2006 Archives

 

January 27, 2006

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

 

Dr. Harold Berk: An Appreciation
Dr. Harold Berk, clinical professor emeritus of pediatric dentistry, passed away Monday, January 9, 2006 after a lengthy illness. He had been a member of our faculty since 1946. The following is an appreciation from one of his former students, Dr. Joseph P. O’Donnell, DG’74.

In his best selling novel, Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom posed the question, “Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back.”

And, so it was for five of us who were students of Dr. Harold Berk… John Ficarelli, Dave Tesini, Jess Kane, Nick Senzamici and myself. Harold had three wonderful sons; but he always referred to us as “His Boys.” Every year for eighteen years, I would get a phone call from him with my orders, “Call the ‘Boys’ and arrange our Annual Dinner.” This was a tradition that went all the way back to the time when we were fortunate enough to be his graduate students in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tufts. On Fridays, after working all morning with this remarkably gifted and knowledgeable teacher and learning the latest techniques in pulp therapy and restorative dentistry, he would insist on taking us to lunch. Not just any lunch….we’re not talking sub sandwiches or pizza…we were his guests at any one of the finer restaurants in Boston at that time, including Locke-Ober, or Maison Robert. During lunch he would tell us about his exciting travel experiences, his art collection, his love of fine dining, or his plans to support research and education at Tufts. Not only did he teach us how to be good pediatric dentists, he showed us how to celebrate life and how to be generous to our school and our profession.

So every year, our Annual Dinner of Harold and his Boys would take place in the elegant surroundings of the Le Matin Dining Room of the Four Seasons Hotel with an unrivaled view of the Boston Public Gardens. We would sit around the dining table --- five guys of very humble backgrounds who had become successful in their specialty --- each with a large, prosperous private practice and all influenced and inspired by the same mentor, Harold Berk. Our dinners were a chance for him to look proudly upon what we had become. And, he used every dinner as an opportunity to teach us his latest techniques, or tell us about a fabulous new material. No matter how many years of experience we had, he was always our teacher and we were the students. He wanted us to be innovative and creative… to come up with ideas….to become leaders in our field. He would tell us, “Do not follow where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

A wise man once said, “A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where his influence stops.” Harold Berk’s teaching and his wonderfully creative, scientific mind have left an indelible imprint on his students, his friends, and his profession of dentistry. The thousands of children who are treated by us, his students at Tufts University, are the beneficiaries of his legacy and his memory will live on.
- Joseph P. O’Donnell, DMD, MS, Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatric Dentistry

 

Jake Chen Appointed to Study Section of NIH
Dr. Jinkun “Jake” Chen (general dentistry) has been appointed to the Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section, Center for Scientific Review, of the National Institutes of Health. His term began January 10, 2006 and ends June 30, 2009. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline. Study section members review grant applications submitted to the NIH, make recommendations on these applications and survey the status of research in their fields of science.

 

Nancy Arbree Elected VP of Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics
Associate Dean Nancy Arbreewas elected Vice President of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics at their fall meeting December, 2005. Dr. Gary Rogoff is President-Elect.

 

GRASP Center Makes 2006 Pilot Project Awards
The Executive Committee of Tufts-NEMC’s Center for Digestive Diseases Research (GRASP) will award $88,000 to five Tufts-NEMC and Tufts University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine researchers. These projects competed for pilot/feasibility awards against a number of other highly meritorious proposals.

The 2006 Pilot Project Award-winning researchers and their projects are:
· Rachel Buchsbaum, Ph.D., Studies on Tiam1 signaling in colorectal cancer
· Jonathan Garlick, Ph.D., Optimization of in vitro, three-dimensional, human tissue models for normal and Barrett’s esophagus
· Philip Hinds, Ph.D., The RB-cdk5 pathway in intestinal development
· Mircea Ivan, Ph.D., Hypoxia regulation of microRNAs; implications for colon cancers
· Orian Shirihai, Ph.D. & Daniel Ortiz, Ph.D., ABCB10 a new ABC transporter in liver

GRASP’s Executive Committee is comprised of Tufts-New England Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine scientists in gastroenterology research. The Pilot Project Awards are intended to provide early support for innovative scientific ideas, so that data can be developed to support full funding from federal sources such as the National Institutes of Health.

In addition to the GRASP award, Dr. Jonathan Garlick has been invited to the Annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science as a guest speaker to be held in St. Louis on February 18, 2006. The title of his talk will be “Reconstructed Human Skin to Study Early Skin Cancer Development and Wound Healing”. He will be an invited speaker in an Educational Session of the American Association for Cancer Research to be held in Washington D.C. on April 1, 2006. Garlick will speak on the topic “The 3rd Dimension: Mechanistic Studies of Tumorigenesis in Context.” He will also be Chair of a Symposium of the upcoming IADR meeting titled “The Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression.” The symposium will be held on March 11, 2006. In addition, Garlick has been appointed as Chairperson of the Special Emphasis Panel on Oral Cancer, National Institute of Dental Research.

 

Tufts Chapter of OKU Receives National Recognition
The Xi Xi Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon has been selected as this year's recipient of the OKU-Chapter Award given by the Supreme Chapter for its “exemplary programs that promote excellence at the local level”. The Chapter Award Committee cited the following activities and programs which include: a biannual newsletter to keep members abreast of chapter activities; a newly created mentoring program for incoming freshman and second year students; the annual Bates Day OKU Award which provides an expense paid trip to the AADR meeting for the student with the winning research project; the annual Xi Xi Chapter Scholarship presented to a second year student based on scholarship, character and leadership; an annual Basic Science award given to a third year student with the highest GPA in the basic sciences and; an annual Dental Science Award given to a third year student with the highest GPA in the dental sciences.

The award will be presented at the annual business meeting on Wednesday, March 8 in Orlando, Florida and accepted by Dr. Cynthia Yered on behalf of TUSDM.

 

Toys for Tots Appreciation
The following is excerpted from a letter to the Class of D2009 from Sean P. Donlon, President, Tufts Police Association:

“I would like to thank the class of 09 for the great donation you made to Toys for Tots this year. For the last ten years, the Tufts community has responded generously to this holiday collection of toys.”

Donna Carey Promoted to Director of Student Affairs
Donna Carey was recently promoted to Director of Student Affairs, recognizing exemplary years of service as Associate Director, and leadership in providing enhanced student technical services and well- regarded student events. Donna joined the Office of Student Affairs in 1998. Congratulations Donna!

 

Community Open House at the Metropolitan Building
On January 9, 2006 members of the Tufts student chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association presented tooth brushes, floss, and information to Chinatown residents during a community open house at the Metropolitan building, 38 Ash Street, near the Dental School. TUSDM students who participated are: John Govostes, D06; John Lo, D07; Eric Appelin, D08; Eunice Delgado, D09; Jose Torres, D07; Alejandro Munoz, D09; Jason Slomovitz, D09; David Gomez, D09;David Delgado, D09; Felipe Salinas, D07. Faculty volunteers were Drs. Laura Camacho-Castro (pediatric dentistry), Luis Del Castillo (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) and Aidee Herman (periodontology). Staff volunteers were Virginia Burns, RDH (pediatric dentistry) and Tefta Kaceli (dental assistant).

The Metropolitan is a new 23-story mixed income housing complex that also houses the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

 

February 28, 2006

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

 

Bates-Andrews Day Continues to Impress
Bates-Andrews Day 2006, a showcase of our pre-doctoral and postgraduate students’ research activities, was held February 22. This year’s event featured David Kaplan, professor and chair of biomedical engineering in Tufts School of Engineering. His keynote speech addressed “Designing Tissues: Engineering a Cellular Framework.” We were also fortunate to have presentations by Dr. Robert Gerlach of Procter & Gamble, Dr. David Felton from the University of North Carolina and Jennifer Graf of Tufts-New England Medical Center’s Institutional Review Board.

Students selected for special recognition were:
First-Place Award for Oral Presentation by a M.S. student: Daniel Engler-Hamm, “Prospective Evaluation of Hard- and Soft-tissue Remodeling after Ridge Preservation with and without Primary Wound Closure”

Second-Place Award for Oral Presentation by a M.S. student: Eeman Dajani, “Using Three-dimensional Computed Tomograms to Study the Growth Vector of the Nasomaxillary Complex in Relation to the Anterior Cranial Base”

Best Postgraduate Poster Presentation (cash prize donated by Drs. Kane, Tesini and Soporowski): Drs. Yaritza Vazquez, Alykhan Kherani and Jan Ortiz, all general practice residents, “Efficiency of New Technology in Special Needs Patients”

Best Scientific Research Presentation by a Senior (Andrews Society Award): Wesley Chiang, D06, “Altered Passive Eruption—A Cross-sectional Study of Changes in Clinical Crown Length from Ages 10 to 14 years.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Lokesh Suri

ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Award for Best Overall Pre-doctoral Table Clinic: Winna Goldman, D08, “Stromal Cross-talk Influences Malignant Progression of E-cadherin-deficient Carcinoma Cells.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Jonathan Garlick

Second-Place Award for Pre-doctoral Table Clinic (cash prize donated by Drs. Kane, Tesini and Soporowski): Charles Chung, D08, “Relationship of Craniofacial Morphology to Second Molar Development.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Lokesh Suri

Third-Place Award for Pre-doctoral Table Clinic (cash prize donated by Drs. Kane, Tesini and Soporowski): Michael Hull, D08, “Significant Pain Reduction with Autologous Fat-graft Placement in Temporomandibular Joint.” Faculty mentors: Dr. Gerard Kugel and Dr. Noshir Mehta in conjunction with Dr. Mark Piper (private practice)

Research Committee Award for Basic Science Research: Lauren Gulka, D08, “Evaluation of Individual Taste Sensitivity: Caveats for Clinical Applications.” Mentor: Dr. Brian Green (Yale University)

Massachusetts Dental Society and ASDA Public Health Award: Ryan Smart, D07, “Methamphetamine Abuse: Medical and Dental Considerations.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Morton Rosenberg

Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Hilde Tillman Award went to two students this year: Ryan Smart, D07, “Methamphetamine Abuse: Medical and Dental Considerations.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Morton Rosenberg and Wesley Chiang, D06, “Altered Passive Eruption—A Cross-sectional Study of Changes in Clinical Crown Length from Ages 10 to 14 years.” Faculty mentor: Dr. Lokesh Suri

More Award-Winning Students
Ryan Smart, D07, was just named the winner of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Student Essay Award Contest—the first Tufts dental student to win this national award. He will be the society’s guest at its annual meeting in Santa Fe, N.M., in May and receive a plaque and check for $1,000.

Jeffrey Goldberg, D07, was selected as one of the recipients of the 2006 ADEA/Listerine Preventive Dentistry Scholarships. He will accept the award on March 8 at the ADEA annual session and exhibition in Orlando, Fla.

Just Published
Dr. Albert Forgione, professor of general dentistry at Tufts; Dr. David Mostofsky, professor of psychology and director of the Laboratory for Experimental Behavioral Medicine at Boston University; and Dr. Donald Giddon, professor of developmental biology at Harvard and founder and former president of Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research, have edited a new book, Behavioral Dentistry (Blackwell Munksgaard, 2006). Forgione said the book provides dental students, practicing dentists and dental professionals with an entrée into the fascinating and important study of the interaction between people’s behavior and the status of the oral cavity. The text contains 21 papers written by those prominent in the field of behavioral dentistry. Topics covered include stress and saliva production, anxiety, fear and pain, a biobehavioral perspective of chronic orofacial pain, stress and periodontal disease, biofeedback and the treatment of myofascial pain disorder and TMJ joint pain.

Another Author
Sandra Pearson, director of financial aid, participated in writing a chapter on “Financing Dental Education” in the ADEA’s Official Guide to Dental Schools, 2006-07, 44th edition.

Black History Month
The School of Dental Medicine held a dinner on February 27 in the Edward Becker Student Lounge in recognition of Black History Month. The guest speaker was Dr. Patricia Brown, an orthodontist from Harvard and former assistant clinical professor at Tufts. Jazz music was provided by the Benny Sharoni Band. This event was coordinated by the Tufts chapter of the Student National Dental Association under the leadership of President Marjorie Brisard, D08; Vice President Uchenna Nweze, D08; Secretary Michelle Ray, D08, and Treasurer Renee Crittendon, D08.

Medical Pathology Lecture
Dr. Michael Kahn, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology, and Dr. Craig Fowler, an Air Force oral pathologist at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, gave a three-hour continuing education course on February 16 at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology meeting in Atlanta, Ga. The title of the course was “Histologic Diagnostic Pitfalls and Dilemmas of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology” and was designed for medical pathologists to learn more about oral pathology. It was the only C.E. course at the meeting taught by non-physicians.

Oral Sedation for the General Practitioner
Dr. Mort Rosenberg, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, directed a three day comprehensive course on Oral Sedation for the General Practitioner for the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on Feb 24 - 26. Rosenberg said it was “a real treat to have TUSDM graduates Peter Chien and Miki Suetsugu in attendance”.

Alumnus Serves as Dentist in Iraq
Charley Cheney, D04, a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps is stationed at a hospital clinic in Iraq. The Vicksburg Post profiled Cheney and other Mississippians serving in Iraq in its February 14 edition. Cheney called the clinic “well-staffed and equipped” and says while “most patients have acute needs—broken teeth, infections, extractions, occasionally cancers—there are also fillings to replace and root canals to initiate.” He said that the clinic is “not markedly different from a health-care facility anywhere…just more compact.”

 

 

March 29, 2006

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

 

Into the Clinics
The Clinical Advancement or White Coat Ceremony for the Class of D08 was held March 25 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Boston. Approximately 500 family members, faculty and staff turned out to celebrate the 153 students in the Class of 2008 as they move to the patient-care phase of their dental education. Jamshed Bharucha, provost and senior vice president, welcomed the audience with inspirational remarks about students’ responsibility as active citizens in providing access to care.

This annual ceremony at the dental school formalizes and symbolizes the transition of pre-doctoral students from basic science, biomedical science and pre-clinical education to the responsibilities of delivering patient care in the school’s clinics. In a new tradition this year, Tufts faculty and alumni were able to help family members in the class don the traditional white lab coat as part of the ceremony.

Thanks go to the offices of Admissions, Alumni Relations and Student Affairs for making the event a success.

 

What’s It Like Out There?
Eighteen alumni and professional guests and more than 50 second-, third- and fourth-year dental students attended the seventh annual Student/Alumni Networking Session on March 14 in Merritt Auditorium. The Tufts Dental Alumni Association sponsors the annual session to give students a glimpse of what they can expect from their chosen profession.

Sam Shames, D75, welcomed the guests and panelists John Ficarelli, D73; Cherie Bishop, D94; Matthew Ginsburg, D02; and Babak Gogjini, A96, D00, offered advice on what students should think about as they prepare to begin their professional careers or pursue specialty degrees.

The panelists and students had the opportunity to participate in one of four break-out sessions: “Associating in a Practice,” “Specializing: What Field Best Suits Me?,” “Buying a Practice or Starting from Scratch” and “Non-Clinical Career Alternatives.” A reception followed to give students additional time to network with Tufts Dental alums.

 

A Crowd in Orlando
The School of Dental Medicine was well-represented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) in Orlando, Fla., March 8-11. The following students are to be congratulated for their presentations: Melanie Arruda, D07; Charles Chung, D08; Adam DiVincenzo, D08; Winna Goldman, D08; Brian Green, D08; Lauren Gulka, D08; Michael Hull, D08; Azita Khanbodaghi, D06; Claudia Maiolo, D08; Kevin Oliveira, D06; Sarah Stipho, D08; and Nermine Zaki, D08.

Chung was selected as a finalist in the AADR Caulk/Dentsply Student Research Group Award Competition, and Goldman was awarded an AADR Student Research Fellowship, which will support her research in the coming year. She was mentored by Jonathan Garlick, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology and director of the dental school’s Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering.

Faculty who gave presentations at the meeting included Athena Papas, Simone Deliperi, Ayman Aboushala, Ronald Perry, Jonathan Garlick, Aruna Ramesh, Susana Ferreira, Mabi Singh, Gerard Kugel, Jake Chen, Eleni Gagari, Gunjan Dhir and Mehda Singh.

 

Missionto Nicaragua
David Paul, practice coordinator, and Mina Blandon, pediatric resident, were part of a 20-member Tufts team that went to rural northeast Nicaragua in February to treat patients who have no access to health care.

The team included Brian Lisse, clinical assistant professor of public health and family medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, as well as Tufts medical students and students from the School of Engineering. The medical team saw more than 100 patients a day, and Paul and Blandon treated more than 25 patients each day, extracting an average of two to three teeth per patient. The working conditions were primitive, and the dentists treated patients without radiographs, electricity, running water and suction. There were no lights other than flashlights.

 

A Symbol of Caring
The Tufts Dental Facility Serving Persons with Special Needs (TDF) received a Marie Feltin Award from the Boston Center for Independent Living March 24 in recognition of having provided access to care for more than 17,000 people with disabilities across Massachusetts.

TDF Director John Morgan accepted the award and acknowledged the dedication and compassion of the faculty and staff. Tufts Dental Facility Serving Persons with Special Needs is in its 30th year of service. The Feltin Award was established to honor the late Dr. Marie Feltin, who devoted her medical career to serving neglected and vulnerable populations.

 

Clinic Safety
The dental school hosted its annual Risk Management, Safety and Infection Control Symposium March 22 at the Loews Theatre Boston Common. Symposium speakers and their topics were Kanchan Ganda, professor of general dentistry, “Health Protocols and Policies;” Yvonne Glendon, a biosafety manager at Tufts, “OSHA Blood-borne Pathogen Standard;” and Joleen Malot, an environmental compliance supervisor at Tufts, “Right to Know” review.

 

Senior Faculty Promotions
Congratulations to the following faculty members on their recent promotions:

In the Department of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry:
Iqbal Singh to professor
Gardner Bassett to associate professor
Ali Muftu to associate professor
Stephen Hsu to associate clinical professor
Philip Koralishn to associate clinical professor

In the Department of General Dentistry:
Robert Cohen to associate clinical professor

In the Department of Pediatric Dentistry:
Laura Camacho-Castro to associate professor
Meletia Laskou to associate professor

In the Department of Endodontics:
Virginia Karapanou to associate professor

 

News & Notes
Jinkun “Jake” Chen, professor of general dentistry, has been appointed to the Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section, Center for Scientific Review, of the National Institutes of Health for a term ending on June 30, 2009. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline. Study section members review grant applications submitted to the NIH, make recommendations on those applications and survey the status of research in their fields.

Jonathan Garlick, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology and director of the Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering, gave an invited talk on “Reconstructed Human Skin to Study Early Skin Cancer Development and Wound Healing” at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in St. Louis on February 18. He will give an invited talk on “The 3rd Dimension: Mechanistic Studies of Tumorigenesis in Context” at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research April 1 in Washington, D.C. Garlick has been appointed chair of the Special Emphasis Panel on Oral Cancer of the National Institute of Dental Research.

Carole A. Palmer, professor of general dentistry and a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, lectured at the Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver on March 9 and 10. Her lectures were titled “Nutrition and the Contemporary Dental Team” and “Communicating Effective Nutrition Messages to Patients.” Palmer also has been appointed to serve as a consultant/site visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

 

April 27, 2006

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

 

A Local Hero
Tufts registered dental hygienist Kathleen Brodil has been honored as a local hero by a South Shore agency. Brodil is one of seven registered dental hygienists who work with the Tufts Community Dental Program, which offers preventive dental services throughout Massachusetts. The program, Oral Health Across the Commonwealth, uses portable dental equipment to provide dental prophylaxis, fluoride treatments and education at community programs and schools. Brodil provides services to the South Shore Community Action Council’s Head Start program.

 

Longtime Faculty Member Honored
A retirement reception was held on April 26 in the Becker Alumni Center for Dr. Russi K. Gheewalla, professor of orthodontics emeritus and director of advanced education. Dr. Gheewalla has been a Tufts dental faculty member for 48 years and has taught nearly 400 postgraduate orthodontic residents. He is a “triple Jumbo,” having earned his advanced education certificate in orthodontics, a M.S. and D.M.D. from Tufts. He was named an emeritus professor in 2005, when he also received the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and Citizenship. At the reception, Dr. Gheewalla was praised as a role model and mentor to many, including those outside the specialty of orthodontics. Dean Norris expressed appreciation to Dr. Gheewalla for his dedication and professionalism, noting that he is always “a perfect gentleman”. Thanks go to Ellen Tomassini for arranging the event.

New UCCPS Faculty Fellows
Dr. Gulsun Gul, assistant professor of general dentistry, and Dr. Diane Krause, an assistant professor at Tufts School of Medicine, have been selected as Faculty Fellows in the University College of Citizenship and Public Service for their proposal, “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Educating Health Care Professions Students about Intimate Partner Violence.” The University College found the proposal “compelling and agree that it is essential that those who experience domestic violence need to get appropriate health care and that the schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine at Tufts need to be educating students to provide that care.”

 

Student Named Boston Schweitzer Fellow
Justin Au, D07 has been named a 2006-07 Boston Schweitzer Fellow and will pursue yearlong interdisciplinary work focused on community service and leadership development. Au will continue the program Project CORRECT (Child Oral Rehabilitation, Residential Education, Counseling and Therapy), which targets high-risk children at the Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Mass.

The intervention program was started by Sam Merabi, D05, and after he graduated from dental school, Fizza Jafry, D06, took over its stewardship. Au wants to expand Project CORRECT to other locations.

The aim of the Schweitzer Fellowship Program is to reduce health-care disparities by developing “leaders in service”—individuals who are dedicated and skilled in helping underserved communities and whose example influences and inspires others.

 

MassachusettsHouse Moves to Restore Dental Benefits
The Massachusetts House of Representatives on April 25 overwhelmingly overrode the Gov. Mitt Romney’s vetoes of the state’s landmark health-care law, first voting to restore a portion of the law that guarantees dental benefits to Medicaid patients.

Now that the House has taken action, the measure moves to the Senate. The administration at the School of Dental Medicine is urging members of the dental community to contact their state senators to support the overrides. It is extremely important for access to dental care and for dental education for these benefits to be restored.

 

News & Notes
David Delgado, D09, has been awarded a Hispanic Dental Association/Procter & Gamble Scholarship. He is one of eight dental students nationwide to receive the award.

Daniel Engler-Hamm, DG06, is the recipient of the Richard J. Lazzara Fellowship in Advanced Implant Surgery from the American Academy of Periodontology. The $50,000 award includes a stipend as well as funds to offset the hosting institution’s overhead and administrative costs. After completing Tufts’ postgraduate periodontology program in July, Engler-Hamm will stay at the dental school for another year to work in implant prosthodontics with Dr. Hiroshi Hirayama, professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry, and in implant surgery with Dr. Terrence Griffin, associate professor of periodontology.

Fizza Jafry, D06, received Tufts Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service at a ceremony held April 12 on the Medford/Somerville campus.

Dr. Michael Kahn, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology, recently gave oral cancer and risk management presentations with Barry Regan of EDIC to a variety of local dental groups on March 14, 21 and 25 and April 5, 6 and 13. They also gave a similar presentation at the Valley Forge Dental Convention in March. Kahn was the moderator for a pathology section program, “Integrating Oral Pathology Research into the Pre-doctoral Dental and Dental Hygiene Curriculum,” at the annual meeting of the ADEA March 10, in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Jonathan Garlick, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology and director of the Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering, was one of four nationally recognized researchers invited to participate in the program. Garlick also lectured at the ADEA Special Interest Group Session, “Teaching the Biologic Behavior of Oral Disease: Translating Discovery From Bench to Patient Management”. During the AADR meeting, held jointly with the ADEA meeting, Garlick lectured on the topic “The Many Microenvironments of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression” at the Symposium “The Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression” and was Symposium Chairman as well.

Dr. Morton Rosenberg, D74, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, presented lectures on “Anesthesia and Sedation Overview” and “An Update on Sedation and the Pediatric Patient” at the American Society for the Advancement of Anesthesia and Sedation in Dentistry Comprehensive Parenteral Conscious Sedation Program at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Lokesh Suri, D01, K03, assistant professor of orthodontics, has been named director of pre-doctoral orthodontics.

Dr. Arthur Weiner, D58, professor of general dentistry, gave a presentation on “Psychological Variables Affecting Successful Dental Treatment” at the 31st Yankee Dental Congress.

 

 

May 30, 2006

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

 

School Receives Largest Gift in Its History
On May 5, Delta Dental of Massachusetts awarded $5 million to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. The gift will be used to endow a chair in public health and community service, improve oral health care and access to that care for persons with special needs and other underserved populations. Special thanks go to Kathleen O’Loughlin, D81, president and CEO of Delta Dental, for her support of the school’s mission.

Commencement 2006
On Sunday, May 21, the School of Dental Medicine awarded 173 D.M.D. degrees, including 15 to graduates of the International Student Program and five in the Faculty Track International Student Program. Also recognized were eight Master of Science degree recipients and 48 postgraduate certificate of achievement candidates. Nearly 100 dental school faculty members participated in the ceremony and joined in celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2006.

Vivian Stephens-Hicks, coordinator of the Division of Public Health, received her M.P.H. from Tufts University School of Medicine. Shannon Barry, assistant director of financial aid, received her Master of Arts in Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning from the Graduate School of Arts, Sciences, & Engineering.

Best in Class
Six outstanding faculty members have been recognized with teaching excellence awards: Michael Thompson (pharmacology), Dean’s Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching; Charles Rankin (endodontics) and Joanne Falzone (prosthodontics/operative dentistry), Dean’s Award for Excellence in Pre-clinical Teaching; Yun Saksena (prosthodontics/operative dentistry) and Aaron Sheinfeld (prosthodontics/operative dentistry), Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching; and Morton Rosenberg (oral and maxillofacial surgery), Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service.

OKU Convocation
Twenty students were inducted into the national dental honor society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, at a ceremony May 19 at the Radisson Hotel. This year’s guest speaker was Kathleen O’Loughlin, D81, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts.

The students are: Boris Bacanurschi, Lindsay Ciombor Brislin, Joseph Phuoc Bui, Wesley Min-Da Chiang, Lora Lon Chow, Nicole Judith Cuff, Meghan McCabe Clark, Deborah Sorrentino Griffin, Asma Abdul Hameed, Heather D. Hansen, Nina S. Khedkar, Sil Park, Ai-Phuong Thu Pham, Nahid Roghani, Dae-Jin Sohn, Peter Inserk Son, Shawn Douglas Teutsch, Nadia Virani, Zachary Canzoniero Weber and YoungJae Janice Yoon.

Eighty-nine people attended the event, including the new inductees, their families and current OKU members.

Also at the event, two students received the Hilde Tillman Bates Day Research Award: Wesley Chiang, D06, for his work on “Altered Passive Eruption” and Ryan Smart, D07, for his work on “Methamphetamine Abuse.” The OKU Scholarship Award went to Cindy Leung, D08. Jared Geller, D07, received the Basic Sciences Award and the Dental Sciences Award.

Graduation Dinner
The Graduation Awards Dinner for the Class of D06 was held on May 12 at the Westin Copley Place. Approximately 425 people attended the 13th annual recognition dinner, including 158 of the 173 graduating seniors.

Members of the Class of 2006 received 69 national and alumni awards during the event; two juniors also received awards.

In the Navy Now
Three graduating seniors were promoted to lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in a ceremony aboard the USS Constitution on May 13.

The oath of office was administered by the surgeon general of the Navy, and the shoulder boards of ensign were removed and replaced with the shoulder boards of their new rank by their respective families. The ceremony is conducted each year on the USS Constitution for all the graduating dentists and physicians in the New England area.

The new lieutenants from Tufts Dental are Shawn Teutsch, reporting to Bethesda Naval Hospital for a four-year oral surgery program, and Christopher Oswald and Vinh Ton, both reporting to Camp Pendleton in California.

Award-winners
Morton Rosenberg, D74, (oral and maxillofacial surgery), delivered the Joseph Osterloh Memorial Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology May 4-6 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he received the Heidbrink Award. It is the highest and most prestigious recognition of contributions to the field of anesthesia, sedation and pain control in dentistry. Rosenberg also holds an appointment at Tufts School of Medicine as associate professor of anesthesiology. At the same meeting, Ryan Smart, D07, received the society’s Student Essay Award.

 

 

June 28, 2006

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

 

Golden Crown Award Luncheon

Christina Nelson (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) and Paula Callahan (prosthodontics and operative dentistry) were chosen by their colleagues to receive this year’s Golden Crown Award for outstanding performance by a staff member. The criteria for the annual award, now in its 11th year, includes expertise, exceptional interaction with others, continuous improvement, resourcefulness and results and leadership.

The School of Dental Medicine and its satellite facilities employ about 200 non-faculty staff members. Whether supporting student or faculty activities or maintaining the facility, each staff member—in his or her unique manner—makes an important contribution to our school’s success. The administration, at both the school and university levels, recognizes the value of each individual and rewards them through a generous benefits package, annual merit increases and years-of-service awards.

About 125 staff members attended the Golden Crown luncheon June 16 in the Becker Alumni Center—another way the school thanks all staff for their service. Serving on the Golden Crown Committee are Janet Markell (chair), Maureen Lombard, Tanya Lungelow, Mary-Ellen Marks, Kevin O'Dea, David Paul, Susan Rodd and Sherry Wilson-Johnson.

In the Army Now

On May 19, six graduating dentists were commissioned as captains in the U.S. during ceremonies at Faneuil Hall in Boston. The oath of office was administered by Col. Donald Hanson, a retired Army dentist and current assistant clinical professor at Tufts Dental School.

The ceremony was attended by friends, family and faculty in the historic Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, located on the fourth floor of Faneuil Hall.

All new captains will attend the Officer Basic Course at Fort Sam Houston in Texas for six weeks. The new captains are Aimee Cunningham, who is pursuing a one-year advanced general dentistry internship at Fort Benning, Georgia; Yan Huang, who is in a one-year advanced general dentistry internship at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Jessica Herbert, attending a one-year advanced general dentistry internship at Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Thomas Mulroy, in a one-year advanced general dentistry internship at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Justin Nelson is reporting to Fort Bliss, Texas, and will be starting his Army dental career at the base’s dental clinic. Donghong Sin is heading to the dental clinic in Seoul, South Korea.

Associate Dean Honored

A retirement reception was held on June 21 in the Becker Alumni Center for Dr. Frank Robert Susi, senior associate dean and professor of oral pathology emeritus. Susi was a faculty member for 40 years and taught oral histology from the time he was a graduate student in the anatomy department in 1967. He also served as professor of anatomy and director of basic health sciences.

He was also director of the Dental Externship Program, one of the school’s signature programs, which he helped establish.

At the reception, Susi was praised as a role model and mentor to current faculty members. Special guests included Associate Dean Emeritus Jay Stinson, Joan Caulfield Lyons, Dr. Elaine Romberg, Susi’s sister, Mary, and nephew, Robert Gilbride, and his wife. Thanks go to Ellen Tomassini for arranging the event.

Appointments and Promotions

Dr. Charles Rankin to professor of endodontics

Dr. Joanne Falzone to associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry

 

 

July, 25 2006

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

 

Note from Dean Norris
Another academic year has (nearly) come to an end, and we can look back on it with tremendous satisfaction. Our successes during the year are due in large part to the support of our alumni, faculty, students, staff and friends, working together toward the goals outlined in our strategic plan. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone and wish you a wonderful vacation. I look forward to seeing everyone in September re-energized for the new academic year.

—Lonnie H. Norris, Dean

Senior Survey Results
The results of the Senior Survey of the Classes of D2006 and DI2006 showed students are increasingly satisfied with the education they are receiving at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Ninety-nine percent of the students reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their education, compared to 86% for the Class of D2003.

Repositioning of the externship program so that it occurs earlier in the curriculum as well as the establishment of new externship sites appear to have led to an increase in satisfaction with the externship rotation from 78% for the Class of D2003 to 84% for the Class of D2006.

One of the most dramatic increases occurred in the area of mentoring. For the Classes of D2006 and DI2006, 91% reported a positive mentor relationship compared to 69% for D2003. In specific areas of the curriculum, 89% of the Classes of D2006 and DI2006 felt “prepared” or “well-prepared” for pediatric dentistry compared to 51% for D2003. Practice management showed similar gains, with 79% of D2006 and DI2006 feeling “prepared” or “well-prepared” compared to 48% of the Class of D2003. This can be attributed to the integration of practice management throughout all four years of the curriculum.

Other enhancements that have improved the level of satisfaction are the introduction of the Curriculum-Integrated Format of the NERB in 2004, the implementation of Axium Patient Information System in 2004 and the rearrangement of the group practices from 10 groups with one practice coordinator to eight groups with two practice coordinators.

The school will continue to use strategic planning and assessment of outcomes to identify ways to enhance the educational experience for students.

Headed for the Clinics
The Clinical Advancement or White Coat Ceremony for the Class of DI2008 was held July 24 in the Becker Alumni Center. The 14 members of the class and guests, faculty and staff members attended. Dean Lonnie H. Norris, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs David Russell, Dr. Robert Doherty, director of the International Student Program, and Dr. Iqbal Singh, director of pre-doctoral studies, gave introductory remarks. Associate Dean Nancy Arbree led the recitation of the Oath of the Dental Student.

This ceremony formalizes and symbolizes the transition of pre-doctoral dental students from basic science, biomedical science and preclinical education to the responsibilities of delivering patient care in the school’s clinics. Thanks go to the offices of Admissions and Student Affairs for making the event a success.

 

 

August 15, 2006

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

Faculty Recognition
The School of Dental Medicine hosted its seventh annual Faculty Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon August 4 at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The event was established to express appreciation to the entire faculty for their contributions to the school and to specifically recognize faculty with awards for years of service at five-year intervals. Retiring faculty were also recognized.

There were nearly 200 guests in attendance. Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha and Dean Lonnie H. Norris gave the welcoming remarks, Dr. Thomas F. Winkler III, A62, D66, a Tufts University trustee and chair of the Board of Overseers to the dental school, gave the faculty toast, and Associate Dean Nancy Arbree served as emcee.

Special recognition was given to Dr. Alfred Peters and Dr. Catherine Squires on the occasion of their retirements from the university. Special acknowledgement was given to Christine Robertson for arranging the event.

Next year’s luncheon will be held on Friday, August 3, 2007. Faculty are asked to save this date in their calendars!

Those honored at this year’s luncheon included:

Five years of service:

Charles Badaoui, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Lagina Bickham, general dentistry; Karen Y. Chang, general dentistry; Frank Chow, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Thomas M. Cleary, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Malek Esrawi, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Olympia Karacosta, general dentistry; Joan LaSalvia, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Yonit Levine, endodontics; Robert Mandell, general dentistry; Vincent Mariano, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Dominic Mazzocco, orthodontics; John McFarland, general dentistry; Roland Nentwich, orthodontics; Aruna Ramesh, general dentistry; Naomi Rosenberg, oral pathology; Kevin Ryan, general dentistry; Yun Saksena, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Roya Zandparsa, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Bonnie Zimble, general dentistry.

10 years:

Daniel Cohen, general dentistry; Donna Finocchiaro, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Daniel Green, endodontics; Julian Osorio, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Charles Rankin, endodontics; Louis Rissin, oral surgery; Jeffrey Rosow, general dentistry; Samuel Shames, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Frank Shin, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Steven Speroni, general dentistry.

15 years:

Myron Allukian, general dentistry; Roland Bryan, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Steven Corliss, endodontics; William DelGizzo, general dentistry; Louis Farrugia, general dentistry; Jitka Janicek, endodontics; Jan Rozen, endodontics; Howard Smith, general dentistry; Raina Trilokekar, endodontics.

20 years:

William Chan, pediatric dentistry; Kanchan Ganda, general dentistry; Gerard Kugel, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Maria Papageorge, oral surgery; Karen Wallach, general dentistry.

25 years:

Nancy Arbree, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; Paul Cammarata, prosthodontics/operative dentistry; David Fang, general dentistry.

30 years:

Joel Pearlman, general dentistry; Alfred Rich, pediatric dentistry; James Schmidt, general dentistry.

35 years:

Paul Marino, oral surgery; Hilde Tillman, general dentistry; Robert Urbon, prosthodontics and operative dentistry.

40 years:

Esther Wilkins, periodontology.

Special recognition—retirement: Alfred Peters, general dentistry; Catherine Squires, microbiology and molecular biology.

Missionto Honduras
A team of 10 Tufts students and faculty members participated in a medical/dental mission trip to Honduras August 5-12. The group was led by Gardner Bassett and Donald Hanson and included Justin Au, Jacques Benchimol, Juliana Hsu, Trang Le, Sopheap Tang and Quan-Anh Tran, all D07, as well as faculty member Wai Kee Lee and recent graduate Lili Tayari. They traveled to San Jose de Copan, a small village in the mountains of Honduras.

The students were praised for their professionalism and compassion as well as their resourcefulness in providing care with limited instruments and under primitive conditions. The team extracted more than 1,400 teeth in 4½ days. At the end of their stay, the mayor of San Jose presented them with certificates of appreciation.

ORIENTATION REMINDER
Orientation for Tufts University School of Dental Medicine’s will be held on Tuesday, September 5, at the Loew’s Theater. Located at 175 Tremont St. in Boston directly across from the Boston Common, Loew’s Theater is a five-minute walk from the dental school. The easiest way to get there is to go left as you exit the dental school building, walk up Kneeland Street one block to Tremont Street, turn right onto Tremont (you will see the marquee for the Majestic Theater on your left). Loew’s Theater is a block and a half up the street on your right.

Along with the annual welcome-back message from Dean Lonnie H. Norris and Joseph Castellana, the executive associate dean, this year’s program will include a presentation by Dr. James Reilly, a member of the CDAD-Dentist’s Well-Being Committee who will speak on the rising rate of substance abuse among dentists. Associate Deans Nancy Arbree and David Russell will review the accreditation process, and Assistant Dean James Hanley and IT Manager, Kevin O’Dea will review the changes that have been made to Axium and in the clinic.

Students in the Classes of D07 and D08 will begin their day by registering for school from 8 to 9 a.m. in Merritt Auditorium. They will then join the faculty for the orientation’s morning session. The morning session will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Afternoon workshops on practice management with the Pride Group will be held in various classrooms at the dental school, beginning at 1 p.m. and ending at 4 p.m.

Please note: All Faculty, students in the Classes of D07 and D08 and postgraduate students MUST attend the morning and afternoon sessions on Tuesday, September 5.

In order to acquaint all members of the school’s community with the changes we have made to the Axium system, D08 students will be required to attend a two-hour session on Axium, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5. D07 students will be required to attend a two-hour session on Axium on Wednesday, September 6, beginning at 5 p.m. Faculty will attend a session on Thursday, September 7, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Based on their schedules, faculty may also choose to attend any one of the sessions being held on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening.

All faculty, D07, D08 and PG students will receive a schedule containing the agenda for the day as well as the events/sessions being held during the week.

Faculty are reminded to please sign the attendance sheet(s) for the sessions you attend to ensure that you receive your CE credits.

Please feel free to contact Gerard Cedrone at gerard.cedrone@tufts.edu with any questions you may have regarding the week’s orientation events. He can also be reached by phone at 617-636-6666.

 

 

September 27, 2006

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

Nobel Biocare AB Awards $4 Million to Tufts Dental
Nobel Biocare AB of Sweden, the world’s largest manufacturer of dental implants, has awarded $4 million to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. The gift—the second largest in school history—will allow Tufts to respond to the increasing demand for implant placement and restoration.

The school will also integrate implant dentistry research into the curriculum and enhance continuing education programs to train dentists in the use of dental implant devices and technology.

The gift was presented to Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow and Dean Lonnie H. Norris at a reception September 26 in the Becker Alumni Center. Heliane Canepa, CEO, and Robert Gottlander, VP for global marketing, represented Nobel Biocare.

Tooth Day at Fenway
Members of Alpha Omega dental fraternity participated in the first Tooth Day at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

Students interacted with fans while handing out toothpaste, toothbrushes, oral cancer brochures and information on Tufts’ baby clinic before the game on July 18. Students who participated were Jonathan Albaugh, D08; Eric Appelin, D08; Heidi Birnbaum, D08; Daniel Callahan, D08; Joe Carey, D09; Joey Chang, D08; Kevin Chung, D09; Melissa Dennison, D08; Fields Farrior, D08; Brian Green, D08; Kevin Huang, D08; Jennifer Kang, D08; Amanda Kopacz, D08; Jenny Liang, D08; Lindsey McElligott, D08; Nick Miller, D08; Wendy Musicer, D08; Brad Pinkos, D08; Antoinette Ramdath, D09; Young Stebbins Han, D08; and Sarah Stipho, D08, as well as faculty member Charles Rankin, professor of endodontics.

Tooth Day at Fenway was the first of three events Tufts students organized in conjunction with the Boston Red Sox to promote the importance of oral hygiene and overall dental health. Working with Dr. Charles Steinberg, the Sox’ executive vice president of public affairs, a dentist and a second-generation Alpha Omega member, Heidi Birnbaum, president of the Tufts chapter of Alpha Omega, and outreach co-chairs Lindsey McElligott and Amanda Kopacz developed a three-prong program to bring oral health and oral cancer recognition to the baseball fans of Boston. “There are so many times during a Red Sox game that you see players chewing a wad of tobacco,” said Birnbaum. “I wanted to speak out about the dangers of chewing tobacco and oral cancer.”

Prior to the game, a video of Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell discussing oral hygiene was shown on the “Jumbotron.” For their educational outreach, the Tufts students received tickets to the game. The Sox beat Kansas City, 1-0.

Welcome Home
The School of Dental Medicine is pleased to welcome Catherine Hayes, D87, back to her alma mater. After a search of national scope, Hayes has been appointed professor and chair of the newly established Department of Public Health and Community Service. She was a member of Tufts’ full-time faculty from 1993 to 1998, when she held two leadership positions—head of the Division of Public Health and director of graduate studies. Her ability to oversee our community outreach programs and to supervise our master’s program was exceptional.

Hayes left Tufts in 1998 for a full-time faculty position in the Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She was an associate professor, with a secondary appointment in Harvard’s School of Public Health.

A gifted teacher, Hayes received numerous teaching awards at Harvard, including Outstanding Faculty Member and Distinguished Junior and Senior Faculty awards. At Harvard, she was director of the pre-doctoral curriculum in oral health policy and epidemiology and director of pre-doctoral research.

Hayes is also an outstanding scientist. Her major areas of research interest include the elimination of disparities in oral health care, environmental risk factors for craniofacial anomalies and evidence-based dentistry. She currently is working under a grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to study the effect of severe early childhood caries and weight in children.

On the national stage, Hayes is a member of the national advisory panel of the American Dental Education Association, advising schools of public health on the benefits of folic acid supplementation. She is also a director and treasurer of the American Board of Dental Public Health. As a member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Oral Health, Hayes is a well-known and respected leader.

Hayes shares our vision for this new department, which will enhance the school’s ability to advance the university’s mission of active citizenship Dean Lonnie H. Norris said.

Wilkins Honored by the American Academy of Periodontology
Esther M. Wilkins, D49, DG66, clinical professor of periodontology, is a 2006 recipient of the American Academy of Periodontology’s (AAP) Fellowship Award. The award was presented at the academy’s 92nd annual meeting in San Diego in September and cited “her devotion, time and energy to the field of periodontology, including her service to the AAP and dental and dental hygiene education.”

The Fellowship Award, funded by Procter & Gamble Co., is given annually in recognition of distinguished service to the academy, which has 8,000 members specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth and in the placement and maintenance of dental implants. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.

Delta Dental Receives Award
Delta Dental of Massachusetts, the largest provider of dental benefits in the state, has won the 2006 Boston Business Journal Healthcare Partner of the Year award for its partnership with Tufts University School of Dental Medicine on programs serving victims of domestic violence and those with special needs.

The award was presented at the BBJ’s Corporate Philanthropy Summit on September 6. Dean Norris represented the school at the event. Kathleen O’Loughlin, D81, is president and CEO of Delta Dental, which earlier this year awarded the dental school a $5 million endowment to improve care and access to care for underserved populations, including those with special needs.

In recognition of their support of TUSDM, O’Loughlin and Robert Hunter, D’63, former president and CEO of Delta Dental each received the Dean’s Medal at the Toast to Tufts celebration on September 8th.

Missionto Ecuador
Dr.Aidee Herman, associate clinical professor of periodontology, led her second humanitarian mission to Ecuador August 20-29, in partnership with the Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association (MHDA) and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Accompanying Herman were Gerard Kugel, associate dean for research; Melvin Miller, assistant professor of general dentistry; and Susana Ferreira, assistant professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry.

Aurora Alva, Justin Griffee, Jasmin Henville, Renee Osofsky, Katerina Pellino, Jeff Segnere and Jeffrey Stathis, all members of the Class of 2007, also participated as did Hamid Esbah, D92, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Lowell, Mass.

The team spent three days providing dental care to 375 patients; they performed 410 procedures. Treatment included oral health instruction, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, extractions, simple and complex restorations and pulpotomies. In addition, Esbah spent more than 10 hours successfully treating a 13-year-old girl who suffered from Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic, craniofacial birth defect characterized by a range of distinctive facial anomalies.

The team’s last day of providing dental care was cancelled due to the eruption of Volcano Tungurahua in the town of Ibarra.

Reception for New Faculty
To enhance the process of meeting new faculty appointed to the school’s nine departments, Dean Lonnie H. Norris has initiated semi-annual faculty receptions. He hosted the first reception on September 20 in the Becker Alumni Center, and all faculty were invited to meet their new colleagues.

International Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Dentistry
Rory O’Neill, assistant clinical professor of periodontology, wants to inform faculty and students about the first international meeting of the International Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Dentistry, of which he is a co-founder. All are invited to attend the first meeting that will be held in Vienna, Austria, on October 20-21.

E-mail rory.oneill@tufts.edu to learn more about this unique meeting to foster excellence and multidisciplinary dentistry. For more information about the organization, go to http://www.iaaid.org.

Senior Faculty Promotions

Barry Briss to professor of orthodontics
Roya Zandparsa to associate professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry
Debbie Eisen to associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry
Steven Eisen to associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry
Judith Goldstein to associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry

 

 

October 27, 2006

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

 

Annual Golf Tournament
The School’s annual “Wide Open Golf Tournament” was held September 25th at the Andover Country Club in Andover, MA. The tournament raised $14,665 for the Student Loan Fund. Over its 24 year history it has raised a total of $219,469 for the Dental Alumni Student Loan Fund. “Wide Open 2007” will be held on September 17, 2007 at Mount Pleasant Country Club in Boylston, MA.

Inaugural Lecture Presented by Recipient of Endowed Professorship
The establishment of the Delta Dental of Massachusetts Professorship in Public Health and Community Service was celebrated on October 24th with a lecture by its recipient, Catherine Hayes, DMD, DMSc, D’87. Hayes’ lecture was on the topic of Access to Dental Care: Challenges and Strategies. A reception followed in the Becker Alumni Center. In addition, President Lawrence Bacow hosted a dinner at the President’s house in recognition of Delta Dental of Massachusetts’ Leadership and Dr. Hayes.

Student Receives Award at ADA Meeting
Congratulations to Winna Goldman, D'08, for her 3rd place award at the ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Program during the American Dental Association's Annual Session in Las Vegas last week. Winna's trip to the ADA Session was a result of her 1st place award at Tufts' annual Bates-Andrews Student Research Day, held on Feb. 22, 2006. Winna's research mentor is Dr. Jonathan Garlick, Director of the Division of Cancer Biology & Tissue Engineering, Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

Student Selected for National Student Research Group
Sarah Stipho D’08 was selected to serve on the board of the National Student Research Group (NSRG). Sarah attended the group's annual meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 25th. The group discussed a variety of topics including how to promote dental research and the benefits of research in dentistry. The group also organized events and planned discussion meetings that will take place during the AADR meeting in New Orleans in March 2007.

Alum Receives Distinguished Service Award from American Dental Association
Dr. Charles A. “Scotty” McCallum, D’51, was recognized by the American Dental Association with its Distinguished Service Award. McCallum has dedicated his professional life to dental education and organized dentistry. He served as dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama and later as President of UAB from 1987-1993.

Series of Luncheons Begins with Part-time Faculty
A series of luncheons for part-time faculty, hosted by Dean Norris, began on October 26th. These luncheons will include a brief update of the accreditation process as well as the chance to discuss how best the School can meet the needs of its students, patients and faculty. If you are a part-time faculty member and would like to attend a luncheon, there are four more opportunities: November 17, 20, 21 or 22nd. Please contact Linda Nolan at 617-636-3952 or e-mail her at Linda.nolan@tufts.edu if you wish to attend.

Save the Date! University-wide Conference on Teaching and Learning
The topic this year is “Considering Ethics in Teaching, Learning and Research”. The conference will be held Wednesday, December 13, 2006 from 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. (Breakfast and Lunch included) Location: Sackler Building, Boston campus. Keynote Presentation: "How Bioethics Started a Revolution in Applied Ethics Teaching" Michael A. Grodin, M.D. Prof. of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health; Prof. of Socio-Medical Sciences, Community Medicine and Psychiatry, BU School of Medicine; Professor of Philosophy, BU; Co-Director, Boston Center for Refuge

 

 

November 30, 2006

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

 

TuftsUniversity Launches New Capital Campaign
Tufts officially launched its “Beyond Boundaries: The Campaign for Tufts” capital campaign with a celebration November 3 at Boston’s Wang Center. The university’s goal is to raise $1.2 billion over the next five years. The goal for the School of Dental Medicine is $40 million. The campaign centers on five key investments: supporting the student experience, fostering an outstanding faculty, building and enhancing facilities, supporting academic innovation and growing annual support for current initiatives.

Student Receives Research Award
Alex Moheban, D08, was awarded the AAFP-AADR National Student Research Group Award in Fixed Prosthodontics and will be presenting his research poster at the annual session of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics in Chicago February 23-24, 2007. He is receiving a $1,000 cash award to offset the cost of expenses and travel to the annual session and a waiver of the meeting registration fee.

Alumnus Elected to the Royal College of Surgeons
The Royal College of Surgeons of England inducted Donald Booth, DG66, professor and chair emeritus of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Boston University School of Dental Medicine, as a fellow of dental surgery at a ceremony at the college’s London headquarters on November 3. The college has elected just four American oral and maxillofacial surgeons in its history.

Accreditation Update
Various school committees are reviewing data and writing reports for the dental school’s self-study in preparation for accreditation. In addition, Dean Lonnie H. Norris has hosted luncheons with part-time faculty to inform them of the self-study’s progress, gather input from their areas of responsibility and seek suggestions for improvement. The dean called the luncheons “very productive”.

Research Abstract Booklet Available
The School of Dental Medicine has published the 2005-06 volume of student and faculty research abstracts, featuring research presented at Bates-Andrews Day last spring.

It has been a very active year for research, with 93 presentations and abstracts in the areas of cancer biology and tissue engineering, caries, dental materials, endodontics, implantology, oral biology/bone remodeling, periodontal disease, radiography and salivary and lacrimal glands.

If you’d like a copy, contact Eileen Doherty, chair of the Research Committee, at eileen.doherty@tufts.edu.

 

 

December 15, 2006

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

 

Note from Dean Norris
The holiday season is officially here, and we are keeping busy with travel, parties, shopping and sending greetings. In all of this holiday rush, I hope each of us finds time to reflect and be grateful for all we have in our lives and in our nation. I hope each of us also finds time to share our blessings with others and offer encouragement and support when needed. Wishing you peace, happiness and fulfillment in the New Year.
—Lonnie H. Norris, D.M.D.

Surviving Oral Cancer
Professional story teller and cancer survivor Eva Grayzel presented her inspirational story on December 7 in Merritt Auditorium. The lecture was sponsored by the oral pathology department and was open to all students, faculty and staff.

Grayzel, a non-drinker and non-smoker, was diagnosed with advanced oral cancer of the tongue eight years ago at the age of 33. She spoke about the frustration of getting an accurate diagnosis, the misery of the surgical reconstruction of her tongue, the side effects of radiation therapy and the impact on her family. She addressed the audience as “just people,” not as health care professionals. She spoke in general terms about how to provide support to someone who is ill and to remember that caregivers need attention, too.

Because her oral cancer was missed by her general dentist and oral surgeon (it was finally diagnosed by an oncologist), part of Grayzel’s mission is to seek an American Dental Association requirement that dentists take continuing education courses in oral cancer detection. For more information about Grayzel, visit her website http://www.EvaGrayzel.com.

As part of her advocacy efforts, Grayzel developed Sextet Screening, a website that demonstrates the six steps to a thorough oral cancer screening (http://www.sextetscreening.org).

Advanced Education Committee Merges with Graduate Studies Committee
The Tufts University trustees have approved the merger of the dental school’s standing committees on Advanced Education and Graduate Studies into a new committee, the Advanced and Graduate Education Committee.

The committee is chaired by Petros Damoulis (periodontology). The merger was requested to provide more efficient governance of both programs and facilitate communication with the Offices of Admissions and Student Affairs. Merging the two committees will also serve to enhance administrative communication and decision-making efficiency in the coordination of the overlapping schedules of the Graduate Studies and Advanced Education programs.

“Esther M. Wilkins Day”
To commemorate Dr. Esther Wilkins’ 90th birthday as well as her contributions to the field of dental hygiene, the Boston City Council declared December 9th “Esther M. Wilkins Day” in the City. Wilkins wrote "Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist", considered the definitive text on dental hygiene and now in its Ninth Edition. After graduating from Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists in 1939, Wilkins worked as a dental hygienist for several years before she entered Tufts School of Dental Medicine. She received her D.M.D. degree in 1949 and later earned the postgraduate certificate in periodontology in 1966, also from Tufts. Wilkins has been a member of the faculty since 1966 and continues to teach one day a week.

Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics
Associate Dean Nancy Arbree has been named president-elect of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics. Alper Comut, assistant professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry, was appointed a new associate fellow of the academy.