DENTISTRY
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER WINTER 2021
Leading Through a Pandemic
GIVE A SMILE! UT Smiles is a program set up by the UTHSC College of Dentistry to provide dentures and other dental services to members of the community in need through a sliding scale payment system. We believe that a smile is essential for a healthy productive life. Dental students also have requirements to complete their dental education, and this program helps ensure they are able to meet those requirements. Help us help others. Please donate to UT Smiles. uthsc.edu/giveasmile
UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD, FACP, FASN Dean James C. Ragain, DDS, MS, PhD, FICD, FACD, FPFA
< Building the Future CoD getting new face; new space
Executive Associate Dean Jeffrey H. Brooks, DMD Associate Dean for Business and Financial Affairs Daniel E. Brown, JD, CPA Associate Dean for Postgraduate Affairs Chair Department of Prosthodontics Director, Advanced Prosthodontics Program David R. Cagna, DMD, MS
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Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs J. Stansill Covington III, DDS, MS, FRSM (London), FACD, FICD Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Edward J. DeSchepper, MAEd, DDS, MSD Interim Associate Dean for Research Interim Chair Department of Bioscience Research Mustafa Kh. Dabbous, MS, PhD Associate Dean for Institutional Affairs Mark Scarbecz, PhD Assistant Dean for Community Oral Health and Outreach Orpheus Triplett, DDS
Clinical Reach >
College expanding footprint across the state
Assistant Dean for Clinical Operations Courtney J. Sievers, PhD, MHA Chair Department of Dental Hygiene Lynn Samons Russell, RDH, BS, MEd, EdD
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Chair Department of Diagnostic Sciences K. Mark Anderson, DDS, MS Interim Chair Department of Endodontics Harry Cosby, DDS, MS
<G iving Smiles
Chair Department of General Dentistry Mojdeh Dehghan, DDS Chair Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Thomas L. Bowers, IV, DMD, MD, FACS Interim Chair Department of Orthodontics Richard A. Williams, DDS, MS Interim Chair Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health Craig Volk Vinall, DDS, MDS Chair Department of Periodontology Paul G. Luepke, DDS, MS
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Dental Hygiene program enables student to polish smiles
Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Bethany Goolsby, JD Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra A. Tuggle Director of Development, College of Dentistry Antonio ‘Tony’ Burns
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA Editor Peggy Reisser, MASC Designer Adam Gaines Contributing Writers Amber Carter Jackie Denton Peggy Reisser Photographers Natalie Brewer Brandon Dill
Diversity and Inclusion > CoD students, faculty and staff join White Coats for Black Lives protest against racism
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All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073401(008-210330)
From the Dean I am often asked by alumni and friends of the College of Dentistry how we are doing in coping with the coronavirus pandemic. My reply is typically, “Every day is a challenge.” Through hard work, dedicated teamwork, and strong leadership at all levels, our college is open, and our mission of training excellent health care providers is moving forward. Our dental technique laboratories are currently operating 12 hours a day and on Saturday mornings. Our didactic courses are continuing asynchronously through online presentations, and the students’ examination scores are on mark or above previous years’ scores. Our strategy for opening the clinics was, “Go, but go slowly.” This careful and thoughtful rationale has resulted in our students and residents being able to maintain clinical production, while treating patients in a safe clinical environment. Turner Construction Company has begun work on our new building. The building will be the Delta Dental of Tennessee Building. Together with the Dunn Dental Building, our area on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus will become the Delta Dental Oral Healthcare Complex. We are very excited about this 68,000-square-foot addition, which includes enlarged dental technique laboratories, a lecture auditorium, faculty dental practice, and a clinic for those patients with special needs. We hope to increase our D4 and DH2 satellite clinical rotations next year by the addition of at least two more sites in Tennessee. We are currently exploring one site in West Tennessee and a second site in East Tennessee. We also hope to soon resume our discussion with officials in Arkansas about establishing two rotation sites in Arkansas. Our research efforts have continued to move forward. Almost all our basic science researchers have relocated to the Johnson Research Building on campus. This will afford more synergy among our researchers and allow for more fluid collaborations. This building also houses the Memphis Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Our researchers will become strong colleagues in the institute, where they will be working with researchers across colleges in a collaborative environment. Our strengths in this program are stem cell biology and biomaterial science. Despite the initial setback resulting from the pandemic, our Student Research Program had an incredible summer. Nineteen students participated and presented their projects during our Student Research Day held in early November. The UTHSC College of Dentistry has made remarkable progress in working in our current COVID environment. We continue to keep our focus on our mission of dental education, research, clinical care, and community outreach. Our vision is, and will continue to be, “Clinical Excellence in Dental Education.” Yes, every day seems to bring its challenges. However, with the support of our alumni, strong departmental and administrative leadership, indefatigable faculty, hardworking staff, and excellent and determined students, our college is not only getting by in this pandemic, but we are excelling.
James C. Ragain, Jr. DDS, MS, PhD, FICD, FACF, FPFA Professor and Dean of the College of Dentistry The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
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From the Chancellor In my State of the University Address in November, I was proud to announce that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is weathering the pandemic in a lean, but strong fashion. We have maintained our budget, maintained our workforce, and expanded our mission, even as we have adjusted to the new normal of life during the pandemic. We have graduated all students, residents, and fellows on schedule, met all our clinical obligations, and continued to keep our research enterprise growing. Over the last year, UTHSC awarded more than 1,000 degrees. Our students have a 95% graduation rate and a 95% first-time board pass rate. We have generated record sponsored program revenue (all-source non-clinical grants and contracts) of $309 million, the largest of any public institution in the state, as well as clinical revenues of $306 million. The College of Dentistry has been a leader in helping the university achieve its academic and clinical missions. The college can be applauded for quickly adjusting its clinical operation so that it could continue to function safely in the early days of the pandemic through today. Our dentistry faculty and staff worked tirelessly to successfully ensure that students could receive the clinical training necessary in order to graduate on time. Additionally, under the leadership of Dean Ragain, the College of Dentistry is leading the way in the university’s effort to expand its clinical reach to meet patient need across the state. The college is working with state health leaders to add clinics that are similar to those already operating in Union City, Chattanooga, and Bristol, where dental students will receive clinical training and patients will get outstanding care. I am so pleased to acknowledge our successes, but I am also mindful that they could not have happened without the generous support and engagement of our outstanding alumni. It is clear that 2020, “The Year of Pandemic,” was challenging for UTHSC, the state, and the nation. We face many new challenges and hurdles, as we continue to conduct our crucial mission. We will meet these challenges. I invite you to take pride in the strides made by your college and your university, and to join us as we move into the future. Sincerely,
Steve J. Schwab, MD Chancellor The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
From the Alumni Board President Greetings, fellow alumni, I’m proud to report that the coronavirus has not stopped the work of your College of Dentistry Alumni Association. Over the past year, even in the middle of the pandemic, we’ve worked harder and accomplished more than ever. It is important for you to know that the Alumni Association has undergone a substantially successful reorganization with one clear goal in mind—dynamic, responsive, and substantial support of the mission of the College of Dentistry. From my perspective, under the leadership of Dean Ragain, we have two critical new elements that have brought the Alumni Association to the forefront. First, Dean Ragain has insisted we return the college to a clear focus on clinical excellence. Second, he has opened his office door to the Alumni Association. Not only is he one of us (Class of 1984), but he has been quite clear that everyone with a Tennessee DDS is a member of the Alumni Association, and he’s asking for our help and our opinions. This is a pivotal change for the better and I can’t thank Dean Ragain enough for the opportunity. Five incredibly effective committees focused on key areas of interest to the college have been created and are making things happen. They are: Development, Fred Heros, DDS, ’75, chair; Student Recruitment, Hank McKay, III, DDS, ’90, chair; Faculty Support, Stan Young, DDS, ’84, chair; Dental Facilities/Clinics; Rick Guthrie, DDS, ’87, chair; and the Slagle Meeting, Chip Trammel, DDS, ’12, MS, ’15, chair. Each committee is now on track to deliver tangible support for Dean Ragain’s directive for clinical excellence. Whether it’s recruiting the best students, supporting educators, or providing equipment and spaces for them to work, one thing is clear, the “family” is chipping in! We are geographically diverse and have people on the ground working where it counts. If you’re interested in serving the college in any way, the opportunities are numerous, and we can use your help. Here are a few to consider: • Take a position on one of the committees. Positions are voluntary and participation is a wonderful way to connect with some of our most-engaged alumni. Email tcatafyg@uthsc.edu. • Plan to attend the virtual 2021 Slagle meeting in March. This is a simple way to support the college, while earning required credits and improving your skills. • Lastly, I’m asking for your financial support of $500, $1,000, or even more to help our dean and alma mater address the expenses that arrived with a pandemic and have adversely impacted dental students. The pandemic resulted in nearly a $2 million drop in revenue and burned over $1.1 million in reserve for the college. As a result, financial pressures are intense and the college needs funding so it can produce clinically excellent, properly trained dentists. Please consider these opportunities as my humble and personal ask of you. It’s more than a donation. Rather, it’s a call for you to make a significant contribution to the lives of dental students who follow in our wake and develop future standards of care in our communities.
Joseph Safirstein, DDS, ’99
College of Dentistry
BATTLES COVID-19 With a focus on community engaged care and excellence in clinical treatment, the College of Dentistry joined the university community in standing up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic the college provided a model for safe clinical treatment, quickly retrofitting clinic spaces to remain open to treat dental emergencies and to train dental students. Highlights from the CoD’s COVID-19 Response: • Successfully created highly effective biologic filtration masks using a 3D printer from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery that had previously been used to print bio-models for maxillofacial trauma and pathology. The 3D printers produce precise and specific models. Initial masks produced were used by College of Dentistry faculty and residents maintaining operations of the emergency dental clinic. • Provided emergency dental procedures for current patients of the College of Dentistry and the community in the Dunn Dental Clinic, as well as the UTHSC pediatric dental clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Intake of emergency dental procedures allows patients to get treatment in a clinic setting, instead of filling up hospital emergency rooms in the city. • Continued to examine oral specimens in the College of Dentistry’s Oral Pathology Lab, initially one of only a few such labs open in the region. • Extended hours of operation for the CoD dental technique laboratories to offer students ample time to train. • Provided opportunities for dental students to volunteer to get groceries and necessities for faculty members who were unable to do so. • Offered safe care for the underserved at UTHSC dental clinics operating across the state.
UTHSC VERSUS THE PANDEMIC The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been a leader in the fight against the coronavirus locally, nationally, and beyond. Providing expert information, guidance, and clinical care to the public, the university across all its colleges, has shown its value as the state’s academic health care institution.
Highlights from the UTHSC COVID-19 Response: • Convened a press conference in Memphis in late February, before the pandemic emerged in the city or across Tennessee, to reassure the public that steps were being taken to prepare for and combat the coronavirus. This was the first time that health care leaders in Shelby County addressed the virus and its increasing spread. Administrative leaders and faculty have continued to be a source for media and the public in appropriate response to the virus, and have offered their expertise on numerous local, state, and national panels developing response to COVID-19. • Launched a website, uthsc.edu/coronavirus, a one-stop resource for the public with the latest information about the virus, as well as frequently asked questions, and links to national, state, and local organizations monitoring its spread. The site is also available in Spanish at: uthsc.edu/ coronavirus-es/ • Opened a drive-through testing site for COVID-19 at Tiger Lane at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in collaboration with the Shelby County Health Department and the City of Memphis. It was one of the city’s first and largest public testing sites. • Established a lab on campus in the 930 Madison Building to analyze COVID-19 test samples to speed up diagnoses in the community, one of a limited number of such laboratories at academic institutions across the country. • Convened several virtual coronavirus community forums to help the public understand and cope with the virus. • Will manage an alternate-care hospital in Memphis to treat COVID-19 patients in the event of a surge larger than area hospitals can handle. In May, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers handed off the newly completed alternate-care hospital in Memphis to state and local leaders. • Hosted the director of the CDC for a virtual conversation about the coronavirus and public health response. • Began administering the COVID-19 vaccine on campus in December, according to the state’s guidelines and priorities. Student and resident volunteers from several colleges, including Dentistry, are volunteers in the vaccination workforce on campus and in the community.
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New Building Brings New Day for CoD By Peggy Reisser
A rendering illustrates how the new Delta Dental of Tennessee Building will wrap the existing Dunn Dental Building.
By all measures, the new dental building under construction on the Memphis campus is a gamechanger for the UTHSC College of Dentistry.
practice, and dental technique laboratories for first- and second-year students. Construction is expected to take several years.
In late October, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a request from UT Health Science Center to name the building, the Delta Dental of Tennessee Building. The board also approved naming the entire grounds of the College of Dentistry, located at 875 Union Avenue, the Delta Dental of Tennessee Oral Health Complex. The complex includes the new structure, the existing Dunn Dental Building, which retains its name and continues in use, as well as clinics, and support structures.
The naming honors the outstanding support of Delta Dental of Tennessee and its President and Chief Executive Officer Philip Wenk, DDS. Dr. Wenk is a 1973 graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a 1977 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. He is the chair of the University of Tennessee Foundation Board of Trustees, and he also chairs the UTHSC Advisory Board.
The new building will wrap the Dunn Dental Building on the north (facing Union Avenue) and west (facing Dunlap Street), offering a new façade and entrance that can be seen from Union Avenue, a major east-west artery in Memphis. It will house a special needs clinic, a faculty
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Dr. Wenk received an Outstanding Alumnus Award from the UTHSC College of Dentistry Alumni Association in 2016 and was selected from more than 370,000 alumni as one of the University of Tennessee’s “Top 100 Distinguished Alumni” by Tennessee Alumnus, the University of Tennessee System’s alumni magazine.
DELTA DENTAL OF TENNESSEE
BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS
68,000 SQUARE FEET 4 FLOORS $45 MILLION (COST) PART OF THE DELTA DENTAL OF TENNESSEE ORAL HEALTHCARE COMPLEX (Includes the Dunn Dental Building, opened in 1978, and the new Delta Dental of Tennessee Building)
SPRING 2023 EXPECTED COMPLETION
SPECIAL NEEDS CLINIC (6 dental treatment rooms) EXPANDED AND MODERNIZED UNIVERSITY DENTAL PRACTICE (10 dental treatment rooms with updated radiographic equipment)
“As CEO, Phil is a strong advocate for the College of Dentistry,” UTHSC Chancellor Steve Schwab, MD, wrote in a letter to UT President Randy Boyd in making the naming recommendation. Delta Dental of Tennessee is the largest donor to the UTHSC College of Dentistry. Since 1997, Delta Dental of Tennessee has provided financial support to the college totaling more than $16,500,000, including $6.3 million for construction costs toward the more than $45 million new building, and $1.4 million in equipment. Projects and initiatives at UTHSC that have benefited from the support of Delta Dental include the Delta Dental of Tennessee Endowed Scholarship, equipment in dental labs, the annual College of Dentistry Scholarship Dinner, and the annual Slagle Dental Meeting. Delta Dental of Tennessee has also provided expert advice on strategic matters, speakers to address alumni and students, and fundraising leadership to complete the Dunn Dental Building.
2 LARGE SEMINAR ROOMS LOCKER SPACES FOR STUDENTS
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SEATS FOR STUDENTS IN LARGE LECTURE AUDITORIUM
DEAN’S SUITE (Moving from Dunn Dental Building, freeing space for student organization activities, study areas, and additional student gathering areas) TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
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CoD Aims to Expand Footprint Across Tennessee By Peggy Reisser When Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP, toured the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Union City Dental Clinic in August, it signaled another step forward for the college’s efforts to spread its clinical footprint across the state. The Union City clinic is one of three operated by the College of Dentistry to provide necessary dental services to the underinsured and uninsured across the state from Union City in West Tennessee, to Chattanooga and Bristol in the eastern part of the state. The clinics are supervised by faculty and staffed by fourth-year dental students, as well as dental hygiene students, on rotations to provide dental services and gain clinical experience. Dean Ragain said the Union City clinic has been essential in providing services during the pandemic and is a model for similar clinics the college envisions adding across the state in order to better serve rural areas in particular. “We would like to set them up, similar to the Union City clinic, where we have a faculty member in place and the faculty member treats patients, then we rotate D4 (dental students) and D2 dental hygiene students up there for clinical experience,” the dean said. The college has also considered increasing its statewide footprint by also adding a large clinical training space in Knoxville that would allow for expansion of its incoming class from 98 to 130, Dean Ragain said. The pandemic interrupted any consideration of expanding, however, the commissioner’s visit was an opportunity to show what a satellite clinic can accomplish in an area of need and to encourage collaboration at the state level. During the tour, Dr. Piercey met with Dean Ragain; UTHSC Chancellor Steve Schwab, MD; Orpheus Triplett, DDS, College of Dentistry assistant dean for Community
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Outreach; Ed Reese DDS, clinic director and an assistant professor in the UTHSC Department of General Dentistry; David Mills, director of Government Relations and Advocacy at UTHSC; and William “Bill” Latimer, a businessman and philanthropist who donated space for the clinic at 201 West Main Street and is its sponsor. Dean Ragain described the commissioner’s clinic visit as “very informal to take a look at it and see what we’re doing.” He said the Union City clinic is “a really, really strong program” that has not only provided dental services during the pandemic, but offered necessary clinical opportunities to D4 students so they could graduate on time. “This is a unique situation where everybody wins,” Dr. Reese said. “Patients get their needs taken care of and the students get exposure in a clinical setting.” The Bristol clinic, located in the Healing Hands Health Center, has operated during the pandemic. The Chattanooga clinic is in the Dodson Avenue Neighborhood Health Center. “We just don’t have enough dentists in Tennessee,” the dean said. “We’re thinking these clinics might be a way of getting the dental force out in community.” Dental students may choose to settle in communities where they have trained and provided services, he said. The clinical growth strategy for the College of Dentistry that began in 2015 and 2016 with the three clinics extends beyond general dentistry clinics to include pediatric patients and adult patients with special needs, as well as possible future clinic space in Arkansas. A pediatric dental clinic opened in Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in December 2019. A special needs clinic is included in plans for new College of Dentistry space on the Memphis campus.
Despite Pandemic Student and Faculty Research Continues Mustafa Dabbous, PhD, MS, loves working with students. As chair and professor of Bioscience Research and interim associate dean of Research in the College of Dentistry, he is celebrating 50 years with the university. “The best investment is to invest in training our students,” said Dr. Dabbous. “They are our future and our hope for many generations to come. We must count on their initiative and their ingenuity, because some of them later on will be better than we are.” Through faculty mentorship and the generosity of alumni, the College of Dentistry is fostering the research ingenuity of its students. The Student Research Program, which is supported by the College of Dentistry Alumni Endowment Fund and the Tennessee Dental Association Foundation, is just one of the ways it has been successful in this endeavor. Despite the challenges with the coronavirus pandemic, 19 students participated in research projects with their College of Dentistry research mentors. Students presented their oral research presentations in a November virtual session hosted on Zoom to students, faculty, residents, and staff. The oral presentations were impressive and covered the widest
possible range of research topics related to public health, day-to-day dental practice, new procedures under development, and studies that aim to revolutionize the practice of dentistry through regeneration of oral and craniofacial tissues. “This shows the flexibility of our research program,” Dr. Dabbous said. “In order to practice social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols, our students and faculty members were able to accommodate their schedules. This required dedication from students and faculty, so that they could still focus on their research between their courses.” A group of 20 faculty members volunteered to select the best presentations. Winners of the awards will be announced at the next College of Dentistry Student Research Day. Faculty and award-winning students will have the opportunity to participate in the International Association for Dental Research Meeting, which was postponed from March 2020 to July 2021. Research within the college is also benefiting from new construction on campus. The College of Dentistry research labs specializing in oral microbiology, cell and molecular biology, stem cell biology, tissue engineering and regeneration, have been relocated to new renovated space in the Johnson Building. The construction of the new dentistry building will make way for new laboratory space on the first floor for an expanded program in Dental Materials and Materials Science and Testing. “This will strengthen the research arm of the college in support of our students and alumni in order to meet the needs and challenges of a rapidly changing dental practice,” Dr. Dabbous said. The college is also collaborating with several colleges on campus, including the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, as well as universities throughout the state and region, on research projects. “In this next era, what is most successful is for a group of collaborating researchers and investigators working on a project, rather than working in isolation,” he said. “Collaborating will push research findings to solve so many problems in clinical care. That will provide an outstanding diagnostic tool.”
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Dentistry Student Selected SGAEC President, Advisory Board Representative By Jackie Denton
Third-year UTHSC College of Dentistry student Sonali Demla thinks training during the pandemic will make her a better dentist in the future. “As third-year dentistry students, we have been given the green light to begin seeing our own patients, and getting to experience that has been amazing,” Demla said. “There have been lots of changes in the clinic and changes in dentistry, and if something like this were to happen again in the future, we are trained on ways that we could potentially tackle the issue.” She says some of those changes include more protocols with PPE including wearing N95 masks, face shields, and gowns. The College of Dentistry has also installed shields separating treatment areas and is using extraoral suction devices to filter out more aerosols during treatment. “The College of Dentistry has done a great job implementing new COVID-19 measures and as a student dentist, I feel very safe,” she said. While training as a student dentist, Demla is also serving as the new president of the Student Government Association Executive Council (SGAEC) and as the UTHSC Advisory Board student member. As the new SGAEC president and UTHSC Advisory Board student member, Demla hopes to help other students transitioning into a new city and new environment feel
welcomed and as comfortable as possible. “The SGAEC wants to help students keep a positive outlook throughout this year. We are all navigating and trying to figure this all out together.” Demla is an Oklahoma native, and earned her degree from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She fell in love with the dentistry profession after shadowing a dentist in middle school, and ultimately chose to move to Memphis after being accepted into the UTHSC College of Dentistry. “There’s so much culture in Memphis, and so much going on. Everyone in my program has been super nice and super welcoming.” She is also an advocate for maintaining wellness during this new normal. “Throughout this pandemic, I’ve been focusing on my personal health. In the past couple of months, I’ve reached goals with fitness that I didn’t have much time to do before.” She said she is eager to serve her fellow students and be the student member of the advisory board. “I’m really excited to hear about the experiences of the advisory board and what got them to this role, what they’ve accomplished since they’ve left UTHSC, and to create a positive environment for our students, while we’re all tackling this new year together.”
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Students Sees Dentistry as Means to Improve Patients’ Confidence, Overall Health By Amber Carter
Fourth-year dental student Tony Huynh was drawn to dentistry after a visit to his former elementary school and a local orphanage in his birth country of Vietnam. “I noticed that my elementary teacher and the caregivers always cover their mouths when they talk, and they never smiled,” he said. “This experience stimulated my curiosity to observe different specializations in dentistry and see what the profession is really about. My favorite aspect of it is the patients’ gratitude and knowing that I can give back their confidence, which helps to improve their psychological, oral, and overall health.” Although Huynh emigrated from Vietnam with his parents in 2004, he considers himself to be a native Memphian. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Memphis, dental school was the next step. He chose UTHSC because of its reputation for strong clinical training. Another selling point was the faculty’s dedication to overall success. “During the tour and the interview process, I noticed that the faculty genuinely care and strive to give students the best education,” Huynh said. While at UTHSC, Huynh has been involved in organizations such as the Student National Dental Association, Psi Omega dental fraternity, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Sleep Dental Medicine, the American/International Academy of Dental Research, and the American Academy of
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Implant Dentistry Foundation. He has also volunteered at community events including Determined to Be a Doctor Someday, Give Kids a Smile, Dream BIG, the Mid-South Mission of Mercy, and several health fairs. The pandemic may have changed Huynh’s routine, but it has not deterred him from serving. He is a part of the UTHSC COVID-19 Student Response Team. His duties include packing supplies and intake for lab orders and lab kits. He does grocery shopping for dental faculty, who are in high-risk areas. “It was a major change as the clinic was shut down and didactic courses went virtual at the start of the pandemic,” Huynh said. “I wondered how I could serve the community during this time of need and thought about keeping our faculty safe, as they are responsible for training and inspiring future generations of clinicians. Volunteering allowed me to connect with my health care community, as we all strived toward a common goal of helping one another during this crisis.” Even with his full schedule, Huynh remains focused and determined to get the most out of his studies and the profession in general. “Do what you love and enjoy,” he said. After graduation, Huynh plans to apply to a prosthodontic residency that focuses on diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation, and maintenance of oral and maxillofacial tissues.
Dental Hygiene Student Helping Memphis Community Smile By Jackie Denton
Kimberly Henson remembers having silver caps all the way across her front teeth when she was growing up. “I always had bad teeth as a kid,” she said. “But I was always a happy kid, and that didn’t keep me from smiling.” Today, those caps are gone, however, as a senior dental hygiene student, Henson knows not everyone is confident in their smile. “I knew I always wanted to do something to help other people feel more confident in themselves. Making them want to smile more, and not being afraid to.” She moved from her hometown of Savannah, Tennessee, to complete prerequisites at the University of Memphis, before enrolling in the UTHSC College of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene Program. She said one of her favorite moments in the clinic was when a patient, who had always been embarrassed to smile, came in to have her teeth cleaned before Thanksgiving. The patient asked Henson why there were so many steps just to clean teeth. “I got to explain to her that we have so many steps because we want to do more than just clean your teeth. We are making a difference, even if it’s as simple as making people smile.” Henson said she is proud to be part of the program, because of initiatives such as the Dental Hygiene Community Fund, which allows qualifying patients who need specific procedures completed to receive dental care in the clinic for only $25.
She said the coronavirus pandemic has not stopped her from practicing the skills she needs in order to graduate and be a successful dental hygienist. In fact, she said it’s made her patient care even stronger. “We are doubling up our patients, so we see one patient in the morning and one in the afternoon, three to four times a week. Before, we only saw one patient in the morning, twice per week.” The increase is so that students are able to safely meet procedure requirements in order to graduate on time, because fewer rotations were available at the start of the pandemic. As clinics opened back up, rotations became more available. “I really enjoyed my Union City rotation,” she said. Henson said the experience of going on rotations has been rewarding. Dental hygiene students also have the opportunity go to clinics in Memphis, such as Christ Community Health Services. “I know that some of the people we see are low-income,” she said. “We also get to see a lot of children. Our rotations get us prepared with our time management and our social skills.” Henson says she is grateful for all the instructors who were able to get students like her back into the clinic during the pandemic, so that they can graduate on schedule. “Our instructors have been very helpful and understanding of everything, as well as caring,” she said. “They want to make sure we succeed in everything that we do. Without them, I don’t think it would be possible.”
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Wenk To Serve Second Term as UTHSC Advisory Board Chair
Dean Presents at First Online Coronavirus Symposium Dean Ragain was a presenter at UTHSC’s first online coronavirus symposium early in the pandemic The two-hour virtual event was held in April to share the latest information on the development of the virus; its spread globally, nationally, and locally; and efforts led by the university and its partners to contain it. During his presentation titled, “Transmission Routes of COVID-19 and Controls in the Dental Practice,” Dr. Ragain highlighted the critical roles that dental professionals play in helping to mitigate the crisis. “As dental health care providers, we have special skill sets that we can use in this crisis,” he said. “We can serve as physician extenders, nursing extenders, we can do screenings, we can be runners, we can help out in any way possible. At this time, we need to step up.”
CoD Student Lounge Updated With funding support from Delta Dental of Tennessee, the College of Dentistry recently remodeled and updated its student lounge to create a modern space for students to recharge and relax between clinic sessions. New cabinetry and UTHSC-branded furniture were installed, along with Jennifer Saltsman’s photography, showcasing some of Memphis’ famous landmarks. The new student lounge also includes multiple mobile-device charging stations, as well as a new coffee bar. The space was completed and re-opened in June. Dr. Phil Wenk, president and CEO of Delta Dental, wanted to provide the UTHSC dental students with a state-of-the-art area for breaks between patient care and didactic classes.
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Philip Wenk, DDS, who has served as chairman of the UTHSC Advisory Board since it began in 2018, was elected by a unanimous roll call vote for a second two-year term as chair during the board’s November meeting. Dr. Wenk said he considers it “an extreme honor” to serve on the board and was thankful to be considered for a second term as chair. Dr. Wenk congratulated the university for doing an excellent job in trying times. “On behalf of all of us on this advisory council, we want to thank you,” he said.
Callahan and Hamilton Receive 2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards William R. Callahan, III, DDS, vice chair, assistant professor, and director of group leaders in the Department of General Dentistry, and Bruce Hamilton, DDS, associate professor in the Department of General Dentistry, were among the recipients of 2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards. Presented by the Student Government Association Executive Council, the awards are given to faculty members from each college. Honorees are chosen by their students to receive the awards, which are among the highest of faculty honors that can be given on campus. Winners received a plaque and a $2,500 stipend.
Dehghan Graduates from Executive Leadership Institute Mojdeh Dehghan, DDS, interim chair of the Department of General Dentistry graduated from the UT System’s Executive Leadership Institute in April. The program’s second class included 18 graduates representing each UT campus and institute. Participants responded to COVID-19 challenges and worked to combat the issues of racial discrimination and social justice failures within higher education. The 12-month program was created by UT President Emeritus Joe DiPietro to prepare internal candidates to meet the continuous need for diverse, qualified executive leadership across the UT System. The institute offers participants the benefit of research and peer-driven learning through active exchanges and innovative scholarly thought on leadership, as well as access to influential policy makers and campus opinion leaders.
Dean Receives Faculty Senate Award Dean Ragain received the Transformational Leadership Award from the UTHSC Faculty Senate in June. The award recognized his work in leading the college’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including work in the campus laboratory and the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation training sites. His efforts, in turn, helped inform response in other colleges across the campus and the system. “He got the award because of the leadership he displayed in setting the example for the entire university system as to how a system can deal with COVID,” said Martin Donaldson, DDS, associate professor of pediatric dentistry and community oral health in the College of Dentistry and past-president of the Faculty Senate. Dr. Donaldson said the dean and his team developed a system and protocols for seeing patients safely, installed vinyl and plexiglass protective barriers throughout the clinics, and provided leadership in how to safely manage a live clinic in a pandemic.
Idiare Honored at BSA Awards Ariel Idiare, DDS, then a fourth-year dental student, was honored at the Black Student Association’s annual Awards Ceremony and Presentation in February 2020. The event celebrates and honors the accomplishments of African American students at UTHSC. The awards ceremony, which debuted in 1992, is an important tradition for the campus and reflects the diversity and inclusion mission of the university and its students. After being accepted to dental school at UTHSC, Dr. Idiare, who graduated in 2020, excelled academically. She participated in dental outreach programs, such as Hope Smiles in Memphis, and the Interfaith Dental Clinic in Nashville. Idiare serves as a student representative on the University of Tennessee Dental Alumni Board of Trustees.
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Congratulations to Our 2020 Graduates! The College of Dentistry held a virtual commencement celebration May 11. Jeffrey Brooks, DMD, executive associate dean and associate dean of clinical and extramural affairs for the college, hooded Dr. Reed Turpin, Class of 2020 valedictorian. Dr. Turpin was invited by the college’s administration to be honored in person, while other dentistry graduates were celebrated online. He was also presented the Dr. William F. Slagle Faculty Medal by College of Dentistry Dean James C. Ragain, DDS.
DOCTOR OF DENTAL SURGERY
Anita Afshari Chaz Mendel Ainsworth Roshni R. Amin Matthew Constantine Asters Yesha Banaji Elisabeth Anne Belter Heather Kate Bogy Kathryn Mercer Boyd Aaron Nathaniel Brooksbank Patrick Burns Colton A. Carmical Caroline Cazayoux Sarah Chen Jessica Marie Cornelius Cheng Janice Ah Seung Chong Alex J. Chu Carrie Ann Cochran Brandt Thomas Cooper Justin M. Cooper Madison Davis Justin T. Dinsmore Phillip Scott Dodson Michael Aaron Drake Leah Jane Efird Mohamad Sufian Elassouli Juliana Grace Fitzgerald Kyle Franklin Darby Kathryn Gentry Amber Simmons Gibson Ignatius Phillip Ginski Jason Austin Glick Michael R. Green Lauren Victoria Gunderman Alexander Ferguson Hagar Marina Fouad Hanna Ziaullah Haqqani Sarah Hartlerode Savannah Katherine Hartman Tyler Stephen Hawthorne Sydney Brooke Henderson Alex Michael Hill
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William Archer Hodges Katherine O. Hughes Ariel Denyo Idiare Colby Inboden Thomas George Inman Jr. Rachel Noelani Jahraus Kamren Alese Joe Sonia Kadakia Nolan Christian Kemp Abraham Kim Jesse B. Kitchens Jacob Samuel Kleiman Kelsey Faulkner Korb Dhiren D. Kshatri Rami Laham Dexter Jim Lee Christopher Matthew Marshall Christopher John Marshall Lauren Brenn Martin Donald Kent Mauney III Chloe Rose Meriwether Kerry Anne Moon Julie M. Nessler Martha Dawson Nicholson Javier Andres Ochoa Kaushal Patel Vicky M. Patel David Michael Pencarinha Zachary B. Pennington Jackson R. Petty John S. Pickering Kipley J. Powell Tarunashri Purihella Hayden Bryant Ray Nakita Nikole Riley Britta Sharon Ristau Carolina H. Rodriguez Colon Kiana Rostamiani Chelsea Southerland Schwind Nidhi Shah Michelle K. Shipp Rachel Walters Sizemore Sarah Mills Taddia
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John S. Teed Samuel L. Thomas Cameron Thomas Togrye Jenny Kieu Van Tran David R. Turpin Marie Kathleen Walsh Spencer G. Warren William Warren Taylor J. Watson Hunter H. Weber Wesley Daniel Whisenant Austin R. Wilkie John McQuiston Wilson
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN DENTAL HYGIENE
Lindsey Michelle Balius Amanda Lynne Carter Kelly Katherine Cole Savannah Cheyenne Dodson Tenisha Quanese Edmondson Daisha Kaprale Harris Lynnelle Christine Keane Alexa Loyola Amani Marshall Carly Elizabeth McBride Kelly Alston Wisdom Claire Anne O’Connell Sonam Patel Alejandra Perez Jill Elizabeth Pitcher Kaitlyn Olivia Putt Kyndal Riddick Sydney Kate Smith Kemba Maria Suggars Katy Beth Thompson Anna Caryl Vanderford Margaret Kay Walker Courtney Lauren Williams Carly Reagan Yoho
2020 CoD Scholarship and Award Winners The College of Dentistry would like to thank all our scholarship donors, and offer our congratulations to all the recipients!
AMERICAN FAMILY DENTISTRY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Gregory DeRose – D3
DR. JAMES T. ANDREWS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Chloe Merriwether – D4 Kipley Powell – D4 Cameron Togrye – D4
ATLANTIC COSMETIC DENTISTRY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Shannon Pittman – D3 Allison Poget – D3
Allison Poget – D3 David Howe – D3 Macall Nabors – D3 Dylan Qualls – D3 Emily Javadi – D3 Randall Nutt – D2 Dwight Sexton – D3 Randall Jenkins – D3 Austin Pate – D3 Kristina Slavik – D3 Michael Luethke – D2 Zachary Payne – D2 Robert Whitmire – D3
BATEMAN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. WILLIAM LEE AND BONITA R. CRABTREE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Allison Poget – D3 Dylan Qualls – D3
Zachary Doyle – D3 Lauren Gunderman – D4
DR. AND MRS. LOWELL DALE BLEVINS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DELTA DENTAL OF ARKANSAS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Jonathan Billings – D3
DORIS COSTELLO BOWYER MEMORIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD Chloe Merriwether – D4
DR. AND MRS. NOAH DAVID BRITTON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Adam Gottsponer – D3
DR. ANDREW M. BURTON III ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Jordan Marsh – D3
DR. JOHN T. (JACK) CAMP SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Thomas Inman – D4 John Irvin – D2
DELTA DENTAL OF TENNESSEE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Mustafa Alwan – D3 Alexander Hagar – D4 Cameron Togrye – D4 Kathryn Mercer Boyd – D4 Katherine Hughes – D4 David Turpin – D4 Thomas Parker Brown – D3 Chloe Merriwether – D4 Wesley Whisenant – D4
Cory Acosta – D3 Brett Dillard – D2 Chelsea Alsup – D3 Michael Drake – D4
DENTAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND AWARD
BRENT R. CARMONY, M.S., D.D.S., SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT
DENTISTRY STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Austin Wilkie – D4
Phillip Dodson – D4
HAROLD CLOOGMAN, D.D.S. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. WINFIELD C. DUNN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Juliana Fitzgerald – D4 John Murchison – D2
Christopher White – D2
Heath Phillips – D3 Spencer Warren – D4
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E. MAC EDINGTON, JR., D.D.S. AND LINDA KAY EDINGTON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Jia Hong – D2
WILLIAM J. EELLS, D.D.S. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Evan Davis – D2 Jackson Lowery – D2
ELIZABETH CLUB SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Leah Efird – D4
DR. R.O. AND FANNIE B. FORD SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Frank Griffin – D1
DR. KENNETH L. FRAME AND SARA JO FRAME-MAZUR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. GERALD R. KARR FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD John Law – D2 Allison Wright – D2
DR. W.C. ‘DUB’ LADY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD David Pencarinha – D4 Eliza Taylor – D1
LEADING WITH GOOD HANDS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Julie Nessler – D4
DR. AND MRS. DAVID LIBBY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Taylor Rogers – D3
Kathryn Mercer Boyd – D4 Jackson Petty – D4
DR. MATONE FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
HELEN FLANAGAN FRY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. MCCORD FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Matthew Phillips – D1 Garrett Salansky – D3
DEAN JAMES T. GINN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD John Pickering – D4
DR. JOSEPH W. GRAHAM, SR. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Joyce Lee – D3 Candace Windle – D3
GUTHRIE FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Juliana Fitzgerald – D4 David Pencarinha – D4
DR. AND MRS. F. PAYNE & DR. MARK HARDISON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD David Howe – D3
Michael Drake – D4
Lindsey Cash – D1
O. D. AND RUTH MCKEE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Tim Call – D2 Jordan Gall – D1
WILL MCPHERSON, D.D.S., ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Sarah Beazley – D3
DRS. JOE AND CHRIS MILLER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Betsy Henson – D2
DR. JOE AND PAT MOSIER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Caroline Litty – D3
DR. EARL O. HENRY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
BEVERLY AND DR. TOM NASH SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
THOMAS P. HINMAN MEETING SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. AND MRS. THOMAS ONSTOTT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Abraham Kim – D4
Taylor Rogers – D3 Kaitlyn Walker – D3
DR. AND MRS. NORRIS HOWELL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Nakita Riley – D4
JOSEPHINE CIRCLE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Kathryn Mercer Boyd – D4 Britta Ristau – D4 20
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Lance Myers – D2
Granite Dervishi – D2
DR. MALCOLM OVERBEY STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD Thuong Huynh – D3 Cindy Loyola – D3
DR. MAURICE E. PETROVSKY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Kathyrn Mercer Boyd – D4
REDWINE-MITCHELL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DR. ROBERT N. WILSON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
SECOND DISTRICT DENTAL SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIP
XI PSI PHI FRATERNITY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Dylan Qualls – D3 Dwight Sexton – D3
Justin Dinsmore – D4 Jenny Tran – D4
SINQUEFIELD FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Isaac Carroccio – D3 Jacob Mitchell – D1 Bryan Shannon – D2
Thomas Inman – D4
DENTAL HYGIENE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Mary Alice Gaston Scholarship
Kyle Franklin – D4
Kelly Notestine
SHANNON SLAGLE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Barbara Aneil Young Scholarship
Donald Mauney – D4 Spencer Regelson – D3
DR. ROY M. SMITH SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Chloe Merriwether – D4
DR. BUFORD AND LYNDA SUFFRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Ann Marie Currie – D2
TENNESSEE DENTAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Thomas Butler – D2
CECILY W. TIPTON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Leah Efird – D4 Chase McKinney – D2 Victoria Lansdale – D2 Allison Wright – D2
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S ANDY HOLT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Ravi Patel – D1 Allison Poget – D3 Sarah Alouani – D2 Wesley Whisenant – D4
DR. AND MRS. THOMAS N. WEEMS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Denisse Breton Guerrero – D3 Colby Inboden – D4 Jeremy DeRose – D3 Kayla Jones – D3 Jasmine Hailey – D3 Kelsey Korb – D4 Ariel Idiare – D4 Sarah Taddia – D4
Carly Yoho Tenisha Edmondson Amanda Carter Amani Marshall
COMMENCEMENT AWARDS William F. Slagle Faculty Medal Endowment Dr. David Turpin
FACULTY AWARDS Bowyer Faculty Awards
Dr. Jegdish Babu Dr. Daranee Versluis
John S. Diggs Nelson Graduate Faculty Enrichment Award Dr. Wanda Claro Dr. Lynn Russell
Charles Edrington Faculty Award Dr. George Martin
Samuel H. Hardison Faculty Award Dr. Michael McBride
Carl Don and Glenda Mabry Faculty Award Dr. Patricia Dingeldein
Kirby and Pat Walker Faculty Enrichment Award
Dr. Audrey Selecman
Hinman Faculty Fellowship Awards Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Mustafa Dabbous Courtney Sievers Harry Cosby Audrey Selecman James Simon
Distinguished Faculty Award Dr. Edwin Thomas
UTHSC COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY | WINTER 2021
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Committee Working to Enhance Recruitment of Underrepresented Students In 2018, Dean Ragain created the Moving Forward Committee with the goal of enhancing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in the College of Dentistry. The Moving Forward Committee recognizes that a fundamental aspect of achieving this goal begins with providing exposure to the dental profession, as well as resources and guidance for students from socioeconomically and educationally disadvantaged communities, who have yet to see a path to a career in dentistry. As the chair of the committee, I have worked closely with our subcommittees to put in motion ideas designed to achieve these objectives. Some of these initiatives include: • Working in conjunction with UTHSC’s Pre-Health Scholars Program (formally known as the Tennessee Institute for Pre-professionals program) to develop relationships with undergraduate students interested in dentistry • Launching a mentoring program for prospective students by working closely with pre-health advisers at undergraduate institutions • Funding on-campus experiences with current dental students for competitive applicants • Creating student-led outreach opportunities for young people to provide an introduction to the dental profession We are excited about where the committee is headed with our programs and we look forward to keeping you updated on our progress. If you are interested in learning more about these initiatives, please contact me at smctavou@uthsc.edu. Syreeta T. McTavous, DDS Chair, Moving Forward Committee Assistant Professor UTHSC College of Dentistry Department of General Dentistry
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White Coats for Black Lives Demonstration Held at UTHSC Several hundred students, physicians, health care and hospital workers, and community supporters gathered at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at noon on June 5 for a display of solidarity themed “White Coats for Black Lives.” The demonstration was organized by UTHSC medical students and residents and the Bluff City Medical Society and included participants from across the colleges at UTHSC. It began with the crowd kneeling silently for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate the time George Floyd was pinned down by police and unable to breathe before he died on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. “That 8 minutes seemed like a long time, but it was a lifetime,” observed Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer for UTHSC, in welcoming the group to campus. “Today, you have begun the fight toward the biggest health pandemic of our lifetime, which is racism,” said Keith Norman, vice president of Government Affairs for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “Racism is a public health crisis. Give yourself a hand for being a part of the solution.” He led the gathering in a prayer. “I pray you will turn to your faith and allow your faith to lead you,” he said. “We may not have the same practice of faith, but we all believe racism is wrong and what we witnessed 11 days ago must be stopped.” LaTonya Washington, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAP, FACP, FHM, president of the Bluff City Medical Society said, she was encouraged to see the diversity of the crowd. “This is the beginning,” she added. “Our work has just begun. So, this is a call to action. If you see injustices, please stand up, say something and call it out. There is no way we can overcome this alone.”
People are looking for change, said Elizabeth Clayton, a second-year medical student. “We have to break down institutional racism that exists through prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors in our justice system, health care system, educational system, and all forms of media,” she said. “This does not stop at this protest. We must continue to examine our own hearts and minds. We must continue to hold each other accountable and continue to have uncomfortable conversations, if we’re to create new systems that benefit everyone.”
Uncomfortable Conversations The work by students and across the colleges and the university over the summer did not stop with the protest. Students launched “Uncomfortable Conversations” a summer-long anti-racism series for UTHSC students and faculty. The “Uncomfortable Conversations” series had a total of six sessions. They included the following topics of discussion: Privilege and Implicit Bias; Systemic Racism and the Justice System; Housing Discrimination and its Lasting Effects on the Black Community; an Intersectional Conversation with UTHSC Unite, a resource organization on campus concerned with improving the visibility, strength, and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) students and initiatives on campus; and Racism in Health Care. Goals for the series moving forward include publishing the curriculum, so that materials are focused on the disparities seen within specific communities and campuses. The first series was focused on the Memphis community, and will be updated to reflect the Chattanooga and Knoxville community.
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Outstanding Alumni Honored by CoD Alumni Association The College of Dentistry Alumni Association annually recognizes outstanding alumni with its top awards. Dr. Terryl Propper and dental hygienist Lt. Demario Walls will be recognized in a virtual ceremony in March.
Outstanding Alumni Award Terryl A. Propper, DDS, MS
of the ADA’s speaker bureau. While working at the ADA, Dr. Propper gave lectures across the U.S. and Canada and founded the award-winning ADA Marketing newsletter, Dynamic Dental Strategies.
Terryl A. Propper, DDS, MS, is a 1982 graduate of the College of Dentistry at UTHSC and the first female president of the Tennessee Dental Association (TDA) in its 153-year history. She is known as a trailblazer, an innovator, a visionary, and a change agent. During her time as president (2019-2020), she made positive changes to meet the evolving demographics and the needs of members across the state. Through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked to advocate for dentists in the state and led the association through its first steps toward recovery.
Dr. Propper has represented both the TDA and her specialty in a variety of leadership roles in local, state, and national associations. She has served in every leadership capacity of the Nashville Dental Society, and was elected president in 2001, the second female to hold that office in 50 years. In 2016, Dr. Propper served as president of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). She originated and chaired the successful fund-raising initiative among UTHSC CoD alumni for a Special Needs Clinic and has generously supported the department of endodontics. She places great value on the role that UTHSC has played in her life and her personal and career success. In 2019, she was the White Coat speaker and left the students with the message: Treat patients well and act in an ethical and professional manner. Success will follow.
She started her career in Knoxville and Alcoa, Tennessee, as a general dentist before being selected a 1986 ADA Hillenbrand Fellowship Finalist. She is a former assistant director of marketing for the ADA and former member
As a TDA life member, Dr. Propper has received numerous awards for leadership and accomplishments in her field. She has been awarded the TDA fellowship and CE award; the Nashville Dental Society Richard Sullivan Award; the AAE President’s award and the Spirit of Service Award; the Lucy Hobbs Project, Women to Watch award; the Tulane University Bea Fields award. Dr. Propper sits on the board of directors of the Nashville Dental Society and is a member of the TDA Board of Trustees, the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the Tulane Alumni Association Board, the UT Dental Alumni Board, and a past chairman of the board of the Interfaith Dental Clinic. She served as CEO of Endodontic Associates, a three- location, eight-doctor practice in Nashville. She retired from that practice in 2018, after 30 years. Dr. Propper lives in Nashville. She is the co-founder of Endodontic Practice Partners (EPP), headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, where she serves as the Chief Dental Officer. The company has created a hybrid partnership model that brings best clinical and business practices in endodontics from across the U.S. to individual practitioners.
Distinguished Service Award Lt. Demario Walls, MDH, RDH Lt. Demario Walls, MDH, RDH, did not like going to the dentist as a child. Today, he’s a dental hygienist determined to make sure other children and adults feel differently. “I vowed to make those visits more enjoyable for children in the future,” he said. “Later in life, what really piqued my interest in the profession was the direct patient care that dental hygienists provided and the instant satisfaction that patients felt after their visit. It was the perfect fit.” To achieve this goal, he knew he would have to go beyond an entry-level degree. In 2014, he received a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree from the University of Mississippi. He earned a Master of Dental Hygiene degree from UTHSC in 2017. “I chose to attend UTHSC because of the admiration I had for my instructors in undergrad,” he said. “All of them had
degrees from UTHSC, and I wanted to be like them. I knew that an education from there would be a valuable experience.” Lt. Walls began working in private practice while completing his degree at UTHSC. However, he always felt that public health was his life’s work. He was commissioned in the United States Public Health Service in 2016. He is now a regulatory officer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, protecting the public by ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs. He has been on countless deployments nationally and internationally, where he has provided dental hygiene services to underserved communities. He has also given dental hygiene lectures aboard the USNS Comfort (a hospital ship). Lt. Walls is active in several organizations, including the Commissioned Officers Association, the Public Health Service Ensemble, the PHS Dental Hygienist Professional Association Group, and the American Dental Hygienists Association. He also serves as the treasurer for the Memphis Dental Hygienists’ Association and was recently appointed treasurer for the Tennessee Dental Hygienists’ Association. His accolades include the Global Response Service Award and the Global Health Campaign Medal for his work internationally in dentistry. Lt. Walls credits UTHSC for helping him achieve success. “Because of the education that I received at UTHSC, I am equipped to continue advancing in the profession of dental hygiene,” he said.
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College of Dentistry Grateful for Philanthropic Donations Received Throughout the Year The College of Dentistry is honored and grateful to have been the beneficiary of several philanthropic donations throughout the year. Philanthropic donations from university partners are vital to advancing the college’s missions in research, clinical care, education, and public service. The Tennessee Dental Association Foundation has been a consistent partner, and this year gifted the College of Dentistry with $16,000 to support student research. These funds allow dentistry students to pursue research interests and provide stipends for students to explore research projects along with their academic requirements. The TDA also voted this year to begin funding an annual faculty award. The award will be presented by Dean Ragain to a faculty member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in educating students, as well as in service to the college. Through the generosity of several alumni, the College of Dentistry has been able to provide student scholarships to lessen the debt of its students upon graduation. One of those generous alumni is Edward Hochhauser, DDS, (CoD ’82), and president of American Family Dentistry. In 2014, Dr. Hochhauser was a leader in creating and establishing the American Family Dentistry Scholarship through the American Dental Partners Foundation. Since then, the scholarship has continued to benefit dentistry students in the college. The college’s largest donor is Delta Dental of Tennessee, and this year it continued its financial support toward the College of Dentistry’s mission with several donations that have positively impacted the college’s ability to provide care during the pandemic. Earlier this year, Delta Dental of Tennessee gave the college $316,000 to replace equipment. When COVID-19 became classified as pandemic, Delta Dental of Tennessee gifted the college with $207,000, and again with an additional $250,000 as the pandemic continued, to purchase equipment designed to limit transmission of the virus, including sterilization equipment, so that the college could continue operation of its clinics throughout the pandemic. Delta Dental of Tennessee also donated $50,000 toward UTHSC’s COVID-19 testing initiatives.
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Alumnus Dr. Edward Hochhauser (CoD ’82), at left with Dean Ragain, is a generous supporter of the college.
2021 Slagle Meeting: Same Focus, Different Venue For the past 25 years, the William F. Slagle Dental Meeting has been held annually in Memphis, offering continuing education, entertainment, and camaraderie for dentists, hygienists, and assistants. However, with rising concerns around COVID-19 and the safety of attendees, the Slagle Committee decided to host the 2021 meeting March 5–7 virtually. This is a great time for the entire dental team to stay safe at home and earn up to 9 CE credit hours for free. Each day, from 8:30 – 11:30 am, attendees will have the chance to hear from outstanding speakers on topics relevant to dentistry.
The mission of the William F. Slagle Dental Meeting is to advance the delivery of quality dental care by providing the dental team with a premier educational opportunity. The William F. Slagle Dental Meeting is sponsored by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry and the College of Dentistry Alumni Association. Make plans to register for the Slagle 2021 Virtual Experience: Leading Dentistry Through Uncharted Territory! Register at slagledentalmeeting.com For more information, contact the Office of Continuing Dental Education at utcde@uthsc.edu or call 901.448.5386.
Dr. Walter and Lynne Fain have made a generous contribution to the CoD’s effort to expand its clinical footprint across Tennessee.
Walter and Lynne Fain Dental Center to Open in Knoxville Dr. Walter and Lynne Fain have made a major gift of $1 million to help the UTHSC College of Dentistry launch a dental training center in Knoxville. Dr. Fain recalls that in the fall of 2019 at a UT football game reception, Dean Ragain shared his vision for the UTHSC College of Dentistry. Since becoming dean, he has stated his desire to meet the oral health needs of Tennesseans, as the population increases. In addressing this issue, the college has a plan to increase the size of future dental and dental hygiene classes. The college currently trains dental health care providers in Memphis, Union City, Nashville, Bristol, and Chattanooga. The increase in class size will require additional clinical training sites. The college’s strategic plan is to place clinics across the state to help address the needs of those with limited access to dental care. After hearing of this strategy, the couple decided to make the generous gift toward the Knoxville site, which is the first step in a larger plan. “The initial plan for the Knoxville training site is to establish a senior dental student clinical rotational site, followed by an Advanced Education in General Dentistry program,” Dean Ragain said. “Ultimately, we plan to provide a facility, where approximately 40 dental students will complete their last two years of dental school in Knoxville. “The seed gift provided by Dr. Walter and Lynne Fain is greatly appreciated and will significantly impact the college’s ability to achieve these objectives,” the dean continued. “The facility will be named the Walter and Lynne Fain Dental Center in honor of their generosity and will serve as a testament to their commitment to the UTHSC 28
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College of Dentistry. Walter and Lynne have made significant contributions to the community, and we are honored to have them as alumni. With alumni support, we look forward to launching additional sites around the state.” Walter and Lynne Fain graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Walter graduated from the UT College of Dentistry in 1970. He has been in private practice in Knoxville for the last 50 years. Mentors early in his life included Dr. Frank Bowyer, ADA president and UT Trustee; Dr. Russell Ford, member of the Board of Dentistry; and Dr. Ed Boling, UT President. These role models took the time to help him find his path in the dental profession and to appreciate the importance of supporting others in their learning experiences. Lynne has served as president of the UT Alumni Association and has chaired the UT Alumni Past President’s Council. She is currently a member of UT President Randy Boyd’s President’s Council. Walter serves on the Board of the Tennessee Dental Association and is vice-president for East Tennessee. He is also a member of the House of Delegates for the American Dental Association. A UTHSC learning center for dental education in Knoxville could partner with area dentists and the nationally recognized Second District Dental Society to provide a strong future for dentistry in East Tennessee. “I realized I could make a difference and move this initiative forward,” Dr. Fain said. “What would be more fitting than to return something to a profession I have enjoyed for 50 years and to the community where I have always lived. Practicing dentistry in Knoxville is not just what I do, it is who I am.”
CE Course to Dental Auxiliary Continues to Offer Knowledge During Pandemic The College of Dentistry’s continuing education course, Expanded Functions for the Dental Auxiliary (EFDA), has continued to increase the knowledge of the dental auxiliary team during the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 goal was to increase the EFDA restorative course to 210 participants and the EFDA prosthetic course to 40, doubling the number of participants enrolled in the continuing education course. As plans were set to increase the course size and the first class of the year had started, the course was canceled due to the growing concerns over COVID-19. As months went by and concerns over whether the course would be able to resume built, the EFDA program was granted approval to continue with limitations. “As COVID has affected all aspects of teaching, EFDA has had to adapt as well...from classes of 35, to classes of 10 for socially distancing, to “touchless“ grading systems, and remote (Zoom) lectures,” said Jerry McKinney, DDS, EFDA program director and associate professor in General Dentistry. “The new normal has required us to be flexible and think outside the box.”
The EFDA course trains dental hygienists and assistants to perform certain procedures currently done by licensed dentists. This includes some restorative and prosthetic functions, including placement of fillings, temporaries for crowns, and making impressions for various fixed and removable dental procedures. Since the continuing education course began in 2006, it has been in great demand among dental hygienists and dental assistants. The CE office has qualified 1,023 dental assistants and hygienists, and even with COVID-19 restrictions, 62 have earned their certifications. “Despite the pandemic, the CE office is motivated to continue our mission of providing lifelong learning opportunities to dental health care professionals and helping the college reach its goal by meeting the dental needs of the community,” said Lynne Moore, MPA, director of the Office of Continuing Dental Education. The restorative and prosthetics EFDA courses are open to all dental hygienists and registered dental assistants currently licensed with the Tennessee Board of Dentistry and with a minimum of two years of continuous full-time employment within the past three years in a dental practice as a practicing dental assistant or hygienist. For more information on the EFDA course, please contact the College of Dentistry’s Office of Continuing Dental Education at edfacod@uthsc.edu or 901.448.5386.
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Choose UTHSC CoD for Continuing Dental Education 2021 SPRING COURSE CALENDAR MARCH 1–4 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Restorative Class 1 (week 3 of 3)
MAY 3–6 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Prosthetic Class 2 (week 1 of 2)
5-7 The William F. Slagle Dental Meeting (virtual)
7–8 Administering Nitrous Oxide for the Dental Hygienist
12 and 15–18 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Restorative Class 2 (week 1 of 3)
8 Monitoring Nitrous Oxide for the Dental Assistant
26 and March 29 – April 1 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Restorative Class 2 (week 2 of 3) APRIL 16 and 19–22 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Restorative Class 2 (week 3 of 3)
14–15 Administering Local Anesthesia for the Dental Hygienist 17–20 Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliary – Prosthetic Class 2 (week 2 of 2)
Course dates are subject to change. Please check our website for updates at uthsc.edu/dentistry/CE
Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone! Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs. Your gift in any amount will make a difference. Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society! For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.
Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516
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2020-21 Officers of the College of Dentistry Alumni Association Board of Trustees PRESIDENT Joseph Safirstein, DDS 1999
SLAGLE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE CHAIR Chip Trammell, DDS 2012
PAST PRESIDENT C. L. “Leeby” Greenblatt, DDS 1967
STUDENT RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Hank McKay, DDS 1990
CLINICS AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE CHAIR Rick Guthrie, DDS 1987
PRESIDENT-ELECT William Powell, III, DDS 1967
FACULTY AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE CHAIR Stan Young, DDS 1984
DEAN James Ragain, DDS, MS, PhD, FICD, FACD 1984
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE CHAIR Fred Heros, DDS 1975
Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind? With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear
Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s more than 50 years of dedication to UTHSC as a student, faculty member, and administrator are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors. For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.
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THANK YOU to Our Legacy Society Members! Dr. and Mrs. Danny Adkins
Estate of Dr. John S. Nelson
Dr. Ruth Bailey
Estate of Percy Nordlinger
Dr. and Mrs. J. Newsom Baker
Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Andrew O’Rourke
Dr. and Mrs. David E. Barto
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Overbey, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Gregory L. Boston
Dr. and Mrs. Tommy W. Page
Estate of Gladys C. Bowyer
Dr. and Mrs. Rush Abbott Peace
Dr. William R. Breeding
Estate of Maurice E. Petrovsky
Dr. Carl F. Brown, Jr.* and Mrs. Linda Meltzer Brown
Dr. and Mrs. James M. Pyle, III
Estate of John T. Camp
Dr. and Mrs. Morris Robbins
Estate of Harold Cloogman
Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Rockefeller
Dr. and Mrs. William O. Coley, Jr.
Dr. Alice Roemer-Toarmina
Estate of Lynne Craver
Dr. Judith A. Ross
Dr. Jack N. Denton
Estate of Sam G. Sanders
Dr. and Mrs. Scotty A. Devine
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Sawrie
Estate of Charles Edrington
Estate of Charles A. Scott Jr.
Estate of Dr. Russell O. and Mrs. Fannye Ford
Dr. and Mrs. Millard B. Smith
Mr. Robert C.* and Mrs. Maud Fox
Estate of Dr. Roy M. Smith
Dr. John A. Gholson III
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Frederic Starck
Drs. Joe C. and Barbara Harris
Dr. Robert C. Stetzel, Jr.
Estate of Robert Henderson
Dr. and Mrs. Buford J. Suffridge, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Fred C. Heros
Estate of Dr. Mary Beth Throneberry
Dr. and Mrs. J. L. Hochstedler
Dr. James L. Vaden
Estate of Billy S. Howard
Dr. and Mrs. William Thomas Veal, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. James H. Hutson, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Kirby P. Walker, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Brett J. Jaffrey
Dr. William Earl Webb
Dr. J. Dale and Mrs. Rebecca S. Kennedy
Estate of Dr. Faustin Weber
Estate of Dr. Lawrence Tennyson Kennedy, Jr.
Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas N. Weems
Dr. Sarah E. Martin
Dr. Rosie Richmond Whalum
Estate of Wayne L. McCulley
Ms. L. Adine Wheeler
Dr. and Mrs. James W. McDaniel
Dr. and Mrs. Martin C. Wilhelm
Dr. and Mrs. John W. McElhiney
Dr. and Mrs. Gary D. Wilhoit
Estate of Dr. James P. McLemore, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Michael D. Wooten
Estate of R. Gary Moser
Estate of Richard Workman
Estate of Sam D. Mount
Estate of Frances Farr Young
*Deceased
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POINT OF PRIDE!
Everyone who passes the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Dunlap Street, Memphis, can now see UTHSC’s pride in being part of the UT System of academic institutions displayed in 35-foot bright orange and white letters.
UTHSC has one of several murals in the system’s “Everywhere you Look, UT” awareness campaign. The campaign emphasizes the statewide reach and impact of the UT System’s contributions through a series of murals proclaiming those words and located in prominent spots across Tennessee that have been donated by friends and alumni of UT.
In addition to showcasing the UT System, the Memphis mural calls attention to UTHSC’s status as the state’s public, academic health care institution, responsible for educating and training a majority of Tennessee’s health professionals, dentists, pharmacists, physicians, and doctorally prepared nurses. For more information about the “Everywhere You Look, UT” campaign or to submit recommendations for future sites, please visit everywhere.tennessee.edu/murals.
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026 Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
2021 GOLDEN GRADUATE HOMECOMING SAVE THE DATES October 20-23, 2021 | Memphis, TN Honoring the graduates of 1970 and 1971 from all six UTHSC Colleges The Office of Alumni Affairs recognizes the importance of celebrating with your classmates at the Golden Graduate Homecoming in October. We are excited and working diligently to plan an event that is safe and enjoyable for you. Due to uncertainties related to COVID-19, we are unable to predict circumstances that could occur in the future. Our goal is to ensure the safety and health of all alumni and their families. However, changes to our plans may become necessary. Please save the dates in October and watch for updates as we continue the planning process. For more information, contact Nahosha Braziel-Adams in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at nbraziel@utfi.org, 901.448.4959, or visit www.alumni.uthsc.edu.