wolinsky, D80, associate dean of academic programs and personnel at the UCLA School of Dentistry, has been appointed dean of the Baylor College of Dentistry at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

April 2011

In This Issue:

Huw Thomas of UAB to be next dean
Clinic Advancement Ceremony
Here & There

UAB's Huw Thomas Appointed Next Dean at Tufts

Huw F. Thomas, a pediatric dentist who has led the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 2004, will become the 16th dean of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine on August 1.

Thomas helped bring UAB to the forefront of curricular reform in dental education while building a strong research agenda within a clinical education setting. Prior to joining UAB, he held positions of increasing responsibility at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

To read more about the next dean and his introduction to the Tufts community on April 21, go to http://now.tufts.edu/articles/new-leader-dental-school.

Into the Clinics

The 177 students in the Class of D13 officially moved to the patient-care phase of their education during the Clinical Advancement/White Coat Ceremony, which took place on March 26 at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston. Nearly 900 family members, faculty and staff attended the ninth annual ceremony.

Vice Provost Peggy Newell represented the university. Associate Dean Nancy Arbree was the presenter for the event, which featured opening remarks by Dean Lonnie H. Norris and Executive Associate Dean A. Joseph Castellana. Associate Dean James Hanley led the class in reading the Oath of the Dental Student. White-coat presenters included Norris, Hanley and Associate Deans Noshir Mehta and Michael Kahn. This year, 13 members of the Tufts Dental community participated in the reading of the students' names as they received their white lab coats: Noshir Mehta, Charles Rankin, Mark Gonthier, Hans-Peter Weber, Terrence Griffin, Vicky Cartsos, Iqbal Singh, Peter Brodeur, Kanchan Ganda, Joanne Falzone, Ekaterina Antonellou, Walter Meinzer and Joseph P. Giordano, D79, DG84, a director of the Tufts Dental Alumni Association.

The annual ceremony symbolizes the transition of pre-doctoral students from their basic science, biomedical science and pre-clinical education to the responsibilities of delivering patient care in the school's clinics. This year, 13 Tufts Dental alums assisted in "coating" their children or other relative. The ceremony concluded with a luncheon at the hotel, tours of the dental school, dessert and coffee in Alumni Lounge and guided discussions in the new Simulation Clinic, led by faculty members Joanne Falzone, Yun Saksena and Dorothy Vannah. Postgraduate residents in endodontics, orthodontics and prosthodontics were also available to answer questions as families toured the school's new clinical floors.

Here & There

Abduallah Al-Mashan, Francois Seng, Mohammad Taheri and Mamoru Tanaka, third-year residents in postgraduate prosthodontics , passed Sections A and B of Part 4 of their board examinations.

Gillian Anzivino (admissions) gave a presentation on "Admissions Case Studies" at the Northeast Advisors to the Health Professions conference, which took place in Newport, R.I., from March 31 to April 3.

Nikki Lowe Lane (financial aid) and her cousin ran in the 35th edition of Marathon de Paris on April 10. Lane called her first marathon "one of the most amazing experiences" of her life. The race started at Champs ?lys?es, and the course took runners past the Place de la Concorde, the Louvre, Chateau de Vincennes, Cath?drale Notre-Dame de Paris, Mus?e d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower and to the finish line at the Arc de Triomphe. Lane said she is appreciative of the support the Tufts Dental community provided during the five months she trained for the 26.2-mile race. She had her TUSDM hoodie waiting for her at the finish line!

Dean Lonnie H. Norris has been appointed an Honorary Professor at the West China School of Stomatology at Sichuan University in Chengdu.

Ronald D. Perry (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) was chosen as a featured member of the Eco-dentistry Association (www.Ecodentistry.org), an organization committed to a dental profession that values both "outstanding patient care and outstanding planetary care." Members pledge to consider the environmental impact of their practices in areas such as dental processes and materials; office administration and marketing; and office construction, design and furnishings.

Mort Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery) presented a two-day course for the Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the Monmouth-Ocean Dental Society as part of the New Jersey State Educational Qualifier for Enteral Moderate Sedation Providers on April 15 and 16 in Eatontown, N.J.

Travel the World with Tufts

Through the Tufts Travel-Learn program you can broaden your horizons and gain insight into other cultures. Dental alumni who've participated in the program have called it "an experience of a lifetime" and "the most informative trip I have ever been on."

There's still space in a handful of 2011 excursions, including the Italian lakes and St. Petersburg and Moscow, and lots of exotic journeys are planned for 2012. For more information, visit www.TuftsTravelLearn.org or contact the program's director, Usha Nand Sellers, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617.627.5323.

March 2011

In This Issue:

Gies Award ceremony
Student wins research award
Bates-Andrews Day winners
Health mission to Nicaragua
American Board of Pediatric Dentistry award winners
Here & There
Great travel adventures

Tufts Dental Receives Gies Award for Excellence

Accepting the Gies award, from left, Joseph Castellana, Nancy Arbree, Maria Tringale, Maria Papageorge, William J. Gies II, the grandson of the award's namesake, Lonnie Norris, James Hanley and Mark Gonthier. Photo: Courtesy of American Dental Education Association, www.adea.org

Dean Lonnie H. Norris, along with Executive Associate Dean Joseph Castellana, Associate Deans Nancy Arbree, Mark Gonthier, James Hanley and Maria Papageorge and Maria Tringale, director of development and alumni relations, accepted the William J. Gies Award for Achievement by an Academic Dental Institution during ceremonies on March 14 during the annual session of the American Dental Education Association in San Diego.

The dental school was among nine individuals or organizations honored with a Gies Award for Vision, Innovation and Achievement. The award, on display in the dean's office, is a copper-colored bust of Gies, who founded the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia University, complete with wire-rim eyeglasses. Gies, a biochemist, published a landmark report in 1926 that established the importance of dentistry as a healing science and an essential component of higher education in the health professions.

Dean Norris extends sincere appreciation to all members of the faculty, staff, students and administration for their teamwork in enhancing all aspects of the school's programs, operations and patient-care services that helped earn this national recognition.

D12 Student Receives Top Research Award

Urvi Ruparelia, D12, received first place in the Junior category for her research presentation, "Unique Role of Eosinophils in the Control of Skin Immunity," in the AADR/Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Hatton Awards Competition on March 16.

She was one of 27 student members of the American Association for Dental Research selected to compete during the annual meeting of the IADR/AADR in San Diego. Ruparelia did her project at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., while she was an HHMI/NIH Research Scholar during the 2009-10 academic year.

In total, the Tufts Dental community gave 63 presentations at the IADR/AADR, 35 of which were by students.

Another Successful Bates-Andrews Day

To the Tufts Dental Community:
The 2011 edition of our annual Bates-Andrews Research Day was very successful, and we want to acknowledge not only the winners listed below, but also all the students who participated and the many faculty who assisted in judging and mentoring our student researchers.

The commercial exhibitors provide the funding for this event. We appreciate their support and thank everyone who visited their tables. The artwork that graced the halls this year was supplied by Amy Nguyen, Samantha Amaro, Juei Lee, Michael Neglia, David Miyasaki, Amanda Stone, and Victoria Spindel. Thank you for that special touch.

Special thanks go to our keynote speaker, Janet Hock, who gave an excellent presentation on "Taking Stem Cells Out of the Lab and into the Clinic."

Sincerely,
Eileen Doherty, Director of Predoctoral Student Research
Gerard Kugel, Associate Dean for Research

2011 Bates Day Winners:

Best Postgraduate Poster Presentation (cash prize donated by Jess Kane, David Tesini and Nancy Jo Soporowski): Ala Ali, "The Influence of Different Convergence Angles and Resin Cements on the Retention of Zirconia Copings"; faculty mentors: Roya Zandparsa and Gerard Kugel

Best Scientific Research Presentation by a Senior, Andrews Society Award (cash prize donated by Jess Kane, David Tesini and Nancy Jo Soporowski): Rebekah Lucier, "Whitening Products Delay Re-epithelialization in a 3D Wound-healing Model"; mentors: Susana Ferreira, Jonathan Garlick, Gerard Kugel and Christophe Egles

ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Award for Best Overall Predoctoral Table Clinic (travel to present research at ADA annual session): Eunice Lee, "Effect of Chlorhexidine on the Bond Strength of a Self-etch and Total-etch Adhesive to Dentin"; mentor: Gerard Kugel

Second Place for Predoctoral Table Clinic: Cathy Zhao, "Angiogenic and Wound Repair Potential of ES and iPS-derived Fibroblasts"; mentor: Jonathan Garlick

Third Place for Predoctoral Table Clinic: Jeremy Plourde, "Marginal and Internal Fit of E4D CAD/CAM All-ceramic Crowns"; mentor: Gerard Kugel

Research Committee Award for Basic Science Research: Julianna Bair, "FAK/Src-depleted Fibroblasts Alter Epithelial-Stromal Crosstalk and Enhance Human Carcinoma Progression"; mentor: Addy Alt-Holland

Massachusetts Dental Society and ASDA Public Health Award (cash prize donated by the Massachusetts Dental Society): Ramya Bhat, "The Correlation between BMI and Early Childhood Caries"; mentor: Catherine Hayes

Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Hilde Tillman Award (cash prize donated by OKU): Maureen Timmeny, "The Association between Temporomandibular Disorders Symptoms and Obstructive Sleep Apnea"; mentor: Leopoldo Correa

Procter & Gamble Traveling Fellowship Award (donated by Procter & Gamble): Nicolas Freda, "Light Consistency and Heavy Consistency within Group Comparison"; mentor: Ronald Perry

Dr. Chad Anderson Family Award for Innovative Methodology and Research Design: (cash prize donated by Chad Anderson) Sheila Soroushian, "Rinse Time of Hemostatic Retraction Pastes"; mentor: Ronald Perry

Multicultural Award for the Advancement of Dental Research (travel award donated by Kistama Naidu): Corey Decoteau, "Bond Strength of Multi-step Cements to Enamel and Zirconia"; mentors: Ronald Perry and Gerard Kugel

Oral Health Disparities Award: Jeffrey Tsai, "Dental Treatment of Developmentally Disabled Patients Requiring General Anesthesia"; mentor: John Morgan

Bates Student Research Group Peer-reviewed Award (tie): Julianna Bair, "FAK/Src-depleted Fibroblasts Alter Epithelial-Stromal Crosstalk and Enhance Human Carcinoma Progression," and Laura Rein, "Self-assembly of Engineered Stromal Tissues Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cell"

Health Mission Returns to Nicaragua

David Paul (general dentistry) made his sixth mission trip to Nicaragua, from January 29 through February 13, to lead an oral health-care team from the School of Dental Medicine. Twelve students and faculty from Tufts School of Medicine also joined the mission to provide care to those from the most isolated and underserved areas of Nicaragua.

In addition to Paul, the Tufts Dental team included Nathan Clem, Brock Olson and Elizabeth Turner, all D11. The team was again based in the small village of Tadazna, where they spent 12 days living and working without running water. The Tufts contingent treated 250 surgical patients and extracted nearly 800 teeth. They also performed fluoride treatments, exams and other preventive care.

Paul said the goal of the combined medical/dental school mission was "to immerse ourselves in both the community and culture to get a true feeling for what these people are living with on a day-to-day basis. There is nothing like 22 people all sleeping on simple bunk beds in one room and eating rice and beans at every meal to get you into the swing of things." Paul said he hopes that experiences like these will encourage students to continue volunteering to care for the underserved.

Achievement in Pediatrics

Four alumni are among the 13 2010 recipients of the Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award from the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. This award honors the top 3 percent of scorers on the May 2010 Qualifying Examination. The Tufts recipients are: Jennifer Blair, D08; Amanda Kopacz Peer, D08; Arash Goli, DG10; and Santhosh Veeranna, DG10. Pugh was the pediatric board's educational measurement consultant for 28 years before retiring in 1998.

Here & There

Nine hundred oral surgeons, dentist-anesthesiologists, moderate sedation providers and anesthesia assistants participated in the continuing educational offerings of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology in Las Vegas in February. Morton Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery) was a faculty member for each of the courses presented;? he also serves as treasurer of the society.

Carole Palmer, G69, N69, professor and head of the Division of Nutrition and Oral Health Promotion at the dental school, is this year's recipient of the Leadership and Expertise Award from the Friedman School Alumni Association. Palmer is a professor at the Friedman School and directs its Combined Dietetic Internship/Master's Program.

Michelle H. Stone, director of Continuing Education and Conference Services, was elected secretary of the Continuing Dental Education Section of the American Dental Education Association at its annual meeting in March.

Travel/Learn Program Offers Great Adventures

Tufts Dental alumni, family and friends have discovered the joy of journeying through the Tufts Travel/Learn Program. Space is still available for many of the 2011 trips: Turkey, the historic Mediterranean, Russia, the castles and caves of Dordogne, France, and the Greek isles. Ask about early-booking savings.

Dental alumni have been enthusiastic about their recent excursions: St. Petersburg was "much more exciting than we had anticipated." Another called a trip to the Greek isles "a flawless, seamless vacation." And a journey to Iceland, an alum said, was "one of our most memorable trips."

Travel and Learn

For information on upcoming trips visit www.TuftsTravelLearn.org or contact Usha Nand Sellers, program director, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617.627.5323.

Looking for an older issue? Check the archives.

February 2011

In This Issue

Dean Norris, Timothy Hempton, Barry Briss and Ross Icyda, D11, honored at Yankee Dental
A well-designed magazine
Here & There

News (and Awards) from Yankee Dental

Dean Lonnie H. Norris received the District One Distinguished Service Award from the International College of Dentists January 28, during the 36th annual session of the Yankee Dental Congress in Boston. Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha said the dean exemplifies the ideal of "leadership as service." Maria Papageorge, professor and chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery, reflected on the years she worked with Dr. Norris in oral and maxillofacial surgery and praised him for being "hard working, energetic and caring to his patients." Joseph Kenneally, D81, District One regent of the ICD, recalled his first tooth extraction in the clinic for which Norris was his clinical instructor. Kenneally said he was grateful to have Norris guide him through the experience. The dean expressed his appreciation for the recognition and extended thanks to all who have supported him throughout his career.

That same evening Dean Lonnie Norris, DG80 and Mostafa El-Sherif, DI95, president of the Tufts University Dental Alumni Association, welcomed almost 1,000 alumni at the annual reception held at the Westin Waterfront. As always, the Tufts Alumni Lounge on the exhibit hall floor was a hub of activity with alumni stopping in and grabbing a snack or meeting with fellow classmates and colleagues between courses.

Timothy Hempton (periodontology) was named the 2011 Clinician of the Year during Yankee Dental in recognition of his decade of service as a speaker and volunteer at the annual dental meeting in Boston. Hempton continues to teach periodontics to sold-out crowds of dentists, hygienists and assistants at the convention. Hempton has served on several Yankee Dental program committees and last year was one of four program chairs.

Also at Yankee Dental, Barry Briss (orthodontics) received the Dr. Frederick Moynihan Award for Outstanding Contributions and Service to Orthodontics, presented by the Massachusetts Association of Orthodontists. Frederick Moynihan graduated from Tufts Dental School in 1951 and received his postgraduate certificate in orthodontics from Tufts two years later. He practiced in Massachusetts for more than 40 years.

Ross Icyda, president of the Class of 2011, received the senior student award from the American College of Dentists on January 29, the same day that David Leader (general dentistry) presented a Yankee Dental talk on "Rheumatic Diseases and Oral Health."

Magazine Design Kudos

The Fall 2010 issue of Tufts Dental Medicine, with the cover story on dental alumni in the military, received positive reviews in UMagazinology, a website that features news and observations about college and university magazines around the country. The site is run by Dale Keiger, the associate editor of the Johns Hopkins Magazine Group. Called "Toothsome design" the reviewer said that "I concede that when I found the Fall 2010 issue of Tufts Dental Medicine in my mailbox, I did not immediately think, "Bet this one has good graphics." I'd never seen the magazine, edited by Karen Bailey, but I did not imagine a dental school periodical would have much flair. So much for what I know. I didn't realize that the magazine has a resourceful design staff of design director Margot Grisar and senior designer Betsy Hayes. TDM's design is clean and understated, with nothing that leaps out and loudly demands some attention, but it's smart and clever." For more, go to Toothsome design.

In other magazine news, the U.S. Army plans to reprint the cover story of the Fall 2010 issue, titled "Dental Force," to use in marketing and recruiting efforts for military dentists.

Here & There

Timothy Hempton (periodontology) was the lead author of the article "Implant Maintenance: Techniques and Tools for Effective Debridement of Artificial Anatomy" in the January 2011 issue of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. Also in January, he gave a lecture on "Practical Periodontal Therapy" at the annual meeting of the Hawaiian Dental Association and three presentations at Yankee Dental: "Crown lengthening Workshop," with James Hanratty, "Save the Tooth or What's Next?" and "Implant Therapy and the RDH."

Michael A. Kahn (oral & maxillofacial pathology) gave presentations on "Oral Pathology: Short Stories and Tales" and "Oral Cancer Adjunctive Screening Devices" at the seventh annual Alexandria (Egypt) International Dental Congress, held November 2-5, 2010.

David Leader and Harish Gulati have both been promoted to associate clinical professor (general dentistry)

Ali Muftu (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) has been promoted to professor.

Morton B. Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery) was reappointed to the Research Committee of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. He was a presenter on the topic "Preparing Dental Office Staff to Manage Sedation and Anesthesia Related Emergencies Using Task Training and High Fidelity Human Simulation Education" at a meeting of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in New Orleans in January.

Looking for an older issue? Check the archives.