With Gratitude
The Colorado Dental Association
2023 Impact Report
Thank You
At the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM), we believe that dental health is vital to overall health, and we are dedicated to making people’s lives better in partnership with philanthropic leaders like the Colorado Dental Association (CDA). For more than four decades the CDA and CU SDM have celebrated a collaborative partnership with a shared commitment to excellence in the dental profession.
We stand together to ensure our students experience a connection to the dental community through support from the CDA Foundation of scholarships and graduation awards, and join forces to increase access to care for local communities through the CU Save-A-Tooth Program. The CDA leadership and its members have a positive impact on the CU SDM, its students, faculty and staff.
It is remarkable to reflect on the true impact your partnership has on our community at large. Today, numerous CU SDM part-time clinical faculty are CDA leaders and one of our full-time faculty is a former CDA president. For several years in a row, the CU SDM commencement speaker at the May graduation ceremony has been a CU alum who has also had the distinction of serving as the CDA president.
I invite you to read the following updates from Kenneth Peters, DDS, as well as past and present CDA scholarship recipients who have benefited from your support. On behalf of our dedicated faculty and the many students whose lives are improved by your generosity, thank you.
Warmly,
DENISE KASSEBAUM, DDS, MS Professor and Dean, CU School of Dental Medicine
More than $225K in gifts and commitments to the CU School of Dental Medicine
Your Impact Amplified
For 42 years, the CDA’s philanthropic investments helped pave the way for the next generation of oral health leaders. As you know, scholarships are a critical resource for attracting the best and brightest, and equipping future leaders to make the most of their training. Thank you for continuing to make a CU SDM education possible for future generations of dental students. We are humbled by your impact.
1980 2002 2004 2005 2021 2022
First gift of $400 to spark 42 years of giving
Fist major gift of $46,000 to support the CDA Scholarship
MAY Gift of $26,500 advances CDA Scholarship over $50K threshold
AUGUST
CDA giving puts its scholarship at $100K mark
New fund agreement signed to establish the CDA Scholarship Endowment
New giving commitment of $50K to unlock the Dean’s Distinguished Scholarship program, a new one-time, four-year scholarship awarded by Dean Kassebaum in honor of the CDA
Current CDA endowment valued at $228,729.40 as of Q4 2022
Mr. Ibram Samuel, current scholar recipient
Faculty Spotlight
Q&A with Kenneth Peters, DDS ’84
Q: Looking back at your 23-year history with the CU SDM, what stands out the most to you? What are those moments of joy?
Q: Can you touch on the long-standing relationship between the CU SDM and CDA?
A: Many things bring me joy from working at CU Dental. I still come in every morning with a big smile on my face. I get the opportunity to work with students and see their growth from the time they first come in the door and barely know which end of the drill to use. By the time they walk out of here, they’re ready to work alongside me as a colleague and that’s a wonderful thing for me to see.
A: We have a great relationship. Since I became involved in leadership at the CDA in 2002, the partnership between our two organizations has been getting stronger. The CDA contacts the school for advice and we turn to the CDA to know what’s going on in the profession and how we should be training our students to help them prepare for life after graduation.
Q: What exciting things are happening at the CU SDM?
A: A lot of it surrounds technology. We’re finding new ways to integrate virtual reality into the program. In fact, one of my colleagues did a study that showed providing local anesthesia for patients was more successful when students learned in the virtual world prior to going into the clinic. We also have machines called haptic simulators, which give feedback through your hands. Students can practice using real tools on simulated teeth, and it feels just like they’re treating a patient in real life. They can take a scan of their patient’s teeth, put it into this machine and practice tooth preparations on the exact teeth they’re going to be seeing in the clinic. CU Dental is on the cutting-edge of adopting technologies. We’ve also got scanners, milling machines and printers, so we’re preparing students for today’s advanced digital landscape.
We also have a great relationship relating to licensure. We’ve gone through several changes in Colorado where we expanded licensure opportunities and made it more user friendly; that’s in large part because of the collaboration between CU and the CDA. In fact, I remember Dean Kassebaum nominated the CDA for the William J. Gies Award in 2017, which is the American Dental Education Association’s highest honor, and the CDA won because of the work they did on expanding licensure in Colorado.
Q: How has the Save a Tooth program benefited the partnership between CU SDM and CDA?
A: The Save a Tooth program is a wonderful venture that brings patients who couldn’t otherwise get care, particularly endodontic care, here to the dental school so they can get root canals fixed for a reduced fee. We’ve extended that to another project the CDA started called the Colorado Mission of Mercy (COMOM) which is a very large 125-chair portable dental clinic. The CDA has a long history of providing care to under-resourced communities, but there’s only so much they can provide, so they’ve extended that program to COMOM. Whenever some treatments can’t be done at COMOM, the dental school can step in to help.
Q: How has the CDA Scholarship Endowment made an impact for students at the CU SDM?
A: Scholarships have an enormous impact. It doesn’t matter what school it is, professional education at the doctorate level costs so much and very few students can pay for it fully out of pocket. It requires some help from others, and the CDA has been a tremendous supporter of scholarships for our dental students. Many of these students have become leaders in the dental profession, working to help shape the profession for us, so everything comes full circle.
There’s so much that the CDA has done for our school — teaching students how to be advocates and giving them opportunities to get involved. The scholarships they provide give students opportunities they might not have had otherwise.
All of that is so meaningful, and sometimes, it’s meaningful in levels that we don’t see because it can happen back in the shadows. Sometimes it’s the things you don’t see that can have the biggest impact on the life of a student.
Kenneth Peters, DDS ‘84 Clinical Associate Professor Restorative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine
CDA Scholar Recipients – Where Are They Now?
The CU SDM is creating the dental care workforce of tomorrow by attracting the most promising students. Your investments in the CDA Scholarship Endowment have made a difference in the lives of future dentists today, while fostering success among the next generation of dental professionals. We are honored by your choice to support our students and are proud to share their successes with you.
Jillian Stacey, DDS ‘21 Current Place of Work: General Dentistry at Stacey Dental
I always wanted to go into healthcare, and originally wanted to be a veterinarian. However, after volunteering at the Colorado Mission of Mercy and witnessing the amazing impact that dentistry can have on individual lives, I started working toward dental school. My father is a dentist and encouraged me throughout this journey.
I am so thankful for my time at CU Dental because it gave me poignant experiences I never would have otherwise had. Whether it was traveling for conferences, bonding with classmates, or growing my leadership skills through student organizations like the American Student Dental Association, I am appreciative as I reflect on how I developed through this process.
I am thankful that the CDA award and scholarship encouraged and uplifted me during a stressful and difficult second year of dental school. In addition to the inspirational boost, the financial assistance was greatly appreciated to help defray costs of dental school and rising student debt.
My favorite part of my career is feeling appreciated by my favorite patients and connecting with them in meaningful ways. My dad and I also help patients in our office through donated dental services and have experienced some profound moments of joy in helping these individuals. Professionally, I love being involved with organized dentistry and being a leader in my city and state.
Scholar Profiles
Jakob Holtzmann, DDS
Current Area of Work: Pediatric Dentistry Residency at the University of Washington
Aside from the lure of the Rocky Mountains and sunshine of Colorado, I ultimately chose to attend CU SDM because of the students and faculty that I’d had the chance to meet before making my decision. I’m a firm believer that the people that you learn with, learn from and spend time with shape you as a person, and I’m so happy to be shaped by everyone I’ve met at CU.
Having always been interested in healthcare, the tail end of my undergraduate career found me searching for the right next step in my life. Hardly a secret, the racial, ethnic and economic disparities in oral healthcare inspired me to help create positive change in this sector of healthcare.
While I’m grateful for various awards, positions of leadership and scholarships, I’m most proud of the friends I’ve made and community I’ve built here in dental school. I’ve met lifelong friends that I look forward to changing the world with, and will always cherish the relationships that I’ve built while studying at CU SDM.
As a longtime advocate for dental students, patients and our profession, I’m acutely aware of the burden that student loan debt has on colleagues and myself. Any financial measure that is successful in eliminating some of that debt is a step forward in our profession, allowing providers to work in public health clinics, low-income communities, and rural locations around the country. For me, this scholarship does just that, as I look to dedicate my career to public health dentistry.
Empowering students with this scholarship emboldens future leaders in the dental field and goes a long way to support them. I am deeply honored to have received this scholarship when I was in dental school; it has allowed me to give back to my patients, profession, and community through leadership and service. —
‘22
Jillian Stacey, DDS ‘21
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this scholarship. Your generosity and commitment to our community is an example for all of us to follow as we seek to create change in this world. — Jakob Holtzmann, DDS ‘22
Current CDA Scholar Spotlight: Ibram Samuel
Ibram graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Biology. He is a first-generation student. He immigrated from Egypt with his family when he was three years old. Ibram has worked as a dental hygiene assistant and a research assistant at the Institute of Aging and Geriatric Research. Following graduation, Ibram desires to serve communities that have a large percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged families.
With your dedicated support, we expand opportunities for students like Ibram and enable them to make the most of their CU SDM education. Students who receive scholarships can devote more time and energy to their education, rather than worrying about financial burdens or increasing debt. These students will become capable dental health providers, changing lives and transforming oral health.
Partners in Philanthropy
Support for students demonstrates a powerful commitment to the future and is a humble reminder that it is our responsibility to do everything we can to help the next generation succeed. Together with the CDA, we share a dedication to redefine the dental medicine of tomorrow and invest in the next generation of oral health leaders. Thank you for your steadfast support for the CU SDM. We look forward to our continued partnership and all that we will accomplish together.
