SPRING – SUMMER
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Military Promotion for Prosthodontics Student
From left to right: Dr. David Sweet OC, associate dean, Students; 2nd Lts. Bryce Smiley and Matthew Chin, both second-year dental students; Lt.-Col. Genevieve Bussiere; Maj. Ian Thorton; 2nd Lts. Chris Dare and Allison Nichols, both third-year dental students; Capt. Richard Kratz, second-year graduate prosthodontics student; Maj. Sébastien Dostie, second-year graduate periodontics student; 2nd Lt. Zack Zeiller; Dr. Charles Shuler, dean; and Dr. Chris Wyatt, program director of the specialty graduate program in prosthodontics.
It’s not often that third-year graduate prosthodontics student Ian Thornton is seen out of his clinic scrubs or a lab coat and dressed in military uniform. However, even when seeing him in military garb, one might miss the thin gold stripe that was recently added between the two standard gold stripes of his officer rank insignia. This very subtle addition to the insignia is anything but minor: last December Thornton was promoted in rank from captain to major. This promotion requires a minimum of four years in the rank of captain and is based on merit, as will all promotions hereafter. At a ceremony in the Dean’s Office at the Faculty of Dentistry, Lieutenant-Colonel Genevieve Bussiere from Canadian Forces
Base (CFB) Edmonton presented Thornton with his new rank. The ceremony was a full-dress-uniform event, attended by all dental and graduate students enrolled in the Canadian Forces. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Thornton joined the Canadian Forces in 2000. He worked at CFB Borden in Ontario for six years (four years in the dental detachment and two years at the Health Services Training Centre) prior to starting his prosthodontic program at UBC in 2011. Ironically, Bussiere (then a major) was Thornton’s very first detachment commander, and now, notified of his impending posting to CFB Edmonton, Bussiere will again be Thornton’s first commander as he serves in the new role of dental specialist.
Highlights: Research Day 2014 In celebration of the Faculty’s first 50 years and in recognition of its research success, seven diverse alumni were invited to present at Research Day 2014 on January 28. Two are faculty members at UBC, while five hold academic positions around the world. These internationally recognized scholars—who started their research careers at UBC Dentistry—covered a broad range of topics, including facial pain, oral cancer, periodontal microbiology, platelet activation, craniofacial development and salivary diagnostics. UBC faculty presenters included Drs. Hugh Kim (MSc/Dip Perio 2005) and Denise Laronde (MSc 2005). The alumni presenters who are now faculty members at other institutions included: Dr.W. Keung Leung (PhD 2005), University of Hong Kong; Dr. Christopher Peck (PhD 2000), University of Sydney, Australia; Dr. Bjorn Steffenson (PhD 1997), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts; Dr. Heather
UBC Dentistry is grateful to the following Research Day 2014 sponsors.
Szabo-Rogers (PhD 2007), University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Dr. David Wong (DMD 1981), University of California at Los Angeles. Research Day 2014 also recognized all the students who graduated from its graduate and postgraduate programs, the postdoctoral research fellows and the visiting scientists/professors who have come to UBC over the past 50 years. Research Day 2014 took place in the UBC Student Union Building ballroom. All faculty and students attended the annual event.
PRESENTING GOLD SPONSOR
SILVER BREAKFAST SPONSOR
SILVER LUNCH SPONSOR
U B C D E N T I S T RY I M P R E S S I O N S
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