M Dentistry - Spring 2026

For the University of Michigan School of Dentistry Community | Spring 2026

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Getting Their Start Ne w

Recent U-M dentistry grads choose wide variety of first jobs, locations

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Dear Alumni and Friends, Part of my message at our annual commencement ceremony in May was that our school must continue to adapt to constant changes in nearly every aspect of clinical dentistry and research. Rather than rest on our laurels, as an educational enterprise we need to continually ask ourselves: “How are we doing?”

Dean’s Message

Among the many ways to answer that question, perhaps one of the most important is to talk with our graduates once they are out into the early stages of their careers. For our cover story in this issue of M Dentistry, we reached out to a sample of our DDS graduates from the last two years – 2024 and 2025 – to document the wide variety of first steps and locations where they are building the foundations of their careers. Among the details each of our new alumni shared were some unsolicited endorsements of their time at the dental school.

One gratifying example came from Dr. Ryan Himmel, who graduated in 2024 and has returned to his roots in western Michigan to purchase a family dentistry practice in Otsego. He had always hoped to own a small-town dental practice where he could make a difference in the community, and now he has. As he described his experience thus far, he shared this insight: “Looking back, one of the biggest things I’ve come to appreciate is just how impactful my mentors were during my time in school. At the time, it’s easy to be focused on getting through requirements and day-to-day clinic responsibilities, but now I honestly wish I could go back and thank some of them more. They did an incredible job preparing me – not just clinically, but for the realities of practicing dentistry outside of an academic setting. While school and the ‘real world’ are definitely different, that foundation made a huge difference in helping me feel confident early on.”

Several other recent graduates offered similar remarks about being pleasantly surprised at how confident they felt as they practiced in their first jobs, whether in private practice, community clinics, graduate specialty residencies, or the military. It reaffirms that our graduates’ high achievement is inextricably linked to the quality of our team of faculty, staff and administrators who create, implement and constantly improve our robust educational and patient care programs.

For what’s next, Look to Michigan! And Go Blue!

Sincerely,

Jacques Nör, Dean Donald A. Kerr Collegiate Professor of Dentistry

In this Issue Spring 2026

Volume 42, Number 1

M Dentistry is published twice a year for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the School of Dentistry. See the school website at www.dent.umich.edu for more news and features.

Dean..................................................................................Jacques Nör Director of Marketing & Communications.................Raymond Aldrich Editor................................................................................Lynn Monson Magazine Design.................................................................Ken Rieger Photographers..................... Jeff Smith, Lon Horwedel, Lynn Monson, Celia Alcumbrack, Mary Lewandowski, Ken Rieger University of Michigan School of Dentistry Alumni Society Board of Governors: Terms Expire Fall 2026: Chair: Jake DeSnyder, DDS ’67, Plattsburgh, N.Y. William Mason, DDS ’81, MS ’84, Saginaw, Mich.

Michael Palaszek, DDS ’82, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Scott Szotko, DDS ’99, La Jolla, Calif.

Elizabeth Milewski, BSDH ’15, Ionia, Mich.

Christine Farrell, BSDH ’81, Lansing, Mich.

Terms Expire Fall 2027: Amin Jaffer, DDS ’97, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Mona Riaz, BSDH ’12, MS ’20, Farmington Hills, Mich.

Chair-elect: Riley Schaff, DDS ’17, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Joseph Yancho, DDS ’18, Traverse City, Mich.

Alicia Worden, BSDH ’19, Linden, Mich.

Robert Dost, DDS ’80, Lexington, Mich.

Terms Expire Fall 2028: Immediate Past Chair: Debra Lisull, DH Cert ’74, BSDH ’79, DDS ’83, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Allan Padbury, Jr, DDS ’99, MS ’02, Jackson, Mich.

Ivy Wei, MS ’22, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Derik DeConinck, DDS ’95, Grad Cert ’98, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Maureen MacLellan, DH Cert ’77, BSDH ’86, Clinton Township, Mich.

Brittany Forga, BSDH ’10, Van Buren Township, Mich.

Ex Officio Members: Jacques Nör, Dean Carrie Towns, Chief Development Officer

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FACULTY

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RESEARCH

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DENTAL HYGIENE

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The Regents of the University: Jordan A. Acker, Michael J. Behm, Mark J. Bernstein, Paul W. Brown, Sarah Hubbard, Denise Ilitch, Carl J. Meyers, Katherine E. White, Domenico Grasso (ex officio) Send comments and updates to: dentistry.communications@umich.edu or Communications, School of Dentistry, 1011 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078 The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office (ECRT), 2030 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. © 2026 The Regents of the University of Michigan

On the Cover Recent grads (clockwise from lower left) are Drs. Bradley Harrison, Mollie Falchook, Ryan Himmel and Ashley Reece.

See story on Page 2.

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The variety of jobs and locations that recent DDS graduates are choosing

It didn’t take long for graduates of the last couple of DDS classes at the School of Dentistry to spread out all over the country, and some to even more distant points, as they took the first steps in their careers.

with a low rate of response about next jobs.

Perhaps there was more indecision or jobhunting procrastination back then, or maybe just a vibe of non-conformity as they finally headed out the door of the dental school.

After spending four years doing almost everything in unison – sitting side-by-side in all the same lecture halls and classrooms, then mastering the patient experience sideby-side in the same cubicles and clinics – the recent graduates have dispersed out into the world on their individual journeys, as they always do.

By comparison, the current detailed spreadsheets of the most recent classes are remarkable for their specificity and the variety of first steps and destinations. Some of the most popular professional choices are the same year after year, while the mix of others can vary significantly from class to class for nebulous reasons as unique as the makeup of each class.

It’s a life step likely to evoke nostalgia for alumni looking back from the comfort of a well-developed career or from the satisfaction of retirement. That first job with the dentist who took them in as an associate.

That difficult decision to stay in school and keep paying tuition for graduate specialty training, which eventually paid big dividends and made it all worthwhile. Those early days after hanging out the dentist shingle when the patient list was short, the phone didn’t ring and the bills didn’t stop.

Today’s graduates will run into all of those memories some day and many more. But for now, they are fresh out of the gate, seeking to establish a firm footing in the profession of dentistry. M Dentistry magazine contacted a selection of graduates from 2024 and 2025 to ask how their start is going.

The dental school conducts an exit survey of each class, asking graduates what job or educational step is next and where. The school has done this dating back several decades, although some of the surveys from 20 or 30 years ago were more informal 2

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FEATURES M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Private practice, usually as an associate in an established practice, remains the most common choice as it has since the dawn of dental schools. Moving forward for more training in the dentistry specialties is the next most common destination, also a longstanding choice. Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and General Practice Residency (GPR) programs are popular and take students to medical centers and university health systems around the country.

As it has for decades, military service draws a significant number of graduates, who are often serving to meet their obligation after receiving a military Health Professions Scholarship. Community dentistry choices – in a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) or other community clinic – remain a steady if not widely chosen option.

Even as private practice remains the top choice for 50 percent of graduates nationally, according to the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), one career opportunity that continues to gain traction is working for Continued on page 4.

Post-Graduation Plans for DDS Classes of 2024 and 2025 The following chart breaks down exit surveys in which graduates reported the next step they would be taking after graduation; 125 reported in 2024 and 127 reported in 2025.

Class of

2024 2025

Private Practice Associate Graduate Specialty Residency DSO/Corporate Military FQHC/Community Clinic AEGD GPR Practice Owner Research Faculty Other

57 19 10 9 9 7 6 0 0 0 8

53 33 10 4 4 8 6 1 1 1 6

57 59 9

46 72 9

In- vs. Out-of-State Michigan Other Not sure

Graduate Specialty Breakdown: Orthodontics Pediatrics OMFS Periodontics OMF Radiology Endodontics Prosthodontics Oral Medicine

4 5 3 3 0 2 1 1

10 9 7 3 2 1 0 1

Notes: AEGD – Advanced Education in General Dentistry GPR – General Practice Residency FQHC – Federally Qualified Health Center DSO – Dental Service Organization

Dr. Ryan Himmel Class of 2024 Current position: Owner, Otsego Family Dentistry Where: Otsego, Michigan How he got there: He started as an associate at a practice in southern Michigan, then joined the practice of Dr. Michael Merda in Otsego, which is close to where Himmel grew up in Mattawan and where his family still lives on the west side of the state. In January 2026, he purchased the practice when Merda retired. “During my undergrad years, I spent time shadowing an endodontist, and through that experience I was introduced to Dr. Merda. It’s a great example of how much this profession relies on connections and mentorship.

He was hoping to eventually retire and was looking for someone who would be a good fit for both the practice and the small-town community he had built relationships with over the years. The smalltown aspect was especially meaningful to me. My mom’s side of the family is from the next town over, and my grandparents still live there as well, so this area has always felt like home. There’s something meaningful about serving communities that feel familiar and where relationships truly matter.”

Why private practice?: “From early on, I knew I wanted the opportunity to build something of my own – where I could shape the

Dr. Michelle Steinberg Class of 2025 Current position: Resident in 1-year AEGD program Where: Tibor Rubin Long Beach VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California

patient experience, create a welcoming environment, and provide care the way I believe it should be delivered. It’s a great fit for me because I value long-term relationships and being part of a community, not just working in one. In a smaller, close-knit area, you really get to know your patients over time, and that trust means everything. It makes the work more personal and more rewarding, and it reinforces why I chose this path in the first place.”

How she got there: “My passion for dentistry is rooted in helping others and making those in my chair feel valued and important. In working with veterans, I am able to help those who helped us by serving our country. Each one of my patients has sacrificed to serve our country – some of them more than 50 years ago and some of them only last year. I am able to thank them for their service and give them the attention and care that they deserve. I find this work to be really meaningful. I enjoy it very much.”

Experience so far: “It is a fully packed day of seeing veterans five days a week from 8-4. I usually see between 6-8 patients a day. My first six months of the residency I was completing all things general/ prosthodontics, which included lots of complex, full-mouth rehabilitation, traditional dentures, implant overdentures, implant restorations, direct and indirect restorations. Then I did three months of oral surgery – extractions, bone grafts and placing implants. I got much more comfortable reading and interpreting CBCTs for pathology and for implant planning. Now, my last three-month rotation is a combination of endodontics, periodontics and clearance exams for patients who are scheduled for various surgeries or bisphosphonate therapy. It is a very well-rounded program and challenges me every day to be a strong, independent clinician. After this year, I hope to pursue general dentistry and apply the advanced skills I have acquired to a private practice setting. I miss the classroom, though, so I hope to make my way back to education, possibly as a clinical instructor.”

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Getting Their Start (Continued from page 2.)

a Dental Service Organization. That wasn’t a widespread option until the last 15 years or so when the number of DSOs grew rapidly.

Ten U-M grads in both 2024 and 2025 chose that option, representing about 16 percent of those choosing private practice. That’s considerably below the national average ADEA reported in 2025 when its survey found that 32 percent of new grads who were going into private practice planned to join a DSO, which was a significant increase over the 16 percent reported in the 2018 ADEA survey.

The other aspect of the new graduates' decisions, beyond job or next education step, is location.

Geographic destinations are all over the Michigan map and the national map, literally from coast to coast. Given that incoming U-M dental classes are usually somewhere near 60 percent Michigan residents, it’s not surprising that about half of the graduating class chooses work or advanced education within the state. For the 2024 class, not counting the several who hadn’t decided on their first step, 49 percent were staying in Michigan and 51 were going elsewhere. In the 2025 class, in an example of how stats

can inexplicably veer off the usual trend line in any given year, only 39 percent of those reporting a destination were staying in Michigan and 61 percent were going out outside the state.

For those staying in Michigan in the 2025 class, the common destinations of Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek were joined by Ypsilanti, Flint, Grand Haven, Troy, Adrian, Zeeland, Dearborn, Ithaca, Cadillac, Milford, Jackson, Bellaire and Napolean. Nationally, the class listed the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware and Florida, along with Toronto, Canada.

The following pages share insights from a few of the school’s 2024 and 2025 DDS graduates about their choice of where to start their post-dental school career. In their first year, or first two years, depending on their graduation date, most have settled into their original job or educational next step. Some, however, have already moved on to a second

Dr. Ashley Reece Class of 2024 Current position: Dentist and Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Where: Camp Lejeune, North Carolina How she got there: “I have always wanted to serve my country somehow. Once I found out about the Navy scholarship program, I felt like this was a way that I could use my skills and my knowledge to serve, by taking care of service members who are serving our country every day.”

The military drill: Camp Lejeune is a Marine Corps base that is home to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force and about 40,000 active duty Marines and Sailors. Reece is in the 2nd Dental Battalion, which is a Navy support battalion that provides healthcare for both Navy and Marine personnel. Camp Lejeune has nine dental clinics, but her responsibilities go well beyond dentistry. That’s because working with the Marines is the so-called “green side” of the Navy vs. the “blue side,” which would be at a naval base or on a ship. “Basically, when you are ‘green side,’ you have to train and prepare for deployment with Marines,” Reece said. “Because of this, we are constantly doing

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employer or location, particularly those in the military service who are assigned to a series of training locations and postings as part of their orders.

One of the remarkable themes that came through in all of the written responses to queries from M Dentistry magazine was gratitude for their time at the dental school.

Several mentioned they were surprised by how ready and experienced they felt as they began what amounts to their first job, whether as a dentist in private practice or as a dentist undergoing additional AEGD, GPR or other training.

Dr. Michelle Steinberg (DDS 2025) perhaps said it best, about her year as a resident helping military veterans in the AEGD program at the VA hospital in Long Beach, California. “It has been very rewarding to put my skills to use as a real-life working dentist.

I am able to see how my hands, my skills, and my knowledge can change a person’s life. Until you leave the school environment, you don’t really get to appreciate how much you really do know!”

Following are brief summaries of the recent grads like Steinberg who are getting their start in many ways in many places.

■

a lot of trainings and exercises to keep up with the operations tempo and to always be ‘mission ready’ if we are needed.”

The positives: “Being in the military has given me so many opportunities to explore other specialties, coordinate care directly with our specialists, and to receive such high-quality mentorship within my first two years. The biggest highlight of working here is getting to see the direct impact we have on taking care of our Marines and sailors – helping them improve their oral hygiene with education and providing them with the gold standard of care without having to worry about insurance coverage or them being able to pay for a treatment they need.”

How he got there: “I grew up in Decatur, Illinois, about three hours from Chicago. While I had not always planned to work in Chicago, I recognized the significant need in a large urban setting, particularly in Illinois, where Medicaid dental coverage and reimbursement rates are comparatively low. This led me to believe that the need in these communities is especially great, and I felt called to help address that gap.”

The rewards: “Practicing in a community health setting offers rewards that are difficult to quantify, from patients expressing gratitude after many years without care, or parents relieved to finally secure treatment for their children after trying to find a provider that they can reach with public transportation who accepts their insurance.

What I find most fulfilling is the ability to make an impact beyond oral health by helping connect patients with resources that support their overall well-being, including mental health services, systemic health, food security, and housing support.

Dr. Bradley Harrison Class of 2024 Current position: Dentist and dental director for community health system Where: Chicago Family Health Center; South Chicago and Pullman locations

Dr. Sarah M. Carter Class of 2025 Current position: Resident in pediatric graduate program

The challenges: “I have had the privilege of connecting with individuals deeply committed to advancing the profession and serving underserved populations. At the same time, I have encountered challenges, particularly related to recent changes in the funding landscape for community health centers and Medicaid. Dental clinics at FQHCs are becoming more vulnerable and likely to be impacted negatively due to these changes. I would encourage alumni to consider ways to support community dental clinics through financial contributions, volunteering or advocacy.

Dental school: “I am incredibly grateful for my time at the University of Michigan. This January I attended an alumni dinner in Bonita Springs, where I met many U-M SoD alumni in the southwest Florida region and heard their stories from dental school. Even though I had graduated decades after some of the doctors I met, we all reminisced together on our four years in Ann Arbor. Go Blue!”

Where: University of Florida College of Dentistry, Naples location How she got there: “I entered dental school excited about general dentistry, but I quickly gained experiences that helped me discover my passion to pursue pediatrics. When choosing a residency, I wanted to find a program with as much respect and as many resources as the U-M SoD. UF seemed like a great opportunity to learn at another powerhouse institution.”

Residency details: “UF has one pediatric dental program in two locations – Gainesville and Naples. Gainesville is more hospitaldentistry-based, while Naples has more of a focus on public health.

My typical week is mainly clinical experiences. We are scheduled for 12-18 patients a day – a mix of recalls, ops, sealants, etc. We also have rotations in our sensory clinic, community outreach and sedation. We work with our outreach team in schools or in a free clinic in Immokalee, Florida, one or two times a month. On average, I am in the OR treating patients under general anesthesia 2-3 times a month, and we have additional opportunities to practice moderate sedation as well.”

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How he got there: Drew is a native of Vancleave, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. He and his wife Emily both ventured north to U-M for advanced degrees after completing their undergraduate studies in Mississippi. While Drew was earning his DDS at U-M, Emily was completing her PhD in biophysics. “I knew since my D3 year of dental school that I wanted to return back down South, and after a lot of research and consideration with my wife, we settled on Alabama.

This allowed me to be closer to where I grew up and enjoy the hospitality that comes with being in the South, while also being near to an academic hub for Emily.” She is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Drew initially joined a practice in a city in northern Alabama, then on April 1, 2026, he started as an associate at a practice in Sylacauga, a town of about 12,000 that is 50 miles southeast of Birmingham. “Being from a small rural town, I always knew that I wanted to work in a rural private practice, while also implementing modern technologies to best serve patients. My new office, Southern Smiles of Sylacauga, is just that.”

Dr. Drew Sumrall Class of 2025 Current position: Associate dentist in private practice

The U-M effect: “So far, the most surprising thing to me is how competent I have felt since graduating. I have felt more than capable of operating independently to provide the level of care my patients need. I credit this largely to my external community rotations, as well as my time spent independently learning from faculty both in and out of the clinic.

Where: Sylacauga, Alabama

Dr. Colleen Freund Class of 2024 Current position: Dentist at a Federal Qualified Health Center Where: Northwest Michigan Health Services in Benzonia, Michigan How she got there: Colleen began her dentistry journey as a dental hygienist in 2012 after graduating from Lansing Community College.

Five years later she enrolled at the U-M dental school to complete a bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene, which she achieved in 2019 with the intent of going on for a DDS. She was accepted into the U-M DDS program with the Class of 2024. Her National Health Service Corps Scholarship required that, after graduation, she find a clinic with certain criteria. “My specific year required a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score of 20 or higher; my clinic had a 23 when I signed my contract. I completed one of my D4 external rotations with Northwest Michigan Health Services, so that, in addition to being from Traverse City, led me to this specific location.”

The daily routine: “We have patients scheduled on the hour, but are also a walk-in clinic, so in addition to regularly scheduled patients we fit those into our schedule with the goal of providing treatment and not just a limited exam. At my facility we primarily provide restorative and extraction services.”

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The rewards: “Being able to work in a HPSA has been very meaningful to me as you are routinely helping those with significant socioeconomic barriers. It’s also helpful working in a FQHC as we work alongside medical and behavioral health disciplines, making it simpler to coordinate a patient’s comprehensive care.

How he got there: Clayton is completing a 1-year AEGD program, then will transfer to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington. “My decision to join the military was strongly influenced by my family. I’m a third-generation service member: My grandfather served in an Army artillery unit and my father was an orthodontist in the Air Force for 24 years. I wanted to serve in a meaningful way, and the Army offered a unique opportunity to combine that desire with advanced clinical training, such as the AEGD program.”

Dr. Clayton Ford Class of 2025 Current position: Dentist and Captain in the U.S. Army

The routine: “My weekly schedule is structured around specialty rotations, including endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics and comprehensive care. I treat patients Monday through Thursday, with Fridays dedicated to didactics – typically lectures in the morning from mentors or guest speakers, followed by journal club, implant board and patient care conferences in the afternoon where we present and discuss complex cases. The biggest highlights have been the breadth of clinical exposure, the mentorship from specialists, and the strong sense of teamwork. One pleasant surprise has been just how collaborative the environment is. Having multiple specialties under one roof creates an incredible learning atmosphere.”

The future: “I’m still early in my career and keeping an open mind.

That said, the continuing education opportunities within military dentistry are extremely appealing, and I’ve really enjoyed the camaraderie of working closely with general dentists and specialists.”

Where: Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina

Dr. Mollie Falchook Class of 2025 Current position: Resident in pediatric graduate program Where: Jacobi Medical Center, the Bronx, N.Y. How she got there: “I applied to 10 programs throughout New York and matched at Jacobi. As a Long Island native, returning to New York was especially meaningful to me, and I was excited to begin this next chapter of my training closer to home.”

language differences and varying levels of health literacy. At the same time, the core of pediatric dentistry has not changed; connecting with children and creating positive experiences is still central to what I do.”

The experience so far: “A pleasant surprise has been how quickly I’ve had to become more independent and resourceful, while still feeling very supported by my co-residents and attendings. I’ve also really enjoyed building relationships with patients and families who come from such different backgrounds; those interactions have reinforced for me how meaningful even small moments of trust and communication can be.”

The routine: “My typical day begins with lecture around 7:30 a.m., followed by clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I usually see between 8-12 patients each day. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as every patient comes from a unique background, and each case presents something new to learn and manage.”

Ann Arbor vs. the Bronx: “Ann Arbor felt like a structured, closeknit college town, while the Bronx is fast-paced, diverse and comes with a much busier clinical environment. Although the fundamentals of dentistry remain the same – building trust, providing quality care and emphasizing prevention – the patient population here presents a broader range of needs. There are higher rates of untreated caries, more dental emergencies, and barriers such as limited access to care, FEATURES Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

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How he got there: In an interview on his first day at the dental school for orientation in 2020 (after the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the in-person start of the Class of 2024), Do said this about his future plans: “I hope to deliver dental care to underserved communities, and I feel dentistry is a great medium through which I can enact meaningful, positive change in communities.” It’s what he has been doing for the last two years at Neighborhood Health.

Is it what he hoped for?: “What appeals to me most about working in a community health clinic is the sense of fulfillment I have when working with the underserved patient population. Oftentimes, FQHCs and community clinics are the patients’ only option for medical and dental care, so it’s always a satisfying feeling knowing that I am able to provide quality dental care to those who need it most.”

Dr. Justin Do Class of 2024 Current position: Dentist at a Federal Qualified Health Center Where: Neighborhood Health, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Dr. Jenna McKinnon Class of 2024 Current position: Dentist and Captain in the U.S. Air Force Where: Osan Air Force Base in Pyeongtaek City, South Korea How she got there: First stop after graduation was Officer Training School for five weeks at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, followed by a one-year AEGD residency at Travis Air Force Base in California. Then Jenna applied for a transfer to South Korea in what the Air Force calls a “hardship tour,” which means the airman is not joined by family or their spouse; an incentive is a favorable follow-on assignment. McKinnon initially asked for a follow-on to Germany when her year in South Korea is finished, but she is enjoying her South Korean assignment, so she may try to complete her Air Force commitment by staying there two more years.

The daily routine: “I am very much a comprehensive dentist. A typical work week includes a good variety of procedures: molar endo, a lot of CAD/CAM operative procedures (crowns, onlays, some inlays), general restorative (fillings), and usually at least one to two days of surgery. I do a lot of surgical third molar extractions – this is my absolute favorite – and a handful of periodontal surgeries, such as functional and aesthetic crown lengthening, and flap osseous 8

FEATURES M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Daily routine: “I currently work at their newest location (Oxford Clinic), which features brand new operatories and a new CBCT to allow providers to tackle more complex cases. The types of dentistry that are most common are the bread-and-butter procedures – dental fillings, extractions, and fixed/removable prosthodontics. Some of the other services we offer are endodontics, and our clinic sees a lot of pediatric patients with procedures such as restorations, stainless steel crowns, space maintenance, extractions, etc. I typically see about 75-80 patients a week. What I like most about working at Neighborhood Dental is the supportive environment that it provides; I am never afraid to reach out to my colleagues and staff for guidance. Words cannot fully express the amount of growth and knowledge I have gained here!”

for disease control. I would certainly highlight the scope of my clinical practice as one of the best things the military has afforded me this far.”

Thanks: “In the couple of years that I’ve been out of school, I’ve had countless opportunities to grow both professionally and personally, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people and experiences that I was fortunate enough to have at UMich. To all of the staff and mentors at UMich Dental, I am forever grateful.

And to my classmates, I miss you all and love watching everyone’s journeys unfold! GO BLUE!!!!”

How he got there: “I’ve been interested in endo ever since I worked in the endo practice of Dr. Todd Ester and Dr. Brad Griffin in Detroit while I was in undergrad. And once I got to the dental school, I just followed and developed that interest further. I love the meticulous nature of it, being able to get people out of pain, help them with their oral health, and there’s a lot of immediate gratification.”

The daily routine: “The first year has a big literature component to it and we also are taking the classes required by Rackham. So my day is usually half clinic and then the other half is spent in class. We mostly do root canals and retreatments, but we also deal with trauma cases, repair perforations, handle open apex cases, deal with resorption, and perform vital pulp therapy to help prevent or delay the need for a root canal. We also can do surgeries such as apicoectomies, resorption repairs and intentional replantation, but we just finished our surgery literature course as ‘first years’ so we only just got the green light to start planning for those recently.”

Dr. Clarence Cochran II Class of 2024 Current position: Resident in endodontic graduate program

The experience so far: “I am enjoying my residency experience so much! I feel like I truly did land in the best program for me and it is very well-rounded. I’m growing as a clinician, as well as a biological scientist. I’m supported by my co-residents, faculty, the underclassman, as well as administration. I am learning every day, with every class and every patient. I know that in the future I’ll be the amazing endodontist that I was destined to be and help make the lives better of even more patients than I am now.”

Where: University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Dr. Maggie Rathke Class of 2024

Dr. Katie Rathke Class of 2025 Current position: Associate dentists in private practice Where: Bellaire and Elk Rapids, Michigan

with many locals I’ve known my whole life has made it that much more rewarding.”

Katie: “From the moment that I decided I was going to be a dentist, I knew that I would end up back in Bellaire and Elk Rapids working with my dad and my sister. Being around my family and community has always been extremely important to me and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. My sister and I are fourth-generation dentists in this practice and hopefully someday will get to work with our children to keep the family business going for many years to come.

Even though the world has many different practice models and opportunities, working for and serving the community I grew up in is something that I will never regret choosing for my career.”

How they got there: The sisters have joined the practice of their father, Dr. Brian Rathke, which was the family’s longstanding plan.

The three rotate between the practice’s two locations.

Maggie: “We see patients as young as 1 and as old as 100 and everything in between. The majority of what we do is ‘bread and butter dentistry,’ but we provide endodontics, surgery, and removable prosthodontics as well. Our dad has been instrumental in mentoring Katie and me to help us expand our scope of practice and gain confidence with a wide variety of procedures. After having worked in our dental offices from about age 12, I was always pretty set on becoming a general dentist. The ability to provide comprehensive care and establish long-term relationships with our patient families in the community I grew up in has always been a huge draw for me. Coming into practice back in my hometown has been a wonderful experience.

Getting to work alongside colleagues I’ve known for many years and Maggie

Katie

FEATURES Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

9

SCHOOL

After the Gies Award presentation, Laurie McCauley (holding award at center) is joined on stage for a “Go Blue!” celebratory moment with members of the U-M dental school delegation who attended the conference.

Former Dean Receives ADEA Gies Award Former School of Dentistry Dean and current U-M Provost Dr. Laurie McCauley was presented with a prestigious Gies Award – for Eminence in Vision and Leadership – by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) at its annual meeting in March in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

ADEA noted the many ways that McCauley’s career has impacted oral health and health education, with major contributions to national consensus and guidance documents, such as the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health; advocating for the integration of oral health and general health; helping shape the movement toward translational and precision oral health care; and pioneering research that yielded insights into the relationship between the skeletal, immune and oral systems.

“As past dean of the School of Dentistry and current provost at the University of Michigan, her leadership is characterized by groundbreaking scientific inquiry, sector-shaping leadership and deep investment in systemic education change for health equity,” 10 SCHOOL M Dentistry | Spring 2026

the citation said. “She has continually anticipated the evolving needs of oral health education, translating her insight into transformative action and leaving a legacy that will shape the direction of dental education, research and practice for generations to come.”

Before being appointed U-M Provost in 2022, McCauley served as dean of the dental school for nine years beginning in 2013. She joined U-M as an assistant professor of dentistry in 1992, becoming an associate professor in 1996 and professor in 2001. From 2002-12, she chaired the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine.

In 2002, she was appointed associate professor of pathology in the Medical School, becoming a professor in 2009. For nearly 30 years, she has led an active research program in hormonal controls of bone remodeling, parathyroid hormone anabolic actions in bone and prostate cancer skeletal metastasis. As provost she has retained her dental school faculty position as the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Periodontics.

Associate Dean Completes Year of ADEA Leadership For Dr. Todd V. Ester, a year of leading the American Dental Education Association as chair of its board meant an immersion into the broad array of current challenges and new opportunities for advancing the dental education community across the country and world-wide.

A faculty member for more than 20 years and Associate Dean for Well-being and People at the School of Dentistry, Ester centered his leadership on protecting ADEA’s ability to convene, advocate and serve as the unifying voice for U.S. and Canadian dental education and its growing connections to dental schools around the world.

Chairing the ADEA board is a complicated task in any year, but the slate of issues on the agenda for 2025-26 was particularly important to U.S. and Canadian dental schools: Funding pressures to research and to graduate student loans; visa and travel constraints; pressure to eliminate fluoride in public water systems; and intensifying scrutiny of higher education.

For ADEA’s annual session in late March that closed out Ester’s year as chair, he chose the theme, “Bridging Pathways and Advancing Access,” underscoring the importance of community and fellowship.

Ester set the tone at the conference in Montreal, Quebec, with his opening remarks that included, “Cue the joy!”

The session emphasized the importance of community, creativity, collaboration and indomitable hope.

A major measure of Ester’s influence was ADEA’s advocacy. Whereas a typical year would generate five or six resolutions, Ester helped advance more than 14 that were adopted by the organization. At the same time, he worked to support member schools facing complex state and regulatory constraints, including restrictions that limited oral health delivery and licensure details that required alternative approaches, among others. An ongoing goal is to maintain cohesion across institutions while supporting ADEA as the voice of oral health education for all.

As chair of the board, Ester also focused on ADEA’s strategic capacity for member

support. He emphasized the association’s role in helping 78 U.S. and Canadian dental schools share best practices across admissions, accreditation, licensure, governance and professional development. A key step was the rollout of a new data portal designed to provide richer datasets for member institutions, enabling more data-driven planning and decision-making.

Beyond the U.S. and Canada, Ester helped extend ADEA’s global reach by participating in the founding of the African Dental Education Association.

Convening in Casablanca, Morocco, the inaugural meeting of 40 of 81 African dental schools established a new organization to define standards and support for academic dentistry in Africa.

Along with European and international partners, Ester and ADEA Dr. Todd Ester during a presentation at the ADEA leadership helped underscore a annual session in Montreal, Quebec, in March. continuing need: deeper collaboration among dental organizations to amplify shared priorities and practice and the Entrustable Professional resources, a direction he believes will Activities framework. shape ADEA’s next chapter.

Ester’s role as chair brought together high“Being part of the formation of this new impact advocacy, competency modernization organization in Africa was truly a lifewith expanded global engagement and changing event for me,” said Ester. “It was improved data infrastructure, while navigata moment for me to reflect and know that I ing societal and logistical challenges to was exactly where I was supposed to be to keep dental education unified and forwardhelp advocate and build bridges to improve looking. He will continue his leadership oral health on an even broader level.” with ADEA in the next year as past chair of the board.

Another achievement during the year for ADEA was educational standards modernization. After more than two years of committee work, the board of directors and House of Delegates approved updated domains of competence for the general dentist. The working committee was led by Dr. Theodora Danciu, a clinical professor in the U-M dental school’s Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, and included Vidya Ramaswamy, the school’s Director of Curriculum Evaluation. The committee developed the first revision since 2008, aligning expectations with contemporary

“When I consider the importance of ADEA, my time as chair has confirmed that it is essential for our profession, especially in defining what oral health will look like in the future,” Ester said. “I’m also grateful for the impact that our school’s leadership, including former Dean and now U-M Provost Laurie McCauley and Dean Jacques Nör, have had in not only supporting ADEA but also making meaningful contributions to its growth and sustainability. For that, I’m grateful and pleased to have completed my term as chair.”

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Dental School, IADR Honor Faculty Member Hom-Lay Wang

Above: Dr. Hom-Lay Wang (front) is the center of attention as a group of his former graduate perio residents, faculty and adjuncts gather to wish him well during a gala dinner in January.

For more than three decades, Dr. Hom-Lay Wang has shaped the field of periodontics, both at the School of Dentistry and around the world. On January 1, 2026, he chose to step down as Director of Graduate Periodontics after 30 years of transformative service, while remaining as a faculty member and continuing his research.

opening ceremonies of IADR’s annual General Session, held this year in San Diego, California. One of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, it is one of the highest honors bestowed by IADR, recognizing outstanding achievements in research and its translation through clinical research in periodontal disease.

To celebrate his longstanding leadership of the grad perio program and other accomplishments, the school and Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine (POM) hosted a gala dinner on Jan. 24 that was attended by more than 200 guests representing eight countries. Throughout the evening, dental school and U-M leaders, former and current residents, colleagues, friends and family shared reflections on Dr. Wang’s mentorship and educational leadership.

The school announced that it is instituting the Dr. Hom-Lay Wang Chief Resident Award for the periodontics program. The award will celebrate a chief resident who “demonstrates academic excellence, clinical mastery, leadership, and the spirit of mentorship that Dr. Wang so deeply embodies.”

“It is our goal to endow this award so that it may be given in perpetuity, ensuring that Dr. Wang’s influence continues to 12 SCHOOL M Dentistry | Spring 2026

inspire generations of Michigan-trained periodontists,” said Dr. Purnima Kumar, chair of POM. “The chief resident serves as a model of excellence and professionalism, helping to develop the next generation of leaders who will shape policy, advance research, and strengthen the practices and communities they join. By offering scholarships and targeted leadership training, we empower these individuals to refine their skills and prepare for impactful careers.

Through these initiatives, we reaffirm the University of Michigan’s mission to develop the ‘leaders and best.’”

Adding to the acknowledgements of Dr. Wang’s career accomplishments, in March the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) presented Wang with its Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Periodontal Disease.

The honor was announced during

IADR noted that after receiving his specialty degree in periodontics in 1987, Wang has been extremely active and prolific in academia. The organization cited his “significant contributions to the science

Dr. Hom-Lay Wang (right) with one of his longtime collaborators, Dr. Tiziano Testori (left) of Milan, Italy, who is an adjunct faculty member in POM, and POM Chair Dr. Purnima Kumar at the gala event.

of periodontology and oral implantology through his extensive publications, teaching, continuing education courses, and invited lectures. He has published numerous systematic reviews on pertinent topics, providing timely and focused clarification of the available evidence. His body of work includes the authorship or co-authorship of four textbooks, more than 60 book chapters or invited reviews, more than 890 peer-reviewed articles, and more than 250 abstracts.”

Wang, who joined the dental school in 1989 and became director of the graduate perio program in 1995, has served in leadership positions for numerous national and international periodontics and dentistry organizations and boards. He has edited several journals and publications, and received many awards from organizations representing a wide range of dentistry interests. He has served as a visiting professor at Taipei Medical University since 2000, the institution where he earned

his DDS. Among the guests at the dental school’s gala dinner for Wang was the leadership team of the Taiwan Academy of Osseointegration, which presented him with an award and a gift from the President of Taiwan for his role in elevating the profile of Taiwan worldwide.

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School Notes Faculty member Dr. Gustavo Avila-Ortiz, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, is the new Director of Graduate Periodontics at the School of Dentistry. He replaces Dr. Hom-Lay Wang, who stepped down as director of the graduate program in January after 30 years.

Avila-Ortiz is a board-certified periodontist and an internationally recognized educator and researcher in the fields of periodontics and implant dentistry. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry.

He earned his DDS and PhD from the University of Granada in Spain, followed by a Master of Science degree and a Certificate in Periodontics from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He has co-authored numerous articles published in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. He is the co-author of the book “Tissues: Critical Issues in Periodontics and Implant-Related Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” which has been critically acclaimed within the profession and translated into multiple languages. Dr. Avila-Ortiz has received numerous honors, including the AAP Distinguished Scientist Award in 2022.

Dr. Domenica Sweier, Clinical Professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics, has a new title, Director of Clinical Excellence, which replaces her former title as Director of Predoctoral Clinical Education. In announcing the change, effective December 1, Dean Jacques Nör said it reflects the school’s strong commitment to clinical excellence and adhering to the highest standards of care for our patients and training for our students. Dr. Sweier will oversee the implementation of innovative learning and assessment programs that support patient-centered care and further enhance student clinical training.

She will become a member of the school’s leadership team and report directly to the dean. She will continue to lead the Risk Management team under the office of Patient Services.

School Preparing New Health Record System Plans for the School of Dentistry’s new electronic health record system are on track for a late summer launch, following thorough design, testing and training phases of the project. Last November, the school selected Epic as its new electronic health record system, marking a significant milestone for the school’s future in patient care, education and research. Epic will enable a single, secure health record shared across clinical teams, fostering stronger collaboration and supporting the safety of patients.

Providers will have access to a unified medical record containing patient information from other Epic-connected organizations – including Michigan Medicine, Trinity and Corewell, among others. For patients, MyChart will provide a secure online portal to manage appointments, payments and access treatment information. The school will access Epic through PDS Health Technologies, a business unit of PDS Health that has deployed Epic at dental clinics and other dental schools. Looking forward, in addition to serving the patient-care function, the school will take advantage of Cosmos, an Epic-based research platform with large patient datasets that can unlock meaningful insights to help improve treatment outcomes.

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Peter Polverini Reflects on a Lifelong Journey of Discovery Dr. Peter Polverini, the Jonathan Taft Distinguished University Professor of Dentistry, retired at the end of January 2026 after three decades of leadership and scientific research at the U-M School of Dentistry. He earned his DDS in 1973 from Marquette University, then spent four years at Harvard University, where he completed specialty training in oral and maxillofacial pathology and earned his Doctor of Medical Sciences degree. After faculty stops at the University of Pittsburgh and Northwestern University, he joined the U-M dental school as a professor in 1992. He served in department chair roles until leaving in 2000 to become dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. He returned to U-M in 2003 to serve as dean, completing two five-year terms, from 2003-13, before resuming his faculty position and research in vascular biology and cancer biology. In the following first-person essay, he describes how his interest in science evolved into a career merging dentistry, scientific research and academia over the course of more than 50 years.

By Dr. Peter Polverini Science has been the one constant in my life, even as my education was made challenging by an undefined learning disability that made reading and attention difficult. Looking back, I suspect undiagnosed attention deficit disorder. School required effort, structure and patience – qualities I didn’t always have.

These challenges led me to a high school with small classes and in-class support.

There, teachers noticed when I drifted and helped me develop routines that led to success. I never fully overcame my disability, but learned to adapt, realizing

14 SCHOOL M Dentistry | Spring 2026

achievement depends on finding the right conditions, strategies and mentors. This adaptability soon connected directly with my growing scientific interests.

As I adapted academically, my love of science blossomed in high school. Already fascinated by chemistry and biology as a child, I was nurtured by my parents with a chemistry set and a microscope. I used them seriously, collecting specimens and spending hours observing, dissecting, and seeking to understand the living world. That impulse to explore – to look closely and ask ‘why?’

– stayed with me. Science felt like discovery, not memorization, and this perspective shaped my next steps.

In college, I pursued independent research in the anatomy department at Marquette University Medical School. However, the transition from my small high school was tough, and I nearly flunked out in my first year. With help from an instructor focused on my attention and study habits, I recovered.

Armed with new strategies, I excelled from sophomore year onward, earning a 3.5 GPA and making the dean’s list. More importantly, I regained confidence beyond my early academic struggles. This confidence shaped my plans as graduation approached.

As graduation neared, I wanted to continue in science but wasn’t sure how. Guidance from a family dentist led me to dentistry as a way to combine science with patient care.

I applied and was accepted to Marquette University School of Dentistry, where dental training clarified my interest in disease.

Pursuing independent research on oral cancer using the hamster cheek pouch model, I often spent long hours in the lab. Looking back, I used carcinogens with less caution than today, but the experience was formative.

After a pathology course, my path was clear: I wanted to focus on oral pathology. This new direction motivated my next move.

With my sights set on pathology, I prepared to apply for advanced training at the University of Minnesota, then a leading oral pathology program. Unexpectedly, I received a call offering a spot in the Doctor of Medical Science program and oral pathology training at Harvard. Arriving felt like stepping into a world brimming with scientific energy and outstanding scientists.

For someone who once struggled to stay focused, it felt like being a kid in a candy store, setting the stage for profound growth.

Peter Polverini shares some of his research expertise in this photo taken in his lab in 1999.

My direction took shape during those years.

I trained in Ramzi Cotran’s lab, which is centrally located on campus, and in Judah Folkman’s Vascular Biology Program.

When Michael Gimbrone joined Cotran’s lab, he helped pioneer vascular endothelial cell culture, advancing cardiovascular and cancer research. I spent time in Folkman’s lab, learning polymer methods to study blood vessel growth. Judah’s team focused on tumor angiogenesis; we pursued vascular proliferation in chronic inflammation. That intellectual neighborhood, where ideas moved fast and standards were high, shaped the scientist I aimed to be.

Beyond experiments, Harvard accelerated my growth as a scientist by emphasizing communication. When Ramzi asked for a draft of what became my first paper in the Journal of Immunology, my initial version was rough. He transformed it with clarity and structure, teaching me that writing is thinking and that scientific writing demands humility, revision and continuous improvement. This formative experience sharpened my skills and commitment to lifelong learning.

My first academic job was at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

Like many new faculty, I found resources scarce and plans limited. Unable to launch my program, I was recruited to Northwestern’s pathology department. Dan Scarpelli, the chair, led a department focused on chemical carcinogenesis. Most faculty were cancer biologists, and everyone was expected to compete at the highest level with NIHfunded research. Dan’s standards drove my development.

At Northwestern, I mainly taught in the dental school, benefited from high-intensity

research, and refined my teaching and diagnostic skills. I stayed 11 years, collaborating with excellent scientists, especially Dr. Noel Bouck and Dennis Solt. Dennis, also an oral pathologist, joined soon after me, and together we built a leading oral pathology unit. Those were my most productive years.

In 1992, I moved to the University of Michigan, foreseeing Northwestern’s dental school would close – a year later, it did. Bernard Machen, the dean, and Steven Feinberg recruited me to Ann Arbor. I already had collaborations at the In this 2003 photo, faculty member and future Dean Jacques Medical School, which Nör discusses research with his mentor Peter Polverini. helped me transition quickly. As head of Oral classrooms, direction in curiosity, confiPathology, I benefited from strong support dence after recovery, rigor in top labs, and the resources to build my research and humility through writing, competitiveness in clinical mission. demanding departments, and a professional At Michigan, the environment exceeded home at Michigan. expectations. My science flourished because Equally important were the people I met. the school valued inquiry, supported At each institution, mentors, colleagues, collaboration, and invested in people. My students, and collaborators shaped my path. teaching matured, and I helped develop an I am forever indebted to my many colleagues innovative, science-driven curriculum. As who helped shape the person I am today. I department chair and then dean, I worked to particularly owe a debt of gratitude to my keep Michigan among the nation’s top dental mentors Ramzi Cotran, Mike Gimbrone schools and strengthen its tradition. and Gerald Shklar. and to my colleagues Looking back, my journey was shaped by Mark Lingen, Dennis Solt, Paul Krebsbach obstacles, mentors, and environments. I Dave Kohn, Andrew Fribley, Dave Mooney, began as a student struggling with attention Jacques Nör, Yossi Helman and Sunil Kapila, and reading, found stability in supportive and my late colleague and friend Daniel Chiego. I must thank my wife Carol and my daughters Lisa and Amy and my son Michael who gave me the love, encouragement and time to develop my craft as a scientist and teacher. My story is one of persistence: proof that early challenges need not limit career aspirations, and that discipline and community can turn curiosity into a life of discovery, teaching, and service.

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In his role as Dean, Peter Polverini poses in 2011 on the steps of Hill Auditorium after the White Coat Ceremony for the newly-arrived DDS Class of 2015.

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2026 Ida Gray Award recipients are (holding plaques from left) Bliss Ledford, Brhan Eskinder and Sunčica Travan.

Making the presentation are (from far left) faculty member Dr. Kenneth May; Evan Lockhart, Wellness and Belonging Officer; Dr. Renée Duff, Senior Associate Dean; and Dr. Todd V. Ester (far right), Associate Dean for Well-being and People.

Ida Gray Awards Highlight Well-Being and Belonging Day The longstanding and ongoing effort to enhance a shared sense of community at the School of Dentistry was celebrated in February during Well-Being and Belonging Day. The centerpiece of the program was the presentation of the annual Ida Gray Awards to a student, staff member and faculty member for their significant contributions to the school’s inclusive environment for work, education, research, patient care and the many other aspects of the school mission.

dialogue and personal engagement that encourage people at the school to express their identities, share their stories and be met with understanding rather than judgment. A nominator said: “She does not simply speak about diversity and belonging; she lives it. Her actions align with her words, and her integrity is evident in the way she treats others. She is approachable, genuine and consistently willing to offer help."

• Student: Brhan Eskinder, a fourth-year student who graduated in May and will continue at the dental school in the graduate pediatric specialty program. She was cited for innovative initiatives, meaningful

• Staff: Bliss Ledford, an administrative assistant in Faculty Affairs. She was acknowledged for her ability to help create “a culture where people feel seen, supported and valued – whether they are students,

residents, staff or faculty.” A nominator said her thoughtful and genuine approach “builds connections across groups, makes others feel comfortable asking questions, and helps individuals feel that they truly belong in our environment.”

• Faculty: Dr. Sunčica Travan, Assistant Dean for Students and an associate professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine. A nominator said she is approachable in a way that immediately reduces barriers. “Students feel comfortable reaching out to her because she listens with care, responds without judgment, and treats every concern as worthy of respect and attention.”

Hospital Dentistry GPR Program Celebrating 40 Years The dental school’s Hospital Dentistry General Practice Residency kicked off its 40th anniversary observance in early April with half-day seminar led by current residents and a keynote lecture by one of its early directors, Dr. Samuel Zwetchkenbaum.

It was a precursor of a larger event being planned for this November.

The General Practice Residency is a CODAaccredited hospital- and dental school-based certificate program initiated in 1985 at the University of Michigan Hospital with the first cohort completing their training in 1986.

The program has grown from 2 to 7 residents per year and draws recent dental school 16 SCHOOL M Dentistry | Spring 2026

graduates committed to training in the care of patients with medical complexity and special healthcare needs.

Dr. Stephanie Munz, the current GPR director and a faculty member in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/ Hospital Dentistry, said the anniversary is an important milestone for the program, which is a significant link between the dental school and OMFS/Hospital Dentistry. As a past president of the national Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA), Munz said the school’s GPR program is recognized nationally for the distinct experience it offers for residents. “Among our special care

dentistry colleagues we are known as one of the premiere training programs for postgraduate general dentistry with a focus on vulnerable populations,” she said.

At the kick-off anniversary event, current residents presented their legacy project related to quality improvement and patient safety.

Munz said faculty and development staff are exploring meaningful ways to commemorate the 40th anniversary. Options include a lectureship and a dedicated fund that would strengthen the GPR training program over time. Details and opportunities for partnership and giving will be shared later this year.

New Sindecuse Museum Exhibit Uses Technology to Enhance Visitor Experience

Two children view their options on the computer kiosks that accompany the new “Inside the Dental Practice” exhibit at the Sindecuse Museum.

The Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry at the School of Dentistry has updated one of its main display areas with a new exhibit titled, “Inside the Dental Practice, 1860-2000.” A previously glassed-in section of the museum, along the north side of the school’s atrium area, has been opened to allow better visual access of a refreshed set of displays representing various decades in the evolution of dentistry. The exhibits feature furniture and equipment that would have filled a dentist’s practice in the various time frames. The new exhibit also incorporates a major technological advance for the museum. Several computer kiosks in front of the display allow visitors to choose topics they are most interested in. At the touch of a finger on an image or words on the computer screen, additional photos and information pop up to provide more insight into the museum artifacts on display. The following article, with details of the new exhibit and technology, was originally posted on the university’s Michigan Technology Community News website and is reprinted here with permission. The author, Lisa Nunez, writes for Michigan Medicine’s Health Information Technology and Services department.

For many, the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry brings to mind rows of artifacts behind glass with small printed labels. That version of the museum still exists, but it’s no longer the whole story. Today, the space uses tech to create a more intentional and interactive experience for curious visitors.

Tamara Barnes, the museum’s director, recalls that when she first started in the role the exhibits were largely static. Information lived on labels, and every visitor received the same experience.

That’s changed. “That’s been the fun part,” she says. “We’ve been able to add so much more content through the kiosk.”

Interactive kiosks now sit alongside artifacts, offering layers of information that visitors can choose based on their interest. Some may want deeper history. Others might be drawn to personal stories or images tied to the objects.

“An endless possibility,” she adds, describing how content can expand without

overwhelming the physical space. The experience adapts to the person, not the other way around. What’s notable is that technology hasn’t taken over the space. Barnes is thoughtful about balance.

That balance shows up in hands-on activities, especially for children. In fact, the museum wasn’t always designed with them in mind.

“Before I got here, I think it actually said on the website that it wasn’t suitable for children,” she says. “We’ve made a big effort to add hands-on activities.”

Visitors might come across everything from historical dental tools to more unexpected exhibits, like teeth modification, alongside the stories that give them context. “Our museum is just a lot of eye candy,” she says.

“If you don’t want to be on a screen, there’s also a lot to see.”

Accessibility shows up in expected ways with contrast, font choices, physical access to kiosks. But Barnes describes something deeper. “The other big thing … I would call

it psychological accessibility.” The main exhibit used to sit behind glass, creating distance between visitors and objects. “We took out the glass so that now you literally are standing right in front of the object,” she says. “It feels like you’re supposed to be there.”

Lighting was improved. Displays were simplified. “You have to remember it’s sort of less is more,” she explains. “Otherwise, it just sort of feels like grandma’s attic.”

Even the writing has shifted. “We have a whole public that comes in that doesn’t know anything about dentistry,” she says. “Making sure our text is written at a level that’s more for the general public, that’s a big one.”

Some of the most impactful technology isn’t visible at all. “We have climate monitors now that are all over the place that upload directly to the cloud,” Barnes says. “We can see from home if the temperature drops or the humidity rises… it’s a big time-saver, and it’s more accurate.”

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FA C ULT Y

Faculty Notes Nisha D’Silva installed as president of AADOCR Dr. Nisha D’Silva, the Donald A. Kerr Endowed Collegiate Professor of Oral Pathology in the dental school’s Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, is the new president of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research for 2026-27.

She began her term in March in San Diego at the 55th annual meeting and exhibition of AADOCR, held jointly with the annual meetings of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) and the Canadian Association for Dental Research.

In her opening remarks, D’Silva emphasized the importance of collaboration within the research community. “In science, as in life, progress depends on our interconnectedness,” she said. “What affects one researcher, one project, or one community reverberates through all of us. Today, with global challenges and shrinking research budgets, our unity and advocacy have never been more important. We must be at the table. AADOCR has always served and continues to serve as a beacon for dental, oral and craniofacial research advocacy.

Our efforts, from Capitol Hill to other national and international organizations, demonstrate that every voice matters.

“Yet, advocacy is not reserved for a select few. Each of us, whether a trainee, early career, or established scientist, can play a vital role in championing scientific research by sharing our findings, supporting policy, and actively participating in our local organizations. Science

Nisha D’Silva (left) is congratulated by the outgoing AADOCR president, Dr. Effie Ioannidou, a professor at the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry during the organization’s annual meeting in San Diego. today is more interdisciplinary and demanding than ever. Yet, it is precisely these challenges that make our work vital. In times of uncertainty, we must stand together, supporting evidence, encouraging innovation, and advocating for resources. We must persist in the face of setbacks, question dogmas or false narratives, and ensure that truth and progress are our guiding stars.”

D’Silva is the second AADOCR president from the U-M School of Dentistry in the last five years. Dr. Jacques Nör served in that role from 2021-22 when he was chair of the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics before he became dean of the school in 2023. U-M will continue to lead AADOCR next year when faculty member Dr. Margherita Fontana, now currently presidentelect of the organization, assumes the presidency for 2027-28.

With more than 3,000 members across the country, AADOCR it is the largest division of IADR.

Professor David Kohn was presented with the 2026 Award for Service by the Society for Biomaterials at the organization’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, in March. Kohn is the Natalie C. Roberts Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Science & Prosthodontics and Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the U-M College of Engineering. The award honors significant service to the Society in establishing, developing, maintaining and promoting its objectives and goals. “His leadership, commitment, and unwavering dedication have helped

shape the trajectory of the Society and the broader biomaterials community,” the organization said in announcing the award.

“From mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers to spearheading initiatives that strengthen our professional standards, his impact has been both deep and wide-ranging.” He has held several offices for the Society, including president. Kohn’s research program focuses on biomineralization on two fronts – understanding how the organizational hierarchy of mineralized tissues results in mechanical competence, or increased susceptibility to damage and fracture; and mimicking aspects of nature’s biomineralization strategies as a design basis for developing systems to study basic questions regarding cell and molecular function.

Faculty member Dr. Theodora Danciu led an American Dental Education Association (ADEA) workgroup that has developed new competency criteria for how U.S. dental schools prepare their graduates for entry into dental practice. Serving as chair of ADEA’s Domains of Competence (DOC) Workgroup, she guided the first update of the framework since 2008.

The new model was approved in March

by ADEA’s House of Delegates. Workgroup participants included Council of Faculties members, ADEA staff, and advisory group members. ADEA’s “Domains of Competence for the New General Dentist” document is intended to serve as a resource for dental education programs at ADEA member institutions. Beginning in December 2023, the workgroup began the revisions with four goals: define the competencies required of a graduating dentist; provide a framework for educating learners in the provision of oral health care that encompasses quality, safe, equitable and sustainable care; provide domains of competence that can be linked to, and referenced by, those

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of other health professions; and create a revised competency resource for ADEA and its members. The workgroup’s efforts were guided by Dr. Vidya Ramaswamy, the dental school’s Director of Evaluation and Promotion in Teaching and Learning who is an educational expert in competency-based assessment and analysis.

Danciu is a clinical professor in the dental school’s Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine. She is the dental school’s Director of Engaged Learning and Assessment and is currently completing the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) presented Professor Yuji Mishina with its 2025 Distinguished Scientist Award in Craniofacial Biology Research. He is the William R. Mann Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics and Director of the OHS/PhD program.

Mishina, who joined the dental school in 2008, researches in developmental biology and mouse genetics, with expertise in functional analyses of growth factor signaling, especially that of bone morphogenetic proteins, during bone development and bone remodeling, and craniofacial development. He has been published in various journals and his research has been funded continuously for three decades.

Mishina’s award recognizes individuals who have contributed to the body of knowledge in craniofacial biology over a significant period, and whose research contributions have been accepted by the scientific community. One of 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, it is one of the highest honors bestowed by the organization. The award was announced in conjunction with the IADR’s annual general session in June 2025 and was inadvertently omitted from the Fall 2025 M Dentistry magazine.

Dr. Erika Benavides, clinical professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, was lead author of a new American Dental Association (ADA) study that updates recommendations about the use of dental x-rays. The ADA study emphasizes that dental imaging should be completed only when clinically necessary to minimize both patients’ and dental professionals’ exposure to radiation.

Among specific imaging recommendations for dentists, the study emphasizes the importance of performing a thorough clinical exam prior to taking images to determine whether they are necessary to support diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management based on each individual patient’s needs.

Dr. Purnima Kumar, the William and Mary K. Najjar Endowed professor of Dentistry and Chair of the Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, received the International Eminence in Perio Award from the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) at its annual General Assembly in Athens, Greece, in March. Kumar was recognized for “outstanding service to the EFP and contributions to the understanding of the field of periodontology and the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases.” Recipients of the award must make contributions in more than one area of the field over a substantial number of years. The EFP is a global non-profit organization with a European core that promotes periodontal science and practice, and awareness of oral health and gum disease. Its 47 national societies represent more than 18,000 oral health professionals and researchers around the world. Kumar is a clinician, teacher, researcher and administrator; mentors pre-dental, dental, master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral students and junior faculty colleagues; and has served on several grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement for the Sciences (AAAS). She is the Principal Investigator of U-M’s Oral Microbial Ecology Laboratory that is funded through the NIH, National Cancer Institute, and oral healthcare industry. She is the associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Periodontology 2000, and lead editor of Microbiome.

Dr. Purnima Kumar receives the European Federation of Periodontology award from Dr. Anton Sculean (left), the secretary general of the organization, and Dr. Spyros Vasilipoulos, its president.

The study was completed by an expert panel established by the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs, with Benavides taking the lead. It was published jointly in early January in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) and the journal Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology. The study provides the ADA’s updated recommendations on patient selection for radiographic exams in more than a decade. It is the first to address both 2-D (planar) dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The recommendations are endorsed by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. The ADA quoted Benavides emphasizing the safety of dental x-rays and the importance for dentists and their teams to review the study and talk with their patients about any questions they may have.

FACULTY 19 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

FACULTY PROFILE Dr. Junichi Iwata: Engaging many multidisciplinary approaches in research of craniofacial congenital disabilities and diseases Dr. Junichi Iwata, the Robert W. Browne Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, leads a research lab at the School of Dentistry that focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying craniofacial congenital disabilities and diseases.

As one of the newer faculty members – he joined the school in 2024 – he adds an international background and extensive multidisciplinary research to the dental school’s longstanding history of world-class scientific discovery.

Iwata and his lab team investigate the cell signaling network and cellular metabolic processes that direct membrane trafficking disorders. They use multidisciplinary approaches such as mouse genetics, genomics, proteomics, biochemistry and molecular biology.

The lab website provides a summary of the impressive array of complex science and many projects that Iwata is exploring, with numerous graphics, illustrations and charts to give a taste of the research.

“Our laboratory aims to comprehensively understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms in craniofacial congenital disabilities and diseases such as cleft lip and palate, tooth developmental defects, bone diseases, muscle disorders, and Sjögren’s disease,” Iwata explains on the website. “We employ a comprehensive array of multidisciplinary approaches – including genetics, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and molecular biology – to characterize the cell-signaling network and cellular metabolic processes related to membrane trafficking.”

Simply put, he says, “The goal of our laboratory is to prevent craniofacial birth defects and prevent and treat oral diseases.”

Dr. Iwata came to the U-M dental school two years ago after 11 years at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UT Health) School of Dentistry. Prior to his faculty roles at Texas, he was a Research Associate at the University of Southern California (USC) where he expanded his interest in craniofacial development.

Iwata earned his DDS in 2000 and his PhD in 2004, both at Kyushu University School of Dentistry in his native Japan. His PhD examined 20 FACULTY M Dentistry | Spring 2026

cancer biology and proteases. He joined the Juntendo University School of Medicine, also in Japan, as an assistant professor and during his three years there used mouse models to study autophagy, the metabolic cell-cleaning process that recycles damaged cell parts into new usable parts. In 2007, he made the move to USC, followed by Texas, then U-M. In addition to his work at the U-M dental school, he is also a member of the Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design and Cellular and Molecular Biology at the U-M medical school.

Iwata’s research has been widely published in scientific journals. He has received numerous grants, including current projects funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research on projects examining the “Role of tissue homeostasis in Sjogren’s disease” and the “Role of cellular metabolism in palate morphogenesis.”

Iwata is a reviewer, editorial board member and editor for various scientific journals, including Scientific Reports and the Frontiers series. He also serves as a reviewer for grant applications for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies. He has been a speaker and panelist at numerous seminars and conferences across the country and internationally.

He is currently the director of the Craniofacial Biology Group of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR).

Q: Many researchers would be content to focus on one or two main areas. But your research covers a wide range, some areas closely related but others more distinct – bone and muscle disorders, cleft lip and palate, the disease that causes dry mouth conditions, and others. Why do you investigate the science of so many areas?

A: During my first year as a PhD student, I worked full-time in the clinic at the Department of Oral Surgery at Kyushu University Hospital. This experience provided numerous opportunities to observe and participate in the treatment of patients with a range of diseases and disorders. These encounters prompted me to consider how I might maximize my impact on patient care throughout my career. I realized that by discovering novel mechanisms and developing innovative technologies and treatments, I could potentially benefit a larger patient population. Consequently, I began to explore diverse research topics and techniques. Although this breadth has contributed to my wide-ranging research interests, I am actively seeking connections among them. Currently, my laboratory investigates the role of cholesterol metabolism and cellular membrane trafficking in craniofacial diseases and birth defects. We have found that metabolic factors such as cholesterol, which are abundant in cellular membranes, can influence various cellular functions through membrane trafficking. This line of inquiry has led me to focus on understanding why and how metabolic disturbances can result in a broad spectrum of diseases.

Q: What would you say is the most important work you have published so far?

At the dental school, he mentors students and lectures in various courses on topics such as inflammation and osteoclasts of the musculoskeletal system, and cellular metabolism and regulation. He has served on numerous committees and is currently a member of the School of Dentistry Executive Committee.

In a recent Q&A interview format for M Dentistry magazine, Dr. Iwata discussed how his career has evolved to this point. His journey into dentistry and academia started in his hometown of Shunan City, a community of about 135,000 people along the Seto Inland Sea in southern Japan.

Q: Growing up in Japan, how did you become interested in dentistry? Is anyone in your family in dentistry, medicine or research?

A: My mother worked as a nurse, which inspired my early interest in health science during my childhood.

Q: Immediately after earning your DDS, you pursued your PhD in dental science. Was that always your plan when you entered dental school, or did that research interest develop during dental school?

A: During my time as a DDS student, I engaged in discussions with faculty members and PhD graduates from dental school. These interactions inspired my interest in pursuing a PhD to deepen my understanding of diseases.

A: I aspire to make novel discoveries, aiming not only for clinical applications in the near future but also for transformative advances in basic science. I hope that our research findings will contribute significantly to both contemporary biology and medical therapeutics.

Q: What does your national-level work as director of the IADR Craniofacial Biology Group entail?

A: The responsibilities of the director include participating in meetings of the Executive Committee and the Craniofacial Biology Group membership, which are held during annual meetings; serving as an abstract reviewer upon the request of the IADR president-elect and in additional roles as designated by the Executive Committee or as directed by the IADR president; providing contributions to the Craniofacial Biology Group newsletters; and participating in the organization and evaluation of awards competitions.

Q: What persuaded you to make the move to the U-M School of Dentistry after 11 years at the University of Texas?

A: The U-M School of Dentistry is a longstanding, leading research institute that offers a robust research environment, including advanced facilities and strong collaborative opportunities to support my research development. I greatly value the opportunities at U-M to connect with talented researchers and healthcare providers.

FACULTY 21 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

RESEARCH

Research Day Showcases Wide-Ranging Scientific Advances Related to Oral Health The value and variety of research into oral health at the School of Dentistry was celebrated during the school’s annual Research Day on Feb. 11. This year, 145 posters were submitted by the school’s students, postdoctoral trainees, staff and faculty.

Dr. Vesa Kaartinen, the Dr. Roy H. Roberts Professor of Dentistry and Associate Dean for Research, opened the program by praising the resilience, drive and dedication of students in various programs across the school, degree candidates in the Oral Health Sciences, and the faculty leading teams of assistants and fellows in their research labs.

“Our trainees have pushed forward with curiosity and determination, our staff have provided steady and essential support, and our faculty have continued to lead ambitious, high-impact research programs,” he said.

“Because of that collective effort, this past year has truly been an outstanding one … filled with exciting scientific advances, creative ideas, and meaningful discoveries – and that is exactly what we are here to celebrate today.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Ophir Klein, the chair of children’s health at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, summarized several of his many research 22 RESEARCH M Dentistry | Spring 2026

tracks in his presentation. One track focuses on the biological mechanisms of how the body heals wounds in the oral cavity faster than it does on the skin elsewhere around the body. Understanding that process could have therapeutic benefits for healing skin wounds. Other parts of his research examine the processes underlying normal craniofacial development and renewal, along with craniofacial and dental malformations.

Research Day audience members engaged Klein with numerous questions related to his research, and he later toured the afternoon poster session to talk with the dental school researchers who were presenting their projects.

Kaartinen announced a new Research Innovation Challenge (RIC) award that the School of Dentistry has created and introduced its first three faculty recipients.

The RIC is a pilot funding mechanism designed to catalyze high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research led by early- and mid-career investigators. The initiative seeks to support exploratory and novel projects that address major research challenges, stimulate collaboration across disciplines, and lay the foundation for transformative advances in oral, craniofacial, and broader health sciences. Each year, up to three pilot projects

Above: Faculty judge Dr. Robert Eber listens intently as Ritwika Bera, a PhD student, describes her research: “Phosphorylated TRIP13 Drives Radiation Resistance by Enhancing Error Prone NHEJ and Silencing the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.” of 12 months in length will be funded at up to $50,000 each, with support provided through a combination of school funds and departmental cost-sharing.

This year’s RIC recipients are: • Lauren Surface, Assistant Professor in Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics, and colleagues, for their proposal, “Resolving skeletal metabolism using heterogeneous metabolic flux analysis.”

• Antonio Morales Hernandez, Assistant Professor in Periodontics and Oral Medicine, and colleagues, for their proposal, “Defining the alveolar bone marrow niche as an optimal environment for supporting hematopoietic stem cells.”

• Tian Liang, the Robert W. Browne Early Career Professor of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, and colleagues, for their proposal, “Targeted delivery strategies to tooth-forming cells and dental mineralized tissues.”

Top Award Recipients include: • Sonia Zaacks, a third-year dental student, received the SCADA Award (Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application). Research title: “Factors Affecting the Progression of Moderate Caries Lesions in Children.”

Faculty mentor: Margherita Fontana.

The SCADA award is sponsored by the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and Dentsply Sirona, a dental supply company. Each dental school in the United States and Puerto Rico is invited to select one student to compete in this research program. Zaacks will represent the school and present her research at the annual meeting and exhibition of the AADOCR in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in March 2027.

• AADOCR Travel Award: Victoria Maglaras, an MS/PhD candidate, received the AADOCR Travel Award for attending the 2026 IADR/AADOCR annual meeting and exhibition in San Diego in March 2026, where she presented research on: “Male-Specific TH17 Activity Promotes Enhanced Bone Loss in Ligature-Induced Periodontitis.” Faculty mentor: Joseph Decker.

Category 1: Clinical Research, Public Health, Behavioral and Educational Research • 1st Place among DDS, Hygiene, Masters and Undergrad students – Charlotte Borland, a fourth-year dental student.

Research Title: “Pediatric Dentists’ Personal and Educational Experiences and Special Health Care Needs Related Attitudes and Behaviors.”

Faculty mentor: Marita Inglehart.

• 1st Place among PhD Students (DDS/ PhD), Postdoctoral Trainees and Staff – Pooja Narayanan, a student in the Internationally Trained Dentist Program.

Research Title: “Effects of Perioperative Cannabis Consumption on IV Sedation Requirements.” Faculty mentor: Paulo Zupelari Goncalves.

Category 2: Basic Science Research and Translational Science • 1st Place among DDS, Hygiene, Masters and Undergrad students – A two-way tie: – Evans Brown, a fourth-year dental student. Research Title: “ODAPH in Transition Stage Amelogenesis.”

Faculty mentor: James Simmer.

– Dental Hygiene students Annabelle Haio, Xhensila Cuka, Aliyah Fillman and DH faculty Stefanie VanDuine and Iwonka Eagle for “Trust and Acceptance of AI in Dental Diagnosis.”

• 1st Place among PhD Students, Postdoctoral Trainees and Staff – A three-way tie: – Rafael Correia Cavalcante, a PhD student for his research: “Neural Crest-Specific Evc2 Disruption Models TMJ Development and Maintenance and Reveals a Hedgehog-Regulated Progenitor Cell Population with Multilineage Differentiation and Colony Formation Capacity.” Mentor: Yuji Mishina.

– Deanna Cannizzaro, a neuroscience PhD student at the Michigan Medical School. Research title: “Trpv1+ trigeminal somatosensory neurons maintain salivary duct integrity.”

Mentor: Joshua Emrick.

– Chihiro Iwaya, a research investigator in the lab of faculty member Junichi Iwata.

Research title: “Elevated cholesterol levels in exocrine tissues trigger Sjögren’s disease.” Faculty mentor: Junichi Iwata.

Other Research Day Awards • The Janice E. Berry Prize for Excellence in Research was presented to Dr. Xingyu Li, a researcher in the lab of faculty member Dr. Peng Li, Associate Professor at the Life Sciences Institute, Associate Professor of Dentistry, and Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. Xingyu Li was cited for exceptional contributions to neuroscience, his collaborative spirit, and dedication to mentorship and leadership that have left a lasting mark on his laboratory.

• Dr. Lauren Surface, Assistant Professor in Biologic and Materials & Prosthodontics Sciences, received the Distinguished Faculty Mentoring Award. She was described as “an extraordinary mentor” who fosters a research environment where creative, outside-the-box thinking is encouraged.

• Mary Roosen, Research Administrator in the Office of Research, received the Research Staff Recognition Award.

Nominators described Roosen, who has worked at the dental school for 26 years, as a staff member who calmly brings a customer-service-oriented approach that benefits both the school and its community.

A complete list of the 2026 Research Day Awards is posted on the Research Day webpage.

Research Innovation Challenge Award recipients (from left) Drs. Lauren Surface, Antonio Morales Hernandez and Tian Liang.

RESEARCH 23 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

Kaartinen Cited for Distinguished Research by AAAS Vesa M. Kaartinen, Associate Dean for Research, has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Professor Kaartinen is one of 15 U-M faculty members among the 449 scientists, engineers and innovators who were elected as 2025 AAAS Fellows.

Fellows are recognized for their achievements across disciplines – in research, teaching, technology, academic

administration, industry, government, and communicating and interpreting science to the public. Kaartinen was cited for distinguished contributions to the field of craniofacial and cardiac development, particularly in TGF-beta/BMP signaling and gene targeting approaches to understand birth defects in human newborns Kaartinen received his MSc (1986) and Ph.D. (1991) degrees from the University of Kuopio, Finland, studying the molecular bases of a lysosomal

storage disease, aspartylglucosaminuria.

He then began a postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he specialized in developmental biology with particular emphasis on mouse genetics and organogenesis. In 1997, he joined the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and the Developmental Biology Program in the Saban Research Institute. In 2008, he joined the U-M School of Dentistry faculty, and in 2014 he was promoted to full professor. He was named Associate Dean for Research in 2019.

SPONSORED RESEARCH AWARDS >$50,000 from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026 NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES Alexandre DaSilva (PI), David Kohn (PI), Yuji Mishina (PI), Sharon Aronovich (co-I), Erika Benavides (co-I), Lucia Cevidanes (co-I), Daniel Clauw (co-I), Theodora Danciu (co-I), Ivo Dinov (co-I), Joshua Emrick (co-I), Elizabeth Hatfield (co-I), Ansel Hillmer (co-I), Peng Li (co-I), Simeone Marino (co-I), Vitaliy Popov (co-I), David Williams (co-I), NIH, $13,436,149, 360° Collaborative Hub for AI in TMD Research (360° Chat-TMD) Alexandre DaSilva (PI), NIH, $415,249, Predicting Migraine Attack Onset with Real-Time Individualized Autonomic Patterns Jae Won Shin (PI), NIH, $767,739, Therapeutic nanoscale matrimeres Junichi Iwata (PI), Isabelle Lombaert (co-I), Hajime Sasaki (co-I), NIH, $2,638,660, Role of tissue homeostasis in Sjögren’s disease Tian Liang (PI), Weichen Arthur Zhou (PI), NIH, $312,000, Revealing the Trajectory and Critical Roles of Retinoic Acid in Ameloblast Differentiation

reconstruction of peri-implantitis defects: A parallel-arm, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial Purnima Kumar (PI), Osteology Foundation, $86,983, Osteology Research Scholarship Center Purnima Kumar (PI), Amway, $148,500, Efficacy of two anthocyanin-rich mouthwashes in reducing oral dysbiosis and inflammation Marco Bottino (PI), David Sarment (co-I), Delta Dental Plan of Michigan, $107,944, Personalized Bioceramic Grafts for Bone Regeneration Darnell Kaigler (PI), Delta Dental Plan of Michigan, $62,300, Salivary diagnostics for stem cell phenotype Brian Clarkson (PI), Livia Tenuta (co-I), GreenMark Biomedical, Inc., $78,190, Restoration of non-cavitated carious lesions in enamel using nano fluorapatite particles

Tomer Stern (PI), NIH, $2,116,881, Uncovering Morphogenetic Modularity with Data Science

Marco Bottino (PI), Darnell Kaigler (co-I), David Sarment (co-I), Matregenix, $780,000, Enhancing Dental and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery Outcomes with Cost-Effective and Scalable Animal-free Amino Acid-Based Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration

Lauren Surface (PI), NIH, $2,145,000, Mechanisms that regulate cellular responses to phosphate

Muhammad Saleh (PI), SigmaGraft, Inc., $53,914, Effect of Age on PRF Quality; Assessed by Evaluating Healing Outcomes of ARP

Jae Won Shin (PI), National Science Foundation, $220,000, CAREER: Engineering instructive niches to precisely guide single stem cells

Margherita Fontana (PI), Tatiana Botero (co-I), James Boynton (co-I), Stephanie Munz (co-I), Solventum US LLC, $337,966, A Multi-site, Single-Arm Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Solventum Vitrebond Pulp Protect Liner/Base for Direct Capping of Pulpal Exposure due to Trauma, Deep Caries, or Mechanical Etiology under Dental Restorations

FOUNDATIONS, INDUSTRY and OTHER AWARDS Muhammad Saleh (PI), Oral Reconstruction Foundation, $58,073, Phenotype modification via guided bone regeneration and Acellular Dermal Matrix simultaneous to delayed implant placement: A double arm randomized controlled clinical trial Purnima Kumar (PI), Muhammad Saleh (co-I), Osteology Foundation, $118,347, Immediate versus delayed surgical 24 RESEARCH M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Prerak Gupta (PI), Jae Won Shin (PI), American Heart Association, Inc., $168,568, Engineering membrane protein-protein interactions to treat vascular injury Elliott Hill (PI), Delta Dental Fund dba Delta Dental Foundation, $120,000, Victors for Veterans 2026

Dr. Margherita Fontana (right) and project manager Emily Thorpe share details of Fontana’s study of silver diamine fluoride for caries prevention in children.

Dental School Invited to University Research Symposium A major research project led by a School of Dentistry faculty member was featured at the University of Michigan President’s Symposium for Research Impact and Policy Leadership in March.

The symposium invited 25 units across campus to exhibit projects that illustrate “meaningful, measurable benefits for society.” U-M President Domenico Grasso said the symposium was organized to demonstrate how the university’s broad research enterprise “moves beyond classrooms, laboratories and studios to create tangible impact throughout Michigan and around the world.” The dental school’s display booth, “Smiles For Life: Advancing Non-Invasive Solutions to Stop Childhood Tooth Decay,” focused on a clinical trial led by

Dr. Margherita Fontana, the Clifford Nelson Endowed Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics. Fontana and Emily Thorpe, clinical research project manager, answered questions and provided details of study results that showed that silver diamine fluoride, a painless and low-cost dental treatment for young children, is safe and effective for preventing cavities and stopping pain in diverse settings. The dental school exhibit was part of the symposium’s Human Health and Well-Being category, which is one of five pillars within the university’s current Look to Michigan overall strategic plan that emphasizes a commitment to serving the public good.

School’s Research Enterprise Totals $24 Million in 2025 Research by faculty at the School of Dentistry topped more than $24 million during 2025 as the school continued its longstanding tradition of leading dental, oral and craniofacial research.

A total of 206 papers, articles and reviews were authored or co-authored by faculty from across the school in a wide variety of leading scientific journals. Faculty received 32 grants and the school’s annual research expenditures totaled $24.1 million.

Current faculty members and their teams of research assistants are investigating a wide range of oral health science, including bone and tissue generation; preventing periodontal disease; the relationship of opioid receptors to migraines; how E-cigarette exposure affects the oral microbiome; peri-implantitis related to dental implants; and biologic factors contributing to the abnormal growth of bone in soft tissues, a condition known as heterotopic ossification.

Research is centered among the school’s five research themes of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics; Clinical, Population and Educational Research; Craniofacial, Skeletal Biology and Disease; Integrative Neurobiology and Pain; and Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. They are part of the school’s mission of “Enhancing health through education, service, advocacy, research and discovery.”

RESEARCH 25 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

DENTAL HYGIENE

DH Students Meet With Dental Practices at New Career Fair The Division of Dental Hygiene in early April hosted a Career Fair that may become an annual event linking the division’s students with dental practices around southeast Michigan.

The idea emerged out of discussions about the current shortage of dental hygienists as well as the faculty’s objective of creating valuable experience for senior students as they apply for jobs and conduct interviews with potential employers leading up to and after graduation. For both students and the dental practices who sent representatives to the career fair, it was a chance to establish connections that could pay both immediate and ongoing dividends in terms of current or future job openings.

DH faculty member Brittany Forga, a clinical instructor who leads DH marketing and recruitment and led the career fair planning, said the division intentionally kept this inaugural event relatively small, treating it as a pilot program to determine the value for both students and the dental practices that sent representatives. For this first iteration, faculty organizers limited invitations to dental practices who Dental Hygiene students talk with representatives of dental practices at the Career Fair.

26 DENTAL HYGIENE M Dentistry | Spring 2026

currently have alumni of the dental hygiene program on their staff, as a way to strengthen alumni connections and show current students the career success of others who have gone through the program. Eight practices sent representatives.

The 28 students in the DH Class of 2026 were divided into groups or two or three and followed a “speed networking” time

schedule where they rotated after about 15 minutes from each dental practice’s table to the next. Students shared their resumes and told about their paths into dental hygiene while meeting the dental practice staffs and learning about each practice’s employment environments and career opportunities.

Forga said the fair and its format received positive reviews from both sides of the

Left: DH student Annabelle Haio (left) introduces herself to members of the Comprehensive Dentistry practice (from far right) CEO Bill Bullard, hygienist Meghan Jones, Dr. Colleen Bullard (U-M DDS 2002), and Christine Johnson, the practice’s hygiene team lead and a U-M DH alumna. The dental practice is located in Ypsilanti. interview table, with students and dental practice staff members agreeing the process was engaging, efficient, effective and fun.

“I believe this first career fair was important in addressing the ongoing need for dental

hygienists in our community, while also supporting our upcoming graduates by connecting them with local dental practices that may lead to full-time, part-time or temporary employment opportunities,”

Forga said. “It also offered an invaluable opportunity to engage with multiple office representatives and build connections with our U-M dental hygiene alumni.

That strengthens our already-existing partnerships, and creates a high-quality, relationship-centered event built on the professionalism and the excellent reputation of our alumni network.”

DH Professor and Former Director Janet Kinney Retires Janet Kinney, the Dr. Dorothy G. Hard Legacy Professor and clinical professor of dentistry, has retired as a faculty member in the Division of Dental Hygiene. She led the DH program as director for 10 years, from 2012-22.

Kinney earned her BSDH from U-M in 1983 and worked in clinical practice in the United States and Europe for 20 years before she returned to the School of Dentistry in 2004 to complete her MSDH. She also earned a master’s degree in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis from the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the U-M School of Public Health. Her research in peer-reviewed publications involves salivary diagnostics as predictors of periodontal disease progression.

After finishing her graduate degrees, Kinney joined the Dental Hygiene division as an adjunct clinical lecturer for a year, then was hired as a clinical assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2015 and in 2020 became a full professor, all within the Department of Periodontics Oral Medicine, home to the Dental Hygiene division.

When she was installed as the Hard Professor in 2021, it marked the first time in school history that a dental hygiene faculty member was honored with a professorship. It was also the first time a professorship was named for a female faculty member. Hard was the dental hygiene program’s first director from 1924-68 and built the program into a national leader.

Among Kinney’s accomplishments as director was transitioning the program from

Janet Kinney speaks at the 2024 dental school commencement ceremony at Hill Auditorium after DH students selected her for the annual Dental Hygiene Faculty Award, the first of two consecutive years she received the honor. Brittney Nasir, the 2024 class president, said Kinney’s “essential role in the success of each and every one of us has been apparent from the very start. Her grace, compassion, wit and expertise shine through in all she does.” a three-year, six-semester bachelor’s program to a two-year, six-semester bachelor’s program. During the Covid-19 pandemic beginning in early 2020, under Kinney’s leadership, a series of didactic and clinic instruction modifications, including online classes, kept DH student progress on course and on time for graduation. Also during her time as director, Kinney supervised the

program’s year-long Centennial celebration that began in 2021 to commemorate the program’s history as one of the top programs in the country. Four times during Kinney’s faculty tenure – in 2012, 2015, 2024 and 2025 – she received the Most Appreciated Dental Hygiene Faculty Award from the graduating dental hygiene class.

DENTAL HYGIENE 27 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

Dental Hygiene student Nereyda Munoz Alvizo (center) teams up with Dean Jacques Nör to treat a young student at an outdoor clinic in Meru, Kenya, in February during a trip as part of the school’s GIOCH program.

School children from the Kirogine Primary School were treated with benches serving as dental chairs.

Dental Hygiene Students Join International Service Trips A growing number of Dental Hygiene students at the School of Dentistry are traveling internationally with schoolconnected groups providing dental care to patients in several countries abroad.

The school’s Global Initiatives In Oral and Craniofacial Health (GIOCH) program has provided opportunities for students to travel to several countries over the last 15 years. Students treat patients – often school children – in both urban and rural areas.

They also add other educational elements to the trips, learning about global health, health equity, cultural competency, social determinants of health in different global contexts and in different healthcare systems.

For the GIOCH trip to Meru, Kenya, this February, DH students Nereyda Munoz Alvizo and Sweta Patel joined 12 dental students and four DDS faculty members.

Also on the trip were four U-M pharmacy students and a faculty member, part of a sharing expansion by the GIOCH program in the last couple of years.

28 DENTAL HYGIENE M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Another DH student, Brooklyn Rochow, went to a health clinic in San Raymundo, Guatemala, with other members of the school chapter of the Christian Dental Association. Rochow, along with eight DDS students and a periodontics master’s program student, treated patients at a interprofessional clinic with dental, medical, vision, surgery, pharmacy and pediatric spaces.

Rochow said patients from an area around San Raymundo would often travel for two hours or more to reach the clinic because of limited transportation and poor roads. Some had never received dental care before. “The patients would travel very early in the morning and arrive at the clinic around 4 a.m. so that they could DH student Brooklyn Rochow (left) treats a patient in San Raymundo, Guatemala, with the assistance of a clinic staff member acting as a translator.

get in line for care when we didn’t start until 8 a.m. We could only see so many patients a day, so it was first-come, first-served and they were eager for care.”

In her speech at commencement in May as president of the DH, Rochow said the experience left an impression. “For me personally, a dental mission trip to Guatemala helped me realize my call to action and that dentistry is not just about teeth, but dignity,” Rochow said. “Experiences like these remind us that being ‘Leaders and Best’ is not about recognition, but about responsibility – the responsibility to use our knowledge and skills in service of others.”

STUDENTS

Left: Dental student Jacob Bommarito (right) examines a young patient as fellow student David Evans assists.

Below: Advait Chavan holds a mirror so he can watch as dental student Harika Chaganti examines his teeth.

Students Help Give Kids A Great Smile At this year’s “Give Kids a Smile” clinic in February, dental and dental hygiene students and faculty provided dental exams, cleanings, x-rays, sealants, fillings and extractions for about 60 children from ages 4-14. Third- and fourth-year dental students, under the supervision of faculty, performed the basic dental care. If more serious problems were discovered, the patients were referred to their family dentist or other specialists.

Student Notes Rafael Cavalcante, a candidate in the Oral Health Sciences PhD program, has received the 2025 Dr. Dominic Dziewiatkowski Award, also known as the Dr. Jay Award. It is given annually by the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics to an outstanding student researcher. Cavalcante received his BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Newcastle University, England, his DDS from the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), Brazil, and his specialist certification in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the University Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Brazil. His research involves tissue engineering and its potential as an interdisciplinary approach that integrates developmental biology, stem cells, growth factors, and bioactive cues for craniofacial tissue regeneration. His current research, under the mentorship of faculty member Dr. Peter Ma, has a particular emphasis on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, cartilage and osteochondral regeneration using tissue-mimicking polymeric scaffolds, and genetic polymorphisms associated with craniofacial deformities. The annual award was established in 1989 in memory of Dziewiatkowski, who chaired the Department of Oral Biology and directed the school's Dental Research Institute from 1967-1972.

Frida Sandoval, a third-year DDS student, was one of 10 U-M students, faculty and staff who received Life-Changing Education grants, announced in April, to illustrate how learning improves society and the quality of life for people in Michigan and beyond. U-M is in the midst of its Year of Life-Changing Education theme year, focusing on new approaches to learning within its campuses and the state.

Sandoval’s grant of $19,350 will be used for Latine Research Week, an interdisciplinary conference celebrating the scholarship of Latine students, researchers and faculty at U-M. The event is sponsored by Puentes, a Latine graduate organization affiliated with the Rackham Graduate School. Sandoval has been the organization’s treasurer since 2024. The Latine Research Week conference, started in 2022, centers around the Latine identity, but researchers from different backgrounds are welcome to apply to present their research. It is part of Puentes’ mission to create bridges between Latine graduate students, faculty, and the greater university through scholarship and showcasing the scholarship Latines produce from across campus. More than 50 projects were presented at the 2026 conference in February; the grant will be used for the next conference in February 2027, when Sandoval plans to be among the researchers presenting their projects.

STUDENTS 29 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

DDS graduate Alexis Showalter raises her diploma and lets out a whoop of joy as she crosses the stage at Hill Auditorium.

Graduation 2026

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1. Dean Jacques Nör and Marsha-Kay Hutchinson-Carnegie, who earned a PhD in Oral Health Sciences, pause for a photo on stage at Hill Auditorium.

2. DDS grad Bryce Coleman’s smile and wave to family and friends says it all as he heads across the stage after his ceremonial hooding.

3. Dental Hygiene students recite the Dental Hygiene Pledge to affirm their professional commitment. Front row, from left: Mariam Baalouche, Jaiden Batyik, Ebbony Blunt. Second row, from far left: LaNiyah Mitchell, Nereyda Munoz Alvizo (partially hidden), Merisa Natolli, Sweta Patel (far right). Back row, center: Alisha Stallworth.

4. The upper reaches of iconic Hill Auditorium tower above DDS students as they recite the Dentist’s Pledge near the end of the commencement ceremony.

5. DDS grad Caleb VanBlankenstein and his grandmother Roselee Wentz share a hug and a photo pose on the lawn outside Hill Auditorium after the ceremony. VanBlankenstein will be returning to his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, to practice dentistry. His grandmother came to the ceremony from her home in Idaho.

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STUDENTS 31 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

As part of the University of Michigan’s Look to Michigan campaign, we invite you to Look to Dentistry for the Future of Oral Health. Together with fellow alumni and donors, your voice, ideas, and generosity are essential as we look to Michigan for leadership and innovation over the next 150 years.

Donor Dr. Rohit Reddy (left), 2008 DDS, ITDP and Student Recipient Ramalakshmi Manogna Vangala (right), 2026 DDS, ITDP at the annual Donors & Scholars event.

Your Gift in Action

Create a Scholarship $100,000+ An endowed scholarship can help future dentists and dental hygienists offset tuition, living and other educational costs and will live on in perpetuity.

Create the impact that fits you, every gift advances

Recognition: Opportunities to meet and interact with your scholars.

our shared mission at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Areas You Can Support

Students

Scholarships, Clinical Training Experiences, Wellness and Mental Health Support 32 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Research

Discoveries That Improve Oral and Overall Health

Facilities

Modern Clinics, Labs, and Learning Environments

Ellen Zeff Fivenson, 1969 BSDH, in front of the cubicle named in honor of her and her father Meyer Zeff, 1930 DDS.

Students pausing from writing thank you notes to donors on annual HailYeah student day of gratitude. Left: Adam Hershey (D2), Brady Failing (D2), Korben Leung (D2), Andrew Debri (D1)

Name a Cubicle outright gift or $25,000+ Anfive-year pledge

Every Gift Matters Any Amount

Putting your name on a cubicle or other space in the School of Dentistry honors your legacy, supports clinical teaching and patient care. Additional naming opportunities are available.

From first-time donors to longtime leaders, every gift helps to support students, strengthen programs, and sustain the spaces where learning happens.

Recognition: Name displayed in the space (per school guidelines).

Recognition: Handwritten thank you notes from students for all gifts under $50.

Your Dollar Goes Farther!

For a limited time, the university has two matching opportunities: Recurring Gift Matching: ALL new recurring gifts ($1 to $100) will be matched 1:1 for up to 12 months. Additionally, all new and existing payroll deductions will be matched in the same manner.

Student Support Major Gifts Matching: First time donors making a gift (or five-year pledge) of $50,000 or more will be matched at a 1:2 ratio for every two donor dollars the university matches one. Contributions can be to an existing fund or to create a new one.

Ask us about eligibility, timing, and how the match can accelerate your goal and support of aspiring dental professionals.

Let’s talk about what you care about most.

Contact the Office of Development SODalumnirelations@umich.edu 734-763-3315 https://dent.umich.edu/alumni/giving ALUMNI 33

Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

ALUMNI

Alumni Profile:

Dr. Judith Jones – A multi-faceted career in dentistry devoted to the public good The distinguished career of Dr. Judith Jones has been a remarkable journey through the fields of dental hygiene, dentistry, public health, clinical research and academia with a breadth and depth that brought her national recognition for research into geriatric dentistry and for her academic leadership.

Along the way she improved the lives of countless people, directly in her early work as a hygienist and dentist, most often in public health programs in hospitals, community clinics, and later as a dental school faculty member and administrator.

Early on, she evolved into a research scientist who continues to examine the impact of oral conditions on quality of life, particularly for geriatric patients. Her leadership of various academic units and on professional boards, commissions and committees have also advanced public health.

The foundation of her career was and still is an unrelenting commitment that every person in America should have easy access to affordable dental care and overall healthcare. In recent years, as her career crossed the 50-year mark, Jones has reflected deeply on the state of healthcare in America. She finds it frustrating that today there is still the same “haves” vs. “have-nots” when it comes to health equity across the country. While conditions have somewhat improved, there are still too many people who live under the same “underserved” label that Jones encountered in 1972 when she earned her dental hygiene certificate at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Jones was the second oldest of nine children in a working-class family in Dearborn, 34 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Michigan, when she arrived as a first-generation college student at U-M. She enrolled in the two-year DH program right out of high school after doing well on the test for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship, which covered tuition. Earning the DH certificate was a positive, but small, first step for a young woman who wasn’t sure where to go next in her career.

During her DH coursework, she was introduced to public health dentistry and visited programs in Detroit, which left a positive impression about helping those with the greatest need. She also had an intellectual thirst for more knowledge about dentistry that working as a hygienist couldn’t satisfy, so she decided to pursue a DDS degree.

That meant staying at U-M for two more years to take the prerequisite undergraduate dentistry-prep courses.

Rather than opting for the familiar territory at U-M for her dental degree, Jones chose the new academic scenery at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry. At Chapel Hill she earned her DDS in 1978, followed by a two-year general practice residency. While a student and resident, she furthered her public dentistry interests by completing a Master of Public Health degree in 1981.

To pay back her dental school scholarship from the National Health Service Corps, the agency posted her back to Michigan at the City Health Department in Detroit. For three years she worked as a dentist at the Wayne County Jail and other community clinics, including the Sisters of Mercy Family Health Center. The latter was a series of four

community health centers that Jones and three other young dentists set up as practices and began treating patients.

“We took care of a lot of people who desperately needed care and didn’t have access,” she recalls. “People with substance abuse, people down on their luck, just tremendous dental need. It was really a great place to work because the clinic was interprofessional. That’s a big buzzword now, but this was back in the early 1980s. All in one place we had pediatrics, OB-GYN, internal medicine, dentistry, social work. When I had a patient who needed to see the doc, I just took them over to the doc. And similarly, they would bring patients to me.”

The benefit of those early quintessential public health experiences resonated throughout her career. In considering where to go next, Jones learned about a Fellowship in Geriatric Dentistry with the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Boston, Mass., area, in association with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She had treated many senior citizens at various points already in her hygiene and dentistry experience, had a good rapport with them and found the work meaningful. She was awarded the fellowship, from 1983-85.

The fellowship launched a series of important career opportunities for Jones.

She embarked on a vibrant mix of practice, teaching, research and administrative assignments in the VA system, the Harvard dental school and the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

At the completion of the geriatric fellowship, she was named its director, a role she filled from 1985-92. Her work at the VA included general clinical dentistry and more specifically dentistry for the dementia study unit, nursing home care unit and Homeless Veterans Dental Program; leadership as chief of the dental service for the VA hospital; a Career Development Award in Health Services Research; and ongoing clinical and health services.

The VA experience, with its connection to the Harvard dental school, led to a long

as an associate professor at the BU School of Public Health. Her affiliation with the BU dental school continued for 26 years and included chair of the Department of General Dentistry, Director of the Center for Clinical Research, and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development. She retired from BU in 2016 as Professor Emerita.

In 2017, Jones returned to Detroit to be near her siblings for support during a difficult family time after her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Jones joined the faculty of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, serving as Associate Dean for Academic Administration from 2017-19, then as a professor through 2023.

For the last three years, she has taught part-time as an adjunct professor, continuing to lecture on geriatric treatment planning, team-building and ethical reasoning, among other coursework.

Highlights from her lengthy CV include: • 117 peer-reviewed research publications from 1984-2025, heavily weighted toward dental health among the elderly, but also dental care of children and adolescents, the effectiveness of various dental procedures, and the efficacy of fluoride in preventing caries.

• Nearly 90 lectures presented across the country and several internationally from 1984-2021, mainly focused on clinical geriatric dentistry and oral health disparities among the elderly.

• Research funding from 1984 through 2024 from numerous sources, including the Veterans Administration and the National Institutes for Health.

Dr. Judith Jones in her office at the Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry where she is an adjunct faculty member. In the background (top right) is the class composite photo from her 1972 Dental Hygiene class at U-M. Next to it is her 1978 DDS class photo from the University of North Carolina dental school.

• Leadership on numerous public health boards and commissions, including the American Board of Dental Public Health, which she served as a director, president and executive director over more than a decade.

affiliation with the university. She was an associate with the Harvard Geriatric Education Center for three years, and an assistant professor from 1985-98 and a lecturer from 1998-2013 in geriatrics and gerontology courses.

• Service on the editorial boards of several major journals, including the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Even as she was working at Harvard, she was expanding her reach to the Boston University dental school, as an adjunct assistant professor from 1990-98. It was there

that she completed her Doctor of Dental Science degree and a Dental Public Health Residency from 1998-2002. Her dissertation – “Oral Health and Quality of Life in Older Veterans” – expanded on research she had done at the VA. During the time she was working on her D.Sc.D, she was promoted to associate professor in the BU dental school’s Department of General Dentistry and Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research. She also earned an appointment

• Continuing contributions as a U.S. representative to the Oral Health for Aging Population Task Team for the Federation Dentaire Internationale, more commonly known today as the FDI World Dental Federation, an organization of dentists that promotes oral health worldwide.

Continued

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Alumni Profile: Dr. Judith Jones (Continued)

Among many awards and commendations, two stand out:

That level of enthusiasm carries through any healthcare conversation with Jones and ultimately the message is reduced to a simple reality – the importance of people taking care of their teeth. Earlier this year, she volunteered her dentistry expertise in news coverage about a Michigan community that was debating whether to continue withholding fluoride from its public water supply.

Bad idea, she told a media outlet, unsurprisingly, presenting the scientific support in polite but unequivocal terms. Then, taking it to the patient level while the city is deciding its next move, Jones advised city residents on how to avoid tooth decay by obtaining fluoride for themselves and their children.

Those without fluoride in their water supply should keep their teeth “spotlessly clean,” flossing and brushing for two minutes twice a day, she recommended.

• The Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research from the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) in 2007. (Jones also helped start the Geriatric Oral Research Group for IADR-AADR in 1986.)

• The American Dental Education Association Gies Award for Outstanding Innovation as an Educator, in 2009, for her leadership at BU in creating a successful team approach for faculty, students and patient care when several specialty departments were merged into the Department of General Dentistry under her leadership.

At a time when it would be easy to retire and head Up North to her family’s vacation property along Lake Michigan, Jones remains engaged in her lifelong commitment to health equity. She continues to contribute her voice to the national discussion in numerous ways, including her work as a member of the Santa Fe Group. The think tank, founded about 30 years ago, is a respected collection of healthcare experts from a wide variety of fields who seek to improve lives through oral health. Its research and position papers have addressed critical issues such as oral cancer, dental education reform, children’s oral health, improving primary care access, the importance of linking medical and dental health systems, and expanding oral healthcare for seniors.

During an interview one day this spring, Jones related that the previous evening she had been up until 2 a.m. after she became immersed in tracking down studies and data important for an issue being addressed by the Santa Fe Group. The issue: How Medicare could save billions of dollars by providing preventive dental care to people with diabetes. Her preference, and that of many other healthcare experts who have studied Medicare, would be for the federal health insurance program to provide dental care for everyone over age 65 because good dental care improves overall health – and, thus, reduces overall healthcare costs. But the politics (translated: high cost) of that proposal have prevented it from moving forward for decades. So the Santa Fe Group has begun to pragmatically research and

36 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

It is that sort of relentless and idealistic healthcare advocacy – at both macro and micro levels – that gained Jones national prominence over the years. She traces her ultimate success back to her start at the U-M School of Dentistry when her initial goal was merely to obtain a certificate in dental hygiene. It was there that Jones discovered she is a person who always has questions.

The graduation photo of Dr. Judith Jones, then known as Judy Jones, from the dental hygiene program’s Class of 1972 composite. provide factual analysis of smaller parts of the massive federal program.

“We hit against a wall in advocating for dental care for everyone on Medicare,” Jones said, referring to the political realities. “So now we are focusing on medically necessary dental care. We’re looking at the cost savings for Medicare if people with diabetes have access to preventive dental care. The data from studies support that diabetes patients benefit from better dental care. People with diabetes make up 20 percent of the people on Medicare. There sits the potential for significant savings. For every person with diabetes, treatment costs somewhere around $17,000 or $18,000 per person per year, so if you could cut that by 10 percent you could save billions of dollars in the Medicare program.

I was working on that paper last night. I was just psyched, I was on a roll.”

“I liked science and I liked people, so dental hygiene was a good bet. It was really good training, but I was very curious. A lot of times the instructors couldn’t answer my questions. I had a lot of questions.”

That led her to dental school and a DDS degree, but practicing dentistry led to still more questions before she discovered the ultimate question-answerer called scientific research.

“I loved clinical practice, but clinical practice brought up in my mind many questions.

And so having the tools to be able to address some of those questions with others on a research team was very exciting to me. I was willing to work hard and did a lot of research in a variety of areas. Some people might say that there is a lack of focus in the areas I pursued. But actually, for my whole career I was really focused on making things better for older adults and for the underserved.

Whether it be clinical care or research or teaching or the policy issues I’m looking at now, that’s what I wanted to do. That’s been a constant that hasn’t changed.”

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Judith Jones Endows Scholarship Fund for Dental Hygiene Students As the career of Judith Jones has wound down in recent years, she contemplated how to create an appropriate capstone for her commitment to public health and the greater good over the last 50-plus years. The result is the creation of an endowed scholarship fund for dental hygiene students at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Her major financial gift is the largest in the 105-year-history of the dental hygiene program.

Dr. Jones has specified that recipients be students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and a commitment to work in underserved communities after graduation. She wants to support students from Detroit, Flint, a federally recognized tribal land and-or a dentally-underserved community who have faced significant social, economic or educational barriers to academic and professional advancement.

Why did she decide on dental hygiene students at U-M given that her time in the DH program was just two years at the start of what became a much broader public health career that evolved into the practice of dentistry, extensive oral health research and leadership in academia?

After earning her DH certificate in 1972, Jones’ first job was back at the Model Cities Clinic while she remained at U-M to take courses required for entry into dental school.

A few years later, after earning her DDS and Master of Public Health degrees at the University of North Carolina, she returned to Detroit to practice dentistry in community clinics for three years.

The substantial impact of that early work with underserved populations stayed with Jones through the rest of what became a national-level career in public health. Her advocacy for widespread access to dental care and overall healthcare has been a

constant at every stage of her work life, so the scholarship and its criteria are just the latest example of that commitment.

Jones’ scholarship idea began to crystalize several years ago during a national health equity summit at the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

She was part of a group of prominent dentistry and healthcare advocates brainstorming the longstanding problem of too many minority populations without access to dental care in underserved areas. At one point, the conversation focused on using scholarships to encourage students from underserved areas to obtain their dental hygiene degrees so they could return to those areas to practice and promote the advantages of good oral hygiene.

While dentists are also often needed in those underserved areas, the focus on dental hygiene students at the conference aligned with a theme near and dear to Jones. Though she went on to earn her DDS degree and practiced (and taught dental students) many of the complex treatment procedures that define dentistry, she has always come back to the importance of each person taking care of their teeth. She retains the evangelical

Like many people nearing retirement, Jones found it meaningful to reflect on her career and to acknowledge how her time at the university and dental school shaped the rest of her life. The most important part of her DH coursework went well beyond the training in how to clean teeth and hold a scaler. It was where she first learned that not everyone has easy access to – or can afford – dental care and other healthcare services.

As part of the DH program’s community outreach curriculum, she visited Project PRESCAD in Detroit. PRESCAD was a groundbreaking federal project originating in the 1960s that established comprehensive care for underserved populations. A similar program in Ann Arbor, the Model Cities program, treated patients of all ages while PRESCAD focused on children from preschool to adolescence.

In this photo from the 1972 U-M dental school yearbook, Judy Jones is second from left among senior dental hygiene students who were officers of the school's chapter of the National Hygiene Association. Jones was secretary of the group.

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ALUMNI 37 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

Judith Jones Endows Scholarship Fund for Dental Hygiene Students (Continued)

zeal of your favorite dental hygienist who reminds you during every dental appointment that flossing and brushing multiple times a day will keep your teeth in great shape throughout your life. (Oh, and you should limit sweets, too.)

“The other thing besides health equity that we talked about that day,” Jones recalls, “is that of all the fancy dental procedures that we’ve come across in our careers, the single most important thing is good hygiene – in terms of preserving the dentition and preserving the health of Americans. And so, you could do all these weird and wonderful things, but if you keep your teeth clean and eat well, you are not going to need all those weird and wonderful things. Well, OK, yes, you will need an occasional implant. People crack teeth and need extractions, implants and crowns. … But overall, the most important thing is hygiene and fluoride.

So we thought, why not start a scholarship fund that would help hygienists?”

Jones kept that idea in mind and decided last year to implement a scholarship on her own for DH students at U-M. “Out of that group discussion, I thought: why not do it myself?

I could do it over time. It will take me longer than most people to endow a scholarship.

I’m not super wealthy. But I’m of the age I have to use some of my retirement money every year. I have Social Security and other options, so I have what I need. I don’t need that much, so why not share?”

Honoring a mentor Jones made one other important specification for the scholarship. She named it in the memory of the late Shirley Ross Pyke, a faculty member when Jones was going through the DH program. Pyke taught public health and health education as part of a joint appointment at the dental school and at the U-M School of Public Health. Because Pyke had worked extensively at community health clinics in Detroit and elsewhere, she coordinated the hygiene program’s outreach program, taking students to the Model Cities clinic in Ann Arbor and to the PRESCAD children’s clinics in Detroit.

Jones was impressed with Pyke’s commitment in the service of others, particularly those whose resources were limited when it came to dental care and overall healthcare.

Pyke took a particular interest in Jones, serving as a mentor as Jones tried to decide on her future after completing the dental hygiene program. Jones had aspirations beyond hygiene but was a first-generation college student uncertain of how to move forward.

“I wanted to keep going, but I had no idea I could keep going, which is where Shirley Pyke comes in,” Jones said. “I told her: ‘Long-term I’d like to go to dental school or public health school. I know I can’t do both.’ She says: ‘Oh, sure you can!’ She was pivotal. I thought it was too big of a bite and she said: ‘No, that’s fine, you can do that.’ ”

“It’s kind of this over-the-rainbow concept when I went to Ann Arbor,” Jones said.

“In the early 1970s, it was a crazy time on campus, it was wild. It was during the Vietnam War and there were protests and a lot of guerilla theater on the Diag. It was like, oh, wow, look at all this. I was exposed to a lot of different things, and I learned I could do things that I had no idea I could do. That’s why the enabling of Shirley made a huge difference. Because she planted the seed and I just plowed ahead.”

Now, it’s about gratitude and the importance of giving back, Jones says. “I think my experiences at the school and my experiences with Shirley Pyke were like going over the rainbow. They were just life-changing.

They gave me the opportunity to do all the things that I did in my career and have a really good life. So that’s why it’s important.

We have to share.”

The mentor’s story Shirley Ross Pyke herself is a remarkable story. After growing up in a small, blue-collar steel mill town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she first came to U-M in 1944 to enter the Dental Hygiene program. When she completed the 2-year certificate in 1946, she was first Black student to graduate from the Dental Hygiene program, which was then in its 25th year. Her first job out of U-M was as supervisor of the dental hygiene curriculum at Meharry Medical College – yes, the same college that hosted the conference

This 1972 U-M dental school yearbook photo shows Shirley Pyke with other faculty members of the Department of Community Dentistry.

From left are James Bush, Emerson Robinson, Shirley Pyke, Department chair Robert Bagramian, Richard Graves, Donald McNeal and William Reynolds.

38 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

where Jones began formulating her idea for the scholarship all these years later.

While at U-M, Shirley met her future husband, Allen Pyke, a music major and member of the university’s marching band.

After they were married, she followed his career as he taught music at several southern universities. She worked as a hospital hygienist for two years, then paused her career for eight years after their son and daughter were born. The couple divorced in 1957 and Shirley eventually moved back to her hometown in Pennsylvania with her two young children. She returned to the practice of dental hygiene with the county health department in Pittsburgh for several years, while taking college courses and eventually completing her bachelor’s degree at California State College in nearby California, Pennsylvania, in 1966.

By then Pyke had decided to expand her DH experience into a broader career in public health. With her bachelor’s degree complete, she returned to the University of Michigan exactly 20 years after earning her DH certificate. This time, she completed her Master of Public Health degree from the School of Public Health, in 1967. She then worked as a community relations consultant and health educator for Project PRESCAD, the federal children’s health project run by the Wayne County Health Department in Detroit.

In 1970, Pyke was hired as a lecturer by the School of Dentistry and School of Public Health. She received numerous positive reviews from both faculty and the deans, and was eventually promoted to assistant professor. In 1971, U-M President Robben Fleming invited Shirley to be among the first members of a new university-wide Commission on Minority Groups. The commission was a response to a federal Executive Order

by President Lyndon Johnson aimed at eliminating discrimination and establishing affirmative action in hiring. Pyke served a one-year term on the commission, which reviewed campus policies, procedures and practices that might discriminate against minority groups.

In 1973, faced with college tuition responsibilities for her children, Pyke applied for a higher-paying associate professor of community dentistry position at the Temple

the Washington, D.C., area to be near her daughter and grandchildren. She passed away in 2007.

Shirley Ross Pyke (Photo courtesy of her daughter Laurel Pyke Malson) University dental school. She wanted to stay at U-M and both the dental and public health deans wanted her to stay. They tried to match the salary increase she would receive at Temple, but U-M was in a budget downturn at the time, their offer fell well short, and Pyke left for the professorship in Philadelphia. After several years at Temple, she returned to Detroit and worked there yet again in community health roles with various public agencies. She later moved to

I think my experiences at the school and my experiences with Shirley Pyke were like going over the rainbow. They were just life-changing.

– Judith Jones

Pyke’s family recently learned of the scholarship named in her memory and are grateful that her community service, teaching and mentorship are being recognized.

Pyke’s daughter Laurel Pyke Malson is a retired partner in the law firm of Crowell and Moring in its Washington, D.C. office, and her brother Launey Pyke is a retired special education teacher who lives in Detroit. Malson said they had to briefly sort out an initial disconnect after hearing that the benefactor was “Judith Jones” because they remembered their mother mentoring a student named “Judy.” Once they realized it was the same person, it made the scholarship naming even more profound as they recalled meeting Judy numerous times and their mother’s efforts to stress the importance of public health to the students she mentored.

Malson said she is pleased that, because of the named scholarship, more people will be able to know her mother’s compelling story as a trailblazer for women and, in particular, for Black women, in an era when there were many challenges to their education, careers and success. She said her mother succeeded because she was smart, determined and independent – qualities she channeled into her unwavering dedication to public health and dental public health.

“She was very aware that there were people in society who were left behind who needed to be helped. That was a very strong principle in her life,” Malson said. “She had always had a passion for social justice issues and lifting up downtrodden people, and education in the broadest sense – not just formal education, but health education as a way of enhancing the quality of life.”

To see the life’s work of her mother recognized through Jones’ endowed scholarship is “a wonderful story,” Malson said. “We are thrilled that there is going to be something associated with our mother at the University of Michigan and that Judy is the donor,” she said. “For this to have to come full circle like this, it is very powerful to me about the importance of mentorship, the importance of relationships, the importance of the University of Michigan in people’s lives.”

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Alumni Legacy Graduates Eight students in the DDS Class of 2026 have parents who also graduated from the U-M School of Dentistry. The new grads followed by their parents and graduation years are: • Matthew Bielkie – Anthony Bielkie (DDS 1991) • Jonathan Dougherty – Odette Haouilou (DDS 1998) • Nathan Khoo – Hanie Yukching Szeto (DDS 1988) • Andrew Klump – David Klump (DDS 1986) • Zachary Lee – Kendall Lee (DDS 1992) • Ryan McLean – Geri (Pikus) McLean (DDS 1986) • Zakary Riebschleger – Ron Riebschleger (DDS 1989)

DDS graduate Ryan McLean is hooded by Assistant Dean for Students Dr. Suni Travan (left) and his mother, Dr. Geri McLean, a 1986 graduate of the dental school who practices in Rochester Hill, Michigan.

Commencment

Videos & Photos Video: Highlights of 2026 Commencement Video: Entire Ceremony Video: Who students thank for helping them through dental school More Photos on Flickr

A warm and sunny day, the iconic Burton Tower and spring flowers provide the backdrop on Ingalls Mall as Amy Klump takes a photo of the two U-M dental school graduates in her family after the 2026 commencement ceremony on May 8 at Hill Auditorium. Her son Andrew graduated this year, 40 years after her husband David. The Klumps live in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, metro area.

40 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

https://myumi.ch/J4rqD

Alumni, Faculty Receive MDA Awards Several U-M dental school alumni and faculty members were among the recipients of the annual awards presented by the Michigan Dental Association at its annual session in Grand Rapids May 30-April 2.

Dr. Charles Burling (DDS 1976) received the Dentist Citizen of the Year Award for his lifetime of service to his community of Dowagiac in southwest Michigan, as well as his involvement in many other regional and state initiatives. Throughout his career Burling has been an active advocate for access to dental care and community well-being. He has volunteered countless hours providing free or reduced-cost care to underserved populations, supporting youth and public health initiatives, and partnering with local organizations to address community needs. He has filled many roles for Lakeland Valley Dental Society and was an MDA House of Delegates member, committee member, committee chair, trustee on the MDA Board, and MDA secretary. Burling opened his dental practice in his hometown in 1978 and practiced for more than four decades before retiring in 2017. He served the community in a variety of leadership roles, including 16 years on the Dowagiac City Council. In 2023, the city named a newly refurbished park in Burling’s honor.

Dr. Donald Heys (DDS 1972 and MS restorative 1975) received the MDA Educator Award for the U-M School of Dentistry. A faculty member since he graduated in the 1970s, he has taught and mentored several generations of dentists.

MDA cited Heys as a faculty member whose students characterize him as a role model who is knowledgeable, approachable and always willing to help. Throughout his career he has demonstrated a commitment to curricular innovation, academic rigor, and compassionate mentorship. He has played a key role in the delivery and advancement of comprehensive care within the school’s DDS program, serving as the director of two essential Comprehensive Care courses for more than three decades. He has served on dozens of departmental, school, and professional committees, often in leadership roles. His research in restorative dentistry, particularly in dental materials and pulpal biology, has shaped best practices and advanced the evidence base in clinical dentistry.

Dr. Andrew Dwan (DDS 1996), who practices in Standish, Michigan, was presented with the Donated Dental Services Outstanding Volunteer Dentist Award. He started participating in the Michigan Donated Dental Services program in 2003 and is currently treating his 13th Donated Dental patient. MDA noted that Dwan and his staff embody the spirit of volunteerism and consistently coordinate care that is life-changing and improves the oral health of his patients. The area where he practices is rural, with few dentists, and Dwan has helped treat patients from surrounding counties as well. A notable example involved a patient who was waiting for a heart transplant but needed his dental clearance to get started with his medical procedures. Dwan and his staff stepped in to complete the care and worked around the patients’ cardiac rehab treatment to best accommodate the patient and help him progress with his medical care.

Ann Arbor general dentist Dr. Dina Cocco (DDS 1989) received the Donated Dental Rising Star Award. She became a Michigan Donated Dental Services (DDS) volunteer in 2019 after hearing about the program at a local dental society meeting. She has treated patients regularly in a region where the program faces participation challenges.

She is currently treating her fifth patient through the DDS program. MDA cited the extraordinary kindness and compassion she and her staff have given to Donated Dental patients who have experienced life-changing dental care. MDA noted that patients often remark that Cocco is the best dentist they’ve had. She and her staff have successfully managed numerous difficult circumstances in providing dental treatment for various patients.

The MDA also presented its Public Relations Award to the organizers of the U-M dental school’s Give Kids a Smile clinic, recognizing both the students and faculty who plan the event and the support of the Washtenaw District Dental Society (WDDS). GKAS promotes oral health awareness, education and access to care via this large-scale, community-focused event that provides free dental services and oral health education to children ages 4-14 from across southeast Michigan. The 2025 GKAS planning team for the 2025 clinic included students Samhita Sunkara, Sarah Jobe, Jacob Bommarito and Sydney Mosteller. The group expanded outreach efforts by collaborating with local schools, social workers, and community organizations to reach more families in need. MDA noted that the event not only enhances public trust in the dental profession but also inspires future MDA members to prioritize service, equity, and community outreach in their careers.

ALUMNI 41 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

Alumni Notes Dr. Richard Shick (DDS 1954 and MS in Periodontics 1960) was honored as the Hero of the Game on Feb. 13, 2026, when the University of Michigan men’s ice hockey team hosted Penn State at Yost Ice Arena. At each home hockey, football and men’s basketball game, U-M chooses a hero from various groups, including active military or veterans, police, fire, doctors and first responders. Dr. Shick was honored for his military service. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1956 after his DDS graduation from the dental school and before entering the graduate perio program. He was first stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was later transferred to Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. After earning his master’s degree, Shick practiced periodontics in Flint for four decades before retiring in 1997. He held numerous local, state and national leadership roles in dentistry organizations and was instrumental in leading two pro-fluoride campaigns when the city of Flint put city water fluoridation to successful public votes in the mid-1960s. Shick’s son Rod said his father, age 96, and his mother, Rose Marie, age 94, have for the last two years lived year-round at their home in Grand Blanc after previously spending winters in Bonita Springs, Florida, for 17 years. Rod said he, his parents and other family members were thrilled to be at the hockey game to experience the hero announcement that was played on the scoreboard video screen above the ice rink. And the evening ended on another positive note, with U-M winning in a shoot-out after the teams had remained tied 4-4 in regulation and throughout the overtime period.

A dentistry podcast created by Dr. Haley Schultz (DDS 2024), who practices at Centreville Family Dentistry and Implant Center in southwest Michigan, has won a national award. The Dental Podcast Directory, which has evaluated podcasts related to dentistry since 2015, named Dr. Schultz’s “The Dental Download” as the recipient of its Editor’s Choice Award, one three awards it presented to podcasts around the country for 2025. The directory said the podcast “features weekly conversations with dental professionals, industry experts, and specialists to give listeners a deeper understanding of dentistry. … while also offering Dr. Schultz’s own perspective on navigating life as a young dental professional.” The directory cited the podcast’s “exceptional quality, relatability and contribution to the professional development of dental audiences – particularly those earlier in their careers. This award honors a podcast that exemplifies what thoughtful, well-crafted dental podcasting can look like at its best.” Schultz has been actively engaged with social media since her days as an undergraduate student at Michigan State University and during her four years at the U-M dental school. In addition to the podcast, she maintains a YouTube channel where she posts vlogs (video blogs) sharing both personal and dentistry aspects of her daily life, dating back to before and during dental school. She can also be found promoting dentistry on Instagram and TikTok. 42 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

Dr. Cass Radecki (DDS 1987), an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practicing in Saline, Michigan, was awarded Life Fellowship status by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) early this year. Life Fellowship is a distinction reviewed annually by the AAOMS that recognizes professional achievement and continuous dedication to advancing the specialty and patient care across generations. After earning his DDS at the U-M dental school, he began his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University. He has treated patients from the Ann Arbor area, Washtenaw County and Lenawee County for more than two decades, specializing in wisdom teeth removal and dental implants. He has served as President of the Michigan Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, supporting ongoing professional education and leadership in organized dentistry statewide. As Chief of Surgery at St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital, he worked collaboratively with medical colleagues to enhance local surgical services. As part of his commitment to mentorship he has served as an adjunct lecturer and clinical instructor at the U-M School of Dentistry.

New “Undaunted Trailblazers” Book Includes Six Dental School Alumni • Dr. Todd V. Ester (DDS 1994, Endodontics 1999), faculty member and Associate Dean for Well-being and People. In addition to teaching roles as a faculty member over the last 20 years, Ester has had multiple leadership roles in the school’s longstanding initiatives promoting inclusivity across the school, including the Profile For Success summer enrichment program and the recruitment of minority students from around the country.

The dentistry careers of six U-M School of Dentistry alumni are featured in a new book: “Undaunted Trailblazers II: Contemporary Men of Color Shaping Oral Health.” The book is a collection of 33 stories citing the achievements of men of color who chose to pursue degrees and careers in dentistry and related health fields.

Two U-M School of Dentistry alumni, Dr. Keith Mays and Dr. Todd V. Ester, edited the book with Dr. Leo Rouse. The book is a companion follow-up to “Undaunted Trailblazers: Minority Women Leaders for Oral Health” that was published in 2021.

Mays was working on an idea for a book about successful leaders in consultation with Rouse before the first “Undaunted Trailblazers” book was published. Ester joined the project after that first book prompted a discussion of “what about trailblazing men?” Together the three editors consulted with the authors and production team of the first book to produce a companion piece using the same main title. The editors intend the new book to not only be a valuable resource for the historical record, but for it to also serve as inspiration for young men of color considering career opportunities in dentistry and oral health.

The U-M dental school alumni who contributed their first-person essays for the book are:

Dr. Todd V. Ester

Dr. Raymond Gist

• Dr. Raymond Gist (DDS 1966), a retired general dentist who practiced in Flint for nearly 60 years. He was the first Black dentist to lead the Genesee District Dental Society as president, and achieved the same distinction as president of the Michigan Dental Association in 2003-04 and as president of the American Dental Association in 2010-11.

• Dr. Darnell Kaigler, Jr. (DDS 2002, PhD 2004, Perio and Operative Dentistry 2006), the Major M. Ash Collegiate Professor of Periodontics who was the first student to complete the dual DDS and PhD in Oral Health Sciences program at the dental school. As a faculty member he directs the Kaigler Lab of Stem Cell Science and Tissue Regeneration.

• Dr. Kenneth May (DDS 1988, MS Prosthodontics 1990), a faculty member at the U-M dental school who continues to teach part-time after retiring in 2021 as an associate professor of dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics. May joined the

Dr. Darnell Kaigler, Jr.

Dr. Kenneth May

dental school as a lecturer in 1988, serving as a course director at the pre-doctoral and graduate levels in didactic and clinical instruction. He directed the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Recruitment Initiatives from 2007-13, and is noted for his tireless recruitment and mentoring of students.

• Dr. Keith Mays (DDS 1989), dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Prior to joining the Minnesota faculty, he also taught at the dental schools at the University of Maryland and East Carolina University. Among his many roles in professional dentistry, he served as chair of the American Dental Education Association board of directors from 2021-22.

• Dr. Carlos Smith (DDS 2007), associate professor in the Department of Dental Public Health and Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.

He was the inaugural associate dean of ethics and community engagement, and he holds a master of divinity degree from Duke University.

Also contributing to the book were three recent U-M dental school alumni – Dr. Jacob Collins (DDS 2021), Dr. Bradley Harrison (DDS 2024) and Dr. RayJ Jackson (DDS 2025) – who wrote biographical essays about three prominent healthcare leaders of national renown.

The book is available on Amazon and other national booksellers, as is the first “Undaunted Trailblazers” book. The latter was a collaboration of three editors – Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk, a U-M dental school alumna and retired Assistant Dean for Student Services at the school; the late Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, former Dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry; and Dr. Shelia S. Price, a retired faculty member at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry.

Dr. Keith Mays

Dr. Carlos Smith ALUMNI 43 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

Why I Give...

Catherine Draper (MSDH 1978)

Cathy Draper studied at the University of Michigan for one year, earning a master’s degree in the Dental Hygiene Program at the School of Dentistry in 1978. It was a short tenure on the Ann Arbor campus, but she credits the experience as an important factor in her successful career as a hygienist, educator and current Editor in Chief of the Journal of Dental Hygiene, the scholarly research publication of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Draper has returned to Ann Arbor and the dental school on numerous occasions, including in 2017 when she received the Distinguished Dental Hygiene Alumna Award, and again in 2022 to help the Dental Hygiene Program celebrate its centennial.

She is a longtime donor to the program’s Christine P. Klausner Graduate Student Scholarship fund.

Her continuing relationship with the School of Dentistry is a commitment to the DH profession that reflects her personal journey of career growth while supporting the success of today’s early-career dental hygienists. A California native, Draper earned her associate’s degree in DH from Foothill College, a community college in

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44 ALUMNI M Dentistry | Spring 2026

the San Francisco Bay area. She began working in private practice but realized early on that she was interested in teaching. One of her mentors, who had earned a graduate DH degree at U-M, encouraged Draper to consider going for her master’s at U-M with its comprehensive mix of DDS, DH and graduate students in the various specialties, combined with its world-class reputation for research. She went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in health education from San Francisco State University before applying and getting accepted into the U-M DH graduate program.

Today Draper has practiced clinical dental hygiene for more than 45 years, including six in Germany, to go along with two decades of teaching experience and an impressive variety of other accomplishments on her CV. She served as president of the California Dental Hygiene Association from 2000-01.

In 2001, she was invited by the cultural exchange organization, People to People, to lead a delegation of dental hygienists on an educational tour of Chinese dental clinics and universities. In 2007, she began her teaching career as a part-time faculty member at Foothill College, initially in the dental hygiene program and today in the broader health sciences curriculum. She has contributed to numerous dental hygiene publications and has presented continuing education programs nationally and internationally on a wide range of topics.

In 2010, she was recruited to edit the Journal of the California Dental Hygienists' Association, then in 2016 she was hired as managing editor of the Journal of Dental Hygiene for the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

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Last fall she was promoted to its Editor in Chief. During her tenure as Managing Editor, Draper earned the ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene in 2020, was named to the inaugural class of the Fellows of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (FADHA) in 2023, and received the ADHA Presidential Citation in 2024 for her work on a special issue celebrating ADHA’s centennial, which was jointly published with the International Journal of Dental Hygiene.

“I have always found it good to say yes to opportunities that are outside of my comfort zone,” Draper said. “I came to Michigan from sunny California not knowing what to expect or how I would pay for my year of grad school, and I had never experienced a midwestern winter! I really enjoyed all of the learning opportunities that we had in the DH grad program and the support of my classmates and new friends. My master’s thesis was a highly technical project using a force measuring device that was designed in the Occlusion Lab. Major Ash was one of my thesis advisors.”

“Even though I only spent one year in Ann Arbor, I have benefitted tremendously from the networking and support I have had as a U-M graduate throughout my career. The Michigan community has been so welcoming and inclusive to me over the years. I am a strong believer in giving back to the institutions that have supported my education and professional journey. That is why I keep on giving back to U-M. Go Blue!”

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Contact:

SODalumnirelations@umich.edu University of Michigan | School of Dentistry 1011 N. University | Ann Arbor, MI 48109

In Memoriam Dr. Daniel J. Chiego, Jr., a faculty stalwart at the dental school who devoted more than 50 years to dentistry and scientific research, passed away in Ann Arbor on March 14, 2026. An associate professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Science and Endodontics, he joined the dental school in 1976 and taught major courses in the DDS and graduate curriculum focused on pulp biology, the musculoskeletal system, and tooth development. At the time of his death, he was involved in 12 courses in the Dental Hygiene, DDS and Graduate Endodontics programs. In addition to the thousands of dental, dental hygiene and graduate students he taught, he was a committee member, advisor or mentor for 12 PhD candidates, 50 Masters program candidates, 22 DDS research program students and two Dental Hygiene students. He made substantial contributions to the field of pulp biology research and to dental histology, authoring a significant textbook, “Essentials of Oral Histology and Embryology: A Clinical Approach,” and authoring or editing numerous scholarly publications. His leadership in the school’s Pathways Program, which encourages students to pursue interests and coursework outside of their regular dental school curriculum, reflected his deep impact on academic innovation and excellence. Prior to joining U-M, Dr. Chiego earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, N.J., and went on to complete both a Master of Science and a PhD at New York University after spending two years in the U.S. Army as part of the 1st Cavalry Division, including a year in Vietnam. CRSE chair Margherita Fontana said Chiego was a mentor and role model to many. “For our department this is a profound and very personal loss as Dan was a longstanding part of our family who we were honored to count as a friend, with deep admiration for his commitment to science, the profession, our department, school and university,” she said.

Dr. Oliver Marcotte of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a former adjunct faculty member at the dental school, died Jan. 14, 2026. He earned his DDS from U-M in 1967, helping found the Jonathan Taft Honorary Dental Society during his time at the dental school. He was an adjunct from 1990-93, overlapping one year with the time when his daughter and current dental school adjunct, Dr. Sue Luft-Marcotte (DDS 1996), was earning her DDS. Dr. Marcotte was past president of several professional dental organizations, and a contributing editor for Dental Economics magazine. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree and in the early 1970s, as a result of needs in his own dental practice, developed one of the first computerized dental office management systems in the country. Marketed as the Command Dental System, it was widely adopted throughout the Great Lakes region, including the U-M School of Dentistry.

Dr. Emerson Robinson passed away March 20, 2026, at age 88, in Ann Arbor. In the 50 years he was affiliated with the School of Dentistry, Dr. Robinson demonstrated a remarkable dedication and devotion to the school in various roles, including clinician, educator, researcher and pioneer in the development of diversity programs for the school and university. Even after he retired in 2003, he remained a valuable resource for the school. After four years of service in the U.S. Air Force, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University in 1962, his DDS from Meharry Medical College in 1966, a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan in 1970, and a certificate in Dental Public Health from U-M in 1971. He joined the U-M faculty as an assistant professor of dentistry and an assistant professor of dental public health in 1971. He was promoted to associate professor of dentistry in 1974, professor of dentistry and associate professor of dental public health in 1978, and professor of dental public health in 1980. He served as acting chair of the Department of Community Dentistry in 1976 and was interim director of minority affairs from 1997-99. His contributions to Community Dentistry and Prosthodontics for predoctoral and graduate students were widely praised. He conducted research on denture materials and later expanded his work to the connection between oral health and sleep apnea, demonstrating his ongoing pursuit of new areas of dentistry that benefited both patients and students. The school presented him with the Ida Gray Award in 2000, the same year that the University of Michigan recognized him with the Harold R. Johnson Award, which is presented to faculty whose service goes above and beyond their regular duties and contributes to the development of a culturally and ethnically diverse campus community. In 2019, the dental school honored Dr. Robinson with its Distinguished Service Award, established to recognize and honor dental school graduates, faculty or research staff who have made outstanding contributions to the profession of dentistry.

Royce Leland Beers (OMFS residency 1971), April 11, 2026, Lake Leelanau, Michigan.

Barbara (Topolski) Crouse (DH certificate 1953), April 8, 2026, Thousand Oaks, California.

Paul Dees (DDS 1963), December 5, 2025, Edgewood, Washington.

Pamela (Schmidt) Dykhuizen (BSDH 1968), Dec. 12, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lynn (Schultz) Hobbs (BSDH 1959), Jan. 1, 2026, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Harry Huffaker (DDS 1966), Jan. 29, 2026, Hailey, Idaho.

Alma (Andersons) Miller (BSDH 1962), Feb. 16, 2026, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Richard Morrison (DDS 1980), Nov. 23, 2025, Pickford, Michigan.

Walter Nobuhara (DDS 1958), Jan. 4, 2026, Honolulu, Hawaii.

June (Norden) Torrey (BSDH 1957), April 12, 2026, Muskegon, Michigan.

ALUMNI 45 Spring 2026 | M Dentistry

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Thank You, Donors Angela Maher DDS Class of 2027

Hometown: Pinckney, Michigan Undergraduate degree: Biology, University of Michigan I worked as a dental assistant during my senior year of undergrad and full-time during a gap year before dental school in order to save money for tuition. I wasn’t expecting a scholarship, so I was both surprised and overwhelmed with appreciation for the donors.

As a first-generation college student who continues to live at home to reduce expenses, financial support is especially meaningful. My dental school tuition is funded through loans, grants, and scholarships, so I am deeply grateful for the donors’ generosity.