Fall/Winter 2020 by TAMUdental

Dentistry T E X A S

A & M

FA L L / W I N T E R

2 0 2 0

A BEACON HOPE

in an

ARDUOUS YEAR

ALSO INSIDE

E V E R Y D AY H E R O E S

SURREAL REALITY

THIS IS US

Dentistry T EXAS A&M

Fall/W i n t e r 2 0 2 0

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T E X A S A & M C O L L E G E O F D E N T I S T RY

A NEW H OM E F O R GR EAT PEOP L E

The nine-story Clinic and Education Building is a showstopper with its sparkling dental-care spaces and gleaming facade, but it’s the dedicated people inside who make it more than just a building.

10 FEATURES

C LI M AT E C H ANG E

ON THE COVER A brand-new building filled with extraordinary people becomes a

A tumultuous year for U.S. race relations in the midst of the pandemic reveals the successful evolution of the college’s efforts to establish and nurture a welcoming, enriching campus experience for all.

Message from the dean

VOL.59

W H AT A Y E A R ! It’s hard to believe the impact COVID-19 continues

to have on every aspect of our lives. I hope we can return soon to In the midst of the challenges and numerous restless nights, I want to focus on a few blessings. 1.

First, our new Clinic and Education Building opened this year, in

Message From the Dean

time to equip our patient-care spaces with better ventilation, added

spacing between chairs, and a flow designed around the new “group

Gaston Spotlight

practice” curriculum model, which is currently helping us achieve both safety and efficiency.

19.

In Touch With Alumni

22. Giving

25. Impressions

12 A PER F EC T S TO RM

Add a global pandemic to a redesigned curriculum and a new clinical facility, and you have a recipe for a challenging 2020 conquered by resilience and flexibility.

FIND OUR NEWS ON THE WEB dentistryinsider.tamu.edu

TA K E O U R M A G A Z INE S U R V E Y: dentistry.tamu.edu/alumni/dentistry-magazine

Texas A&M Dentistry magazine is published annually by the Office of

Editor Carolyn Cox

Advancement, Communications & Alumni Relations; Texas A&M College of

Designer Jan Pults

Dentistry; 3302 Gaston Avenue; Dallas, Texas 75246; 214.828.8214. This

Contributors LaDawn Brock, Melissa

issue was printed December 2020. Magazine production is supported by a

Ogden, Linda Piper, Melani Pippins,

grant to the college from the Baylor Oral Health Foundation. The College of

Kathleen Green Pothier, Brigitte Sims

Dentistry serves people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race,

Photographers Steven Crow,

color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

David Gresham

beacon of hope in an unbelievable year.

something resembling “normal.”

DEPARTMENTS

Executive Director, Advancement,

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS The magazine welcomes your feedback and suggestions. Send comments to ccox@tamu.edu, phone 214.828.8218, or mail to Carolyn Cox, Editor; Texas A&M College of Dentistry; Office of Advancement, Communications & Alumni Relations; 3302 Gaston Ave.; Dallas, Texas 75246.

Communications & Alumni Relations Susan Mitchell Jackson

I appreciate our COVID-19 Task Force’s painstaking work that laid the groundwork for bringing members of our college community back to campus safely after the spring shutdown. With carefully implemented precautions and procedures in place, our students, faculty and staff are protected, and patients safely receive the care they need. Improvements to our electronic learning and technology platforms implemented before 2020 made transitioning to the current virtual environment easier than it would have been otherwise. I am thankful for investments like this that our partnership with the Texas A&M System and Texas A&M Health Science Center have helped facilitate. We’ve recently added another college-owned clinic, the first not located on the main campus. The new Hatcher Station Dental Clinic is three miles away, co-located with a Parkland Health & Hospital System clinic. It positions us to provide care to patients in an underserved Dallas community. What a great opportunity for our students to learn in an environment that more closely mirrors a post-graduation setting. Our 2020 graduates successfully completed their degrees and launched their next life phase, thanks in no small part to their fortitude and the quick and innovative efforts of our vigilant faculty and supportive staff. We first postponed our commencement exercises with plans to hold them safely in person. When that proved

impossible, we hosted a virtual, personalized commencement ceremony on July 25. Our graduates performed exceptionally well on the typodont-based Western Regional Examining Board licensing examination in July. Through the efforts of our essential workers, our campus never fully shut down during this pandemic. Emergency care supported our patients, invoices and mail kept being processed, our buildings remained secure and maintained, and student support services continued. Other employees were able to accomplish their usual work and more from remote locations. I’m grateful for the unflagging efforts of all our faculty, staff and students to keep education going at the College of Dentistry and persevere through this year’s twists and turns. Their flexibility, creativity and professionalism in adapting to these difficult times is nothing short of amazing. Without our great people, we could not do what we do. I said in April and still believe it’s true: We are all in this together, and we will emerge stronger and smarter on the other side.

DR . L AW R E NCE E . WOL I NSK Y

Letter to the editor LET THE LIGHT SHINE The article about LIGHT was amazing! (Texas A&M Dentistry, Fall/Winter 2019) There were many times when I questioned if I should put my energy into founding the organization due to school and certain obstacles in life, but then that inner fire would reignite. I believe strongly in LIGHT’s purpose to unify

students through community and character, not divide through labels and cliques. Your article, along with LIGHT itself, is by far one of the best gifts I’ve received in dental school (I’m happy for my diploma, too.)! Leadership, Unity and Service, Dr. Twain Henry II ’19 | 1

Dentistry T EXAS A&M

Fall/W i n t e r 2 0 2 0

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T E X A S A & M C O L L E G E O F D E N T I S T RY

A NEW H OM E F O R GR EAT PEOP L E

The nine-story Clinic and Education Building is a showstopper with its sparkling dental-care spaces and gleaming facade, but it’s the dedicated people inside who make it more than just a building.

10 FEATURES

C LI M AT E C H ANG E

ON THE COVER A brand-new building filled with extraordinary people becomes a

Message from the dean

VOL.59

W H AT A Y E A R ! It’s hard to believe the impact COVID-19 continues

to have on every aspect of our lives. I hope we can return soon to In the midst of the challenges and numerous restless nights, I want to focus on a few blessings. 1.

First, our new Clinic and Education Building opened this year, in

Message From the Dean

time to equip our patient-care spaces with better ventilation, added

spacing between chairs, and a flow designed around the new “group

Gaston Spotlight

practice” curriculum model, which is currently helping us achieve both safety and efficiency.

19.

In Touch With Alumni

22. Giving

25. Impressions

12 A PER F EC T S TO RM

Add a global pandemic to a redesigned curriculum and a new clinical facility, and you have a recipe for a challenging 2020 conquered by resilience and flexibility.

FIND OUR NEWS ON THE WEB dentistryinsider.tamu.edu

TA K E O U R M A G A Z INE S U R V E Y: dentistry.tamu.edu/alumni/dentistry-magazine

Texas A&M Dentistry magazine is published annually by the Office of

Editor Carolyn Cox

Advancement, Communications & Alumni Relations; Texas A&M College of

Designer Jan Pults

Dentistry; 3302 Gaston Avenue; Dallas, Texas 75246; 214.828.8214. This

Contributors LaDawn Brock, Melissa

issue was printed December 2020. Magazine production is supported by a

Ogden, Linda Piper, Melani Pippins,

grant to the college from the Baylor Oral Health Foundation. The College of

Kathleen Green Pothier, Brigitte Sims

Dentistry serves people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race,

Photographers Steven Crow,

color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

David Gresham

beacon of hope in an unbelievable year.

something resembling “normal.”

DEPARTMENTS

Executive Director, Advancement,

Communications & Alumni Relations Susan Mitchell Jackson

DR . L AW R E NCE E . WOL I NSK Y

GASTON SPOTLIGHT

Close encounters of the dental kind

Dr. Bernard Hennessy, left, and Dr. Faizan Kabani

Hennessy, Kabani receive top teaching honors S T U D E N T S S E L E C T E D Dr. Bernard Hennessy, assistant group practice leader and clinical associate professor in comprehensive dentistry, and Dr. Faizan Kabani, assistant professor in dental hygiene, as the 2020 Teachers of the Year. The honors are presented annually by the Texas A&M College of Dentistry Alumni Association. Hennessy is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago dental school who joined Texas A&M College of Dentistry in 2013 after a 27-year career with the U.S. Army Dental Corps. He served as program director for several of the Army’s one-year AEGD programs.

“I try to treat students as the professionals they are,” he says. “Every patient is different; every situation is different. I try to offer guidance and to be as helpful as possible, because I want learning to be as positive an experience as it can be.” As a member of the Admissions Committee for several years, he now has the opportunity to see some students poised to graduate whom he interviewed on their way in. “These dentists-to-be are an impressive group,” Hennessy says. Kabani says the students’ vote of confidence is especially significant given this year’s challenges. “I have been able to develop special bonds with each of my students as we endeavored through these uncharted times,” says Kabani, who also serves as assistant director for diversity and faculty development. He relishes inspiring future dental professionals and helping them become “culturally and clinically competent, evidence-based practitioners.” The spark to educate others was instilled during his five-year stint in the special needs dental clinic at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. A dental hygiene graduate of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, he also holds a doctorate in public health and two master’s degrees.

Dental hygiene outreach connects students to seniors

Student outreach, 2020 style

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S T U D E N T S H A V E V O L U N T EE RE D at retirement homes for years as part of the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene’s curriculum. This year demanded an alternate plan due to COVID-19 and social distancing. Hand in Hand is the brainchild of Executive Director Leigh Ann Wyatt ’96, ’14 (MS), a virtual version of this outreach effort. It is designed to offer the same kind of encounter and value to students, many of whom have had little contact with aging grandparents or any senior citizens at all. “How can we expect them to be comfortable interacting with senior citizens and care for them as our elders and future patients if they don’t even know how to talk to them or

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Fall/Winter 2020

value interaction with them?” she says. The new mutual mentoring initiative pairs students with residents at Edgemere, a north Dallas retirement community, as part of the outreach curriculum. “I plan to write back and forth with my assigned pen pal and hopefully give them a form of communication that is different from what they may be getting now, and even give them something to look forward to,” says Julianna Garza, a second-year dental hygiene student. One of Edgemere’s residents is a friend of Wyatt’s and helped make this happen: Patricia Wessendorff, founding director of Caruth from 1955 to 1961. Although curriculum adjustments have been a tremendous challenge for faculty these past few months, there have been “silver linings and beautiful things out of the dust, really, of what we had,” Wyatt says.

A P E R S O N A L “ C OV I D M A R AT H O N ” (26 + 2) by adjunct assistant professor Leah Spittle honored the 2020 dental hygiene graduates individually, with one student named for each mile she ran on her home treadmill or around her neighborhood. She shared a video tribute on the school’s Facebook page. Safety patrol: Small dentistry-themed bottles of hand sanitizer went out to Dallas police officers in April during the campus shutdown due to the pandemic, helping fight germs so the officers could fight crime.

In a devil of a year when even the annual Halloween costume contest was virtual, Tofu the cat won third place, making fourth-year dental student Diana Vaught, Tofu’s owner, very happy. First place went to perennial prize winner Leilane Jan, administrative associate in student affairs. Priceless gifts: Donations to the college’s Anatomical Gift Program provide a way to eliminate funeral expenses for those who will their bodies to science. Such gifts provide dental students with hands-on learning in gross anatomy and save the school thousands per student in laboratory costs.

Tofu the cat is virtually delighted with his thirdplace finish in the costume contest.

Student council embraces change A S T U D E N T C O U N C I L R E VA M P has given 2020 a positive twist. Fourth-year dental student Paris Webb has an insider’s vantage point from four consecutive years in student council, each year as class president. This year feels different already, she says. All six student council class presidents—Webb, DH2 Keely Ehlers, D3 Courtney Favaloro, D2 Yara Qubti, DH1 Daniele Messa and D1 Carlos Andrade—are working diligently to bridge any gaps between the classes and move forward as one unit. Kimberley Morgan-Thompson, director of student affairs, says she realized during her first year in her new role that morale among both the council and student body was “flat,” and a “positive culture shift” was needed. So she formulated a plan to empower council members to be the student body’s voice, partnering with administration. “She’s been doing a great job facilitating ‘StuCo’ and really making sure students are heard and our needs are met,” Webb says. Reimagined social events and new possibilities like outings, yoga sessions, karaoke or an art show promise a fresh outlook for coming months. The student council also launched a project in November that spotlights five faculty, staff and student “stars” each month.

Consistent dialogue between students and the administration is positively impacting morale already, Webb says. Instead of a frustrating month’s waiting time between student council meetings to receive answers to their questions, the student council now collects students’ queries weekly and submits them to administrators and faculty to look into and respond within 48 to 72 hours, she says. Answers to pressing issues such as COVID-19 protocol safety updates or IT adjustments help students more easily navigate the day to day. “With this new format, the faculty and the students are more on the same page,” she says. “There’s more harmony between the student body and the administration.” Morgan-Thompson comments, “The student leaders are exceptional, and we are lucky to have them. I know there are some awesome things to come.”

Student council dental class presidents

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GASTON SPOTLIGHT

Close encounters of the dental kind

Dr. Bernard Hennessy, left, and Dr. Faizan Kabani

Dental hygiene outreach connects students to seniors

Student outreach, 2020 style

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Tofu the cat is virtually delighted with his thirdplace finish in the costume contest.

Student council dental class presidents

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with the opening of Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s light-infused Clinic and Education Building in January 2020. This nine-story structure to benefit patients and students is the first standalone building constructed on campus since 1950. It houses the new group practice model for dental students’ clinical education, made possible through the customized design of its interior spaces. Dental hygiene students serve patients alongside dental students in the spacious surroundings incorporating the most advanced technology. Innovative facilities for graduate specialty programs are likewise part of the 160,000square-foot structure. Perks include comfortable lounge and study areas and three levels of parking for patients.

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EVERYDAY

HEROES

Dedicated staff members are indispensable to every aspect of Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s mission. They work tirelessly, usually behind the scenes, to provide essential everyday services on campus. Here we introduce you to a few longtime, unsung heroes who occupy the new Clinic and Education Building. They deserve their day in the sun.

“Everything that’s getting implemented now is a good thing,” says Debose in regard to all the additional sanitation procedures. Although she’s a self-described loner and avid reader who prefers to stay home and watch movies rather than travel or socialize, Debose has built a strong rapport with college employees. Five years ago, while she was undergoing treatment for colon cancer, some staff members on the Main Building’s fourth floor gifted her with a packet containing a pillow and snacks to take with her to chemo appointments. “I will never forget that. It had a card and all that. It really touched my heart,” she says. Debose gives a simple reason she has served on the college campus for 21 years: She enjoys helping people. “I really do enjoy my job,” she says. “I hope to be here for many more years.”

“I think I just enjoy, when I do something, to sit back and see the product,” he says. The Clinic and Education Building kept him busy after it opened: installing new receptacles and switches, changing cabling, adding lighting. If it’s electrical, Lopez can fix it. Not every project is smooth sailing, though. Take the fortress-deep walls that complicated the renovation of the Main Building’s sixth-floor lecture hall back in 2012-2013. Blueprints were little help in locating and moving all the electrical wiring and cables. “We didn’t know what we were getting into,” he says. “We had to get a 5-foot drill bit.” Lopez is thankful that when challenges arise, he has his facilities coworkers. “We’re all friends and cut up with each other,” he says. “When you come in here you have to have ‘the attitude.’” Lopez say he “learned how to work” as a young boy, when he and his eight siblings spent hot days out in the fields harvesting cotton and grains. His whole family traveled to other cities or states each summer to work, staying in barracks provided for migrant farm laborers. “A lot of people our age don’t mind working because of what we had to do when we were younger,” Lopez says. “All you’ve got to have is a good attitude and a good work ethic. If you use all the tools God gave you, you’ll do OK.”

ANNETTE DEBOSE

TITLE: Environmental Services Employee YEARS ON CAMPUS: 21 The sun has yet to rise when Annette Debose arrives at 5:30 a.m. She makes a beeline for the sixth floor dental chairs to flush and check their water lines, change out filters and wipe everything down in the oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic. “I feel like I’m serving a good purpose … doing my job to the best of my ability,” she says. “Patients can be assured it’s clean.” This vital task, one of many that fill her days in Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s Clinic and Education Building, reveals the attention to detail that elicits praise from supervisors, staff and faculty alike. “I know people appreciate what I do,” Debose says. “That makes me want to do even better.” The extra gowning, gloving and surface wiping prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic “takes some getting used to,” Debose says, but it’s also taught her a thing or two. “I’ve learned it’s better to constantly have the mask on, because you never know what situation will arise. I feel it’s in our best interest, and I’ve gotten used to it.

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Fall/Winter 2020

BOBBY LOPEZ TITLE: Electrician YEARS ON CAMPUS: 25

Licensed electrician Bobby Lopez has amassed diverse experiences over the years: building car radiators in a welding shop, working as an auto and diesel mechanic, clearing land for ranchers, even a brief part-time stint as a disc jockey in Stanford, Texas, in his younger days. Hot rods are his serious hobby these days, and his trophies prove he knows what he’s doing. His 1980 foray into electrical work revealed his calling. Lopez has spent the past 25 years at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in “the best job I’ve ever had.” For this professional, the best part of his work is the end result.

GRACIE PEREZ TITLE: Clinic Manager

YEARS ON CAMPUS: 32 Gracie Perez has remarkable concentration, given the number of interruptions she experiences during a typical work day.

“We get people coming into our offices all the time,” she says. “The staff members in clinical affairs are just responsible for so many things.” Perez takes it all in stride, accustomed to balancing several things at once. She manages a “ SOMETIMES critical task: assigning, scheduling and tracking STUDENTS NEED every dental student’s required number of SOMEONE TO HELP days in clinical rotations through specialty areas WHEN OTHERS SAID and external clinics. That’s important enough, THEY COULDN’T. I’M but she’s also the one to juggle the coverage when ABLE TO DO THAT a last-minute problem arises. FOR THEM.” It could be a student’s car trouble, illness or — Gracie Perez child care. “There are so many changes that happen every day,” she says. “Most of the time the surprise ones are because students forgot to let me know they wouldn’t be there.” The numerous thank you cards, emails and positive evaluations she receives provide extra motivation and reward, Perez says. “Sometimes students need someone to help when others said they couldn’t. I’m able to do that for them,” she says. “I think I’m a good fit with the students, and I enjoy working with them.” She has one caveat. “‘Call me Gracie, not Ms. Gracie.’ That makes me feel like I’m a little old lady,” she says. Perez’s can-do spirit came into play when she had to completely redo the rotation schedule to accommodate the new curriculum. She met with each program director to figure out how to integrate scheduling within the group practice model in the new Clinic and Education Building. She is indispensable in providing Spanish translation assistance for patients and publications and oversees the reception process for patients in the main lobby. Perez has additional tasks: maintaining the clinic emergency kits, managing the CPR program for students and employees, planning the annual quality assurance program, and serving as a notary public. The clue to the main reason she has stayed for 32 years might just be found in those detailed spreadsheets she meticulously creates. “I like the challenge of working with so many students, making sure they get the training they need,” she says. | 7

EVERYDAY

HEROES

ANNETTE DEBOSE

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Fall/Winter 2020

BOBBY LOPEZ TITLE: Electrician YEARS ON CAMPUS: 25

GRACIE PEREZ TITLE: Clinic Manager

YEARS ON CAMPUS: 32 Gracie Perez has remarkable concentration, given the number of interruptions she experiences during a typical work day.

“I’m very particular and patient,” he says. “I’ve spent a lot of time developing skills not too many other people have.” True to form, he installed all of the equipment in his new lab in the Clinic and Education Building over the 2019 holiday break. He wanted to get things settled “just the way I like it” before the facility opened for patient care. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He found this quite stressful as he lost overall control of a normally predictable academic schedule. “I’ve always been pretty resilient and flexible, but I discovered that I enjoy structure and routine more than I thought,” he says. “In these most difficult times, you just go with it and do the best you can.” After hours, Richardson keeps in shape as a serious bike rider. He recently participated in a virtual Tour de France with 5,000 people around the world using a “smart trainer” for his bike indoors and an app that “requires real effort,” he says, offering a selection of courses and measuring power, cadence and speed to drive his online avatar.

STAN RICHARDSON

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DEDICATING THE NEW

TITLE: Senior Laboratory Coordinator YEARS ON CAMPUS: 41 Stan Richardson has spent four decades on campus, but he’s never considered his time here as work. “It’s just what I enjoy doing during the day,” he says. Since 1979, he has supported predoctoral education by teaching the orthodontics preclinical laboratory course for second-year dental students. He provides them strong hands-on experience in fabricating hardware for orthodontic appliances. Richardson plays an important role in the orthodontics graduate program, supplying appliance instruction to residents and offering technical support in the orthodontic clinic. He also participates with residents in designing research projects and helping them develop and construct prototypes. “I enjoy interacting with the residents, and there have been a lot of them over 41 years,” he says. “I work with a group of young, highly intelligent people, and they keep me on my toes.” Before moving to the United States in the 1970s, Richardson trained as a maxillofacial technologist/anaplastologist with the British Health Service, matching his innate precision and artistry with a specialty devoted to fabricating prostheses to replace missing body parts. He used those skills in the college’s Center for Maxillofacial Prosthodontics in the late 1990s. He also shared them on 14 mission trips with nonprofit charitable medical organization Por Cristo in South America and Eastern Europe during the 1980s. The character traits that drew Richardson to anaplastology permeate every aspect of his work.

“I get paid for working out,” she says. “There’s a lot of walking, which is great exercise for me.” On a typical day in the Clinic and Education Building, Touch and her “awesome” colleagues in the seventh-floor dispensary serve more than 100 third- and fourth-year students with clinical supplies for their scheduled patient appointments. During the COVID-19 clinic closure to non-emergency care, her team used the unanticipated downtime to reorganize and label thousands of supplies stored in their area. The hasty move to the new building had shortchanged time to set up efficient storage. A prominent reality for Touch’s team these days is bundling and packaging. Items such as gauze, cotton rolls and disposable air/water syringe tips, which were previously available individually in large grab-and-go containers, are now packaged as a unit. Even the plastic barriers to cover

DIGS “This is an exciting time as we reach a new milestone in the history of the College of Dentistry,” said Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky, dean.

the dental chairs are distributed this way, all part of adjustments stemming from COVID-19. “Everything needs to be in a package now, whether it’s in the self-serve area or the dispensary,” she explains. Consistency and integrity are habits that Touch embraces in both her professional and personal life. “I come to work and do the best that I can and lead by example,” she says. Adapting to life’s challenges in an optimistic way is just part of her mindset. Even a cancer diagnosis two years ago and a bald head caused by her chemo treatments could not dampen her spirits. “I’m just grateful and blessed. I smile; it could be worse. When you wake up, just smile and say, ‘Thank you, God,’” Touch says.

More than 600 people braved a cold Jan. 23, 2020, morning to attend the Clinic and Education Building’s ribbon cutting ceremony. A multi-level reception and tours followed the dedication program held on the new facility’s second floor, an open-air parking level. The $127 million construction project broke ground in 2017 and was completed at the end of 2019. Approximately $72 million of the building’s estimated cost came from approval for bond authority that the Texas A&M University Health Science Center received from the Texas Legislature during the 2015 session.

“On behalf of the students, I’d like to thank everyone who played a part in making this exceptional building a reality!” said Paris Webb ‘21, then third-year dental student.

JACKIE TOUCH

TITLE: Dental Dispensing Technician YEARS ON CAMPUS: 21 Jackie Touch exudes positivity. As a dental dispensing technician in clinical affairs, she runs across plenty of opportunities each day to share her can-do outlook. “I’m a people person, so I love the interaction with the students, staff and faculty,” says Touch, who knows most by name. “They are my family. They show appreciation … and they’re willing to help without hesitation. That’s what I love about everyone here. I feel at home, to be honest.” She’s never sedentary on the job, something she considers a plus.

“ Your pride in Texas A&M Dental is easy to see. If I were 70 years younger, I’d apply for admission,” said Dr. Bob Dewberry, 1947 graduate, to the assembled crowd.

Esteemed guests prepare to cut the ribbon.

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STAN RICHARDSON

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DEDICATING THE NEW

DIGS “This is an exciting time as we reach a new milestone in the history of the College of Dentistry,” said Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky, dean.

“On behalf of the students, I’d like to thank everyone who played a part in making this exceptional building a reality!” said Paris Webb ‘21, then third-year dental student.

JACKIE TOUCH

“ Your pride in Texas A&M Dental is easy to see. If I were 70 years younger, I’d apply for admission,” said Dr. Bob Dewberry, 1947 graduate, to the assembled crowd.

Esteemed guests prepare to cut the ribbon.

| 9

2020.

CLIMATE

CHANGE BY SUSAN MITCHELL JACKSON

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE ONYEKA, SECOND-YEAR DENTAL STUDENT

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Definitely an unforgettable year. Not only did it launch an international battle with a deadly pandemic, it forced a reckoning with race relations in the United States. The visceral impact of the killing of George Floyd in May left the Texas A&M College of Dentistry campus breathless, a virtual pile on to a tightknit community already struggling with being forced to function together while physically apart. “We must acknowledge that as upsetting as these events are, they cannot be dismissed,” wrote Dean Lawrence Wolinsky in a letter to the faculty, staff and students shortly after Floyd’s death. “We can’t simply pause, shake our heads and move on. I ask each of you to reflect on the injustice that continues to plague our country and to use this time as a call to peaceful action and to make the needed changes in our own community.” If not for the COVID-19 shutdown, the increasingly diverse college cohort would have had an opportunity to huddle and talk through the emotions they were experiencing. Incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against Black people permeated mainstream news, and demonstrators marched and rallied across the nation calling for justice, equity and action.

oincidentally, pre-pandemic, the college’s Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access had plans in place to offer on-campus diversity and inclusion seminars, a full-day conference and the second annual Diversity and Inclusion Week, an informative, interactive daily series of activities and presentations on topics ranging from race and gender to culture and beliefs. It became clear that displaced, physically distanced members of the campus family needed to somehow connect. Expertise, historical data and varied perspectives would be helpful, but the most pressing need was to talk.

“W

e quickly made the decision to offer the IDEA committee’s 2020 programming virtually throughout the year, with minor modifications to make it more conducive to an online environment,” says Dr. Lavern Holyfield ’77, assistant dean of diversity and faculty development and the committee’s chairperson. “I was determined. Our college community was hurting.” This pivot—in a year overflowing with “redirects”—was a timely success. One particular Diversity and Inclusion Week presentation in September seemed most poignant and meaningful to a campus that, in 2020, more closely reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Prerecorded messages by students and longtime staff and faculty members, including some alumni, shared perspectives on the evolution of the college’s climate and culture. “I joined the COD family as a student in 1974,” said Holyfield, who opened the presentation. “At that time neither faculty, staff nor students were very diverse. In fact, my class of 130 was the first to have any African American students.” Other alumni shared their experiences. “Jokes about women and minorities were made by faculty in formal lectures,” said Dr. Barbara Miller ’83, assistant dean for recruitment and admissions, who was one of 18 women in her class of 140 when she arrived to the college’s “boys will be boys” mentality. The college’s environment was on the precipice of change in 1998, when Dr. Jonathan Clemetson ’02 began as a dental student. Faculty member Dr. Marvin Hirsh and the college’s minority affairs director, Dr. Claude Williams, had initiated the Welcoming Diversity Program and were passionate about creating an environment of inclusion at the dental school. Miller and Holyfield, faculty members at the time, actively participated in the program and its associated diversity training. Hirsh and Williams’ commitment seemed to be an awakening for the need to appreciate the varied backgrounds and life experiences of those matriculating to the college rather than maintaining an expectation of assimilation.

Things were improving then, but they were far from perfect, recalled Clemetson, now an adjunct associate professor and former Alumni Association president.

“We can’t simply pause, shake our heads and move on.”

DR. JONATHAN CLEMETSON ’02

— DEAN LAWRENCE WOLINSKY

“The climate on campus … was inclusive, but more so I felt ‘tolerated.’” Though things are significantly better today, he said, “we still have some ground to cover.” Holyfield agrees. “I am pleased with the changes that have been made; however, I am not so naïve as to think there is no need for further improvement.” The current students who participated in the diversity week presentation are testimonies to what a dental school looks and feels like when a commitment has been made to creating a welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment. They lauded the college for giving students the opportunity to embrace and celebrate their diversity through student organizations, educational programs and social activities.

pen discussions on topics of race and culture are vital, said D4 Richard Rodriguez, an inaugural student member of the IDEA committee. “It’s been even more important, due to recent events, especially due to the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others, in terms of addressing the systemic racism issues we have across the country,” Rodriguez said. “Not only are we working within these halls together, but we are also going to be working out in the real world. And the work we’re doing here at the College of Dentistry will have a lifelong impact for all the students that come through the halls of this school.”

DR. LAVERN HOLYFIELD ’77

RICHARD RODRIGUEZ, D4

DR. BARBARA MILLER ’83

| 11

2020.

CLIMATE

CHANGE BY SUSAN MITCHELL JACKSON

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE ONYEKA, SECOND-YEAR DENTAL STUDENT

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“W

Things were improving then, but they were far from perfect, recalled Clemetson, now an adjunct associate professor and former Alumni Association president.

“We can’t simply pause, shake our heads and move on.”

DR. JONATHAN CLEMETSON ’02

— DEAN LAWRENCE WOLINSKY

DR. LAVERN HOLYFIELD ’77

RICHARD RODRIGUEZ, D4

DR. BARBARA MILLER ’83

| 11

2 0 2 0 sil ve r l in in g

y lit i b xi e f l

te g o r e mr n i n lea

B Y

PERFECT a STORM

cov

9 1 id

Christine Nguyen, second-year dental student, was among hundreds who weathered the return to campus during the pandemic.

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po sit iv e e ne rg y

C A R O L Y N

C O X

Nine realities for our people as COVID-19 pandemic lingers If 2020 were a TV series, it would be that annoyingly addictive reality show that stretches into extra seasons after most viewers would rather tune out—but can’t. Call it what you want—unprecedented, challenging, weird—2020 premiered with the new clinical building’s promise and abruptly transformed to a year like no other, one with a very different vibe. No congregating, no handshakes or hugs, no lingering to study or socialize. Separate entrances and exits, one-way staircases, masks 24/7. In typical can-do fashion, Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s resilient students, faculty, staff and administrators are moving forward. Here’s what a few college family members say about coronavirus’ impact.

‘The key word for this year is flexibility.’ “THE ENERGY IS POSITIVE. Students are excited to be back,” said Dr. Jennifer Barrington, clinical director and clinical associate professor in comprehensive dentistry, when clinic reopened to students at 50% capacity this fall. N95 respirator fit testing and enhanced personal protective equipment were essential first steps. Care provided by pairs of third- and fourth-year students— already part of the new clinical curriculum—helps address aerosols, improves appointment efficiency and limits movement in the clinic, Barrington explains. “In addition, we’re limiting major procedures, at least until we see how things progress,” she says. Lab work and lectures are modified as well. “In the grand scheme of things, online instruction is going very well,” says Dr. Shaun Logan, assistant professor in biomedical sciences. “The students are so understanding and flexible.”

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2 0 2 0 sil ve r l in in g

y lit i b xi e f l

te g o r e mr n i n lea

B Y

PERFECT a STORM

cov

9 1 id

Christine Nguyen, second-year dental student, was among hundreds who weathered the return to campus during the pandemic.

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po sit iv e e ne rg y

C A R O L Y N

C O X

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“I

hadn’t practiced anything hands-on in three

months. It only took one or two class periods to get back. We basically picked up where we left off.” —D2 Malcolm Youngblood

Dental student Amanda Estrada consults with Dr. George Cramer within the enhanced safety of Lab 30.

“O

ur then-D4s … were faced with a changing

licensing exam date, which then turned to a completely typodont-based licensing exam.” —Dr. Sarah Parker Allen

D r. Sarah Parker Allen ’10, ’14, director of curriculum, preclinical director and clinical associate professor in comprehensive dentistry, tackled logistical challenges early on so preclinical students could continue learning “how to do preps and fillings in a simulated environment” despite the COVID-19 era. She credits “creative and fast-thinking faculty” who adapted handson exercises into online ones. “This has been the toughest thing for us to figure out,” she said in late July regarding the summer’s preclinical labs, when only 25% of students were allowed on campus at a time. “How are we going to teach dentists if we can’t be next to them, teaching hand skills?” Planned curriculum changes factor into the status of D2 education this fall, she explains. “Lucky for us, our plans to split all labs into A/B sections for the D2s actually were beneficial to the social distancing now necessary for COVID,” Allen says. First- and second-year dental students are both on campus at 50% for preclinical lab instruction, and one-third of the D1s at a time receive inperson instruction in the gross anatomy lab. D2 Malcolm Youngblood describes the socially distanced return to labs over the summer.

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“I was extremely excited and a little nervous to be back,” he says. “I hadn’t practiced anything hands-on in three months. It only took one or two class periods to get back. We basically picked up where we left off.” His class’s two groups alternate between specific hands-on lab exercises, usually spending three hours daily on campus in the Sim Lab, says D2 Luis Sauto. To maximize lab time, they prepare in advance at home using recordings posted on the college’s learning management system. Students are divided into smaller groups for on-campus exams; other exams are proctored remotely via Zoom with Examsoft.

“Faculty, staff and students have experienced many changes together: the new didactic and clinical curriculum, moving into the new clinic building, the school closure in the spring, remote Zoom teaching and the new clinical PPE guidelines,” he says. “As a group we’ve become closer. The changes have been a challenge, but if we can embrace them with the right mindset, I think it can turn into an opportunity.” Dr. Steve Griffin ’85, associate dean for clinical affairs, praises students’ collaboration. “Students understand the importance of working in teams to provide a safe working environment in the clinic,” he says. “I think the students are truly engaging as a treating team rather than seeing it as operator/assistant roles, and seizing the opportunity to learn as much as possible.” Detailed protocols for ensuring patient and provider safety stemmed from a 16-member COVID-19 task force, which meticulously examined every aspect of the college’s facilities and procedures before reopening the college’s clinics to non-emergency procedures. The number of individuals who occupy clinical spaces had to be considered. “The chairs are already 10 feet apart, but we still had dozens of students, staff and faculty in any one section of the clinic even at 50%,” Barrington says. “With enhanced measures like the N95 respirators, face shields and gowns, we still have to be smart.”

A weekly rotation for half the students in each group practice means that the A group is on campus in the undergraduate clinics while the B group is in a rotation off campus or in a different clinic, then they switch. This solved a unique capacity problem related to COVID-19, Barrington explains. A related fallout is the continuing delayed implementation of curriculum changes designed to introduce students to the clinic earlier in their dental school career. “COVID-19 is changing every day in what we’re going to be allowed to do and how many people will be present,” Allen says. “With decreased capacity in the clinic for safety, adding the D1 and D2 students into the mix would not be easy to coordinate.” Barrington explains, “Our goal was to integrate the D2 students in patient care and the D1 students in supportive assistant experiences at the beginning of the fall semester. Now, our hope is to integrate both classes in the spring.” Griffin pinpoints one curriculum revision he says already had a positive impact. “Faculty, staff and students are seeing for the first time the importance of that continuity of treatment in the group practice model, when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each year, especially this year that has been so chopped and disjointed,” he says.

It's good to be back with patients. “OUR STUDENTS ARE HUNGRY. They’ve missed several months of clinic time and are eager to get back to providing clinical care,” said Dr. John Ross Stooksberry ’98 in September. This clinical assistant professor in comprehensive dentistry serves as a group leader for 34 dental students. “Before the pandemic hit, our eighth-floor clinic was being run similar to a busy group practice,” he says. “Dental hygiene students were treating their patients alongside dental students. We were screening patients daily and also working in emergency cases for patients in our group practice. It could be super busy.” Things are very different from pre-COVID-19 spring, but activity is increasing, Stooksberry says. In August, dental students caught up on clinical experiences by logging virtual hours of instruction in a variety of formats. Next they completed restorative and prosthodontic clinical procedures that were started in the spring but halted by the pandemic. Now students are screening new patients and starting new treatment on their current family of patients, he adds.

Dr. John Stooksberry oversees dental students Ranna Nasreldin and Jessica Koster on a patient procedure.

| 15

“I

hadn’t practiced anything hands-on in three

months. It only took one or two class periods to get back. We basically picked up where we left off.” —D2 Malcolm Youngblood

Dental student Amanda Estrada consults with Dr. George Cramer within the enhanced safety of Lab 30.

“O

ur then-D4s … were faced with a changing

licensing exam date, which then turned to a completely typodont-based licensing exam.” —Dr. Sarah Parker Allen

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Dr. John Stooksberry oversees dental students Ranna Nasreldin and Jessica Koster on a patient procedure.

| 15

Silver linings exist even during a shutdown.

A quick pivot was the 2020 essential.

THE SPRING AND SUMMER CLINIC CLOSURE to non-emergency patients was not a complete bust for dental students, say faculty leaders, citing virtual meetings held several times a week for clinical technique discussions. Evidence-based dentistry projects and literature reviews provided additional learning. “That was very productive for our group, and lots of information was shared,” Stooksberry says. Virtual dental scenarios substituted for actual chairside experiences. One-on-one virtual assessments provided personalized feedback to students without the usual interruptions. “In the group practices, faculty led presentations for D3 and D4 students of actual cases seen in the clinic and asked, ‘What would your next step be?’” Barrington says. “The faculty saw improvement in students’ critical thinking and problem solving, their ability to diagnose, plan treatment and also present.” Virtual clinic improved and expanded for D3s in June and July, she says, and D4s were able to volunteer to help care for emergency patients midway through the summer semester. Dental hygiene faculty assembled case studies for the remaining weeks of the spring semester to prepare the 2020 graduates for their board examination, working with them over Zoom to identify significant case details. For first-year students, they offered “drive by typodont pickup” so they could practice independently. Over the summer these new DH2s utilized health histories and dental and periodontal charting to write up analyses and treatment plans. With typodonts in the chair, they practiced their instrumentation, worked with the clinical software and analyzed case studies. This reimagined clinical exercise exceeded all expectations, says Leigh Ann Wyatt ’96, ’14, executive director of the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene.

“STAY HOME, STAY SAFE” orders in March prompted a race by faculty and staff to convert all courses to an electronic format. Lab and paper assignments and a solution to proctoring exams remotely also had to be considered, explains Carmina Castro, director of instructional design and support services in academic affairs. “We also had to begin training faculty and students on this new fully online world, helping get faculty up to speed on recording lectures and providing live classes via Zoom,” Castro says. Faculty succeeded but not without angst. “We all were in our groove in how we taught, we were comfortable. Having to turn on a dime with our delivery methods and still be effective teachers was challenging,” Allen says. The impact on students varied by their class year. “Moving the remainder of the D1 curriculum online for the spring was relatively easy,” Allen says. “Some of the hands-on stuff they missed, we ended up bringing them back for in a modified fashion over the summer.”

“T

he faculty saw improvement in

students’ critical thinking and problem solving, their ability to diagnose, plan treatment and also present.” —Dr. Jennifer Barrington

“I

really think this has pushed us to become more efficient in delivering patient care and getting the experience we need before graduating.” —D4 Katie Tucker

The D2s of 2019-2020 eventually experienced a curriculum collision of sorts, Barrington says: “Summer was particularly challenging for the D3 class, which was making up the D2 curriculum from the Sim Lab while doing virtual clinic.” For dental hygiene students, the return to labs in the summer brought “a sliver of normal and hope,” DH2 Claire McMahon said in August. “The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is not being able to use the Cavitron or Piezo units to scale my patients’ teeth. We can call it a blessing in disguise, though, as it has forced me to improve my hand scaling.” The D3 class was “really getting a feel for being clinicians,” adapting to the redesigned curriculum and new clinic procedures, when the shutdown hit, says current D4 Katie Tucker. The ability to complete some fall coursework early over the summer and take the national board exam earlier than usual freed up additional hours for clinic time this fall. “I really think this has pushed us to become more efficient in delivering patient care and getting the experience we need before graduating,” she says. The Class of 2020 was hit hard, but they prevailed. “Our then-D4s, bless them, they ended up not having any clinic after spring break,” Allen says. “They were faced with a changing licensing exam date, which then turned to a completely typodont-based licensing exam. I was able to get them time in the Sim Lab around the curriculum stuff we were planning for the other classes. Going from not touching a handpiece for four months to doing a licensing exam, they were very appreciative that we were able to do that for them.” The exam was a good experience, says Dr. Daniel Ripperger ’20. “I hope they keep it typodont-based for future classes.”

Turns out remote learning is not a panacea.

Empty chairs greet Dr. Shaun Logan as she presents a live Zoom lecture to first-year dental students in a campus lecture hall.

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THERE MAY BE NO PLACE LIKE HOME, but problems can ensue during a pandemic. “At first it was very difficult studying at home,” says Sauto. “Things like dogs running around and barking, or a neighbor mowing the lawn at times when you were studying. You couldn’t go to a coffee shop to study. I had to teach myself to study at a desk.” Faculty are likewise subject to unpredictable remote environs. “I’m very productive working from home except when the cat jumps on my desk,” Allen says. “Blue has shown up in some of my Zooms.” Even with the current combination of remote and on-campus learning, students have more unscheduled time than usual, due to flexibility in when they view faculty members’ lectures. That can pose a challenge in itself. “I like watching a lecture at the time it’s actually scheduled,” Youngblood says. “That keeps me disciplined and doesn’t let me get behind.” Sauto agrees: “I try to stay on top of things.”

The return to labs this summer meant masks and distancing for second-year dental student Parth Khatsuria and his classmates.

Online teaching is no time-saver for faculty. ANY PERCEPTION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION simplifying work for faculty is dispelled by an inside peek. “There are so many more steps involved in the process,” says Logan. “Delivering a lecture via Zoom is not the hard part. If it’s recorded outside a classroom, you have to manually upload so it can be transferred and accessible to students in the learning management system.” Feedback sessions with students after exams are a unique challenge. In normal times, “boatloads” of students would drop by in person to learn about what they missed, Logan says. Now that occurs on Zoom. “Because of confidentiality I can only meet with one student at a time. So when you’re seeing 30-35 students, it takes many hours over several days,” she says. “At one point when I was meeting with the students, I was on campus from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. My last session was at 10:30 at night." The chat feature on live Zoom lectures also far exceeds actual classroom interaction, she says. “We encourage students to interject with questions, but they can ask you several questions in the chat, whereas if you were face to face, they wouldn’t ask those questions back to back,” Logan says. “It’s more challenging to finish your lecture in 50 minutes, causing a lot of us to get behind.” There’s an additional consideration: “A lot of times faculty don’t want to have the chat open because it takes up more of that screen space, and we want to see the students,” she says. The volume of email in the pandemic era is the real obstacle, says Logan. “It just seems like so much more volume; emails raised to the sixth power,” she says. | 17

Silver linings exist even during a shutdown.

A quick pivot was the 2020 essential.

“T

he faculty saw improvement in

students’ critical thinking and problem solving, their ability to diagnose, plan treatment and also present.” —Dr. Jennifer Barrington

“I

really think this has pushed us to become more efficient in delivering patient care and getting the experience we need before graduating.” —D4 Katie Tucker

Turns out remote learning is not a panacea.

Empty chairs greet Dr. Shaun Logan as she presents a live Zoom lecture to first-year dental students in a campus lecture hall.

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Fall/Winter 2020

The return to labs this summer meant masks and distancing for second-year dental student Parth Khatsuria and his classmates.

I NG ATSOTUOCNH W I T&H HA AL LULM N I

2020 Alumni Association Board of Directors PRESIDENT

I M M E D I AT E PA S T- P R E S I D E N T

Dr. Sancerie O’Rourke-Allen ’98

Dr. Chad Capps ’08, MS ’14

Dr. Danette McNew ’88

Ms. Melanie Patterson ’20 RDH

P R E S I D E N T- E L E C T

B OA R D M E M B E R S

Dr. Julie Stelly ’87

Ms. Tiffany Bergstrom ’14 RDH

Dr. William R. Phillips ’97

Ms. Lana Crawford ’68 RDH

S E C R E TA R Y-T R E A S U R E R

Dr. Rishika Kapoor ’14 MS ’17

Dr. Anthony Mendez ’04

Mr. Erik Meckel ’22

Dr. George Derrick Pylant IV ’20 Dr. Crystal Stinson ’14 MS ’16, PhD ’17 Dr. Drew Vanderbrook ’12

2020: One graduate’s journey Screen time replaces the lecture hall for first-year dental students in Dr. Shaun Logan’s spring 2020 course on Human Structure, Function and Disease II.

Some changes will probably stick around. THE UPHEAVALS OF 2020 stand to have long-lasting impact, including the enhanced use of technology in teaching and learning. Castro hopes the 2020 adaptations end up benefiting faculty members and students even after things return to normal. She wouldn't be surprised if some lectures remain online. “I think the move to online teaching forced a lot of faculty to think about what they were teaching and what their objectives were in what the students needed to learn,” she says. “They had to be more efficient and find new ways to engage students.” Stooksberry remains pragmatic about the continuing use of enhanced PPE by dental providers. “It’s hard to predict what the clinic will look like,” he says. “I think we will be practicing like this for some time.”

Recruiting continues despite a pandemic. THUNDERSTORMS ON INTERVIEW DAY still worry Dr. Barbara Miller ’83, but this year for a different reason. “I wondered if the internet connection would stay stable,” says the assistant dean for recruitment and admissions. “But even in the ‘old days,’ I would have worried about interviewees getting all wet coming from the garage in the rain.” She says it didn’t take long after COVID-19 shutdowns began for dental and medical admissions personnel nationwide to decide this year’s interviews needed to be virtual to ensure every applicant had the same experience. Just like in the pre-COVID days but virtually, prospective students meet in individual sessions with Miller and two faculty

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members from the admissions committee, but the calls are scheduled over a week instead of just one day. That flexibility seems especially important this year, Miller says. Two dental student ambassadors, who are also admissions committee consultants, meet with a group of four applicants by Zoom the weekend before their interviews—2020’s equivalent of the usual lunchtime meet-up and campus tour. “We wanted them to meet our students first,” Miller says, explaining that applicants seem less nervous when they talk to dental students first and then have their interview. A series of video messages featuring the college’s students also give applicants an advance look at campus and student life. Miller says, “Without those, it would not be as good as it is.” She knows from firsthand accounts that the virtual interviews in Dallas are “still more individualized” than at some other schools. Although this year’s process takes more time and energy, “we know it’s worth the extra work,” Miller says.

The right outlook makes a big difference. POSITIVITY IS A QUALITY THAT GOES A LONG WAY in these uncertain times. “There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing bad stays forever,” says Sauto. “Sharing the weight” with supportive classmates is key for Tucker, who juggled parenting responsibilities, distance learning for herself and her son and a return to clinic when her child still had to stay home. Youngblood emphasizes perseverance: “Things are a little different, but time goes on, and we have to continue to adjust.”

SPRING 2020 DIDN’T PLAY OUT at all like the Class of 2020 expected or hoped. Campus shut down for education, celebration banquets and ceremonies were canceled, and in-person graduation remained only a dream due to the novel coronavirus. Though resilient, the college’s 2020 graduates can affirm that positivity was in short supply. Spring break effectively meant the end of their time on campus and the beginning of an uncertain journey toward licensing and beyond. Dental hygiene graduate Melanie Patterson ’20 says she was “not OK” back in March during the “stay home, stay safe” orders. “This was supposed to be the time for wrapping up our senior year, taking our licensing exams, and then enjoying senior dinners, our faculty appreciation luncheon and our graduation ceremony,” says Patterson, who was an active student member of the Alumni Association board of directors. “Thankfully, most of our didactic courses had already ended, and we were wrapping up our final projects.” Meanwhile, this single mom was managing more than her own altered education. “It was a struggle helping my son complete his third-grade year at home while I was finishing the semester,” she says. “Thankfully, I have a desk at home where I was able to attend Zoom meetings with my faculty and classmates while he sat next to me and completed his schoolwork on his iPad.” The Western Regional Examining Board was postponed in late April, which meant licensure had to wait. Attempts to reschedule graduation proved to be impossible due to social distancing restrictions.

Melanie Patterson

Patterson and her family watched the college’s virtual commencement on July 25 “without much fanfare” at home. Portraits of honorees in commencement regalia substituted for the usual walk across the stage. College administrators, faculty and staff strived to personalize the ceremony by recording speakers in multiple campus locations familiar to students. Things looked up when Patterson and her dental hygiene classmates achieved a 100% pass rate in mid-July on the written objective structured clinical examination for the WREB. She says they “were all more than prepared” because most had taken the written national board exam either before the shutdown in March or in June. “I am very thankful that our class was able to graduate on time and that we were able to get our licenses without a huge delay,” says Patterson, who successfully landed a full-time position in Grapevine, Texas. “At this point in the year, I am just glad that I am able to work and serve my patients and community,” she says.

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I NG ATSOTUOCNH W I T&H HA AL LULM N I

2020 Alumni Association Board of Directors PRESIDENT

I M M E D I AT E PA S T- P R E S I D E N T

Dr. Sancerie O’Rourke-Allen ’98

Dr. Chad Capps ’08, MS ’14

Dr. Danette McNew ’88

Ms. Melanie Patterson ’20 RDH

P R E S I D E N T- E L E C T

B OA R D M E M B E R S

Dr. Julie Stelly ’87

Ms. Tiffany Bergstrom ’14 RDH

Dr. William R. Phillips ’97

Ms. Lana Crawford ’68 RDH

S E C R E TA R Y-T R E A S U R E R

Dr. Rishika Kapoor ’14 MS ’17

Dr. Anthony Mendez ’04

Mr. Erik Meckel ’22

Dr. George Derrick Pylant IV ’20 Dr. Crystal Stinson ’14 MS ’16, PhD ’17 Dr. Drew Vanderbrook ’12

2020: One graduate’s journey Screen time replaces the lecture hall for first-year dental students in Dr. Shaun Logan’s spring 2020 course on Human Structure, Function and Disease II.

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Melanie Patterson

| 19

IN TOUCH WITH ALUMNI

Glenn honored as trailblazer

Dr. Gayle Glenn

I NG ATSOTUOCNH W I T&H HA AL LULM N I

DR. GAYLE GLENN ’84 (ORTHO), clinical assistant professor and graduate orthodontics clinical director, was named the 2020 recipient of the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award by the American Association of Women Dentists. The AAWD’s highest award recognizes trailblazing women who have been in the dental profession for 20-plus years and an AAWD member for at least a decade. Glenn will be honored at the annual AAWD meeting in April 2021. Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor was the first licensed female dentist in the U.S. “Having joined the dental profession when only 3% of U.S. dentists were women, I am grateful for organizations like AAWD that support diversity in dentistry,” Glenn says. “I am delighted that half of our

Alumni awards for Boyles, Vanderbrook dental students are currently women, and I look forward to the impact that greater diversity will make in our profession.” Glenn has been involved with the AAWD since joining the student chapter of the Texas Association of Women Dentists while a student at the University of Texas Dental School at San Antonio. In 1984, she completed her master’s degree and certificate in orthodontics at what is now Texas A&M College of Dentistry. She was the fourth female resident in the college’s graduate orthodontics program. In 2013, Glenn was elected the first female president of the American Association of Orthodontists. She received the Martin Dewey Memorial Award from the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists in 2015 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas County Dental Society in 2018. Glenn also served as president of the SWSO and the Texas Association of Orthodontists. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and received the Trailblazer Award from the Texas Orthodontic Study Club in 2019. In addition to her faculty role, she practices orthodontics part time in north Dallas.

EVEN THOUGH Dr. Franklin Boyles ’74 and Dr. Drew Vanderbrook ’12 have returned to the dental school many times over the years, their early 2020 visit for Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s annual alumni homecoming reception was especially memorable. Boyles was named Distinguished Alumnus, and Vanderbrook was honored as Outstanding Young Alumnus at the Jan. 24 event held in the new Clinic and Education Building. Boyles still credits his alma mater for the skills he relies on every day. Continuing education courses – and loyalty — draw him back each year as he keeps that Dallas connection close even though he lives in Odessa, Texas. Boyles has practiced general dentistry for 45 years. His son and fellow alumnus, Dr. Stephen Boyles ’16, worked alongside him for two years before opening his own practice in nearby Midland, Texas. The 1974 alumnus has never forgotten the importance of student mentoring. He works as a private practice preceptor, regularly sharing his expertise and knowledge. He also mentors Boy Scouts on their dentistry merit badge, among other volunteer roles. Boyles was 2018 president of the West Texas Academy of General Dentistry. He has been selected a Permian

Basin “best dentist” numerous times since 2003. Vanderbrook, known for his above-and-beyond mindset, added his latest award to a growing list of professional kudos. This most recent accolade recognizes an alumnus with fewer than 10 years of professional experience who has a profound impact on the dental school, profession and community. The honoree opened Vanderbrook Family Dentistry in Dallas’ Lakewood community in 2014. He serves on the Texas A&M College of Dentistry Alumni Association board and is Dallas County Dental Society president. In 2015, he was voted New Dentist of the Year by DCDS. While attending dental school, Vanderbrook was class president, student council president and a representative for the Honor Council. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Franklin Boyles and Dr. Drew Vanderbrook

All-in for patients and presidency

DENTAL CLASS OF 1959

DENTAL HYGIENE CLASS OF 1970

Celebrating milestones Alumni reconnect pre-pandemic at the college and in small groups at home.

DENTAL CLASS OF 1969

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Fall/Winter 2020

DR. JACQUELINE “JACQUE” PLEMONS ’86, ’88 (Perio) stepped into two significant roles in 2020. The longtime professor of periodontics at Texas A&M College of Dentistry is the current president of the Texas Dental Association, and in June, she accepted an appointment as director of the Clinical Center for Stomatology in the college’s Department of Periodontics. Oral medicine first drew Plemons in as a periodontics graduate student, when she worked with a group of oral cancer survivors. Because those patients’ conditions fell somewhere between oral and medical health, they often struggled to find the specialized care they needed. Their plight became Plemons’ passion as she helped move the dental school’s efforts forward in managing this group’s much-needed care. “Being able to provide care that addresses both aspects of patients’ needs made our clinic unique and our efforts very gratifying,” says Plemons. “In stomatology, I routinely saw patients in my residency who were suffering and felt they had nowhere to turn to get the help they desperately needed.

“Many of the conditions we saw in these patients were medical conditions that manifested in the oral cavity. As a result, patients and the care they needed fell in a gap between medicine and dentistry.” Plemons earned her dental degree, master’s degree in oral biology and periodontics certificate from the college. She also completed a fellowship in oral medicine and has advanced training in dental implants and dental anesthesiology. She attended Texas A&M University for her undergraduate studies. In 2014, she was named Dentist of the Year by the Dallas County Dental Society. “Patients have shown me the power of the human spirit in facing the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening and certainly life-altering diseases or conditions,” she says. “They have also reminded me of the importance of listening and the incredible value of patience.”

Dr. Jacqueline Plemons

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IN TOUCH WITH ALUMNI

Glenn honored as trailblazer

Dr. Gayle Glenn

I NG ATSOTUOCNH W I T&H HA AL LULM N I

Dr. Franklin Boyles and Dr. Drew Vanderbrook

All-in for patients and presidency

DENTAL CLASS OF 1959

DENTAL HYGIENE CLASS OF 1970

Celebrating milestones Alumni reconnect pre-pandemic at the college and in small groups at home.

DENTAL CLASS OF 1969

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Fall/Winter 2020

Dr. Jacqueline Plemons

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GIVING

A mother-daughter dream team

Dr. Leah Stelly and

W H E N D R . J U L I E ST E L L Y ’ 8 7 opened her practice right out of dental school, she never dreamed it would one day be a family business. Three years ago, her middle child, Dr. Leah Stelly ’17, joined her office in Plano, Texas. The transition has been flawless because this dynamic mother-daughter duo has always been simpatico. “We have what I would describe as an ‘easy relationship’—giving each other space but always having each other’s back,” says Julie. Leah is the only one of Julie’s three children who ever expressed any interest in health care. Julie remembers how Leah used to dream of the possibilities. “There was one time when she thought she might be a dentist, a veterinarian and a teacher—all at the same time,” she says. Those career choices narrowed to one after Leah, then 16, worked one summer at her mom’s office. Julie was “absolutely ecstatic” when all of her children were accepted into and graduated with bachelor’s degrees from her alma mater, Texas A&M

University. She was equally thrilled when Leah chose Texas A&M College of Dentistry for dental school. “We were even taught by some of the same professors,” Julie says. Their shared dental experiences motivated the Stelly women to support the college’s Clinic and Education Building with a gift designated for a dental operatory in the undergraduate group practice clinic. Working in the dental office as a teenager gave Leah special insight into the way her mom connects with her patients. She not only admires her as a person, she’s impressed by how her mom treats patients with “incredible skill, confidence and care,” as well as keeping up with the latest dental techniques. Julie is just as quick to gush over Leah’s professional prowess. As expected, the lines between work and home life often blur, but that’s fine by them. The Stelly family is extremely tight. They have a family dinner at least once a week and often meet to catch up around the fire pit. In the fall, they spend most football Saturdays tailgating in College Station or celebrating in their “Aggie Party Barn” at Julie’s. Every day when Julie heads to the office, she can’t think of a better partner than the one she has. “What a thrill for me that my daughter is a dentist and did join my practice. It’s the best,” she says.

Dr. Julie Stelly

G IFT RE PORT Texas A&M College of Dentistry is grateful for the financial support it receives from loyal and diverse constituencies. This gift report includes donations to Texas A&M Foundation, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Baylor Oral Health Foundation and the Alumni Association in calendar year 2019. Not included in these listings are competitively awarded grants and contracts managed through the Texas A&M Research Foundation. Every effort has been made to make each list complete and accurate, but inevitably some errors or omissions may have occurred. Please direct concerns to the Office of Advancement, Communications & Alumni Relations at 214.828.8214. We heartily thank our alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends and members of the corporate and foundation communities for their generosity and commitment to the college. TEXAS A&M COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY/TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTORS $1,000,000 or more Baylor Oral Health Foundation $500,000—$999,999 Delta Dental Community Care Foundation

Sign of support V I SI T O R S T O T H E C L I N I C and Education Building’s main entrance enjoy a visual treat in the distinctive donor wall commissioned specifically for this luminous first-floor lobby. Reflecting a Texas Hill Country architectural style, the original wall art features a variety of multidimensional panels composed of all-solid materials including limestone, wood and stainless steel. The piece honors and celebrates the alumni, friends, faculty and staff who demonstrated their support of the college’s expansion through monetary gifts.

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Fall/Winter 2020

$100,000—$499,999 Hillcrest Foundation $25,000—$49,999 Dr. Kent B. Boozer Dr. Nathan P. Harris '97 Mr. Thomas C. Sullivan $10,000—$24,999 Dr. Michael L. Ellis $5,000—$9,999 Mrs. Glenna J. Johns Ms. Kathleen O’Neill-Smith

Clinic and Education Building donors are recognized on this art piece installed in the first-floor lobby.

$1,000—$4,999 Agape Clinic American Dental Partners Foundation Arlington Plastic Surgery, PA Dr. Jennifer J. Barrington Dr. Kay Lee Ms. Lynice C. Norlock Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, PLLC $500—$999 American College of Dentists Dr. Alton G. McWhorter Stelly Family Dentistry, P.A. Dr. Mohsen Taleghani Esfahani

$250—$499 Heritage Dental Group of Rockwall PA Robert G. McNeill, D.D.S., M.D. Dr. Anthony D. Pham SKM Dentistry PLLC UT Dallas Pre-Dental Association $100—$249 Mr. Mustafa H. Ahmad Mrs. Leeanna Bartlett Dr. Michael H. Brophy Bubble Bubble LLC Mr. Chris N. Cox '85 & Carolyn Cox Ms. Priscilla Diaz Dr. Penelope Rasekh-Drayer Mr. Elias D. Fanta Haight Family Dentistry Mr. Thomas K. Joseph Dr. Celeste Latham Metroplex Pulmonary and Sleep Center, P.A. Michelle Beauty Salon Ms. Maya Paul Mr. Shahriyar A. Rahman Rockwall Orthodontics Up to $99 Ms. Kristy E. Bailey Daniel M. Stewart, D.D.S. Mr. Jae Yoon Dr. Daniel M. You '18 Gifts in Memory of: Ms. Joye Johnston Durco, RDH Dr. N. Sue Seale Sandra Simmons Sullivan Dr. Ronald D. Woody Gifts in Honor of: Ms. Susan M. Jackson BAYLOR ORAL HEALTH FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTORS The mission of the Baylor Oral Health Foundation is to provide the College of Dentistry with funds and support to sustain its institutional pre-eminence through excellence in students, faculty, research and outreach. BOHF does this by managing and raising private dollars for world-class faculty, leading-edge research, academic programs and scholarships. The fiscal-year 2020-2021 foundation directors: Mr. Tom Abbott Mr. Neal Adams Ms. Becky Bell, CFP Dr. Phillip M. Campbell Dr. James S. Cole Dr. John S. Findley Ms. Michelle Hickox, CPA Dr. Frank L. Higginbottom Mr. Patrick Howard Mr. Royce W. Medlin, CFA Mr. Steven R. Newton Mr. Matthew Peiffer, CPA Mr. Jess C. “Rick” Rickman Mr. John Solana, CPA Dr. W. Scott Waugh Mr. Michael Womble, CPA, CFP The following gifts reflect giving to the foundation in calendar year 2019. They were donated to benefit one of these endowments and funds held at BOHF: ENDOWMENTS The Peter H. Buschang Professorship The Richard F. Ceen Endowment The James S. Cole Professorship Robert E. Gaylord Endowed Chair

Tom Matthews Endowed Lectureship Orts Endowed Scholarship Periodontics Residents Endowment Fund Betty Scott Scholarship The N. Sue Seale Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. and Mrs. Frank L. Higginbottom Dr. David E. Holsey Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Lamb Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Lamberth Dr. Dan Lasner Dr. Gregory Lopour Ms. Sarah Luehring Dr. Will Martin FUNDS Dr. Fred McDonald Administrative Support Fund Dr. and Mrs. Tom M. McDougal Alumni Association Fund Dr. Danette McNew William H. Binnie Oral Pathology Dr. Robert E. Morgan Fund Dr. Loulou Moore Jesse T. Bullard Lectureship The Murrell Foundation Kimberly Campbell Research Dr. Pamela Nicoara Fund P & G - Crest & Oral B Brands Gaylord Chair Support Fund Osteogenics Tom Matthews Lectureship Fund Dr. Hemandra Patel Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Fund Dr. Jayendra B. Patel Orofacial Pain & Sleep Clinic Fund Perioendoscopy, LLC Ortho Support Fund Quality Aspirators, Inc. Pediatric Dentistry Support Fund Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Roach Perio Alumni Fund Sage Publishing Graduate Prosthodontics Fund Shah Smith & Associates Dr. Durrell Smith $500,000 or more Snoasis Medical, LLC Estate of Dr. N. Sue Seale Southwest Society of Pediatric $50,000—$99,999 Dentistry Straumann USA Dr. Kathryn Spencer Dr. Kathia Steel $25,000—$49,999 Dr. Robert E. Tafel Drs. Thomas C. & Mary Sue Dr. Adesegun Tewogbade Harrison Texas Academy of Pediatric $10,000—$24,999 Dentistry Dr. Patricia Blanton Texas Assn. of Orthodontists Dr. Phillip M. Campbell Dr. Terri Train Dr. Roberto Carillo Amy and Tim Wallaert KLS Martin, LP Mrs. Lanelle Watkins Dr. Philip W. LaHaye, Jr. Whip Mix Corporation Dr. Johanna P. Romo Mr. Michael Womble Zimmer Biomet Dental $5,000—$9,999 A dec $500—$999 Dr. Chad Allen Dr. and Mrs. Jack W. Baum Dr. Leslie Au Dr. John R. Burnett, III Dr. Bun Baker Benco Dental Bien Air USA, Inc Dr. Robert A. Bettis, Jr. Biohorizons Drs. Leonard and Rex E. Brasseler USA Brewster Dr. Monte K. Collins Dr. Chad Capps Dr. Roland S. Davies Carestream Dental Dr. Seuss Kassisieh Dr. Simeon B. Cook Dr. Artur Khushudian Dr. Matthew V. Eusterman Paul P. Taylor Assn. of Pediatric Dr. Allison Fowler Dentists Dr. and Mrs. Dan Gestring Dr. Amerian Sones Dr. David Grogan Drs. Amerian Sones & Dr. Robert N. Hanson Lawrence E. Wolinsky Mr. Larry Haynes Brooke & Joan Stephens Dr. and Mrs. Bubba Hirsch Dr. W. Scott Waugh Dr. Richard S. Homsey Dr. Lawrence E. Wolinsky Hu-Friedy Dr. Ronald D. Woody Family Dr. Demetra Jones Mr. Joseph Kolligian $1,000—$4,999 Dr. David McFadden Anonymous Dr. and Mrs. John Nelson Mr. Neal W. Adams Online Design, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Stan Allred Pacific Dental Services American Academy of Q-Optics Periodontology Fndn Dr. Andrew M. Readfuller Dr. Donna J. Barefield Dr. Likith Reddy Dr. Charles W. Berry Dr. Donald H. Roberts Ms. Katherine J. Blumberg Dr. Kevin L. Seidler Brown Reynolds Watford Dr. Gregory B. Scheiderman Architects, Inc. Ms. Linda M. Stafford Dr. Jesse T. Bullard Dr. Paul Stubbs Capricorn Foundation Dr. Steven G. Stutsman Dr. Lisa Cheng Dr. Robert Triplett Colgate Speakers Bureau Dr. Chau M. Truong Communities Foundation of Dr. Hung (Chris) Truong Texas Dr. Valerie Washington DenLine Uniforms Mrs. Patricia Wessendorff Dr. William L. J. Fuh Geistlich Pharma North $250—$499 America, Inc. Dr. Stephen J. Austin Dr. Jay S. Herrington Dr. Michael C. Bell Rob and Michelle Hickox Jeanne and Jim Bowsher Dr. Frank L. Higginbottom Dr. and Mrs. James S. Cole | 23

GIVING

A mother-daughter dream team

Dr. Leah Stelly and

Dr. Julie Stelly

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Fall/Winter 2020

Clinic and Education Building donors are recognized on this art piece installed in the first-floor lobby.

Tom Matthews Endowed Lectureship Orts Endowed Scholarship Periodontics Residents Endowment Fund Betty Scott Scholarship The N. Sue Seale Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry

GIVING IMPRESSIONS

GIVING

$200—$249 Dr. Mary Kay Becher Dr. George I. Bridges Lucia and Tim Casey Ms. Ruth Ann Drake EBSCO Health Dr. Sean Fitzgerald Dr. Warren L. Good Dr. Ivan Hendrickson Dr. Lavern J. Holyfield ITI USA Section Mrs. Jennifer S. Keller, RDH Dr. Reena Kuba McGraw Hill Dr. and Mrs. Clay Maupin North New Mexico Periodontal Assoc. The Reef Ball Trust Dr. Janet Ritchey Dr. Roger B. Salome Dr. Ronald C. Trowbridge Dr. Darin J. Ward Dr. Dan R. White

Mr. Kip Petherick Premier Dental Products Co. Dr. Terry Rees Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Riley, Jr. Mr. David Rogers Dr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Roper, Jr. Dr. Dan Salter Ms. Shari Schwartz Ms. Carla Siegesmund Dr. Joe Simmons Mr. Joe Small Mr. and Mrs. Bill Stowe Drs. Monica and Eduardo Tanur Dr. Folger B. Vallette Dr. Drew Vanderbrook Visit San Antonio Family Mr. & Mrs. James Wilson Dr. Tom Wilson Dr. Brian Wong Dr. John Wright Dr. Riley York

Up to $99 Kathi and Mike Ackermann Adams Dental Seminars Ms. Joanne Baron Dr. James R. Carroll Ms. Carolyn Cox Ms. Lana Crawford, RDH Ms. Laura Crawford Patricia and Robert Creal Ms. Lori Dees Mr. Larry Ford Ms. Zohre German Dr. Roy D. Kindrick Ms. Pam Kolodziej Mr. and Mrs. Bob Lapsley Dr. James Robert McDonald Hope and Ron Menguita Mr. and Ms. Jerry Montee Dr. Grant K. Parish Dr. Joe C. Pinkner Ms. Linda Piper Ms. Don Pitts, RDH $100—$199 Ms. Dianna Prachyl, RDH American Assn. of Dr. Pat Riley Orthodontists Dr. Sarah Samuel Ms. Kalyn Asher Mrs. Brigitte W. Sims Dr. Richard C. Baker Portia and Charles Weinberg Joanne and Thomas Balshi Ms. Sonja T. Wilkin Dr. and Mrs. Robert F. Baxter Benton-Plemons Family ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Bigham, Jr. CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Walter A. Brinkman, Jr. Each alumnus of the college is Dr. Burt Bryan encouraged to contribute to Dr. Dave S. Carpenter the Alumni Association Fund, Dr. Chris Cartwright which is managed by the Baylor Oral Health Foundation. These Dr. Benjamin Cozad donations fund scholarships, Dr. David M. Ferguson programs, networking/career Kay and Bob Ferrell opportunities and awards to Dr. Tiffany Finn benefit current and future Four Seasons Dental, P.A. alumni. The following gifts Dr. George T. Frost are reported for calendar Dr. James L. Greenwood, Jr. year 2019. Mr. Tom Guthrie Mrs. Betty Hagins Dean’s Club - $1,000–$2,500 Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hilliard Dr. Neil A. Bryson Dr. James B. Holton, Jr. Dr. Chad J Capps Dr. Bob C. Hunsucker Dr. John A. Daniel Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Kempf Dr. Sancerie J. O'Rourke-Allen Dr. Chia Ming Lee Dr. Julie H. Stelly Dr. N. Ray Lee Dr. H. Andrew Lipscomb, III Scholar’s Club - $500–$999 Dr. Corbet C. Locke, III Dr. Aaron Blackwelder Mr. and Mrs. Rob Love Dr. Omel Gerardo Cardenas Dr. Daniel McNew Dr. Christopher Ferguson Mr. Philip Metzger Dr. Tommy Harrison Dr. Frank Moore Dr. Frank L. Higginbottom Dr. David H. Morris Dr. Ernestine S. Lacy Dr. Allen R. Myers Dr. Danette Hovenden McNew Dr. Sancerie O'Rourke-Allen Dr. Scott Anthony Myser Dr. and Mrs. William W. Nagy Dr. Lavan R. Parker III Steve and Janice Patterson Dr. Michael Pickard

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Fall/Winter 2020

Dr. Thomas B. Randers, Jr. Dr. Everett Jr. Renger Dr. Marlene L. Spady Dr. Leah Chrystene Stelly Dr. Fred J. Voorhees Vernine C. Pitts Waldron Mrs. Patricia C. Wessendorff McCarthy’s Club - $250–$499 Dr. George Acquaye Dr. Jeffrey W. Ball Dr. Chris S. Cartwright Dr. Sue Chhay Dr. Robert J. Christian Dr. Bryan Elvebak Dr. Sean E. Fitzgerald Dr. Kenneth M. Hamlett Jr. Mrs. Laurie Morgan Inglis Dr. William T. Lee Jr. Dr. David Brockway Lynn Dr. Jack O. Mills Dr. Michael Scott Monts Dr. Frank H. Moore Jr. Dr. B.C. Nelson Dr. David W. Price Dr. Harlan L. Raley Mrs. Kay Fincher Rickets Dr. Kirk E. Scott Dr. Andrea Matli Scoville Dr. Ty Shafer Ms. Janice L. Snyder Dr. Audrey Lynn Stansbury Dr. Paul E. Stubbs Ms. Patricia Whalley Dr. Bettye Whiteaker Dr. James E. Williams Dr. Ronald L. Winder Century Club - $150–$249 Dr. Steven J. Austin Dr. Michael C. Bell Dr. Robert A. Bettis, Jr. Mrs. Judith A. Blackwell Dr. Rex E. Brewster Dr. Burt C. Bryan Dr. Thomas D. Calabria Dr. Courtney Keel Carr Dr. James R. Carroll Jr. Mr. Tim Casey Dr. Russell Cunningham Ms. Betty N. Ferraro Dr. George F. Forney Jr. Ms. Allison Fowler Dr. James B. Goates Dr. James L. Greenwood Jr. Dr. Larry D. Herwig Dr. Nathan E. Hodges Dr. Kirk C. Hooper Dr. Kevin V. Hua Dr. Bob C. Hunsucker Dr. Ben H. Jones Dr. Jonathon Ryan Kimes Dr. Patricia Kimes Dr. Michael A. Klepacki Dr. Christine Le Dr. Peter V. Lecca Dr. James M. Lloyd Dr. Scott A. Logan Dr. Eduardo R. Lorenzana Dr. Betsy Spitzer Maxwell Dr. Anthony Omar Mendez Dr. Ted A. Methvin Dr. David Mikulencak Dr. Amp W. Miller III Dr. James Christian Miller Dr. Laura Louise Carter Mitchell Dr. James S. Moore Dr. David H. Morris Dr. Partha Mukherji Dr. Minh-Khoi Nguyen Dr. Robert J. Pavelka Dr. William R. Phillips III Dr. Hal H. Ramsey Dr. Murray R. Ray

1950

Dr. Jerry V. Roach Dr. Matthew B. Roberts Ms. Shari S. Schwartz Dr. Jill Sentlingar Dr. Stephanie Jennings Rutherford Singleton Dr. Scott A. Stein Dr. Brian R. Summers Dr. Stevens T. Ta Dr. Tuan Anh Tran Dr. Drew M. Vanderbrook Ms. Elizabeth D. Voorhees Supporters - $25–$149 Ms. Jaclyn Altman Dr. John T. Baker Mrs. Lisa Swinney Barker Ms. Tiffany Treadaway Bergstrom Mrs. Shelley Burleson Bixler Mrs. Raven Villinger Bobbitt Mrs. Carolyn Susan Bower Ms. Carolyn Boynton Campbell Mrs. Beverly Bradford Deaton Ms. Shirley A. Brimberry Cross Mrs. Kim Brock Ms. Sue B. Brown Ms. Shan S. Bullard Fincher Mrs. Sandra L. Carter Hurley Ms. Kathy Chambers Mrs. Diane K. Christopher Ms. Lana C. Stone Crawford Ms. Ann M. Onstad Day Ms. Ann Delair Ms. Kacy Anne Brown Dillard Mr. Bob Ferrell Ms. Cynthia L. Fooshee Ms. Danette Gehrig Freeman Mrs. Joyce Rhea Gill Ms. Cindy K. Harmon Ms. Kay K. Harvey Carter Ms. Jill L. (Hidalgo) Hawkins Mrs. Greta J. Heifner Miller Mrs. Leslie Heller Barnes Ms. Joni R. Hopps Ms. Donie L. Hussey Mrs. Glenna J. Johns Ms. Sehaj Kaur Dr. Roy D. Kindrick Dr. Thomas B. King Ms. Karen A. Ochsenbein Lanier Ms. Mary Ellen (Ausmus) Laursen Dr. Lisa S. Lin Ms. Melody Lucas Ms. Marcia A. Mares Ms. Nina Matheney Ms. Cheryl (Arb) McDonald VanZandt Mr. Jerry Montee Mrs. Patricia Olivo Ms. Kathleen O'Neill-Smith Ms. Julie A. Opsahl Ms. Don R. Pitts Ms. Dianna C. Prachyl Ms. Pamela C. Queal-Karlos Mrs. Tonya S. Ray Ms. Irene Roche Mr. David Rogers Ms. Susan Schlessinger-Rountree Ms. Melissa Scott Ms. Suzanne Sellers Ms. Paula Shore Mr. Joel Small Dr. Joan L. Armstrong Smith Mrs. Nancy E. Sykes Ms. Megan Leann Trojacek Ms. Mary T. Turner Lubinsky Ms. Gloria B. Van Dusen Ms. Pamela Wade Mrs. Marny Waters Ms. Jean W. Wenger King Ms. Capri Wilson Ms. Taylor Ellen Wing Mrs. LeeAnn A. Winkler

The facility built

at 800 Hall St. was the first in the college’s history designed specifically for dental instruction.

College opens new clinical buildings 70 years apart

THE TEXAS COLLECTION, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Dr. W. Griggs DeHay Dr. John S. Findley Dr. Tommy W. Gage Dr. Gayle Glenn Dr. Kenneth M. Hamlett, Jr. Dr. Taylor H. Holland, III Mr. Patrick Howard Dr. W. Jay Kidd Dr. William T. Lee, Jr. Dr. Lisa S. Lin Dr. Frank Lozano Dr. Joy Kathleen Lunan Dr. Michael Neeley North Texas Endodontic Associates VisionPoint Advisory Group Mrs. Pat Matulis Cheryl and Hans-Peter Weber

2020 Spaces for the

new curriculum model and parking for patients are hallmarks of the building at 3000 Gaston Ave.

This “Impressions” page captures a moment in time in the rich history of our Dallas dental school. The people of Texas A&M College of Dentistry have called the school by various names: State Dental College from 1905 to 1918, Baylor University College of Dentistry from 1918 to 1971 and Baylor College of Dentistry from 1971 to 1996, when the name became longer to reflect the affiliation with the Texas A&M University System and, later, its health science center. In 2013, a new name reflected an alliance with Texas A&M University; “Baylor” remained in the name until 2016. Through the ebb and flow of history, the dental school has been nurtured by people who reaped its benefits and perpetuated its legacy. Enjoy this glimpse into the mirror of time.

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GIVING IMPRESSIONS

GIVING

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TEXAS A&M DENTISTRY |

Fall/Winter 2020

1950

The facility built

at 800 Hall St. was the first in the college’s history designed specifically for dental instruction.

College opens new clinical buildings 70 years apart

THE TEXAS COLLECTION, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

2020 Spaces for the

new curriculum model and parking for patients are hallmarks of the building at 3000 Gaston Ave.

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Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 178 Dallas, Texas

3302 Gaston Avenue Dallas, Texas 75246-2013

TA K E O U R M AG A Z I N E S U R V E Y

W E ' D LOV E TO H E A R F R O M YO U

Elected officials, Texas A&M leadership, alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters join Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky to cut the ribbon during the building dedication.

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