12 minute read
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DR. PHIL EASTEP
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
TORCH BEARER ‘22 TORCH BEARER ‘21
Erick Joseph (‘25) My’Chelle McCrearyGochett (‘22)
TORCH OF EXCELLENCE ‘22
Dr. Pamella Shaw (‘91)
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.
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From left to right: Dr. Jeff Okeson, UKCD Dean with Bean, Shaw, and Joseph.
IN MEMORIAM
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.
Class of 2002
Class of 2012
STAYING Connected
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED ALUMNI EVENTS IN 2021-22. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING IN 2023.
Class of 1972
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.
HONORING UKCD ALUMNI
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).
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. 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.
