2022 Perspectives Magazine

Dean

Dr. Jeffrey Okeson

Editorial Board

Linda Epling

Ann Jarvis

Contributing Writers

Linda Epling

Ann Jarvis

Ainslie Schmidt

Photos

Libby Charlton

Ann Jarvis

Art Direction & Design

Honey Creative Archives dentistry.uky.edu/perspectives

Questions About the Magazine

Ann Jarvis, 859-323-6526 ann.jarvis@uky.edu

Dental Practice Opportunities

Share your listings at dentistry.uky.edu/opening.

OUR MISSION

UKCD Alumni Engagement

Ryan Vicini, 859-323-6676 rlvici2@uky.edu

College of Dentistry Philanthropy

Linda Epling, 859.323.6916 linda.epling@uky.edu

Continuing Dental Education Visit dentistry.uky.edu/ce.

Dear Alumni and Friends,

I want to thank everyone who came to our super-sized Fall Symposium in October. Every event was well attended and fun filled. It started with Barrels and Kegs on Thursday night. We had our largest alumni turnout in the event’s history. Friday offered an actionpacked schedule with a CE course, racing at Keeneland, and a reception at Kroger Field. We were able to award three scholarships to very deserving seniors at the CE course and honor four Distinguished Alumni of the Year winners at the reception. Saturday included a dedication ceremony by the Class of 1967 for our first dean, Dr. Morris, helping mark the 60th anniversary of our beloved UKCD, followed by a tailgate and home football game.

Next year, 2023, we’ll be celebrating several firsts. I was proud to introduce our first female incoming president at the CE course in October. Dr. Erica Higginbotham has been a board member for over a decade and has always been a star at planning and donating her time at our events. She will do a wonderful job as our fearless leader, starting in 2023, and will no doubt take the UKCD Alumni Association to new heights.

Erica and Dr. Donna Klein have already gotten the ball rolling on our first ever UKCD Women’s Retreat. It will occur in May at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. It should be an exciting weekend with a CE course surrounded by fellowship, food, and fun activities to be enjoyed by all in attendance. Spots will fill up fast for this event, and we expect a sellout. Please watch for registration details if you are interested in attending.

The 2023 Fall Symposium is scheduled for October 12-14. We plan to follow the same schedule as this year, with Barrels and Kegs on Thursday night; CE, Keeneland, and a reception at Kroger Field on Friday; and then a family-friendly tailgate outside UKCD on Saturday before the game. All alumni are welcome to attend—even if it is not an anniversary year for your class. Fall Symposium is a perfect opportunity to visit Lexington, catch up with old friends, meet current students, and support your UKCD Alumni Association!

Your UKCD Alumni Association Board has continued to meet quarterly over the past year to help plan events, select award and scholarship winners, and discuss ways to continue to improve your alumni experience. Our board continues to grow in numbers, and we would love to have more of you join us to support our efforts. All of our meetings are hybrid meetings, so board members can attend in-person or via Zoom. This has allowed us to have several out of state alumni join. If you have an interest, please contact Ryan Vicini (rlvici2@uky.edu) so he can add you to the next election slate.

I hope to see you all in 2023. Until then, please stay safe, stay healthy, and keep saving the world one tooth at a time! It has been an honor serving as president of the UKCD Alumni Association. A big thanks to everyone for all the support over the years!

Thanks, Cliff Lowdenback, DMD, MSD UKCD Alumni Association President UKCD Class of 2003

Perspectives is published annually by the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

An Equal Opportunity University

CELEBRATING UKCD AND DR. ALVIN MORRIS

When working toward establishing the UK College of Dentistry, Dr. Alvin Morris, the college’s founding dean, shared, “The College of Dentistry should have as its aim the development of biologically oriented, technically capable, socially sensitive dental practitioners who are keenly aware of the significance of their potential contribution to the total health of their patients.”

Continuing to uphold these and other founding principles, the college celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022. During the October Annual Fall Symposium and Alumni Weekend, alums and others took time to remember Morris and his tremendous contribution to the University of Kentucky, the college, and the profession of dentistry overall. A

memorial honoring Morris, located at the college’s entrance, was unveiled during the weekend—many thanks to the Class of 1967 for spearheading this effort. Additionally, the college’s second dean, Dr. Harry Bohannon, was interviewed by current UKCD dean, Dr. Jeff Okeson. Bohannon reflected on the college’s early days and the never-ending dedication to the college embodied by Morris— watch the interview at dentistry.uky. edu/60years

At the college’s 25th anniversary, Morris shared, “The early 1960s was the right time, the University of Kentucky was the right place, there were gathered the right people, and something good happened—for the citizens of the Commonwealth, the University, and

the dental profession. As one who shared the excitement of the founding of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, it is gratifying to reflect on what occurred over the past 25 years. But more important, and equally satisfying, is the observation that once again, the time, the place, and the people are right—and the future of greater achievements is assured.”

“The college continues to embody the necessary elements Dr. Morris referenced to support the needs of our learners while also striving toward amazing achievements in education, patient care, and research,” shares Okeson. “Even with the challenges we faced during the pandemic, and the struggles that many learning institutions

and private practices experienced in its wake, we’ve continued to make gains in key areas and graduate highly competent dentists and specialty providers.”

In addition to reflecting on the college’s rich history over the last 60 years, UKCD also celebrated the following accomplishments in 2022, helping to demonstrate the college’s focus on education, patient care, and research:

• Saturday Morning Clinic, a longstanding, student-driven tradition at UKCD, provided over $29,000 in free care to pediatric patients throughout 2022. In addition to supporting the local community by responding to patient care needs, sessions provide additional clinical experience for all dental students, including first-year students eager to participate in a clinical setting.

• The college continues to work toward extending its patient care footprint to support the needs of more Kentuckians. In 2022, Bracken County Schools, Bracken County Health Department, Interact for Health, PrimaryPlus, and the college formalized a partnership. The groups’ combined efforts helped establish an on-site school-based health center in Bracken County. Dental services at the site include dental exams, cleanings, X-rays, and select restorative procedures. The program will also host mobile dentistry to allow surrounding school systems to benefit from the program in the future.

• The college continues to build upon its digital dentistry efforts, helping to ensure dental students are regularly exposed to digital tools and workflows while balancing their education and experience with traditional dentistry methods. Efforts in this area include purchasing new equipment and software—including four milling machines, new intraoral scanners, and sintering ovens for the sixth-floor simulation lab, updates to the curriculum, and additional faculty and staff training to support clinical care cases using digital dentistry workflows. In 2021, 41 percent of DMD Student Clinic crown cases produced in the college’s in-house digital lab were fabricated from an intraoral scan. In 2022, the percentage increased to over 50 percent.

• While the college focuses heavily on clinical experiences and patient care, faculty secure research and grant funding to support various projects, and collaborate with several other groups on research efforts. In 2022, Dr. Luciana Shaddox, UKCD Associate Dean of Research, received U01 funding from the National Institutes of Health in excess of $6 million to support a five-year collaborative effort involving multiple universities. The college looks forward to sharing more news on this effort.

Additional notes of achievement are detailed throughout this issue of Perspectives and via quarterly Dean’s Bulletin emails. Stay connected by keeping your contact information current—email updates to rlvici2@uky.edu.

VISIT DENTISTRY.UKY EDU/60YEARS FOR:

• Annual Fall Symposium and Alumni Weekend photos

• Dr. Alvin Morris Memorial Dedication Ceremony Video

• Interview with Dr. Harry Bohannon

Opposite page: Dr. Morris’ daughter Beth Wofford, Class of 1967 Secretary Dr. Jack Frick, and Dean Okeson.

FACULTY NOTES

Congratulations to Dr. Dolph Dawson on assuming the role of president and acting council of the AADCOR KY section.

Dr. Reny de Leeuw retired from the college in 2022. Many thanks for her 20+ years of service to the college in such roles as division chief of orofacial pain and associate dean for academic affairs.

Congratulations to post-doctoral scholar Dr. Rubelisa Candido Gomes de Oliveira on being selected as a mentee in the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future (AADR MIND the Future) Program. The primary goal of this program is to establish a mentoring network that will support a diverse pool of early-career investigators, including individuals from diverse backgrounds in developing independent research careers dedicated to improving dental, oral and craniofacial health.

Congratulations to Dr. Octavio Gonzalez on receiving an award of $2.7 million from the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research to support his project titled “Role of Notch-1/PLA2-IIA in Oral Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Periodontal Disease.” The goal of the project is to (i) To determine the role of PLA2IIA in Pg-induced oral dysbiosis, inflammation and periodontal disease,

(ii) To determine the role of epithelial Notch-1 in Pg-induced PLA2-IIA and periodontitis, and (iii) To identify and validate oral epithelial innate responses modulated by Pg through Notch-1 activation.

Congratulations to Dr. Ahmad Kutkut on earning his PhD in Clinical and Translational Sciences from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Many thanks to Dr. Craig Miller for serving in the role of interim chair of the Department of Oral Health Practice for several months in 2022.

Congratulations to Dr. Thamer Musbah on being selected to receive the Class of ’68 Faculty Development Award during 2022.

In October 2022, Dr. Jeffery Okeson received the 2020 Fauchard Gold Medal Award (presenting the award was delayed due to COVID)shown at right with Dr. Ghabi Kaspo of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Okeson received the award for his outstanding contributions to Orofacial Pain.

In early 2022, the UK Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Cristina Perez to the Endowed John R. Mink Chair for Pediatric Dentistry and Oral Health Research. This endowment was established in recognition of our former long-time faculty member, Dr. John R. Mink, who was responsible for the establishment of the college’s pediatric graduate training program.

Dr. Ted Raybould retired from the college in 2022. Joining the college in 1985, the college thanks him for his many years of service and contributions.

Dr. Ghabi Kaspo and Dr. Jeffery Okeson

Dr. Thamer Musbah

Dr. Luciana Shaddox

Dr. Cristina Perez

Dr. Allison Wright Dr. Melvyn Yeoh

Dr. Ahmad Kutkut

Congratulations to Dr. Marcia Rojas Ramirez on earning a Women in Leadership certificate from Cornell University. Her participation was funded by the Class of ‘68 Faculty Development Award.

Dr. Howard Roberts was named a Fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials, an international organization for the advancement and research of dental biomaterials.

Congratulations to Dr. Luciana Shaddox on being invited to serve as a member of the Special Grants Review Committee of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for a four-year term. This group is charged with providing a primary review of grant applications and contract proposals for special research programs. Additionally, Shaddox was nominated to serve as a member of the Task Force on Design and Analysis in Dental and Oral Research. The group makes contributions to dental research with specific attention to the field of clinical trials. Members include individuals drawn from universities, private research centers, and the government.

In late 2022, Dr. Emily Winfrey was named associate dean for academic affairs. See page 11 to read Dr. Winfrey’s faculty profile.

In late 2021, Dr. Allison Wright was named assistant dean for admissions. A long-time member of the Admissions Committee, Dr. Wright has been a full-time faculty member at the college since 2017.

Dr. Melvyn Yeoh, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, is serving as interim Department of Oral Health Science Chair.

DR. DAWSON NAMED CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF ORAL HEALTH SCIENCES

In September 2022, Dr. Dolph Dawson was named chair of the Department of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. Dawson has been with the UK College of Dentistry, since 1998.

Speaking on his role as chair, Dawson shares, “My goals are to strengthen the department by assisting faculty in their development, providing a voice for improvement of education and teaching, improving communication, and advocating for efforts to retain good faculty. I bring experience from years of teaching, research, and service to this role that I will utilize to help drive the mission and vision of the college.”

Dawson received his Doctorate of Dental Medicine and his certificate of Advanced General Dentistry from the University of Louisville. He received his Masters of Science in Oral Biology, Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology, and certificate of Periodontology from the University of Kentucky. In 2020, Dawson achieved recertification of Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and was awarded the American Academy of Periodontology Excellence in Teaching Award.

“We are excited to have Dr. Dawson as our new chair,” said UKCD Dean Dr. Jeffrey Okeson. “He has served in many leadership positions in the college, including the Director of the CODA approved Periodontics Graduate Program since 2013. I feel certain that Dr. Dawson will do an excellent job in this position and represent all the members of the Department of Oral Health Practice extremely well. I very much look forward to having him assume this leadership position and assist us in developing the strongest college possible.”

Dawson has served as a committee member and Vice-Chair of the University of Kentucky Medical Institutional Review Board since 2006, the Director of the Delta Dental of Kentucky Clinical Research Center in 2017, and the Director of the Clinical Core, Center for the Biologic Basis of Oral/ Systemic Diseases from 2017-2019. Dawson will also to continue to serve as the Director of Graduate Periodontology at the UK College of Dentistry.

Dr. Dolph Dawson

RESEARCHDay

In April 2022, the college held its annual Research Day event in conjunction with the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Research Day. From 33 poster submissions, below are the day’s results:

Post-DMD Category

CASE REPORT/TABLE CLINIC/REVIEW

1. Megan Tallman, Mohamed Adel, Emory Byrd, A Look at the Factors Causing Orthodontically Induced External Apical Root Resorption (EARR)

2. Linda Sangalli, Low Dose Naltrexone for Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Case Report

3. Stephanie Judge, Hypnosis for the Treatment of Unresponsive Post-Traumatic Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain: A Case Report

CASE REPORT/TABLE CLINIC/REVIEW

1. Christopher Fanelli, Determination of Impacted Permanent Maxillary Canine Position Using a Single Panoramic Radiograph

2. Ivan Huynh, COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Effects on Kentucky Medicaid Pediatric Access to Dental Care

3. TIE: Abdo Ismail, The Clinical Impact of L-PRF, H-PRF, or the Use of a Surgical Stent on Palatal Donor Site Healing and Hunter Hazle, The Impact of Beverage Choice on Early Childhood Caries in Kentucky

Undergraduate/Dental Students

1. Sydney Gordon, Anti-inflammatory properties of Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles loaded with Quercetin

2. Madeline Dunn, The Association of Fruit and Vegetable Intake on Blood Pressure Measurements and Hypertension Diagnosis in Wellness Clinic Patient Population

3. Anna McCowan, Social Vulnerability in Oral Health Care Utilization

National Respresentation

Anna McCowan will be attending the 2023 AADR/Dentsply Sirona Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) program to be held in Portland, Oregon, in March 2023.

Jon Petrie and Ryan White will be attending the 27th Hinman Student Research Symposium to be held in Memphis, Tennessee, in October 2022.

Top, from left: Mohamed Adel, Megan Tallman, and Emory Byrd

Middle: Sydney Gordon

Bottom: Christopher Fanelli

Many thanks to the 2022 poster session judges Drs. Dolph Dawson, Ian Boggero, Lorri Morford, Octavio Gonzalez, Ahmad Kutkut, Craig Miller, Howard Roberts, Marcia Rojas Ramirez, Dr. Pam

Sparks Stein, and Robert Danaher.

SECOND ANNUAL AADOCR KY FALL SYMPOSIUM

In late September, the UK College of Dentistry co-hosted the Second Annual AADOCR KY Fall Symposium with the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. Attendees heard from keynote speaker Dr. Jane Weintraub, president of the AADOCR. Additional presentations were given by UK faculty Drs. Marcia Rojas Ramirez and Mauro Pedrine Santamaria, and UofL faculty Drs. Michael Metz and Lisa Sandell.

Over 40 poster presentations were displayed by UK and UofL participants. Congratulations to the following:

DMD/UNDERGRADUATE CATEGORY

• 1st Mina Iskander-Tobacco Smoke Augments the pathogenicity of the Emerging Periodontal Pathogen, Filifactor Alocis

• 2nd HeeJue Hong-The transcriptomic response to CBD of Treponema denticola, a phytocannabinoid-resistant periodontal pathogen.

• 3rd Amanda Ramage-Comparison of image quality of CBCT acquired with different milliamperages and with and without metal artifact reduction using t

GRADUATE/RESIDENT/PHD STUDENT/POST-DOC CATEGORY

• 1st Jared Williams-A multi-strain competitive fitness screen for tobacco-essential genes of Porphyromonas gingivalis

• 2nd Camila Stolf-Immune response characterization of primary gingival fibroblasts from Grade C periodontitis patients

• 3rd Denny Gao-In vitro antifungal activity of antimicrobial peptoids against Candida auris

ENCOURAGING AN INTEREST IN DENTISTRY

The college offered two enrichment opportunities over the summer—the Professional Education Preparation ProgramDiscover Modern Dentistry (PEPP-DMD) offering and a scaledback version for high school students.

PEPP-DMD is a one-week residential summer academic enrichment opportunity, for rising college juniors and seniors, that provides a unique experience through shadowing opportunities in the offices of PEPP alumni, lectures on UK’s campus, and hands-on projects in the college’s dental simulation lab and clinics. The offering aims to:

• Recruit high-performing students interested in dentistry from medically under-represented and under-served Kentucky counties;

• Recruit diverse students interested in dentistry with regards to socioeconomic status, culture, and ethnic backgrounds;

• Foster a community and create a network of dentists on which candidates can rely as mentors; and

• Showcase the technology and innovation at UKCD.

In addition to PEPP-DMD participants, the college also hosted an abbreviated version of the offering for high school students taking part in a 4-H summer camp activity. Participants benefited from interacting with current DMD students and UKCD residents as well as completing a variety of hands-on exercises in the simulation lab after hearing presentations by faculty.

CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF PROVIDING Care

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After 45 years, the University of Kentucky Orofacial Pain Clinic continues to make a lasting impression on the individuals it serves. Patients routinely credit the clinic, and its integrated team, with helping them get their life back Many have undergone extensive treatments or visited multiple healthcare providers before finding support and having their pain addressed at the UK Orofacial Pain Clinic.

When Dr. Jeffrey Okeson began teaching at the UK College of Dentistry in 1974, it was widely believed that most facial pain resulted from the misalignment of the teeth and jaws, otherwise known as malocclusion or simply a “bad bite.” However, Okeson noted that an occlusal adjustment did not consistently reduce a patient’s pain, spurring him to work to secure the support of college leadership to establish the first multidisciplinary university-based orofacial pain clinic in the country at UK in 1977.

Following the clinic’s creation, a graduate program was established. It became the

first nationally-accredited program by the Postgraduate Education Committee of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and one of the first programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Ziegler underwent nearly ten orofacial surgeries in addition to extensive dental treatments. Unfortunately, she continued to suffer from pain and uncontrollable muscle contractions even after these treatments. The contractions impacted her jaw function and occlusion, resulting in pain and extreme difficulty talking and eating. In addition to intense pain, previous treatment plans also robbed Ziegler of her mobility and independence. Early solutions included heavy doses of medication that left her unable to go about her typical day-to-day routines.

Earlier this year, one happy patient, Pam Ziegler, reached out to congratulate the clinic on its 45th anniversary and remind its team members that they have “touched so many lives across the world.” Like many of the clinic’s patients, Ziegler found the clinic after being unable to reach an acceptable quality of life following treatments prescribed by other healthcare providers. After an accident in 1978 that resulted in a broken mandible,

After working with Okeson, Ziegler praises the variety of services available in the clinic and other faculty and staff present, noting that the clinic is a special place able to offer hope to people with complex issues. “I can’t tell you how many doctors I have been to throughout the United States before I made it here, and I have never had a doctor like Dr. Okeson…so thorough, so personal, so caring, just down to earth,” she shares.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had you in my corner. Somethings can’t be fixed. Only managed.”

– OFP CLINIC PATIENT

To help make her chronic pain manageable and avoid a mobility-limiting medication schedule, Ziegler makes a trip from northern Ohio to visit the UK Orofacial Pain Clinic every six to seven weeks to receive treatment. These treatments have made it possible for her to significantly reduce her medications, allowing her to return to her routine daily activities.

Orofacial pain is a complex issue that affects 30 million Americans each year. As the oldest clinic in the United States, UK’s Orofacial Pain Clinic is a leader in the field, developing treatment and educating providers. In the clinic, dentists, psychologists, and physical therapists work together to help determine the cause and management of a patient’s pain condition. In this sense, the total welfare of the patient is considered and included in the management.

The UK Orofacial Pain Clinic is one of only 12 accredited programs in the United States, furthering the study and treatment of orofacial pain. To date, 70 dental residents from 27 countries and more than 50 pain psychology students have graduated from the various full-time programs. In addition, more than 775 individuals from 65 countries have participated in part-time programs.

Orofacial pain faculty have established themselves as authorities in the field and have contributed significantly to the practice, research, and teaching standards used worldwide. Faculty members have published 13 editions of three classic textbooks on topics in the field of orofacial pain and numerous research papers. The books are widely used in dental schools, graduate training programs, and by dental practitioners and have been published in twelve languages. Additionally, faculty have been involved in developing science-based treatment protocols for the management of orofacial pain conditions.

FACULTY PROFILE:

DR. EMILY WINFREY

Dr. Emily Winfrey realized her calling to be a teacher by the time she was five years old—it just took her a little longer to determine that dentistry would be her pathway to fulfilling her passion.

Graduating from UK College of Dentistry in 2013, Winfrey began working as an associate at a private practice in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, before returning to the college as faculty.

When asked about how she found her way into the profession of dentistry, Winfrey shares, “I had always gravitated toward the sciences. Those courses intrigued me and quickly became my favorite. In college, I thought combining my love of teaching and science could happen as a professor. Soon I realized though, how many of my instructors spent far more time in the lab than in the classroom. While I enjoyed research, I wanted more time face-toface. My brother was a physician, and I considered that path. However, when I shadowed a dentist, everything fell into place. I investigated other areas in the medical field/sciences. I spent time with optometrists, and I spent time with physical therapists. But for some reason, there was just a click with dentistry. I had finally found a path that gave me the time I craved to educate and help my patients through heavily evidence-based work. At the same time, dentistry provided a good work-life balance.”

The call to teach was still strong, though. Winfrey explains, “I finished undergrad a semester early, so the semester before

dental school, I taught kindergarten. I knew at some point or another that I was going to come back to teaching.

I just expected when I graduated with as much loan debt as I did, that teaching right away might not be feasible for me and so I went into a practice with Dr. Don Collins. He had been practicing for 40 years and was such a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. One of the things I value most about him is how much time he spent with his patients, in particular on patient education and on teaching his patients, so that really spoke to me. I loved my time practicing with him and enjoyed caring for my patients.”

After working with Collins for several years, Winfrey contemplated buying the practice, but she knew she couldn’t go through with the purchase until she explored teaching. She talked to several former professors at UKCD, who offered her the chance to come back and work part-time with dental students.

“I spent two and a half days at the college and two and a half days at my practice. At UK, I taught pre-clinical, clinical restorative, and prosthodontics, and I loved it. It was a feeling that could

only come from being exactly where I was meant to be. I made the difficult decision not to purchase the practice and instead seek a career in dental education.”

After this revelation, Winfrey started working full-time at UKCD as an assistant professor and served as the Team Three Leader for the Division of Comprehensive Care, before being promoted to chief of the division. She recalls stepping back into the college and being able to help students troubleshoot issues as she was still very familiar with systems, such as the college’s electronic health record. She also credits the support of mentors such as Dr. Tom McConnell with helping her transition to best support student needs.

Recalling her challenges as a dental student, Winfrey emphasized the importance of the relationships between faculty and students to navigate those inevitably hard days. “I know how important it was to have those teachers who stepped up with advice, encouragement, and empathy. It may be as simple as a ‘You will be okay. Go grab a muffin, a cup of coffee, take a nap. It’s okay.’ I think one of the things UK does so well goes back to how we were founded. Faculty should view students as future colleagues, and students should act like professionals. That shift in mindset changes the way learning occurs. The relationships students have with UK faculty continue after graduation. I think being that person for my students each year is such a gift.”

“It is an honor to be entrusted with the leadership of our academic program.”

Over the years, Winfrey has been involved with many aspects of the college, helping it grow, embrace change, and transition to being more efficient. One such change she supported was the college’s move to the Epic electronic health record in June 2021. Winfrey serves on the Wisdom Steering Committee and the Wisdom Academic Advisory Group, an advisory group of academic institutions using the dental portion of Epic.

“I am a very big fan of Epic as a software program. I think it speaks volumes to what we want to do as we teach holistically how to treat patients. However, we have learned so much through the process of development and implementation. There’s no reason we can’t share that information to help others along the way.”

Speaking on other changes in the division, Winfrey shares, “With so many new faces in the college, we’re really making an effort this year to try to be more involved with the other divisions… stay updated on changes, learn together, calibrate, and improve. I’m excited about that and hope we can get out of the survival mindset prompted by COVID and move beyond.”

Speaking about students again, Winfrey shared that she keeps many numbers stored in her cell phone. “I have everyone likely from 2017 still hanging out in my phone. One of the things we tell fourthyear students before they graduate is to use us as resources. We have a lot of tools at our disposal at UK. We want to help…we don’t want you to feel like you’re out there by yourself.”

Winfrey encourages alumni to stay connected with the college. “There are a lot of good things happening here…

it’s been a wild couple of years, but there’s good things happening. We’re still graduating students with a fantastic clinical education and providing care desperately needed by so many patients.”

Stressing the effort the college places on balancing traditional and newer digital tools and experiences in the offered curriculum, Winfrey shares, “I tell prospective students in admissions all the time, I truly believe that UKCD is one of the best values for your dollar in dental education. Students need to be smart consumers because most will graduate owing six figures. They need to make sure that they get the best return on their investment, and I think UKCD does that best.”

Dr. Emily Winfrey was recently named UKCD Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. We look forward to sharing about Winfrey’s efforts and future developments in this new role.

“It is an honor to be entrusted with the leadership of our academic program. As the National Boards have integrated to become more clinically relevant, I think my background will help keep the focus of our academic program heading in the right direction. Particularly, as we head into our next accreditation site visit by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, I am ready to spearhead the college-wide effort needed to prepare. However, I’m most excited for the opportunity to interact with, encourage, and guide all of our future dental colleagues through these challenging and rewarding four years,” shared Winfrey.

Supporting Our Students – the Future of Dentistry

The college greatly appreciates Mortenson Dental Partners and Delta Dental of Kentucky for their continued support of our students and their clinical experience.

Mortenson Dental Partners continues to assist students with the financial challenges of attending dental school, providing 13 scholarships to dental students who demonstrate excellent clinical skills and patient interactions, along with a professional demeanor and behavior. Eleven of the scholarships are awarded to Kentucky residents. The remaining recipients are selected from one of the following states: Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, or Utah.

Delta Dental of Kentucky supported a student through their four-year dental school journey by providing a scholarship each of their four years. The recipient is a Kentucky resident who plans to practice in Kentucky, has financial need, and is active in community organizations and activities with a dental focus in Eastern Kentucky. The final award was distributed in August 2022. The student will complete their DMD this coming May.

Delta Dental of Kentucky also continued its support of UKCD’s Saturday Morning Clinic (SMC) in 2022, a free student-run clinic stared in the late ‘70s. The clinic treats children ages 4-12 from underserved backgrounds, who are uninsured or underinsured. SMC is held monthly for approximately eight clinics per academic year.

A CULTURE OF HEALTH Supporting

various health concerns, including tobacco use and possible dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, in Casey County.

The team focused their efforts on third-grade students at Walnut Hill Elementary in Casey County, as the school has a history of supporting youth health programs and is located in Appalachia, an area with many health challenges.

Through the “Coordinating Activities to Support Empowerment of Youth (CASEY) Health” project, an interdisciplinary team of five University of Kentucky faculty worked to address the lack of holistic health education for elementary-aged children in Casey County, Kentucky. As part of their three-year effort, the team worked with community stakeholders to design and evaluate a sustainable health education curriculum to build and support a culture of health in the local community.

In the fall of 2019, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) selected a UK team to participate in their three-year Clinical Scholars Program. The RWJF Clinical Scholars Program is a national leadership offering for experienced healthcare providers that aims to address “wicked” or complex health problems in communities. Program participants, or Fellows, receive funding for projects and additional leadership development training to help further develop the unique skills needed to lead communities toward a culture of health. UK’s team received $525,000 to support their work to address

“Almost all the programs that work on improving health outcomes start at the middle school or high school level, and we believe it’s too late,” noted RWJF team member Dr. Charles Carlson. “We want to empower children with information, activities, and encouragement to take steps to thrive as individuals by being healthier.”

For the first half of the team’s award period, the group spent time listening to the community—collecting input from school cafeteria personnel, curriculum content leaders, teachers, the principal’s office, and others—and developing partnerships with key community groups. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, building solid connections with local community members was critical in supporting progress with program efforts.

RWJF team member Dr. Angela Grubbs shares, “We faced some challenges along the way. Being outsiders in the community, we had to meet the members, identify key stakeholders, establish relationships, develop trust, and build rapport with the residents.”

“Because of these relationships, we’ve been able to develop outcomes from our project that have been very consistent with what the school wanted, what they needed, and things that we feel can be generalizable beyond the work that we’ve done with this particular school,” said RWJF team member Dr. Audrey Darville.

The team found that while teachers placed a high value on providing health information to students, they needed help to fit a coordinated approach into an already packed schedule of information and activities planned for students.

“We first envisioned that we would create a curriculum. Through feedback and focus groups, teachers shared that they barely get done with everything in their days currently. So, we asked about five minutes or two minutes,” said RWJF team member Dr. Craig Miller. “We worked with what they wanted as opposed to trying to push an idea that the team thought was a better idea… that’s not the way to work with communities.”

Community stakeholder input and insight helped fuel the team’s efforts to create a set of Brief, Regular, Interactive, Energetic, and Fun (B.R.I.E.F.) Health Lessons. A collection of 37 lesson cards were created

UK RWJF CLINICAL SCHOLAR TEAM

• Charles Carlson, professor, UK Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.

• Audrey Darville, associate professor, UK College of Nursing;

• Craig Miller, professor and chief, Division of Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, College of Dentistry;

• Angela Grubbs, assistant professor, UK College of Nursing;

• Julie Plasencia, assistant professor, UK Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

HEAR THE TEAM’S BIG IDEA TALK AT youtube.com/watch?v=PldlhMZ8Xcg

to support quick health-related activities in classrooms. Lessons focus on nutrition, oral health, general health, mental health, physical activity, injury/illness prevention, and tobacco prevention. Each card includes a short health message paired with a 5-minute activity.

Building on the messages shared via the B.R.I.E.F. Health Lessons, the team worked with the Casey County Extension Office Agent for 4-H Youth Development, Meagan Klee, and the 4-H Extension Council to establish a health ambassador program and scholarship endowment. Through this program, high school students provide peer mentor health education to third-grade students and can apply for a college scholarship in future years. In addition, working with 4-H representatives, the team established operating procedures, an application process, and training for high school participants.

Gabriel Hatfield of Casey County High School was selected as the first $1,000 Health Ambassador Scholarship recipient. Hatfield is attending Berea College and is interested in working toward earning a nurse practitioner degree.

Hatfield shared, “Being a health ambassador gave me the opportunity to educate third-grade youth about healthy habits in their everyday life. It was such an enriching experience, and I loved seeing their warm smiles and laughs as I walked in each month. The children and I got to know each other relatively quickly, and I knew this program was going to be a fun experience for both the students and me.”

Additional steps to support the growth and suitability of the team’s efforts include the creation of a toolkit that other communities can follow to launch similar efforts, as well as conversations with groups to help make printed versions of B.R.I.E.F. Health Lessons available.

Speaking on taking part in the RWJF Clinical Scholars Program, Dr. Julie Plasencia said, “It’s a transformative experience… It’s been a great professional development and networking opportunity. We’ve been able to share these ideas with other RWJF teams across the country and get their feedback.”

“We’re all clinicians, and we’re all clinical scholars. A requirement of this program is you had to be a clinician, but you couldn’t be a community health worker…that’s a point of the program, to teach clinicians how to go to communities and do these things,” Miller added.

A DAY OF GIVING

Each year, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of UK are invited to support the University of Kentucky, their respective college or their favorite fund during #OneDayForUK. The College of Dentistry uses this opportunity to seek donations for the College of Dentistry Scholarship, although a donor may direct their gift to another fund. In 2022, 3,407 donors gave $2,391,569 to the University of Kentucky on this special day. The College of Dentistry raised $12,880 from the support of 32 donors. While the majority of the donations went to the College of Dentistry Scholarship, gifts were also directed to the Joshua T. Sullivan Scholarship, Endodontic Gift Fund, Dr. Nero and Biggerstaff Diversity Scholarship, Dan Seaver Scholarship, Dr. Wes Coffman Health-Centered Dentistry Award, and the Alumni Association Endowment.

Dr. Leslie Malueg, of Greensboro, North Carolina, and 1989 DMD graduate, was one of those donors and shared the following comment: “It was my pleasure and an honor to be able to donate to the UKCD on OneDayforUK. Thank you to the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry for providing me the education that allowed a rewarding career in dentistry!”

Malueg with Dean Okeson

DENTAL MATERIALS RESEARCH SUPPORT

Through an Educational Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the United States Air Force through Keesler Medical Center, the college has gained valuable research equipment to assist in the renewal of UKCD’s dental materials research program. Better understanding of dental materials is essential for the general dentist as studying the properties of new materials helps dentists increase the quality, value, and the longevity of dental restorations in their patients.

The combined equipment donation is valued at $629,421.98 and consists of instruments for the analysis of visible light curing units, material strength testing, material surface changes, sophisticated thermal analysis equipment, as well as a microtomographic X-ray unit (microCT). Current projects include using thermal analysis to observe the dimensional changes in materials as they are subjected to different intraoral temperatures, changes in endodontic files after function, and the change in provisional crown material mechanical properties over storage. The study of these properties provides essential knowledge to improve the quality of current and future materials.

The microCT unit functions essentially like a medical CAT scan but is limited to evaluate smaller materials with high detail. The unit allows the non-destructive analysis of materials and is currently used to evaluate the amount of porosity in different dental restorative materials, the endodontic apical anatomy of teeth, and is planned to assist medical researchers assessing the virulence of different strains of strep mutans, the main bacteria that causes caries, and if the presence of yeast may amplify strep mutan’s actions.

Another donated item of equipment is a laser scanning microscope that allows the high detail analysis of material surface changes and wear. Present projects include the effect of newer charcoal-containing toothpastes on the wear of both dental restorations and enamel, changes of toothbrush tufts with use, and the dimensional surfaces changes of different dental restorative materials.

Dean Okeson has identified the creation of a solid research program at UKCD, focused on practical research to benefit the general dentist, as one of his priorities. The dental biomaterials research section is slowly building its capability to support that vision. The donation of this equipment has enhanced that growth of UKCD’s research capabilities. As an indicator of that growth, the dental biomaterials research section, since 2018, has had 20 peer-reviewed dental scientific publications, as well as two manuscripts that have been accepted and are in the process of being published.

DELTA DENTAL CONTINUES TO SUPPORT COLLEGE EFFORTS

Throughout Kentucky, there remain segments of the population with no or limited access to oral health care. A new collaboration between Delta Dental of Kentucky and UK College of Dentistry will expand access to underserved populations through six free, educational, prevention, and treatment efforts.

“The College of Dentistry is very excited to participate with Delta Dental of Kentucky on this mobile dentistry project. We feel this will allow us to expand our reach in providing oral care to Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens–those who otherwise would not receive dental care,” shared Dr. Pam Sparks Stein, former Division Chief for Dental Public Health.

To support this effort, Delta Dental of Kentucky will provide a mobile dental van, CDL driver, dental equipment, and other supplies. The Delta Dental of Kentucky Foundation will also fund a UKCD faculty member who is a registered dentist, an outreach coordinator, and up to four dental students to carry out the planned outreach activities. The mobile van will offer screenings, basic dental treatments, and

educational oral health instruction at each outreach site at no cost to the local community.

The first event was held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Eleven individuals were seen by third- and fourth-year students with Drs. Emily Winfrey and Ronald Singer overseeing their work. Patient participants had a variety of needs addressed via this new collaboration.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DR. PHIL EASTEP

Dr. Phil Eastep always expected to be a dentist, following in his father’s footsteps, a person he greatly admired. He assumed that journey would include completing dental school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, as his father had done, but a chance encounter brought him to Kentucky’s newest dental school—the UK College of Dentistry.

While waiting in line for an event at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, Eastep’s father met UKCD’s Dr. Harry Bohannon. Through small talk, Bohannon learned of Eastep’s plans to attend dental school and encouraged his father to put UKCD on their list of schools to review.

In addition to bringing UKCD to his attention, Bohannon, the college’s second dean, also played an important role helping Eastep transition to Lexington. Making the trip from Kansas, Eastep stayed with Bohannon for several days before securing a place to live during dental school.

Eastep shares he feels extremely fortunate to have been part of UKCD, “It was one of the many lucky things that have happened to me throughout life because it gave me probably the

best dental education that you could get at that time.”

Following graduation, Eastep completed an internship with the U.S. Public Health Service to fulfill a military duty, a common obligation for his class. While he had shared a preference for serving in the western portion of the country, after a Saturday graduation, he reported to the U.S. Marine Hospital on Staten Island, New York, the following Monday.

Sharing his perception of his fellow interns at the hospital who hailed from various dental schools, Eastep notes, “I was the most prepared in everything except surgery. The rest of the fields…my education was head and shoulders over the rest of them…and at the hospital, we got a ton of surgery, so I made up for it.”

After a year of clinical dentistry in the intern program, he was transferred

to Manhattan where he spent the next two years establishing neighborhood health centers, job corps, and head start programs, across the country, that arose from President Lyndon B Johnson’s “War on Poverty” initiative.

Following time spent in other locations, Eastep found himself teaching fulltime for two years at the University of British Columbia College of Dentistry in Vancouver, Canada, again commenting that his training in dental school and additional experience had well prepared him for the job.

Above: Eastep at his Choteau Creek Vineyard & Winery, established in 2011. Today, the operation produces roughly 8,000 bottles of wine.

In the summer of 1976, Eastep returned to Kansas to open a private practice in Neodesha—the only dental office in town of around 2,500, followed by an additional office in Cherryvale, Kansas, which had no dentist. The nearest dental specialist was roughly 60 miles away, resulting in Eastep being a “full-service dentist.”

Throughout his 50 years of practicing dentistry, Eastep remained open to new ideas and dreams. He explains his longstanding history of exploring non-dental-related endeavors as a “personality trait.” While in Canada, although he had never been around cattle, Eastep decided to give ranching a try, in addition to homesteading. Starting by first shadowing a vet, he gained experience with cattle and was able to tend to his herd even with little to no veterinarian support.

After returning to Kansas, Eastep launched an oil company, drilling roughly

150 wells, in an effort to take advantage of the oil boom. Unfortunately, the price of oil dropped. Undeterred from trying new ventures, he shifted his attention to supporting his community by later launching four banks.

“I looked at all of the small towns around, and in most of them, there were two nice buildings—the bank and the post office. I couldn’t see how I could get into the post office business, but I thought I could get into the banking business.”

Over the last forty years, the banks have expanded into additional communities and assets are over two billion dollars. Eastep has remained involved over the years serving as chairman.

Eastep has also been heavily involved in conservation efforts over the years, earning several awards. His efforts have included planting over 125,000 trees, supporting prairieland restoration efforts,

and taking part in various research projects with local universities and the Kansas Department of Wildlife. Currently, he serves as the steward for roughly 2,000 acres of land in southeast Kansas.

Even with a variety of ventures filling his time, he remains involved with UKCD. Eastep serves on the college’s Capital Campaign Committee, a group focused on brainstorming ways to support the strategic needs of the college. Additionally, he was instrumental with others in his graduating class in launching the college’s Class of 1968 Faculty Development Fund. This fund is awarded annually to junior faculty to support their professional development.

Speaking on why he still finds it important to give back to the school, he shares, “I probably got the premier dental education at the time…so I always felt I owed the school thanks for the education I received.”

UKCD Alumni Board

President, Erica Higginbotham, 2003

Vice President, Frank Kendrick, 1990

Treasurer, Cliff Lowdenback, 2003

Secretary, Tyler Bolin, 2013

Faculty Rep, David DeVito, 2015

Resident Rep, Megan Tallman, 2020

At Large Members

Michael Day, 2003

Kala Green, 2016

Don Michael Hendricks, 2008

Rhonda Hogan, 1999

Donna Klein, 2001

Kevin Martello, 1986

Alex Mayes Young, 2009

Ashley Mencarelli, 2013, 2016 Ortho

Zindell Richardson, 1983

Charles Rolph, 1997, 2000 Perio

Michael Sexton, 2009 Tom Thompson, 1984 Adam Thompson, 2004

Student Reps

2023, Linzi Ralph, 2023 2024, Reid O’Hearn, 2024 2025, Neda Maleki, 2025 2026, Rachel Dent, 2026

College of Dentistry Philanthropy

Linda Epling, 859.323.6916 linda.epling@uky.edu

Director of Alumni Engagement

Ryan Vicini, 859-323-6676, rlvici2@uky.edu

Dental Practice Opportunities

Share your listings on the UKCD website by visiting dentistry.uky.edu/opening.

Continuing Dental Education

View upcoming UKCD courses at dentistry.uky.edu/ce

UKCD Social Media

flickr.com/photos/ukydentistry/albums Facebook.com/ukcdalumni Linkedin.com/company/ukydentistry

LYMAN T. JOHNSON AWARD RECIPIENTS

CONGRATULATIONS TO COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY RECIPIENTS:

TORCH BEARER ‘22

Erick Joseph (‘25)

TORCH OF EXCELLENCE ‘22

Dr. Pamella Shaw (‘91)

TORCH BEARER ‘21

My’Chelle McCrearyGochett (‘22)

TORCH OF EXCELLENCE ‘21

Dr. Canise Bean (‘80)

More than 60 alumni and students were honored during the 31st Annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards program in October at the Gatton Student Center. The University of Kentucky Alumni Association Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group and the UK Office for Institutional Diversity hosted the awards luncheon as part of the 2022 Lyman T. Johnson Homecoming Celebration. The 2021 ceremony was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, leading to a combined ceremony this year.

UK’s academic colleges and units selected at least one African American alumnus or alumna whose faith, hard work and determination has positively affected the lives of people on the UK campus, the city, state or nation to receive the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award. These units additionally chose at least one African American student within the college or department whose academic achievement and ability to impact the lives of others would warrant them to receive the Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

From left to right: Dr. Jeff Okeson, UKCD Dean with Bean, Shaw, and Joseph.

DR. DOUGLAS DURBIN, CLASS OF 1978

DR. ROGER EWING, CLASS OF 1969

DR. JASON JOHNSTON, CLASS OF 2007

DR. ROBERT MORRIS, CLASS OF 1974

DR. MILTON SKEETERS (CLASS OF 1968, FACULTY)

DR. SCOTT SMITH, CLASS OF 1984

Dr. Pamella Shaw

Dr. Pamella Shaw completed her undergraduate education at Purdue University, and her graduate and professional education at the UK Colleges of Dentistry and Public Health. She is an independent consultant and Co-PI for a National Science Foundation Broadening Participation grant designed to increase the number of minority graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Her previous academic appointments include assistant dean for admissions at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, associate clinical professor in the division of restorative and prosthetic dentistry, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at Indiana University School of Dentistry, assistant provost and executive program director at Purdue University and director of the Office of Health Career Programs and the Kentucky-Appalachian Science Enrichment Program (KASEP) at the University of Kentucky. Her work focuses on advocacy in the recruitment and retention of students, the elimination of health disparities and academic mentoring for more than 31 years. Shaw developed an interest in the effects of dementia and cognitive disorders in minority populations while researching disorders in adults with Down Syndrome. The increasing numbers of African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and the disparities in underserved populations has been her focus since retiring.

Erick Joseph

Erick Joseph is a first-generation Haitian American student from Naples, Florida. He is active in the Student National Dental Association, serving as the community service co-chair. He volunteers at UKCD’s Saturday Morning Clinic, which provides dental care to underserved children. Joseph feels that it is important to give back and hopes to extend his community service to working in an underserved area when he graduates. Prior to coming to UK, Joseph earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he made the dean’s list four times and was active in the UCF Pre-Dental Society, serving as an honors member and secretary director.

Dr. Canise Bean

Dr. Canise Bean earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine in 1980. She completed a general practice residency at the Metropolitan Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from The Ohio State University (OSU). Following 10 successful years in private practice, she returned to OSU in support of future dentists, serving as a mentor. In addition to working directly with students, Bean launched the community-based component of OSU’s dental education program—establishing partnerships with many community sites to enable students to gain experience while supporting the treatment needs of underserved populations. She has been active in organized dentistry at the local, state, and national levels. Bean has served on the Council of Communications at the American Dental Association and as delegate to the Ohio Dental Association. While in Cleveland, she served as the first female president of Forest City Dental Society, a local organization comprised of approximately 60 African American dentists. Bean is a fellow in the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. She serves as vice president of Ohio State Dental Board.

Dr. My’Chelle McCreary-Gochett

Dr. My’Chelle McCreary-Gochett balanced dental school, motherhood, and community service during her time at UKCD. She was engaged in a variety of extracurricular activities, including serving as president of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA), vice president of the Student Aesthetic Society, chair of the SNDA Impressions Day, student representative for the Admissions Committee, and student representative on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. She has been a provider at Mission Lexington, offering free dental care for the indigent since 2019. She provided oral cancer screenings at a health fair in 2019. She is a member of several professional organizations and the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards.

Many thanks to the 100 golfers participating in this year’s UK College of Dentistry Alumni Association Golf Tournament. Twenty-five teams competed at the University of Kentucky Big Blue Course for best score and other honors in August. Tournament proceeds assist with student and alumni activities provided by UKCD Alumni Association.

Congratulations to the top three teams and other finalists:

• First Place: Daniel Passidomo (’93), Bill Apple, Phil Speelman, and Andrew Cain

• Second Place: Robert Case (’25), Ryan Mallette (’25), David Miller (’25), and Blair Skarin (’26)

• Third Place: Andrew Mitchell (’17, Orofacial Pain ’24), Micah Dowling (Orofacial Pain ’24), Ben Donlon, and Todd Cox (’93)

• Longest Drive: Cole Rosander (’26)

• Longest Putt: Jeff Young

• Closest to the Pin: Micah Dowling (Orofacial Pain ’24)

Additional photos are available at dentistry.uky.edu/events/2022golf-tournament-results.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union (19th Hole Awards Reception); White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics (Beverage Cart); and Buchart + Wachs Orthodontics (Breakfast).

Prize Hole Sponsors: Beaumont Periodontics (Dr. Leslie Horn); James Motor Company; Psimer and Associates; and Steckler Pediatric Dentistry.

Hole Sponsors: Bittersweet Acres Equine Boarding; Craft & Care Dental; Danville Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Gaines Dental Laboratory; Kentucky Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Pediatric Dentistry of Winchester; Roberts Insurance & Investments; and Dr. Charles Rolph, DMD.

At right: 2022 Hinman UKCD Alumni Reception: Dr. John Clements (’67) and Dr. Martin Boeckh (’70) at the UKCD Alumni Reception in Atlanta, GA.

Far right: 2022 UKCD alumni reception at the KDA meeting.

Class of 1967

Class of 1987

Class of 1982 Class of 1992

HONORING UKCD ALUMNI

Dr. Carol Bolden

Dr. Bolden grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology from UK in 1983 and earned her DMD from UKCD in 1989. After graduation, she moved to Atlanta and worked in a group practice for 16 years before opening a practice in Marietta, Georgia, which she has run for 17 years. Dr. Bolden is married to Wayne Bolden with three adult children, Joseph, Jerrod, and Nicole. She loves family time and working in the church, and has been active in engaging with UKCD Black Alumni.

Dr. Stephen Clark

Dr. Clark was raised in Central City, Kentucky, and completed his predental education at WKU. He is a 1972 UKCD graduate and completed his General Practice Residency (then called Dental Internship) at US Public Health Service in Norfolk, Virginia (1972-73) before returning to UKCD for a 2-year endodontic residency completed in 1975 under Drs.Tom Mullaney and Ron Duell. Clark had a private endodontic practice in Louisville for 23 years before selling it in 1998 to teach endodontics fulltime at the University of Louisville.

Dr. Ted Raybould (’81), awarded in 2021, and Dr. Craig Adams (’87), awarded in 2018, also received their award at the 2022 in-person celebration.

The UK College of Dentistry Distinguished Alumni Award was established to recognize UKCD graduates who have demonstrated, among other qualities, loyalty to the college and excellence in their work. While nominations are collected annually, the honor is not automatically awarded yearly. Instead, following the call for nominations, each application is reviewed carefully by a special committee selected by the UK College of Dentistry Alumni Association.

Two individuals were selected from those nominated to receive the award in 2022—Drs. Carol Bolden (’89) and Stephen Clark (’72).

INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED CAN FIND INFORMATION ON SUBMITTING A NOMINATION, AS WELL AS A LIST OF PREVIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS, ONLINE AT DENTISTRY.UKY.EDU/ALUM-AWARD.

STUDENT Highlights

Above: Donor Appreciation Dinner student attendees.

Left: Congratulations to the class of 2022.

Right: UKCD Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients Michael Hoy, Alexis Frisby, and Kail Gupton with UKCD Alumni Association Board member Dr. Erica Higginbotham (’08).

In April 2022, the college hosted its annual Donor Appreciation Dinner to celebrate philanthropy and achievement. This event provides a unique opportunity for donors to hear firsthand how their generosity has made a life-changing difference for UKCD students.

- PER

CLOCKWISE

Top left: DMD students participated in the initial offering of the PER 880 Surgical Periodontal Elective course, directed by Dr. Pratishtha Mishra. All students had simulation surgical lab training on typodont models and then pig jaws, provided by the UK Meat Lab.

Top right: Chavin (‘22) receiving a thank you gift from UKCD Alumni Association Board President Dr. Cliff Lowdenback (’03).

In March 2022, the UKCD Alumni Board hosted a graduation celebration for the Class of 2022 and learners completing one of the college’s graduate programs. The board recognized Dr. Daniel Chavin for serving as the Class of 2022 alumni board student representative. Each year, the UKCD Alumni Board invite several young alumni as guest speakers to talk about life after dental school. Guest speakers for 2022 were Dr. Alisha Patel (’12), Dr. Justin Kolasa (’13), Dr. Addison Young (’14), and Dr. Lauren Morris (’15).

At right, left to right: Alumni guest speakers Kolasa, Morris, Patel, and Young.

“This course allowed us to put concepts we had covered didactically throughout dental school into real-life practice.”

880 COURSE PARTICIPANT, JENNA DOYLE (‘22)

Left: Welcome to the Class of 2026.

Below: Mary Reynolds received first place in the DMD poster sessions at the UKCD 8th Annual Dental Implant Symposium.

Below, right: Students provide oral hygiene supplies and education at KET’s Super Saturday event.

Above: Students participate in Glow Run 5K to raise money to support care at Mission Lexington.

Photographer: Olivia Whaley.

Left: Terah Tooma (’22) checks in with her digital denture patient to ensure she is still satisfied with the end product. Terah was excited to gain experience with making dentures via a digital process in advance of starting a GPR program.

& AWARDS

SCHOLARSHIPS

The following is a list of students receiving scholarships and awards in 2022. Thank you to our many donors for your support, and congratulations to all students.

DR. CRAIG ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

DR. VINCENT A. BARR DMD SCHOLARSHIP

Baylee Blackburn

Amanda Collins

Arsany Gergis Kali Gupton Michael Hoy Christian Tria

Ciara Sandefur

DR. VINCENT A. BARR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP Erick Joseph

DOROTHY CAVINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Sarah Haerle Cameron Onken

Andrea Becker

Rebecca Blair

Andrew Buckles

Sara Darowich

Savannah Day

Katherine Ekman

MORTENSON DENTAL PARTNERS SCHOLARSHIP

Macy Payton Elizabeth Mechas

Luke Smith Ellie Stoddart Nicole Lane Terah Tooma

DR. OAKIE G. NEWSOME MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

DR. JEFFREY DEMBO, CRITICAL THINKING AWARD

DR. SUSAN B. MCEVOY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

BIEN AIR DENTAL SCHOLARSHIP

Carrie Franklin Baileigh McKenzie

Alex Chong

Baylee Blackburn

Alex Chong Christian Tria

Shelby Hatchett

DR. JOSHUA T. SULLIVAN SCHOLARSHIP Neda Maleki

UKCD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP

DR. TYLER R. ALBRECHT SCHOLARSHIP

MARGARET NEAL JEWELL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

DAN SEAVER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

GWINNETT FAMILY DENTAL CARE SCHOLARSHIP

DELTA DENTAL OF KENTUCKY SCHOLARSHIP

DR. DON R. KING MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

CLASS OF 1967 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

DR. COFFMAN HEALTH AWARD SCHOLARSHIP

DRS. NERO & BIGGERSTAFF DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

DR. ROBERT H. SPEDDING SCHOLARSHIP

Tyler Slate Terah Tooma

Ciara Sandefur

Amina Nouri Tia Robinson

Jinju Kim Joseph Lee

Johnathan Wheeler

Brian Gibbs

Dorothy del Rio Conde

Mohammad Awad Ellie Smith

Raneem Alhakim

Mohammad Awad My’Chelle Gochett Erick Joseph

Luke Smith

ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY

ACADEMY OF OPERATIVE DENTISTRY

ACADEMY OF OSSEOINTEGRATION

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF IMPLANT DENTISTRY

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL RADIOLOGY

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORAL MEDICINE

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OROFACIAL PAIN

Shanel Vazquez

Charlene Walstrom

Kathryn Melton

Raneem Alhakim

Nicole Lane

Emma Palmer

Daniel Chavin

Tyler Slate

Terah Tooma

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY Allison Higgins

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PERIODONTOLOGY Shanel Vazquez

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ENDODONTISTS Robert Hardell

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS ORAL SURGERY Savannah Day

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS DENTAL IMPLANT Charlene Walstrom

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORTHODONTISTS Jessie Zhu

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY Jenna Doyle

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN DENTISTS Sara Darowich

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF DENTISTS (KY SECTION) Ashley DiMeo

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PROSTHODONTISTS Ryan Kennedy

AMERICAN DENTAL SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGY Elizabeth Mechas

BRIAN D. STONE MEMORIAL AWARD Sadie Cohen EQUILIBRATION Alex Chong

GOLDEN ENDODONTIC FILE AWARD Austin Gambrel

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF DENTISTS (KY SECTION) Katherine Ekman

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF DENTISTS (U.S.A. SECTION) HUMANITARIAN AWARD Katherine Ekman

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF DENTISTS (U.S.A. SECTION) LEADERSHIP AWARD Joseph Lee

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ORAL IMPLANTOLOGISTS Tyler Slate PIERRE FAUCHARD ACADEMY Joseph Lee PLATINUM PERIOSTEAL Tyler Slate

QUINTESSENCE AWARD FOR CLINICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY Jessie Zhu

QUINTESSENCE AWARD FOR CLINICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN PERIODONTICS Nicole Lane

QUINTESSENCE AWARD FOR RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT Joseph Lee (SCAD) SOCIETY OF COLOR AND APPEARANCE IN DENTISTRY (NEW) Connor Leisge

UK COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY PROBE AWARD –PERIODONTOLOGY

UK COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY PROSTHODONTICS CLINICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (EXCELLENCE IN PROS)

UK COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY RESTORATIVE CLINICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (EXCELLENCE IN RSD)

Daniel Chavin Ellie Stoddart

Baylee Blackburn

Robert Hardell Stephen Orr Daisy Wyatt

Jacob Barton

Sadie Cohen

Katherine Ekman Elizabeth Mechas Marcus Middlebrook Terah Tooma

ADDITIONAL HONORS

Congratulations to Elizabeth Mechas (’22), Jinju Kim (’22), and Michael Hoy (’23) for being selected to receive the 2022 ADEA/GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Preventive Dentistry Scholarship. Each year, ADEA and GSK Consumer Healthcare recognize predoctoral dental students who have demonstrated academic excellence in preventive dentistry. Each of these students received $2,500 toward their tuition and fees.

2022 ASDA Day Awards:

• Outstanding ASDA Member of the Year: Jinju Kim (’22)

SOUTHEASTERN ACADEMY OF PROSTHODONTICS

OMICRON KAPPA UPSILON

Celene Steele

Savannah Day HANAU PROSTHODONTIC AWARD

Baylee Blackburn Alex Chong

Joyce Nimmo

Eileen Ramirez Tyler Slate Daisy Taylor Jessie Zhu

• ASDA Volunteerism Award: Allison Higgins (’22)

• ASDA Fever Award: Lindsey Dean (’24)

• Most Outstanding Faculty: Dr. Emily Winfrey

• Most Outstanding Staff: Rachel Singer