General News

UB School of Dental Medicine Receives Inspiring Programs in STEM Award

FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine’s Destination Dental School (DDS) has received the Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

As a recipient of the annual award—a national honor recognizing colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)—UB will be featured in the September 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine, along with 82 other recipients.

The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected based on their efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research and successful programs and initiatives.

UB’s hybrid online and in-person summer pathway program is free and open to undergraduate students and bachelor degree recipients interested in a career in dentistry. It

provides participants with an understanding of the day-today life of a dentist and dental student, helps strengthen their dental school applications and develops their skills as researchers. This year’s program wrapped up with in-person programming June 23-27 on the South Campus.

“Faculty, staff and students put extensive effort into providing this unique opportunity for underrepresented students interested in the dental profession,” says Simone Duarte, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., associate dean for faculty affairs, equity, diversity and inclusion. “Destination Dental School fellows not only engage in activities that make the dental profession come alive, but they also learn about the intricacies of the field and how best to prepare their applications for dental school.”

UB dental alumna Arian Johnson, D.D.S., ’21, founded Destination Dental School in 2021 after recognizing a lack of resources for students like herself when she applied to dental school. In 2022, the DDS program partnered with the Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway to Dentistry program to combine virtual and in-person events.

NYU College of Dentistry Names Implant Dentistry Fellowship in Recognition of Major Gift from Alumni Noel Liu and Nazish Jafri

NYU College of Dentistry has received a multimillion gift from alumni Noel Liu, D.D.S. (’07), and Nazish Jafri, D.D.S. (’11), to enhance the college’s programs in implant dentistry and improve access to dental education and care.

In recognition of the gift, the college’s advanced training program in implant dentistry will be renamed the Liu Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Implant Dentistry. A portion of the gift—$1 million—will be dedicated to scholarships for dentists enrolling in the fellowship, creating the Liu Scholars. Having already made the decision to support the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities, where one of the treatment rooms will be named for them, their gift will expand their support to the NYU Dentistry Ashman Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry and the Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), among other areas of the college.

Dr. Liu and Dr. Jafri are the cofounders and owners of Secure Dental, a dental service organization with more than 10 dental practices in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, with plans to expand to Tennessee. The husband-and-wife team began their careers after graduating from NYU College of Dentistry.

The Liu Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Implant Dentistry at NYU Dentistry is a two-year, full-time program designed for U.S. and foreign-trained dentists seeking to enhance their clinical skills and knowledge in implant dentistry.

The fellowship involves clinical experience, didactics and research to equip dentists to excel in the field, balancing restorative and surgical experience.

Drs. Liu and Jafri have maintained a connection to NYU Dentistry through invited guest lectures to first-year dental students; they will continue to impart their expertise to students through mentorship and regular guest lectures.