Year In Review
Welcome to our 2024-2025 Academic Year in Review
As we reflect on the past academic year, it is inspiring to reflect upon the remarkable resolve and achievements of our students, residents, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters. Their unwavering commitment to excellence in dental education, clinical care, research, community service and philanthropy has propelled our school forward in meaningful ways. We are pleased to showcase a glimpse of the accomplishments and milestones we've reached together, each one a testament to our shared dedication to shaping the future of dentistry, integrating health care and increasing access to dental education and oral health care across the communities we serve.
I look forward to the year ahead with great anticipation for continued progress and success for our people and programs.
Elisa M. Chávez, DDS
Interim Dean
Expanding Our Academic Programs and Clinical Care
Internships and Fellowships Flourish
The Dugoni School further expanded its advanced training programs with residencies and internships, including three that launched in 2024–2025
2021: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Internship | Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
2023: Dental Sleep Medicine Fellowship | Department of Orthodontics in collaboration with Stanford and the San Francisco VA
2024: Endodontic Internship Program | Department of Endodontics
2025: Anesthesiology Internship Program | Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
2025: Special Care/Hospital Dentistry Internship Program | Department of Diagnostic Sciences
Pacific Health Care Collaborative Launches
The Dugoni School began its academic program and clinical services at the Pacific Health Care Collaborative on Pacific’s Sacramento Campus in the Oak Park area, with its inaugural cohort of 29 International Dental Studies students providing screenings and dental care. The aim of this groundbreaking initiative is to combine dental and medical services in a teaching and learning environment.
Training for Medical Emergencies
The Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the Medical Emergency Response Team conducted medical emergency mock code drills in a health care setting. These training sessions aim to enhance team performance and preparedness, uncover latent safety threats and provide continuous quality improvement to our system. Medical ERT student teaching interns are integrated into the team for all training and drill sessions. In addition, high-fidelity simulation scenarios with a live patient actor are held in the MEDSim suite, an innovative medical simulation environment featuring a dental operatory.
Focus on Equity in Oral Health Care
The Pacific Center for Equity in Oral Health Care held events including a February symposium focused on issues impacting older adults and their oral health. Expert speakers represented USC, UCLA, Harvard, the Dugoni School of Dentistry and Pacific’s School of Health Sciences. The Pacific Center also formed an internal expert advisory panel with the goal of ensuring that its programs positively impact students, patients and all those served through the Dugoni School.
New Generative AI Use Guidelines
Thanks to the Dugoni GenAI Guidelines Task Force, a new website supports the responsible, ethical and effective use of generative AI across the school’s academic and clinical environment. This resource addresses critical topics such as data privacy and security, academic integrity and ethical/legal compliance. The site also includes task-specific guidelines for teaching, learning, research, clinical care and administrative activities.
AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER
EXPLORE THE GUIDE
Building Capacity for the Future:
$5M Grant Supports Multidisciplinary Clinic & Ambulatory Surgery Center
The Dugoni School received a transformative $5 million grant from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, part of a statewide initiative distributing $47.2 million to enhance dental care for patients with special health care needs. This vital funding will support the creation of a state-of-the-art Multidisciplinary Care Clinic and 23-hour Ambulatory Surgery Center on the first floor of the San Francisco Campus. Designed specifically for individuals of all ages with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities, this new facility will represent a major advancement in inclusive, patient-centered care. Spanning nearly 13,000 square feet, the clinic will feature four operating rooms, eight operatories, five hybrid medical/dental treatment rooms, ten pre- and post-operative spaces and a calming sensory waiting area. This project underscores the Dugoni School’s continued commitment to expanding access to comprehensive, compassionate care for underserved populations throughout the Bay Area.
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New Partnership with Stanford Medicine to Expand Access to Specialty Care
The Dugoni School and Pacific’s Hearing and Balance Center have partnered with to expand access to specialty care for oral health and hearing conditions. This collaboration bridges dentistry with ear, nose and throat medicine, offering comprehensive care from early diagnosis to advanced treatment and rehabTwo multidisciplinary clinics on Pacific’s San Francisco Campus—a Head and Neck Cancer Outreach Clinic and an Otology Outreach Clinic—will allow patients to receive coordinated care from both institutions, including advanced diagnostics, surgeries and functional rehabilitation. The partnership also enhances interprofessional education and research opportunities for students.
Lifelong Learning: Elevating Our Profession Through Continuing Dental Education
The Dugoni School’s Division of Continuing Dental Education offers robust programs for dental professionals at all stages of their careers. These dynamic, multidisciplinary programs led by experts range from lecture courses and hands-on workshops to live webinars and travel programs in the U.S. and abroad.
CDE By the Numbers
1,733 Attendees
New graduates across two allied programs: 64 Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions 21 43 Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice
OKU-Sutro Excellence Day
The Dugoni School celebrated achievements in clinical care, research and community service during its annual OKU-Sutro Excellence Day in May. The event featured keynote speaker Dr. Armand Bedrossian ’15 and showcased 95 student and resident projects. Dr. Ruth Rauca ’25 won the Dr. Henry A. Sutro Award for Best Oral Rehabilitation Design: Design and Excellence of Execution, presented at the Alumni/Graduate Banquet. Sponsored by the school's OKU chapter and industry partners, the day reflected the school’s strong commitment to innovation, education and impact.
EXCELLENCE DAY STUDENT SHOWCASE
Research & Scholarship
Center for Innovation and Translation Expands Research Partnerships
The Center for Innovation and Translation (CIT) continues to grow as a central hub for advancing research, innovation and translational science in dentistry and healthcare. Over the past year, CIT has developed a diverse portfolio of projects spanning product development, software validation, AI diagnostics, salivary and genetic testing, and educational simulations.
To date, CIT has collaborated with 31 external partners, including early-stage startups, global companies and national government funders. These partnerships reflect a strategic blend of innovation, research and translation, focused on supporting technologies and methodologies ready to be evaluated, clinically tested, and ultimately implemented in real-world dental settings.
The current pipeline includes 13 projects in the query phase, five in active setup, two recruiting participants and four already completed. Twenty faculty members are engaged as lead or co-investigators, reflecting strong institutional involvement in collaborative research.
This growing momentum not only demonstrates the center’s expanding capabilities but also lays the groundwork for delivering a wide range of innovative clinical and academic programs in the years ahead. Through partnerships with companies such as Overjet, OraQ AI, Velmeni, Vigilant Biosciences and Straumann, CIT is helping accelerate the adoption of validated technologies, products and methodologies into everyday clinical practice.
Grants of Note
Der Thor, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical science, received a National Institutes of Health R16 grant for $671,000. His four-year research project will test the ability of the yeast Pichia pastoris to secrete functional recombinant proteins in the intestines of mice. In the initial experiments, mice will be fed P. pastorissecreting lactase to alleviate lactose intolerance. In the future, the research could be adapted for improved delivery of other therapeutic proteins.
Dr. Cassio Silva, assistant professor of biomedical science, received a three-year, $810,000 grant from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program to study the mechanism linking tobacco use and periodontitis. Dr. Silva’s research team has been studying the effects of combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes on infection with periodontopathogens and the inflammation triggered by these pathogens in human oral cells. Their findings will help better understand the cellular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of tobacco-related periodontitis.
Dr. Xiaoyuan Han, assistant professor of biomedical science, received a four-year National Institutes of Health grant for $702,000 to study oral cancer using artificial intelligence tools. Oral cancer affects about 1 in 60 men and 1 in 141 women. The award will provide opportunities for predental and predoctoral dental students to participate in research and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to improve oral pathology diagnosis. She is the first researcher at Pacific to receive the NIH Support for Research Excellence-First Independent Research Award, which aims to provide students, especially those from underrepresented groups, with research opportunities.
source: SCOPUS 104 research publications
January 2024 –June 2025
Pacific-Stanford PRIMED Program Grows Clinician-Scientists
A collaboration between University of the Pacific and Stanford University, the Pacific-Stanford PRIMED program is funded by a five-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the U.S. National Institutes of Health PRIMED focuses on the next generation of clinical oral health researchers by providing formal training and mentorship to students, residents, faculty and alumni. The goals are to enhance clinical research skills, translate biomedical findings into practice and ultimately achieve optimal oral health outcomes.
Comprehensive Clinical Research Program
An inaugural cohort of 20 alumni, 20 faculty and 15 students completed the comprehensive clinical research training program. At a June gathering, eight research teams presented proposed clinical research studies, which were developed collaboratively over the prior nine months. Participants received
DENTAL-CLINICIAN SCIENTIST OATH CEREMONY
a certificate from Stanford upon completion of the program. Open to dental students, residents, alumni and faculty, the Comprehensive Clinical Research Training Program runs from September through June and consists of 40 hours of bimonthly virtual and in-person sessions. Proposed areas of clinical research studies developed by the teams focused on biomaterials, AI/ technology, biomarkers/pathology, growth/regeneration/craniofacial disorders, medicaldental integrations (including special needs and social determinants of health), microbiome, patient care/health, orthodontics and sleep medicine.
Dental-Clinician Scientist Oath Ceremony
First-year students affirmed their commitment to the highest ideals of ethics and professionalism in research by taking the Dental-Clinician Scientist Oath. The June event — the second such annual ceremony — follows the completion of mandatory, formalized training that included 20 hours of fundamental instruction in the best practices for conducting high-quality clinical research. This year, dental hygiene students and orthodontic residents who completed the Fundamentals of Clinical Research Program, as well as the inaugural cohort from the Comprehensive Clinical Research Program also participated in the Oath. Faculty from both the Dugoni School and Stanford led the training.
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Doctor of Dental Surgery Class of 2028
Residency Programs International Dental Studies Class of 2027
14 Countries Represented: Armenia, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland
Clinical Care for the Community
Our 11 dental and specialty clinics serve children and adults from all walks of life.
92,516 patient visits
1,190 orthodontic patients
The clinic has been a godsend. I’ve had lots of difficulties with my mouth since I was young, and I’m so thankful for the care I’ve received there.
— Main Clinic patient
17,539 unique patients
805 pediatric patients
2,858 visits to the emergency clinic
96% patient satisfaction rate
Giving Kids a Smile
In March, the Give Kids a Smile dental health fair at the Dugoni School’s Hutto Patterson Pediatric Dentistry Clinic provided nearly 160 children with free dental checkups, cleanings, fluoride treatments and more—totaling an estimated $35,000 in donated services! With a superhero theme and family-friendly activities like a petting zoo, face painting and educational games, the event created a fun and welcoming environment that helped ease children’s dental anxiety. The event was organized by volunteers from the Pediatric Dentistry Study Club, SCOPE and the Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Departments.
160 children served $35k in donated services
2025 GIVE KIDS A SMILE EVENT
Community Outreach for Veterans Health
Military veterans were offered valuable opportunities to improve their oral health through several outreach events this year.
In November, the Dugoni School hosted a free community health event on the San Francisco Campus, providing dental care, oral cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, and hearing assessments to nearly 50 veterans.
In February, Dugoni School volunteers participated in the Give Veterans a Smile event (pictured left) at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. This event was held in partnership with Healing California, the Southern Alameda County Dental Society and other local organizations.
In addition to community events, the Dugoni School offers a 20% discount on dental care for veterans without dental insurance. A new donor-funded endowment was also established this year to help expand access to care for veterans in need.
30th Senior Smiles and Wellness Health Fair
The Dugoni School marked a significant milestone in community service by hosting its 30th annual Senior Smiles and Wellness Health Fair in April. Nearly 150 attendees were offered a wide array of free services, including dental, diabetes and oral cancer screenings; hearing checks; and consultations on balance, flexibility, core strength and fall prevention. Dental volunteers from the Student Community Outreach for Public Education program were joined by volunteers from the School of Health Sciences audiology and physical therapy programs. The fair served as both a meaningful community initiative and an invaluable hands-on learning experience for students.
This event opened my eyes to the potential we have to make a difference in our community. While organizing it was challenging, seeing all of the seniors express their appreciation and how well taken care of they felt made it worth it to me.
—Lena Tang, DDS , 26
Pacific Summer
High School Institute
Volunteer students, faculty and staff helped inspire the next generation of oral health professionals at a two-week residential pre-college program held in June for motivated high school students. Participants engaged in hands-on, interactive activities across both the Stockton and San Francisco campuses!
Compassionate Care Abroad
Volunteers demonstrated empathy and global citizenship by providing essential care to underserved people in Guatemala, the Philippines and Jamaica during break weeks. Students and faculty treated more than 180 patients in Guatemala and returned to the Philippines for the first time since 2019 to offer care in communities facing a severe shortage of dental services. Volunteers performed cleanings, restorations, extractions, root canals and other procedures. In Jamaica, 50 volunteers served over 700 patients, many of whom had never seen a dentist. These service trips not only addressed urgent oral health needs but also deepened students' commitment to compassionate care and their role in creating healthier communities worldwide.
Dental Care Launches at Homeless Navigation Center in Redwood City
In December, the Dugoni School began operating a two-chair dental clinic to serve interim housing clients of the County of San Mateo's Homeless Navigation Center in Redwood City, CA. The clinic provides preventive, restorative and specialty care by dental students under faculty supervision.
GLOBAL SERVICE: JAMAICA
SITE OF SAN MATEO DENTAL CLINIC
The Power of Philanthropy
Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, friends, corporate partners and foundations, the Dugoni School continues to thrive as a global leader in dental education—advancing our mission, enriching student experiences and expanding our impact in communities near and far.
Kids in the Klinic
$1 million+ raised to support care for children in need
initial gift donated by Associated Student Body Multidisciplinary Clinic and Surgery Center
$2,025
Ralph & Teresa Yanello Endowment for Veteran Support
Their $50,000 endowment gift was matched 1:1 by the Powell Match program, doubling the support.
$100,000 for dental support care for underserved veterans
Annual Fund
Gifts to the Dugoni School Annual Fund provide the resources and flexibility needed to continue advancing our great institution.
$307,546
132 donors
$4.9 million raised from 500 donors 2024-25 Total Giving
Alumni Connections
The Dugoni School of Dentistry boasts one of the most robust and engaged alumni communities in the field of dentistry. Alumni hold leadership roles in local, state and national dental organizations, and their connection to the school remains strong well beyond graduation. Many alumni return to teach, mentor students or serve on the alumni or foundation boards. Alumni also stay engaged through continuing education programs and social events organized by the Alumni Association, strengthening lifelong ties with the Dugoni School and one another.
Shared Traditions, Lifelong Connections
Over 1,000 people gather every year for the Annual Alumni Association Meeting, featuring continuing education sessions, networking events, class reunions and vendor exhibits. At the 2025 meeting, Dr. Ann Marie Silvestri ’75 received the Medallion of Distinction Award, and Dean Nadershahi was honored as the Alumni Weekend Dedicatee in recognition of his decade of leadership as Dean. Dr. Wesley E. Wong ’98 assumed the role of Alumni Association Board President.
Each year, the Association provides incoming students with an alumni-cooked Welcome Dinner, provides the personalized embroidered White Coats for second-year students as they prepare to see their first patients in clinic and hosts graduating students to an Alumni/Graduate Banquet that kicks off the graduation weekend.
To treat students and residents during the year, Donut Days are held whenever the Alumni Board of Directors meet. A spring Ice Cream Social brings students and residents together for a sweet break and community bonding. These two events are made possible entirely through generous support by individual alumni.
An Alumni Reception is held annually in Anaheim during the CDA Presents convention, and other gatherings are held in varying geographical areas, offering regional alumni a chance to reconnect.
Alumni engagement is supported year-round through various communications and programs, including Contact Point magazine, the Alumni NewsFlash, a dental job listings service, the dental alumni endowed scholarship program and much more.
Celebrating Our Values
Clinic staff gathered for “Stronger Together— Building Foundation for Success”
Kevin Morden receives the Good Samaritan award, established by Dr. Tom Bales ’74B, during the Over the Hump event
American College of Dentists honors Dean Nadershahi with William J. Gies Award, presented by Dr. Ned Nix, ACD regent and Dr. Teresa Dolan, ACD president
Photo courtesy of The Photo Group
Employee Volunteer Opportunities Committee volunteers at Golden Gate Park
Years of Service celebration for employees
Moments and Milestones
SCOPE CLUB
dental.pacific.edu
415.929.6400
pr@pacific.edu
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