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Upcoming Continuing Dental Education Courses
December 15-17, 2003 (Monday-Wednesday)
Local Anesthesia for Dental HygienistsInstructors: Prof. WendyKerschbaum, KarenRidley,
ChristineKlausner
Thiscourse, whichincludes15hoursof classroominstructionand14hoursof clinical training,introducesdental hygieniststotheessential skillsandknowledgefor safeandeffectiveadministrationof local anesthesia. Participantsworkingroupsof threeandwill administerlocal anesthesiaoneachother.
January 14, 2004 (Wednesday)
Kenneth J. Ryan, DDS Memorial Seminar:
Maximizing Your Artistic Talent in Esthetic Dentistry and the Interdisciplinary Approach
Instructor: RonaldGoldstein, DDS
Themorningsectionof thistwo-part coursewill focusonperfectingtheartisticsideof dentistry. Thispresentationwill deal withvisualization, oneof theimportant elementsinimprovingestheticrestorations. Theafternoonsectionwill offer guidelinesonwaystoobtainthebest estheticresults, includingprofileconsiderations.
February 7, 2004 (Saturday)
Associateships and Practice Buy-Ins: A Course for
Established and New Dentists
Instructor: Darrell W. Cain, CPA
Whether you’reanestablisheddentist consideringhiringanassociateor thinkingabout sellingyour practice…or if you’reanewdentist who’sthinkingabout becominganassociateorpurchasingapractice…thiscourseisfor you. Darrell W. Cain, president of acertifiedpublicaccountingfirmwhohasnegotiatedthesaleof over 400dental practices, will describetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof associateshipsvs. buy-insandalsoprovidepractical adviceonhowtominimizethetaxburdenfor bothbuyer andseller.
For moreinformationabout theseandother
continuingdental educationcourses, contact:
Universityof MichiganSchool of Dentistry
Officeof ContinuingDental Education
1011N. UniversityRoomG508AnnArbor, MI 48109-1078Phone: (734) 763-5070Fax: (734) 936-3065www.dent.umich.edu
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DentalUM Fall 2003 1
DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the
University o Michigan School o Dentistry, Oce o AlumniRelations and Continuing Dental Education.
Mail letters and updates to: J erry Mastey, Editor, School o Dentistry, Room 1209, 1011 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor,
MI 48109-1078. Or you may send your letters and updatesvia email to: [email protected].
Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter PolveriniDirector o External Relations andContinuing Dental Education . . . . . . . Richard Fetchiet
Writer & Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry MasteyDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris JungPhotography . . . . . . . Per H. Kjeldsen, Keary Campbell
Member publication o the AmericanAssociation o Dental Editors
The Regents o the University:David A. Brandon, Laurence B. Deitch, Olivia P. Maynard,
Rebecca McGowan, Andrea Fischer Newman, AndrewC. Richner, S. Martin Taylor, Katherine E. White, Mary SueColeman, ex ocio.
University o Michigan School o DentistryAlumni Society Board o Governors
Terms Expire 2003:
Kamal Asgar, ‘59, Park Ridge, NJWilliam J. Costello, ‘70, East Lansing, MI (Chairman)Susan Carron, ‘77, Farmington Hills, MI
Anne Diederich Gwozdek, DH ‘73, Ann Arbor, MI Terry Timm, ‘71, Saline, MI
Terms Expire 2004:Joseph T. Barss, ‘80, Chicago, IL
Eli Berger, ‘57, ‘61, Birmingham, MIWilliam E. Brownscombe, ‘74, St. Clair Shores, MI
Janet Cook, DH ‘81, Whitmore Lake, MI Thomas P. Osborn, ‘68, Bloomeld Hills, MI
Ex Ocio Members:Steve C. Graton, Executive Director, Alumni Association
Richard Fetchiet, Director o External Relations andContinuing Dental Education
Thomas C. Pink, ’69, Alumni Association Liaison
Peter Polverini, Dean
The Univer sity o Michi gan, as an equal oppor tunit y/armative action employer, complies with all applicableederal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and
airmative action, including Title IX o the EducationAmendments o 1972 and Section 504 o the RehabilitationAct o 1973. The University o Michigan is committed to
a policy o nondiscrimination and equal opportunity orall persons regardless o race, sex, color, religion, creed,
national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexualorientation, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status inemployment, educational programs and activities, andadmissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed
to the Senior Director or Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Oce or Institutional Equity,2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
48109-1432. (734) 763-0235, T.T.Y. (734) 747-1388. Forother University o Michigan inormation, call (734) 764-1817.
DentalUMFall 2003 Volume 19, Number 2
It’s Great to be
Back at MichiganIt’s great to be back at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
As you know, I was a department chair here prior to becoming dean
at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.
What I learned and experienced…in both roles and at both schools…
has reafrmed in my mind that the University of Michigan School of
Dentistry is among the nation’s, if not the world’s, premier dental schools
whose faculty, staff, and students are rich with ideas and deep in talent.
Returning to Michigan is an opportunity to be in a world-class
academic institution where there is freedom to be creative at a level not
possible elsewhere.
I am committed to maintaining…and more importantly, advancing…
that hard-earned and well-respected position.
That reputation was a major reason for my decision to return. It’s not
often one is offered an opportunity to lead a dental school with a 128-year
history of greatness.
Indeed, as I learned during the three years I was away from Ann
Arbor, there is something to be said about absence making the heart grow
fonder. When combined with being closer to family, the lure of Michigan
was simply irresistible.
In conversations with faculty, staff, students, alumni, University
ofcials, and others prior to becoming dean on June 1, I came to appreciate,
even more, the breadth and depth of talent that is here.
It’s not just at the School of Dentistry. It’s elsewhere – at other
University of Michigan schools and colleges, throughout Ann Arbor,
across the state, and among our alumni. This is truly is a resource-rich
environment.
I will continue to build upon the foundation that has made ours the
great School it is.
Sincerely,
Peter Polverini, Dean
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DentalUM Fall 20032
COVER STORY
FEATURES
In This Issue
4 Dr. Peter Polverini Assumes Deanship
The new Dean o the School o Dentistry, Dr. Peter Polverini, has been busy
since assuming his new job June 1. In an interview he talked about his rstweeks back, what he would like to achieve, and who some o his mentors
were that helped him to reach his current level o success.
32 Major Renovations Underway
Never have there been as many simultaneous renovation projects underway
in the history o the School o Dentistry as there are now. One majorrenovation project recently ended. However, our others continue.
37 Faculty Prole – Dr. Jacques Nör
He didn’t know he graduated at the top o his dental class until seven yearsater earning his dental degree. A successul researcher, clinician, teacher,
and mentor at the University o Michigan School o Dentistry, Dr. JacquesNör admits his journey rom Brazil to the U.S. has been amazing and that
“I’ve been lucky to nd the right people here at Michigan.”
47 Interesting Interests
Talk to aculty and sta at the School o Dentistry, or visit them at their oceor at a clinic, and you learn about an interesting hobby or pursuit that they
have. In some instances, the activity parallels a career. However, some areengaged in activities away rom the School that have no connection to their
proessional roles.
51 Graduation Day
32
37
4
12 Hall o Honor UnveiledThe School o Dentistry unveiled its Hall o Honor at a gala celebration on
September 4th as a part o homecoming weekend. Eighteen individualsonce aliated with the School were posthumously inducted during
ceremonies attended by amily, riends, and colleagues o those honored.
Design by Chris Jung. Photo by Per Kjeldsen.
16 - The Honored 18
In alphabetical order (by last name) are the rst 18 individuals that wereinducted into the School o Dentistry’s Hall o Honor. A plaque with the
head and shoulder image o each person, their post-graduate degrees,and a short narrative describing his or her achievements are provided.
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DEPARTMENTS
Fall 2003
60 Alumnus Prole – Dr. William MaasAs president o the dental class o 1973, William Maas challengedclassmates to develop a personal or proessional statement o purpose so they would nd themselves providing oral health care in
a system shaped with their input. Since then, Dr. Maas has been apart o the team that prepared the rst Surgeon General’s report
about oral health in America and has also been commended or hisdedication to improving the oral health o the nation and reducing
oral health disparities.
60
70
47
51
12 Alumni Relations & Development
12 - Hall o Honor & Other Homecoming Weekend Activities29 - West Preclinic Renovations Proceeding
30 - The Fundamentals o Eective Git Planning
43 Faculty News
57 Dental Hygiene
66 Department Report:
Biologic and Materials Sciences
70 Research
70 - U-M Dental Students Win 40% o AADR Research Fellowships
It’s about as rare as a major league baseball player with a .400batting average. Collectively, U-M School o Dentistry studentsbatted .409 when nine won 22 research ellowships rom the
American Association or Dental Research.
70 – School o Dentistry #6 Nationally in NIH Awards
72 - D1 Student’s Clinical Research Wins Award
Sara Kellogg wasn’t even a student at the U-M School o Dentistry when she won rst place or her dental research.
She competed against 200 others and won a top award or her
poster presentation on hypertension.73 – Do Bones Support and Spread One Type o Cancer?
School o Dentistry researcher, Dr. Abraham Schneider, recipiento the Dziewiatkowski Award , is seeking answers to that
question.
75 School News
82 Alumni News
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DentalUM Fall 20034
“I’m excited about theopportunitiesand the potential thisSchool has tobe even better.”
“I’m excited about theopportunities
and the potential thisSchool has tobe even better.”
Question: Can you give Dental UM readers an idea o what your frst
our weeks as dean have been like? What are some o the issues you’ve
been dealing with since your frst ull day on the job June 2nd?
Answer: I’d say the rst four weeks have been a time of reacquainting myself
with the University and faculty, and how the School functions at such a highlevel on a day-to-day basis; that is, understanding how this institution really
works.
Q: Is the reacquainting process dierent as dean?
A: Yes it is. As a faculty member you see things from a somewhat narrow
vantage point. But as a dean, it’s a broad panorama. I’ve become increasingly
impressed with the level of activity and the challenges here, at all levels.
The new Dean of the School of Dentistry, Dr. Peter Polverini, has been
busy since ofcially beginning his job on June 1.
In addition to meetings in his ofce, Polverini has taken time to meet
with faculty in their ofces and clinics, talk to researchers in their labs, and
converse with students.
Four days after becoming dean, he addressed faculty, staff, and studentsin the Kellogg Auditorium discussing a range of issues and answering their
questions.
Several weeks later, he sent an electronic newsletter to faculty, staff, and
students outlining some of his plans. That electronic newsletter, Thought
You’d Be Interested…, was also sent to alumni.
In early July, the new dean took time to answer questions on a range
of subjects including his reasons for returning to Michigan, his short- and
long-range plans for the School, how reductions in state appropriations to the
University might affect the dental school, and new initiatives he would like
to see.
Below is an edited transcript of the interview.
Dr. Peter Polverini AssumesOf and
Q&A
4
~~
P e r K
j e l d s e n
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Q: You were a department chair here in the
Department o Oral Medicine, Pathology, and
Oncology, and then named dean at the School
o Dentistry in Minnesota. Why did you want
to return to Michigan, this time as dean o the
School o Dentistry?
A: I felt Michigan offered opportunities that could
be found at few, if any, other dental schools in
the country, such as an opportunity to re-engage
research at a level that I could not at perhaps other
institutions, and an opportunity to be part of an
innovative research and educational program that
is continuing to evolve at this dental school.
I didn’t have to convince faculty of the need
for change here. Change is part and parcel of what
makes this place great. The issue is not that change
should occur, it’s expected. The reason this place
continues to be as good as it is, is because it accepts
change as an opportunity for continued success
rather than as an obstacle to derail programs or
derail ideas.
Q: Do you see that acceptance o change
continuing?
A: Oh yes. Certainly there are going to be some
aspects of change that are going to be perhaps
more difcult than others. But by and large,there always are faculty here that are capable of
engaging in that process. There’s a willingness to
engage change here.
FACULTY AND DECISION MAKING
Q: Were there any major lessons you learned
as dean at Minnesota that surprised you,
compared to being a department chair? How
did those lessons prepare you or this job?
A: I think the one thing I did learn is the value
and the absolute importance of engaging faculty
in the decision making process. The dean’s role
is to make sure the ship is on course and to make
sure that it stays on course. But it’s the faculty
that really drives the process. The one thing I did
learn is that the more you engage faculty, the more
information you share, the greater the likelihood
wise decisions will be made.
Q: How are you engaging the aculty?
A: I do it several ways: through committees and
by getting out and seeing faculty on the clinic oor
as well as in their laboratories. So I actually getout to see them in their place of work.
Q: How oten do you do that?
A: Every week. At least half-a-day a week I will
be out on the clinic oor or in the research tower
talking to faculty and talking to students.
Q: What’s been their reaction?
A: I think they welcome it. You learn things
you don’t learn in a traditional committee-like
structure. You hear things from people that you
normally would not hear. There’s a hierarchy in
any organization, but when you get right down to
the faculty, it’s a wonderful way to learn about
the operation of this institution through their eyes.
Everybody has a different vantage point and sees
things differently. So it’s valuable to see and hear
what other people think.
Deanship at School o Dentistry
“I’ve becomeincreasinglyimpressed wthe level o activity and challenges hat all levels.”
“I rmly beliein empower
people to mdecisions.”
Running...
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MANAGEMENT STYLE
Q: Is there anyting new you’ve learned your
frst our weeks here compared to when you
let as a department chair? Anything taken
you by surprise?
A: There really have been no surprises. Not that
this place is overly predictable. But there certainly
have been no big surprises.
Q: What was your management style as dean
in Minnesota? Will it be the same here?
A: I rmly believe in empowering people to make
decisions. I strongly believe in a decentralized
system, but one in which I engage at every level.
But decentralization doesn’t mean hands-off. What
it means is empowering people to make decisions
and allowing them to make those decisions and,at the same time, to provide a check and balance
in the system.
Q: Is it a tough adjustment returning to
Michigan as dean compared to leaving as a
department chair?
A: It’s difcult in the sense the responsibility
is much more substantial. I put in signicantly
more time daily just doing day-to-day things, and
I haven’t even started re-engaging my research
in a meaningful way yet. So it’s a lot of work.
But I love every minute of it. Nothing I do is
insignicant or unimportant because it’s dealing
with people and therefore you pay attention to the
details. There are a lot of details with this job,
more so than as a department chair.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Q: Given your responsibilities, do you think
that perhaps your research might be one thing
that might have to be pushed o to the side?A: It will no longer be my primary focus. But it
certainly is one vehicle that I use to stay connected
to the scientic community here. It’s the one thing
I do that I enjoy doing. It’s a way I continue to
exercise my intellect at another level compared to
performing the administrative chores I have. I take
it very seriously and it is very competitive. But
once you’ve been in a competitive environment,
it’s hard to back out of it. I won’t be doing research
at the level I used to. But I will be engaged and
I’ll be expected to compete for research funding.
Q: Has there been “a typical day” since you
returned?
A: A typical day is one that begins at 7:00 a.m.
and doesn’t end until 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. Between
meeting faculty, getting out into the clinics,
meeting alumni, it’s the whole package. There’s
something different everyday. So that’s what
makes the job really exciting.
Q: How do you plan to allocate your time
in the weeks and months ahead; that is,
managing, mentoring chairs and aculty, und
raising, your own research, etc.?
A: It’s difcult to put a time frame on eachactivity. I give the time that’s needed. My rst
responsibility is to the faculty, the students, and
the staff of this School. They come rst. After
that, I focus on things that might be in my own
areas of interest.
I will be engaged in the teaching program on
a limited basis. I will be involved in diagnostic
pathology to help relieve some of the burden carried
by junior faculty. And I will be participating in
the research program, but I’ll do that only as time
permits. My rst responsibility is to make sure I’m
at the table at the University level to ensure that
when such decisions are made the dental school is
on the radar screen and that we are able to garner
the resources we need to continue to be successful.
PERCEPTIONS OF DENTAL SCHOOL
Q: During your trips rom Minneapolis to Ann
Arbor to talk to ofcials at the University level,
what were their impressions o the School o
Dentistry? How is the School perceived by theUniversity’s central administrators?
A: There’s no doubt in my mind from the
President, the Provost, and others that they
perceive this as being one of the truly great dental
schools. There are very few schools that have the
breadth and depth of strengths that we have: our
undergraduate program, our outstanding research
program, and our quality postgraduate program,
“The more you engage
aculty, the moreinormation
you share, thegreater the
likelihood wisedecisions will be
made.”
PerKjeldsen
PerKjeldsen
“Change is part and parcel o
what makes thisplace great. …The reason this
place continueso be as good asit is, is because
it acceptschange as an
opportunity or continued
success.”
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DentalUM Fall 2003 7
both PhD and specialty programs in postgraduate
certicate and master’s programs in dentistry.
So there’s no doubt the President and the
Provost realize what an outstanding institution
the School of Dentistry is. The expectations are
that it continue to be what it is, if not be better.
Q: Did they say how much better or suggest
any benchmarks?
A: No, but I think when you’re close to being
in the top three, you don’t have much room to
maneuver. So the thought is they want this to be
looked at as the best dental school in the country.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Q: What are some o your educational
program plans?
A: I think, for example, we can continue to
develop an innovative, creative educational
program that better prepares our students for a
different patient population than what I faced
when I graduated from dental school. This will
involve a population of patients that are older;
that often suffer from multiple chronic diseases;
that demand high quality care, as they should and
most rightly deserve; and that requires students to
be much more skilled in decision making.
They will continue to be excellent dentists.
They will do the quality restorative dentistry this
institution is known for. But the modern dentist is
going to need to be even better prepared in areas
that perhaps have not been a major area of focus,
in this case, diagnosis. We’re in an age where
genomics and proteomics will change how we
live for several generations to come. Our students
understand, better than earlier generations, the
implications of this new knowledge on how it
affects their practice and patients.
Q: How will these concerns aect the
predoctoral, dental hygiene, and other
programs?
A: It means we’re going to have to develop a
curriculum that allows our students to be better
self-learners, that better prepares them to be
continuous learners, and forces them to take
more responsibility for their education, not only as
students but also as graduates and practitioners. I
think the focus will be more and more on decision
making and the complex issues that affect decision
making.
SHORT- AND LONG-TERM GOALS
Q: Do you have any short-term and long-
term priorities? Short-term being six to 18
months and long-term being the next two to
fve years?
A: We’ve always had a quality educational
program. We’ve always had a quality research
program. And we’ve always had a quality patient
care program. Those have always been considered
very strong. Perhaps the linkages between those
programs could be improved.One way I think to bridge those gaps or to
create linkages is by developing a strong clinical
and translational research program in which we
can take to the chairside much of the outstanding
science that is going on here at this institution and
elsewhere and then implement that into our patient
care program through a topight clinical research
agenda.
What I’d like to see is the science we do
translated into better patient care. I think oneway of doing that is by developing a clinical
research program that establishes linkages between
research, education, and patient care.
Q: Will this require an overhaul or major
change or transition with current programs?
A: No, I think the will has always been there.
I think it’s going to require some investment
in individuals, some investment in programs,
and some investment in facilities. We have an
outstanding faculty doing state-of-the-art science
in a 30-year-old facility. So there’s a mismatch.
In order for us to retain our best scientists, in order
for us to continue at the levels we are, this all has
to be done in modern facilities. One of the things
I’m going to be working very hard on during the
next couple years is garnering the resources we
need to rebuild this infrastructure.
“Our alumnishould be ve
proud o thisSchool, not oor the calibeo student it educates, buor the qualiand breadthits aculty an
programs.”
“There’s nodoubt thePresident anthe Provost realize whatoutstandinginstitutionthe School oDentistry is.”
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FUNDING AND TUITION
Q: When you mention investing in individuals,
programs, and acilities, you’re talking
money. Yet the University is acing a cut o
$36 million in state aid next year under the
governor’s budget proposal. Where are new
resources going to come rom?
A: There may have to be some reallocation
of resources. We have to make some difcult
decisions. If you can’t fund everything, what then
are you going to support? What we’re going to
need to do is make some tough decisions. There
will have to be some reallocation. There will
also have to be some reinvestment with private
dollars, as well as, hopefully, some investment
from the University.
Q: When you mention reallocation, are youreerring to paring back programs?
A: Some programs may have to be pared. But
these decisions will have to be made with broad
faculty input.
Q: Has the Provost or anyone at the University
level mentioned how the $36 million cuts in
state aid might aect the School o Dentistry?
A: Certainly my predecessor, Bill Kotowicz,
and the chairs made decisions how they weregoing to deal with these cuts. In some cases, it’s
reduction in open positions, that is, positions not
being lled and reductions in dollars spent on
services. Certainly, any time there are budget
cuts, programs and people are affected.
Q: Will they be across the board?
A: No, not across the board. There have been
strategic cuts. Each department came up with a
list of things that they felt they could live without.
I don’t believe in across the board cuts. You makedecisions and you move on.
Q: On the other side o the coin, will there be
a need to raise tuition?
A: I don’t think a decision has been made yet. But
it may occur. This is a tuition-driven enterprise
in many respects. But I think we can no longer
continue to put the burden on the student’s
shoulders. As an institution we have to look at
other ways of raising revenue.
Q: In what ways?
A: I think of looking at how we do business in
terms of faculty practice. Some changes could
be made there that would allow faculty to be
more productive and, at the same time, enable the
School to both save and garner resources. Also,
research enterprises need to expand well beyond
traditional sources such as NIH. We could look
at industry as a source of dollars to help drive the
scientic engine here.
Q: Pharmaceutical companies? Biotech?
A: Pharmaceutical companies, biotech, dental
manufacturing companies, all those would help.
ENCOURAGING RISK TAKING
Q: When you were here last October to speak
to aculty, sta, and students as one o several
candidates or the dean’s job, you said “I want
to encourage risk taking. People who take risks
are those I truly value.” Can you elaborate on
that comment and how that aects your plans?
A: I was referring to people who are willing to
come up with ideas of new ways of doing things,
someone who’s willing to sit down and say “I
have an idea,” people who are willing to ush
out ideas, to come up with new strategies to do
business differently.
That could mean getting involved in a number
of ways. Someone might say “I might be willing
to talk to this company to invest in our School,”
or “Let’s look at our practice plan, can we do
something differently to attract more faculty or
keep them here,” or “Can our educational program
change to be more creative and challenging?”
Those are all risks because there’s no guarantee
they’re going to work. But if you don’t try them,
you’re never going to get there.
ALUMNI, FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS
Q: Dental UM is read not only by our alumni,
but also by aculty, sta, and students. Is
there anything you would like to say to each
o these groups?
“I would hopeour students
take advantageo every
opportunity they can tobe the best
educated dentists they
can be and to
engage every aspect o theeducational program…”
“I hope staf would look at this place as a
career.”
PerKjeldsen
PerKjeldsen
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DentalUM Fall 2003 9
A: With the alumni, they should be very proud
of this School, not only for the caliber of student
it educates, but for the quality and breadth of
its faculty and programs. The fact is, this place
continues to work hard to be the very best at what it
does. It has not shirked its responsibilities whether
they be educational, scientic, or social. And it
has done it without inching.
This School has really set the bar when it
comes to being the best at what you are and to be
willing to admit that it needs to get better at what
it does. So the alumni should feel that this place
will continue to thrive and get better and that they
will continue to be proud of it. I look at alumni as
a valuable resource and welcome their dialogue.
I want our faculty to make sure that this is a
place where they continue to grow and thrive. It’s
my job to make sure that opportunities continue
to exist for them to be creative. I don’t want
people leaving here because they’re unhappy
or they can’t be successful, but if they do leave
it’s because there are opportunities that we can’t
possibly provide them. We want cases like that
to be few and far between. We want to make this
a place where young people can thrive and grow
and where senior faculty can sustain and grow as
investigators and educators.
For students, this is a once in a lifetime
opportunity. I would hope our students take
advantage of every opportunity they can to be the
best educated dentists they can be and to engage
every aspect of the educational program and to
take some responsibility on themselves for what
they want to do with their lives. I would also
urge them to explore all the opportunities offered,
not only at the dental school, but the rest of this
University. What makes this place great is not
only the people who are here, but also what it’s
surrounded by.
I hope staff would look at this place as a
career, that they have opportunities for input,
and that they have a voice in the decision making
process that affects their lives.
Q: Will the Supreme Court’s rulings on
diversity in June have any impact on the
dental school’s admission policies or
programs?
A: The School’s admissions policy more closely
parallels that of the Law School. We don’t have
quotas. What we do is we look for the best
students that we can. Will it change? No. We
will always go after the best students we can.
PERSONAL MENTORS
Q: Looking back at your career rom where
you started to where you are today, has
there been any one particular person that
you’ve tried to emulate, a person whose
management style or lie has inspired you?
A: There’s probably no one person. But certainly
a number of people during my career that have
played a big role as my mentors.
One was Dr. Ramzi Cotran who recently
passed away. He was the Frank Burr Mallory
professor of pathology and chief of pathology
at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of the
Harvard Medical School in Boston.
He was my graduate mentor and I was his rst
graduate student. Ramzi was very patient with
me and really showed me that once you engaged
in science it became a part of your life. Science
was woven into the fabric of his life. His energy,
his excitement and enthusiasm about science was
something that really stuck with me. He spent the
time nurturing me as a future faculty member.
Along with him, Mike Gimbrone who was
also, at the time when I was one of Ramsey’s
graduate students, an assistant professor. Mike
was one of the real superstars in the eld of
cardiovascular biology which was an area I
worked in, vascular biology. Mike was someone
who, very early in his career, took the time and
was very patient with me.
These two people, during my graduate
studies, really did a lot to infuse the excitement of
science and make it a journey that I would followfor the rest of my career.
The other person was Jerry Shklar who was
my mentor when I was in oral pathology. He was
a person who infused the value of science as a
practitioner of pathology and really demonstrated
the value of integrating science into how I
practiced dentistry then as a pathologist who saw
patients and did diagnostic work.
“We canno longer continue to pthe burden othe student’sshoulders. Aan institutiowe have tolook at otheways o raisi
revenue.”
“I want our aculty to msure that thia place whe
they continuto grow andthrive.”
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DentalUM Fall 200310
He was that wonderful bridge between
the clinical and diagnostic part and the basic
research that I did. He did a lot to bridge that
gap between the research and the practice of
dentistry. He was a guy who would give you
the shirt off his back. He treated me as much
as a son as anything else. He treated all his
graduate students that way.
Another person I remember, as my
department chair, was Dan Scarpelli, who was
chair of pathology at Northwestern University.
He was a guy who, when I was working hard to
get promoted and things weren’t looking good,
stuck with me. I was working very hard to get
my grant. It was at the eleventh hour when I
nally got my grant funding from NIH. All his
hard work paid off. It was through him that I
understood the value of investing in a faculty
member, as he invested in me. Whereas others
might not have wanted me to continue in the
tenure track, he continually fought for me. As
it turned out, I like to think that his investment
paid off.
Those are the people I look at academically.
And of course, I can’t forget my wife because
she’s put up with my travels and has fully
supported whatever decision I’ve made. She
and my children have been very supportive.
So all have a lot to do with where I am
today, either because of the personal sacrices
they’ve made on my behalf, or the attention they
gave me as I was growing up in the system, the
real care they demonstrated, and their desire to
want me to be successful. In the end, it really
boils down to the big “M” word, “mentoring.”
I was mentored by some of the very best.
Q: And what they passed on to you, you,
in turn, are trying to pass along to others?
A: You bet. The values they established in me
are the same values I like to see in other people.
I’ve been lucky, that the number of people
who have come through my lab have all been
successful. In fact, the rst person I trained as
a fellow is coming to University of Michigan as
an endowed professor of rheumatology in the
department of medicine. That’s Alisa Koch. So
I can’t be much prouder than that.
Let me conclude by saying I couldn’t be
happier than to be back here at the University
of Michigan School of Dentistry. I’m excited
about the opportunities and the potential this
School has to be even better.
“We’re going to have todevelop a curriculum that allows our students to bebetter sel-learners, that better prepares them to becontinuous learners, and orces them to take moreresponsibility or their education.”
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New Dental Students
New DeanWelcomes
Monday, August 25, was a day of rsts for Dean Peter Polverini and the
Class of 2007.
It was his rst opportunity, as the School’s new dean, to welcome rst-year
dental students to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
For the students, it was their rst day at the School, their rst opportunity
to meet their colleagues, School administrators, and members of the faculty.
In remarks to the 109 rst-year students, Polverini acknowledged theirexcitement. “This is a unique and very special day for all of you,” he said.
“You’re on your way to establishing new, long-term friendships with your
classmates here today.”
Referring to pictures of U-M graduates on the walls of a room in the Alumni
Center, he encouraged the students to not only become leaders in their profession,
but their communities too. He also encouraged the students to “take advantage
of all the opportunities that are available to you, not just at this School, but across
campus as well.”
Dr. William Costello, chairman
o the School o Dentistry’sAlumni Society Board o
Governors, was among those
attending orientation or the
rst-year dental students.
“I’m impressed with them,” he
said, “especially those who
went the extra mile to take
science and other courses
they needed, ater earning
their undergraduate degrees,
so they could gain admission
to our School.” Costello
mentioned one student whoearned a degree in mechanical
engineering but, ater some
soul searching, wanted
something more rom a career.
“It was heart warming to see
how many young people made
some signicant decisions
about their utures at this
stage o their lives.”
Keary Campbell
Class of 2007
Keary Campbell
Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 200312
ust wonderful.”
“Very honored that he was chosen.”
“He would have been embarrassed because he was such a shy person.”
Those were just a few of the comments voiced by some of the family
members of School of Dentistry legends who were inducted into the School’s Hall
of Honor during inaugural ceremonies on September 4th.
Deans of the School, a professor who persuaded leaders in many communities
to add uoride to their water supplies, a dental investigator who conducted long-
term studies on the effectiveness of various periodontal treatments, were among
the 18 in the rst class inducted.
The Hall recognizes and honors the achievements of dental profession legends,
all deceased, who once were associated with the U-M School of Dentistry.
“A school with such a long and distinguished history as ours has recognized
the need to honor those who made signicant contributions to this School, the
profession of dentistry, and the oral health and well-being of millions of individuals
in this country and around the world,” said Dean Peter Polverini.
18 Inducted in First HallFamily, Friends of the Honored Among Those Present
Ater the Hall o Honor was ociallyunveiled, amily members o the inductedand guests took time to look at all theplaques on the wall outside the ContinuingDental Education oce.
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Family Members Attend
Family members of the late Dr.
Dominic Dziewiatkowski, Dr. Kenneth
Easlick, Dr. Paul Jeserich, Dr. Donald
Kerr, Dr. Floyd Peyton, and a distant
relative of the School’s founding dean,
Dr. Jonathan Taft, were among those
who were present for the ceremony.
When the name of their honored
relative was called, they gathered near a
podium to hear a past or current member
of the School’s Alumni Society Board
of Governors or a faculty member read
the plaque’s inscription. Afterwards,
the family received a replica of the
plaque to take home.
“The Hall of Honor is long overdue
and is a perpetual remembrance of
our dental heritage,” said Dr. Jay
of Honor CeremonyWerschky, past-chairman of the Board
of Governors and chair of the Hall’s
Selection Committee. He added the
ceremony would now be an annual event
that will be a part of fall homecoming
activities.
Family Members Comment
“It was just wonderful,” said Susan
Heinen, the granddaughter of the late
Dr. Kenneth Easlick, who was among
the 18 inducted. “He would have been
so pleased to be recognized this way.
But at the same time, I think he would
have been a bit embarrassed because,
at heart, he was a shy person.”
Similar comments were voiced by
Alec Kerr, the youngest son of the late
Dr. Donald Kerr. “He would have been amused and
gladdened by it, but he wouldn’t have
shown any visible emotions because he
was a very low-key person who never
sought the limelight,” Kerr said of his
father.
Sons of the late Dr. Floyd Peyton
came from other parts of the country to
attend.
Terry Peyton, who traveled from
Florida, said, “My father would have
been very honored to have been chosen,
especially to be among those who
were included in the rst ceremony.
However, I’m sure he would have given
credit for his success to the School
Keith Peyton gives his brother Terry a closerlook at the plaque honoring their ather,Dr. Floyd Peyton.
Dr. Susan Carron, a member o the School’s Board o Governors(center) shares a light moment with Dr. Walter Niemann, Classo 1951 and stepson o Dr. Paul Jeserich, and his daughter, LucyNiemann French, beore the induction ceremony began.
“The Hall o
Honor is longoverdue and
is a perpetual
remembrance
o our dental
heritage.”
Dr. Jay Werschky, chair,
Hall o HonorSelection Committee
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DentalUM Fall 200314
for giving him the opportunities to
succeed.”
Keith Peyton, who traveled from
Virginia, said, “As a family, we’re
proud of what my father achieved
and that he was recognized for those
achievements, which included being
the first to receive a doctorate in
dental materials.” However, “I wish
our 89-year-old mother could have
attended. She really would have
enjoyed it.”
Also receiving a copy of a plaque
was Barbara Krueger, who described
herself “as a distant relative of Dr.
Jonathan Taft,” the School’s rst dean.
Krueger attended following an
interesting turn of events that began
much earlier.
Several years ago, she was
commissioned by the School of
Dentistry to create artwork for the
entrance to the dental school library.
At that time, however, Krueger was
unaware of her family ties to Dr.
Jonathan Taft until she began talking
to librarian Patricia Anderson about the
history of the dental school.
Members o the amily o Dr. Donald Kerr receive a replica o thplaque that honors him rom Jay Werschky.
Sam Dziewiatkowski, and Jane Damren, the son anddaughter o Dr. Dominic Dziewiatkowski listen to Dr.Gerald Charbeneau read rom the plaque that citessome o their ather’s achievements.
Susan Heinen, Dr. Kenneth Easlick’s granddaughter, receives a
o the plaque honoring her grandather rom Dr. Thomas Pink
As she learned more exploring
the Taft family heritage, Jay Taft, thegreat-grandson of Dr. Jonathan Taft,
sent Krueger an e-mail suggesting she
contact Anderson to learn more about
the Taft family lineage. But Jay Taft did
not know that Krueger and Anderson
had already met.
“I’m not going to keep the replica
of the plaque that was given to me
today,” Kruger said with a laugh after
the induction ceremony. “Instead, I will
send it to a family member who wasmuch closer to Dr. Jonathan Taft.”
Dr. Richard Shick reads rom the plaque as Barbara Krueger, a relative o the School’s rst dean, Dr. Jonathan Tat, listens.
Nominees to have been
a graduate o the dental,dental hygiene, master’s or
doctoral (PhD) program and/
or a aculty member, and/or a
research sta member o the
University o Michigan.
Nominees must be deceased.
Nominations solicited and
reviewed annually. Nominees
inducted as appropriate.
Nominations reviewed bythe Review Committee o the
School’s Alumni Society Board
o Governors. Committee
submits names to ull Board
or approval.
Hall of Honor Nomination Criteria
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DentalUM Fall 2003 15
A committee o the School o Dentistry’s Alumni
Society Board o Governors recommended the
names o 18 individuals as the rst class that
was inducted into the School’s Hall o Honor
on September 4th.
Dr. Jay Werschky, past-chairman o the
Board o Governors, chaired the Selection
Committee. Other members included:
•Dr.WilliamBrown•Dr.GeraldCharbeneau
•Dr.JamesHayward
•Dr.LysleJohnston,Jr.
•Dr.H.DeanMillard
•Dr.ArnoldMorawa
•Mrs.SusanPritzel
•Dr.RichardShick
•Dr.RayStevens,Jr.
•Ms.DebbieMontague
•Ms.TammySzatkowski-Reeves
U-M School o Dentistry alumni and aculty
members introduced each o the 18 Hall o Honor
inductees during ceremonies on September
4th. Listed in alphabetical order, by last name,
are the inductees and the names o those who
introduced them.
•Dr.RussellW.Bunting(by Dr. Eli Berger)•Dr.CyrenusG.Darling (by Dr. William Costello)•Dr.DominicD.Dziewiatkowski (by Dr. Gerald Charbeneau)•Dr.KennethA.Easlick (by Dr. Thomas Pink)•Dr.DorothyG.Hard(by Mrs. Susan Pritzel)•Dr.NelvilleS.Hoff (by Mrs. Anne Gwozdek)•Dr.PhilipJay(by Dr. William Brownscombe)•Dr.PaulH.Jeserich (by Dr. William Costello)•Dr.DonaldA.Kerr(by Dr. Jay Werschky)•Dr.PercivalLowery (by Dr. Susan Carron)•Dr.ChalmersJ.Lyons(by Dr. Thomas Osborn)•Dr.WilliamR.Mann (by Dr. Lysle Johnston, Jr.)•Dr.FloydO.Ostrander (by Mrs. Anne Gwozdek)•Dr.FloydA.Peyton (by Dr. Gerald Charbeneau)•Dr.SigurdP.Ramfjord(by Dr. Richard Shick)•Dr.RalphSommer (by Dr. Jay Werschky)
•Dr.JonathanTaft (by Dr. Richard Shick)•Dr.MarcusL.Ward(by Dr. William Brown)
T a k i n g a n i d e a … a
h a l l o h o n o r …
a n d t r a n s o r m i n g
it into reality was the
responsibility o Tammy
S z a t k o w s k i - R e e v e s ,
curator o the School o
Dentistry’s Gordon H.
Sindecuse Museum.
Drawing on her
nine years experience,
including our as museum
curator at the School o
Dentistry, it was a challenge she relished. “Basic
was in charge o making the project happen,” she
Working with Richard Fetchiet and De
Montague rom the School’s oce o alumni rela
Szatkowski-Reeves conducted extensive res
on similar walls or halls o honor at other sch
at Michigan and elsewhere, beore presentin
suggestions to the Board o Governors in the spri
2001.
Szatkowski-Reeves also had other responsib
She met with vendors to review samples o pla
collaborated with the School’s designer, Chris Jun
create a plaque that would be unique and distingu
and actively worked with members o the School’s A
Society Board o Governors and kept them apprais
all aspects o the project.
“When I talked to the plaque vendors, I told
we wanted a colors or the plaque that would refeUniversity o Michigan, maize and blue,”she said. “D
Werschky, who was president o the Board o Gove
at the time, liked the idea but also suggested that
lavender is the ocial color o dentistry that we als
a touch o that color to the plaques. We did that an
results were outstanding.”
Funding or the Hall o Honor project was pro
by the Sindecuse Museum o Dentistry endowmen
Alumni and FacultyIntroduce Honorees
Hall of HonorSelection Committee
Impressive.
That’s the best word to describe the Hall o Honor plaques on the wall outside the Continuing Dental
Education oce in the Kellogg Building.
Each plaque weighs 3.2 pounds, measures eight by twelve inches, and is made o glass one-hal
inch thick curving outward at the edges. Beneath the glass is an array o colors, mostly navy blue withtouches o lighter blue and lavender, dentistry’s ocial color.
Etched on the glass is a gold image, similar to a photographic negative, o each individual. Also in
gold are the names o each individual, when they lived, when and rom what university they received
their postgraduate degrees, and a 60- to 65-word narrative describing their achievement while at the
U-M School o Dentistry.
The background or each plaque is a customized, hand-painted treatment, making the look o
each plaque unique.
The plaques appear to “foat.” Hidden mounting osets each plaque at various depths o the
wall to give the foating illusion.
Putting it all together…Tammy Szatkowski-Reev Sindecuse Museum Curat
The Plaque
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The Honored
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The Honored
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The Honored
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The Honored
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The Honored
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The Honored
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The Honored
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DentalUM Fall 2003 25
DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT
Class o ‘53 Welcomed
A warm, friendly, “Hi, I’m Peter Polverini, dean of the
School of Dentistry, welcome,” greeted members of the Class
of ’53 and their spouses as they arrived for the Emeritus
Luncheon at the School of Dentistry.
The luncheon was one of several activities that were
a part of the School’s Homecoming Weekend activities
September 4-6.In luncheon remarks to more than 80, Polverini said his
three years away from Ann Arbor proved “there is something
to be said about absence making the heart grow fonder.”
The luncheon was also the group’s opportunity to be the
rst to receive their emeritus pins at the School. In previous
years, the pins were awarded by the U-M Alumni Association
at their facilities. “However, we wanted to continue that
tradition but at a new venue, the School of Dentistry,”
Polverini said.
Following the luncheon, members of the dental and
dental hygiene classes posed for a class picture at the southentrance of the School.
PerKjeldsen
The Dental Hygiene Class o ’53. Front row (let to right): Patricia Wright,Sally Page Clark, Maxime Cleary, Shirley Halas, and Darrell Duel; back row(let to right): Betty Carlson, Susan Garbarini, and Suzie Pederson.
The Dental Class o ’53.
PerKjeldsen
1. Casper Eberwein 2. Allan Ash 3. Irvin Fieber 4. Leonard Posner5. Arthur Nolen 6. John Larder 7. Maurice Smith
8. Benjamin Brabb 9. John Glick 10. Thomas Russell 11. Allen Weiss12. Darwin Weersing 13. James Aaronian 14. Donald Briggs
15. Robert Cording 16. Donald Draper 17. Leon Fogel 18. William Gregory19. Vincent Greeson 20. William Daines 21. James Laidlaw
22. John Carson 23. Eugene Garbarino 24. Wilbert Fletke 25. JamesSchindler 26. James Reese 27. Charles Kelly 28. Leonard Veatch
29. Edward Martin 30. James Strikwerda 31. Leslie Sher 32. William Love33. Robert Everett 34. James Currier
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 1314
15 16 17
1819 20 21
22 2324
25 26 27 2829
30 31 32 33 34
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DentalUM Fall 200326
More than 150 at2nd Annual Morawa Lecture
More than 150 oral health care professionals came to Ann Arbor on
September 5th for the second annual Morawa Lecture. Among those attending
were School of Dentistry alums who were in town to celebrate class reunionsthat evening and attend the Saturday tailgate and football game at the Big
House.
In welcoming remarks, Dean Peter Polverini thanked Dr. Arnold Morawa
for his more than 30 years of service to the School of Dentistry.
“Arnie built our alumni relations and continuing dental education
programs into one of the most respected in the nation,” Polverini said.
Morawa directed the graduate pediatric dentistry program from 1978 to
1988. The following year, he became assistant dean for alumni relations and
continuing dental education, a position he held until he retired three years
ago.
“In light of these and other achievements during Arnie’s remarkablecareer, we thought it was appropriate that our annual homecoming continuing
education program be called ‘The Morawa Lectureship,’” Polverini said.
Dr. Robert Vogel, an internationally-known lecturer on implant dentistry,
was this year’s Morawa lecturer.
In a fast-moving program that focused on comprehensive implant
prosthetics and predictable anterior esthetics, Vogel discussed an array of
scientically based techniques, tips, and tricks in implant dentistry. Topics
covered included treatment planning, avoiding biomechanical failures,
developing ideal soft tissue esthetics, and other topics.
Dean PeterPolverini,Dr. Robert Vogel,and Dr. ArnoldMorawa prior to thestart o this year’sMorawa Lectureduringall homecomingweekend.
Keary Campbell
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2nd Annual Tailgate
For the second consecutive year, the School of Dentistry hosted a tailgate party as a part of
its homecoming weekend activities.
This year’s event was held at the U-M Golf Course, just west of the club house, beginning at
nine o’clock, three hours prior to the noon kickoff between U-M and the University of Houston.
U-M beat Houston 50 to 3.
Jerry Mastey
Dean Peter Polverini and his wie, Carol, welcome Dr. David Kaminski (Classo 1984) and his amily at the School’s tailgate party prior to the start o theMichigan-Houston ootball game on September 6.
Marty Bailey talks to Dr. Steve Dater (Class o 1988) and his wie, Mary, aboutactivities in the oce o alumni relations during the School o Dentistry’stailgate.
Can’t tell the players without a scorecard. Dawn Ford places a name tag on Dr.Will Fletke (Class o 1953) as he gets ready to join colleagues at the School’stailgate.
Diana Neering talks to Matt Kiisk (Class o 1968) who came rom Caliorniato be at this all’s homecoming weekend. With Kiisk are John Martin and hiswie, Chris.
Jerry Mastey Jerry Mastey
Jerry Mastey
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DentalUM Fall 200328
Cal Waisanen Aces 12th Hole at Gol Outing
It wasn’t his rst-hole-in one. But it was probably his
most special.
Cal Waisanen (Class of 1973) recorded his fourth ace on
the 12th hole during the School of Dentistry’s sixth annual
golf outing in September at the U-M Golf Course.
“I’ve had three others, but I’ll always remember this
one because I was with a great group of friends when it
happened,” he said. Savoring the moment with Waisanen
and giving him high-ves after his 228-yard drive were Drs.
Terry Timm, Michael Dibble, and Gerry Eisenmann.
Dave Montague of Champion Chevrolet in Howell
presented Waisanen with a two-year lease for a 2004 Chevy
Trailblazer from the dealership.
Waisanen’s interest in golf began more than 40 years ago
when his father coached Olivet College’s varsity golf team.
Waisenen and his brother were the team’s bag boys.
1st place, 15 under: Team o Paul Elder, Mike Marderosian, DaveHeidenreich, and Tom Pinnavaia.
2nd place, 10 under: Team o Gary Lockwood, Suzanne Santoro,and Sean Sexton.
3rd place, 10 under: Team o Joanne Dawley, Larry Craword, JohnBreza, and Robert Anthony.
For the teams that tied, their score on
the highest handicapped holes werecompared. The three toughest holes (highesthandicapped) determined second and thirdplace winners.
Jerry Mastey
2004 Golf Outing – Thursday, September 23, 2004
TeamWinners
Among those giving Cal Waisanen (ront, center) high-ves or his hole-in-one were teammates Terry Timm (let), Michael Dibble (center), and GeraldEisenmann (right).
Dean Peter Polverini greeted golers as they arrived at the 10th hole.
Jerry Mastey
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DentalUM Fall 2003 29
West Preclinic Renovations Proceeding
West preclinic renovations…and those that
will begin next April in the east preclinic…
are entirely funded by gifts from alumni of
the U-M School of Dentistry.
You can help ensure the education of dental
students now and in the future. To learn
more, contact:
• Diana Neering, director of development:
at (734) 647-4394 or by
e-mail: [email protected].
• Martin Bailey, assistant major gifts
ofcer: (734) 615-2870 or by
e-mail: [email protected].
PerKjeldsen
Beore renovations to the west preclinic began this spring, second-year dental students paused or this picture or posterity.
Funded by Alumni
During homecoming, School of Dentistry graduates,
members of their family, and others had an opportunity to
take a peek at renovations to the west preclinic.
Renovations began just days after the academic year
ended in late April. However, before that work began, last
year’s rst-year dental class paused for a farewell picture.
As detailed in the Spring & Summer issue of DentalUM
(p. 45), the renovations to the facility are the rst in more than
30 years. When work is completed next June, 110 new high-
tech simulation units will replace the tables and countertops
that were the mainstay of preclinical education.
A generous gift of $1 million from Dr. Roy Roberts and
his wife, Natalie, and a $1 million allocation from a previous
gift from the Roberts, helped launch the renovations. But
help from more School of Dentistry alumni is needed.
Similar work will take place in the east preclinic
beginning in April 2004.
Current facilities will be removed and 110 new high-tech
simulation units will also be installed in that clinic.
Renovations to both west and east preclinics will cost
about $7 million. Funds for the renovations are being raised
with the help of alumni and friends of the School of Dentistry.
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t the School of Dentistry we are sincerely grateful
for the numerous programs that are made possible
through the generosity of many benefactors. Student
scholarship support, faculty support, research funding, and
updated equipment and facilities are among the many needs
that are enhanced by gift income.
Today, perhaps even more than ever,
private gift support is essential to the
vitality of the School. If we relied solely
on government support and tuition, we
would not be the world-class dental schoolwe are today. Our benefactors help make
that possible and ensure the excellence
that is expected at Michigan.
Maximizing Benets
When you make a gift to the School
of Dentistry, it is in many ways similar
to investing your financial resources.
Rightly so, you expect a return on that investment.
Like any investment, the key to making the most of your
charitable dollars is to carefully consider what you want toaccomplish, which need at the School most resonates with
you, and then plan your gift-giving strategy.
Before deciding how much to give, you need to seriously
consider what to give, when to give, and how to give. It’s
possible you can (or could) increase your charitable gift by
taking advantage of various tax incentives.
Outright Gits o Cash, Securities, Property
While you may rst think of giving cash (usually in the
form of a check), charitable gifts may be made using other
types of assets.Cash gifts allow you to eliminate tax on up to 50% of
your adjusted gross income each year. Amounts not deducted
the year your gift is made may be carried over for up to ve
years.
If you have recently sold securities or other investments,
you may want to consider using a portion of the cash proceeds
to make your gift to help reduce the capital gains taxes you
might pay as a result of selling those assets.
If you are at an age when you are required to withdraw
funds from qualied retirement accounts, you may nd that
withdrawing certain amounts to make charitable gifts can be
an excellent way to minimize, or possibly eliminate, taxes on
those withdrawals.
If you have securities or property that
you have owned for at least a year that
are not part of a retirement account and
have appreciated, gifting them entitles
you to an income tax deduction for the
full value of the asset, not just the amountyou paid for it.
Consequently, you benet from the
exemption from tax on the gain. You
may deduct gifts of appreciated assets
each year in amounts totaling up to 30%
of your adjusted gross income and you
can use any excess deduction for up to
ve years in the future.
If the current value of your securities or other property is
less than the original cost, it is usually best to sell the property
and donate the cash proceeds. You may then be able to claim
tax benets for both the capital loss and the charitable gift,
effectively deducting more than the current value of the asset.
Also consider a gift-in-kind (i.e. works of art, antiques,
dental equipment, etc.). Special rules apply to the tax
benets for such gifts. In addition, they must be approved
for acceptance by the School before gifting.
Wills, Retirement Plans, or Trusts
As part of your long-range nancial planning, you may
want to consider a gift that will be received only after you
and your loved ones no longer need the assets used to fund
the gifts.
Giving through your will may be a convenient way to
leave a lasting legacy at the School of Dentistry after providing
for your loved ones. You may decide to leave a specic
amount, a percentage of your estate, or all or part of what
remains after family and friends have been considered. A
bequest can often be arranged with a simple addition (codicil
or amendment) to your existing will.
The Fundamentals o Eective Git Planning
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DentalUM Fall 2003 31
Similarly, if you have created a living trust to provide
for the management and eventual distribution of your assets
while reducing the cost of probate and other estate settlement
expenses, a simple amendment is all that’s needed to add a
gift provision.
Using retirement plans to make gifts is gaining in
popularity.
IRAs, pension and prot-sharing plans, and similar
retirement plans may be sources of charitable gifts. If you
have one or more retirement plans and discover that you have
more than adequate resources for retirement, it may be wiseto periodically use a portion of those funds to make your
charitable gift to the School.
Amounts remaining in qualied retirement plans at death
may be subject to both income and estate taxes when received
by your heirs. For this reason, charitable gifts of retirement
plan balances may well be your gift of choice from an income
and estate tax planning perspective.
Use of a charitable remainder trust (CRT) or similar gift
option makes it possible for you to make your gift now and
retain income for your life or a period of time you choose.
You can make a signicant gift while providing for retirement,
caring for older loved ones, or arranging for funds to meet
educational expenses.
A CRT typically features income tax benets in the
year of the gift and can also offer a way for you to convert
low-yielding assets to a source of additional income without
incurring capital gains tax at the time of the gift.
Because the assets used to fund these types of gifts will
ultimately be used for charitable purposes, they are generally
not subject to gift and estate taxes. Your assets can be put
to work earning income while you enjoy the satisfaction of
knowing you are making a meaningful gift to the program or
project you’ve chosen to fund at the School of Dentistry.
It is also possible for you to set aside assets in a charitable
lead trust (CLT). Distributions from a CLT are designated for
charitable purposes for the period of time you choose. Assets
are then returned to you or others you designate.
A CLT can be used to fund your gift over a period of time
while reducing or eliminating gift and estate taxes that might
otherwise be due on assets given to loved ones at the end of
the trust term.
If you wish to delay an inheritance while funding a
meaningful gift to the School, the CLT may be a good option
to consider. It is especially attractive in times of lower interest
rates.
Advice and Counsel
Do seek nancial and/or legal counseling as you consider
gift options.
The School’s development ofcers would be pleased to
discuss the many giving opportunities that are available at theSchool of Dentistry. For more information please contact:
Diana Neering Marty Bailey
Director of Development or Assistant Director
(734) 647-4394 of Major Gifts
[email protected] (734) 615-2870
Clayton Scholarship
Awarded The grad uate pros tho-
d o nt ics pro g ra m o t he
Department o Biologic and
Materials Sciences awarded the
Joseph A. Clayton Scholar-ship
Fund or the 2002-2003 academic year to Dr. Rob
Schumacher.
The $5,000 award was presented earlier to
Schumacher, a second-year graduate prosthodontics
student. The award is made possible rom an
endowment initiated by Dr. Joseph A. Clayton who,
or 25 years, until his retirement in 1996, developed,
directed, and taught in the graduate program in
restorative dentistry.
Schumacher, raised in White Pigeon, Michigan,
graduated rom the University o Kentucky College
o Dentistry two years ago. Ater completing the
prosthodontics program, he plans to earn his
National Board Certication in Prosthodontics and
become a missionary.
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DentalUM Fall 200332
Major Renovations
UNDERWAY
Turner is in charge of a staff of about 110 people with multiple responsibilities,
including the smooth operation of all clinical facilities. They’re also responsible for
ensuring that clinical faculty and students have the equipment they need in clinics
to treat patients, and that patient records are secured yet available. [DentalUM,
Fall 2001, pages 46-53.]
“The staff has adapted very well to an environment where, for the past year,things seem to have changed almost daily,” he said. “I can’t praise them enough
for what they’ve done to make sure everything runs as smoothly as it has so that
faculty, students, and patients are not affected.”
This May, one project ended when renovations to dispensing and sterilizing
areas concluded a year after they began.
However, four other projects continue. They are:
• Renovations to facilities between the Blue Clinic and the Green Clinic on
the second oor.
• Renovations to facilities between the Blue Clinic and the Green Clinic on
the third oor.• Relocation of Central Records.
• Renovations to the west preclinic.
These improvements, among the rst comprehensive renovations at the
School in three decades, follow a report presented in early 2002 from Rothman and
Partners of Boston that outlined “a comprehensive vision” of facility improvements
the School needed to make. [DentalUM, Fall 2002, page 20.] The projects
proceeded based on revenues received and anticipated.
One Project Ends, Four Continue
A lot o work is going on at the School o Dentistry these days. No,
not dental work, although a lot o that is also going on. The work is
construction work.“We’ve never had as many dierent venues being renovated at one
time as we do now,” said Dr. Dennis Turner, assistant dean or patient
services, as he talked about the various projects.
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For the first time since the current
School of Dentistry building opened
more than 30 years ago, dispensing and
sterilization facilities on the second and
third oors have a new look.
Old equipment has been removed,
state-of-the-art equipment has been
installed, and facilities have been totally
redesigned for ease of use and greater
efciency.
“We wanted to create a more
ergonomically efcient workplace so
we can better serve our customers, the
students,” said Gary Sweier during
a tour of the refurbished facilities.
“Because those working here have been
using these facilities and the equipment
day-in and day-out for years and are
familiar with their operations, they had
a tremendous amount of input into the
layout and design of everything here.”
Work on the project began in April
2002 and was completed in May 2003.
“It’s a tribute to everyone that during
this entire time we maintained all of
our services awlessly,” Turner said.
Lines Move Quicker
The biggest difference in the
dispensing facilities is that the unit
is now self-contained. Previously,
students lined up at one end of a desk
and moved down to the other end until
they had received all the equipment they
needed for their clinical work.
That’s all changed.
New dispensing facilities on both
the second and third oors contain three
bays. Each is identical. Students can
go to one of the three bays to pick up
the equipment and supplies they need
for their clinic work.
“This has cut their waiting time by
about 10 minutes,” Sweier said. “Since
the lines move quicker, the students are
able to provide more efcient care.”He attributed that success to
Jane McDougall, supervisor of dental
dispensing.
“She designed the bays with
efciency in mind,” Sweier said. “All
the equipment is now within arm’s
reach of the person dispensing it.”
Beneath the countertop of each bay
are 42 drawers – seven columns and
six rows. Above the countertop, and
slightly behind the person dispensingthe equipment, are eight elevated bays
for additional storage. Other equipment
is available at an automated vertical le
storage system a few feet away.
New Atmospheres,
More Storage
Another major improvement is
that a wall has been installed between
the areas where clean instruments are
dispensed and used instruments are
returned.
“It’s not just a physical difference,
it’s an atmospheric difference too,”
Turner said. “On the clean side where
instruments are dispensed, there’s
positive atmospheric pressure where
clean air moves out but dirty doesn’t
come in. On the side, where used
instruments are returned, negative
atmospheric pressure prevents
contaminated air from leaving.”
Storage capacity has also increased.
New shelves on walls allow more
equipment to be stored and easily
retrieved. “Basically, everything’s in
one place,” Sweier said. “If something’s
not easily accessible, a person walks
only a few steps to retrieve it.”
Dispensing and Sterilization
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New Autoclaves and
Tunnel Washers
Each day, central sterilization
receives and processes about 1,200
packages of instruments from 14
clinical departments within the School,
including predoctoral and dental
hygiene programs. The processing
takes place between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00
p.m.
Although new technology is being
used, the process of steam sterilizing
hasn’t changed much during the past
50 years.
Three new 48-inch autoclaves and
one new 16-inch autoclave sterilize
instruments at temperatures up to 270
degrees Fahrenheit.
Two new fully automated tunnel
washers pre-wash contaminated
instruments at 180 degrees. Then
the clean instruments are submerged
in an ultrasonic bath to remove any
remaining debris.
From there, the instruments
are rinsed in hot water and a thin,
anticorrosive material is applied before
being sent to a tank to dry at 240 degrees
for three minutes.
A conveyor belt then sends the
instruments to a bagging station where
they are packaged and placed onto
carriages which are then loaded into the
autoclaves for sterilization. “Workers
don’t have to bend and lift instruments
like they did before,” Sweier said.
No Equipment on Patient
Elevators
No longer are the patient elevators
used to transport clean and dirty
instruments between the second and
third oors.
Renovations also included installing
a new dumbwaiter between the second
and third oors. Contaminated and
clean instruments are now delivered in
a sealed “mini-elevator” between the
two oors.
Jane McDougall is pictured in ront o one o the dispensing bays she designed. Relying on her 30years o experience, she designed the units so dental students could get their equipment and suppliesmuch quicker. “Their wait times have declined by eight to twelve minutes, depending on the time o year,” she said. Supplies given to the dental students are within arm’s reach o each dispenser. At eachbay, beneath the countertop, are 42 drawers – seven columns and six rows – or storage. Above thecountertop, and slightly behind and above each dispenser, are eight elevated bays or additional storage.
Four o those elevated bays are visible in this picture.
Instruments about to be sterilized are rolled on a cart by Tom Davis into a 48-inch autoclave.
Keary Campbell
Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 2003 35
Better, more efficient use of
existing space is also driving the
renovations that have been underway
since early May between clinics on thesecond and third oors.
The two clinics on the second oor
and the two clinics on the third oor
are not being reconstructed. What is
affected is a total of nearly 2,700 square
feet of space on both oors between the
Blue Clinic and the Green Clinic.
“Once this work ends, there will
be a noticeable difference in how
clinical faculty, students, patients, and
our patient care coordinators interact,”
said Georgia Kasko, manager of clinical
support services who’s coordinating the
renovations.
When work is completed in January
2004, both second and third oors will
have:
• New equipment including x-ray
machines, chairs, and completely
renovated laboratories providing
support of daily patient care
activity.• A new consulting room, with up to
eight chairs, for patients, faculty
instructors, students, and patient
care coordinators.
• A new scheduling room where
students can privately converse
with patients on a tele
phone in one of four
cubicles.Each cubicle
will have a comput
er monitor so dental records can be re
trieved electronical
ly and students can
schedule their patients
directly in the system.
• New mini-lockers
for mail and
equipment storage.
Patient Care Coordinators will
especially notice the changes.
As intermediar ies between
patients and dental students, the fourcoordinators ensure that patients receive
the care they need…and that students
obtain the support they need to help the
patients get that care.
Now located in cramped quarters
on the first floor, two patient care
coordinators will move to the second
oor and the two others will move to
the third oor once the renovations are
nished.
In their new locations, patient care
coordinators will be just a few steps
away from patients or dental students
needing help.
“This geographical closeness of
the patient care coordinators to those
with whom they’re interacting with will
enable them to more quickly address
any concerns or issues than they were
able to before,” Kasko said. “So they’ll
be in an even better position to serve
patients and students.”
If there’s a need for one or more
parties to discuss something in private,
Kasko added, they’ll be able to do
that too, which is something that was
difcult, at best, to do previously.
A Message for the Future
You’ve got to hand it to Gary Sweier. He’s thinking
about the uture.
Shortly ater new autoclaves and ultrasonic
tunnel washers were moved onto the second foor
o the School o Dentistry building last November
[Dental UM, Spring & Summer 2003, page 46], he
created something or posterity – a time capsule.
The time capsule wasn’t big – an air-tight
plastic container about six inches long.
Inside the plastic tube was a sheet o paper that
contained inormation about the project, including
when construction began and ended, as well as the
date Sweier created the time capsule, November 22,
2002.
Also on the sheet o paper were the names o 33
people who played a role in seeing the project come
to ruition – Dean William Kotowicz; Dr. Dennis Turner,
assistant dean or patient services; Dorothy Smith-Fesl,
acilities manager; and others, including architects
and contractors.
Beore the blocks o concrete were sealed, Sweier
said he put the time capsule into the west interior
corridor wall o the central sterilization unit on the
second foor.
At the bottom o the paper, Sweier wrote:
“Whoever fnds this time capsule please take a
moment to see i any o the individuals involved
in this project are still around. My guess is i this
wall is being torn down, a major renovation o the
building is taking place or the building is being
torn down.”
Sweier said he wasn’t sure where he would be
in 30 or 40 years, so he couldn’t leave his orwarding
address.
2nd and 3rd Floors
Keary Campbell
Gary Sweier let a message or the uturebehind this wall on the second oor.
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DentalUM Fall 200336
Debbie Lentz, central records supervisor, and
George Vamvoudakis, night shit team leader, areseen with some o nearly 70,000 patient records.Between 600 to 800 patient records are retrievedeach aternoon and evening to prepare or clinicalactivities the next day at the School o Dentistry.
Central Records
It was supposed to be a temporary
facility.
In 1990, the School centralized all
its patient records. “We were eager to
provide both security and availability
long before HIPAA and privacy rules
came along a decade later,” Turner said.
More than a dozen years, the
“temporary” faci l i ty wasn’t so
temporary and storage space for records
was at a premium.
“We’re stuffed to the gills,”
said Debbie Lentz, central records
supervisor.
Until this September, more than
70,000 patient dental records were
stored in cramped facilities on the rst
oor.
In April, renovations began on
nearly 1,700 square feet of space in
the basement. When nished in late
September, there will be ample room
for records and staff.
It can’t happen quickly enough.
“Space is so tight right now that
when someone tries to get from one
spot to another to retrieve a record, they
have to do what I call ‘the records room
watusi’,” Lentz said with a laugh.
Secure and Available RecordsIn addition, students or faculty who
pick up records now do so at one small
door. The new facility will have a much
larger area that will enable two people
to dispense records. That, in turn, will
reduce the time students or faculty wait
at the window.
The new facilities will be both
secure and will also offer quick access
to dental records.
Lentz said it’s common for her staff
to retrieve between 600 to 800 patient
records each afternoon and evening
to prepare for the next day’s clinical
activities. “That number doesn’t even
include patients who come in at the
last minute as walk-ins to the Patient
Admitting and Emergency Services
Clinic,” she said.
Central Records, however, is not
just involved with storing data.
“We’re more than a records
room,” Lentz said. “We’re involved
with a lot of information verication
and compliance, especially with the
new HIPAA guidelines on patient
privacy. We have to make sure all the
information in every one of our patientles is both accurate and current.”
The length of time a patient’s le
remains on “active” status depends on
several factors, primarily when they
were last treated.
If a patient is not treated for three
years, his or her le is removed and
stored at an off-
site location.
However, if a
patient keeps
returning for
oral health care
at the School of
Dentistry, his
or her records
remain in the
active les for
years , or in
some cases ,
decades. If a
patient is over
21 years of age
and has not
been treated for
10 years, then the record is shredded.
With the relocation of Central
Records, paper records will continue
to be maintained for most patients.
However, more records will be
maintained electronically in the future.
West Preclinic
Almost as soon as the previous
academic year ended in late April, work
began in the west preclinic.
More information about this work
is on page 29, in the Development
section, of this issue of DentalUM.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 37
Faculty Profle
Dr. Jaques Nö rSuccessul researcher,
clinician, teacher,
and mentor
An old tool…andnew ones. Dr. JacquesNör holds orceps hisgrandather used as adentist in Brazil in the1920s. By comparison,in the background is arelatively new tool thathe uses extensively in his
work as dentist/scientist– a computer monitor. Onthe monitor are electronicimages o human bloodvessels engineeredin mice. “I think mygrandather would beamazed to see the newtools we’re using today,but at the same time, hewould be sad to know theinstrument he used as adentist is still widely usednow,” Nör said.
Family and dentistry are close to Dr.Jacques Nör’s heart.
As he talked about growing upin Brazil, coming to the U.S., and hiscareer and experiences at the U-MSchool o Dentistry, the 39-year-oldassociate proessor opened one o his desk drawers and pulled out anearly century-old pair o orceps
his grandather used when he was adentist.
“I never met him because hedied long beore I was born,” Nör said.“But looking back, I think that he,along with my parents and a cousin,all had a strong inluence on mewhich ultimately led to my decisionto become a dentist.”
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Born in Porto Alegre, a city of about 3 million located
approximately 500 miles south of São Paulo, Nör said his
achievements would not have occurred without a strong
foundation of core values and ethics his parents instilled.
“They, an older brother, and an older sister gave me
much more than they themselves ever had or that I could
ever give back to them,” he said. “My parents emphasized
the basic principles of life – honesty, hard work, and not
hurting anyone. They also worked hard to make sure we all
received a good education.”
Nör’s parents received an
elementary school education. His
father, who celebrated his 90th
birthday in July, was a sexton at
a church in Porto Alegre. His
mother was a housewife.
When his father retired after
working 37 years at the same
church, the family moved to
Taquara, a town of about 50,000
located about 50 miles northwest
of Porto Alegre.
At the time, Jacques was only
12. However, less than a decade
later he would return to Taquara
and open a dental clinic in that
community.
From Chemistry to Dentistry
As he discussed the Brazilian education system, Nör
said that unlike the U.S., after graduating from high school
a Brazilian student could enter a professional school without
going to college.
In 1981, Nör was admitted to the chemistry program
at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto
Alegre. While taking a physics course and another in organic
chemistry, “I quickly realized that was not what I wanted to
do with my life.”
Instead, his career path received a boost from a cousin
who was also his roommate, Duarte Matzenbacker, who
asked Nör to help him in his clinic. “I really enjoyed myself
and thought maybe this was the path for me.”
The following year, 1982, Nör took another exam and
was admitted to the dental program.
“The feelings in dentistry were totally opposite of what
I experienced in chemistry,” he said. “I found myself at
home.”
In addition to his studies, Nör spent his Saturdays and
vacation days helping his cousin in his dental clinic. During
his fourth year of study, he worked Saturdays treating children
at a local orphanage.
As he worked toward his dental degree, Nör said he
“studied a lot.” He also mentored other students and worked
in the school’s emergency clinic. “I was now doing what I
liked,” he said. “I think my experiences in chemistry made
me appreciate my good fortune even more.”
But Nör could also unwind when he had to.
He played for a soccer team and was also musically
inclined. “I played guitar, wrote
melodies for lyrics, and was a
vocalist for a band that recorded
a few songs, appeared on TV a
few times, and played at festivals
in southern Brazil,” he said.
The year 1985 was an auspicious
one.
Honor Seven YearsDelayed
Not only did Nör open his rst
practice in Taquara that year, he
also recorded an achievement he
wouldn’t learn about for another
seven years.
“Opening a practice in Brazil
is different than it is here,” he
said. “In Brazil, you don’t walk
into an existing practice to work with someone else. Instead,
you do it on your own.”
During his rst few months as a solo practitioner in
1986, Nör said his rst patients were entirely members of
his family. A niece, Mirian Sipert, was his dental assistant.
The ofce had just enough room for a desk and a couple of
chairs.
Although business was slow initially, word of his
expertise spread. “By 1988, I was booked solid for two
months in advance. I worked Monday through Friday
from eight in the morning until seven at night and Saturday
mornings,” he said.
Following an internship, Nör received a certicate in
pediatric dentistry from the Brazilian Federal University in
1990.
He also took a closer look at his future.
“I knew if I wanted to continue advancing as a dentist
that I would have to do it in the United States,” he said. While
interviewing for the master’s program in pediatric dentistry
at four dental schools across the U.S., including Michigan,
Nör learned something that surprised him.
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Seven years after earning his dental degree, he learned
that he graduated with the highest grade point average among
the 80 dental students who were in his class in Brazil. “I
thought I did well, but I didn’t think I was at the top of my
class,” he said.
A “Lie-Changing” Decision
“I gladly accepted the offer Dr. Paul Loos sent me to
study pediatric dentistry here at Michigan,” Nör said.
“That decision to come to the U.S. to further my
career here at Michigan was a life-changing one for me,”
he continued. “Although I enjoyed clinical dentistry
enormously, I discovered there was another part of dentistry,
research, that could help me with my clinic work.”
However, before he left Brazil in 1992 to come to
Michigan, Nör’s mother gave him something – the forceps
his grandfather used when he was a dentist in the 1920s.
In addition to discovering another aspect of theprofession and adjusting to academic and cultural differences,
Nör faced another challenge – becoming more procient in
English. Although he had taken several English courses in
Brazil, he discovered it wasn’t enough.
“Improving my English and trying to grasp the content
of some courses was difcult at times,” Nör said, “especially
Dr. Lysle Johnston’s cephalometrics course. It was more of a
challenge than usual because I also had to learn the meaning
behind some of the subtleties of his humor.”
Although many helped him adapt to his new academic,professional, and cultural environment, Nör paid tribute to
several.
“Dr. Robert Feigal, who was my mentor for my master’s
thesis, had a signicant impact helping me make the transition
from clinician to researcher. Dr. Johnston gave me the
academic background and the support that I needed to get
into the doctoral program. Drs. Charlotte Mistretta, Brian
Clarkson, and Peter Polverini all played major roles in the
doctoral program that enabled me to succeed.”
Gravitating to Research
Nör also said he owned a debt of gratitude to Dr. James
McNamara.
“When I was in his orthodontics techniques course, he
told me to look into the Oral Health Sciences program that
was about to begin. He thought I would benet. And he was
right.” [See sidebar on Oral Health Sciences, page 41.]
As he worked for his PhD in Dr. Peter Polverini’s
laboratory, Nör’s research focused on angiogenesis,
Blood Vessels andTumor Growth –
Angiogenesis Research
Dr. Jacques Nör is extensively involved in a
new and increasingly important area o research
that ocuses on the ormation and growth o new
blood vessels (angiogenesis).His interest in this area o research began
as he worked or his doctoral degree and has
continued since.
In 1998, Nör received the School o Dentistry’s
Dziewiatkowski Memorial Award or his research
that attempts to understand why diseases, such
as oral cancer, need new blood vessels to develop
and survive.
The ollowing year, Nör won both the
prestigious Edward H. Hatton Award rom the
American Association or Dental Research and theInternational Association or Dental Research or his
research on how blood vessel survival afects the
growth o oral tumors. His research was mentored
by Dr. Peter Polverini who, at the time, chaired
the Department o Oral Medicine, Pathology, and
Oncology.
Nör conducted urther angiogenesis research in
the lab o Dr. Gabriel Nuñez, a proessor o pathology
at the U-M Medical School and a leading researcher
in the eld o cell death and inammation.
Currently, Nör is the principal investigator o a $1.3 million grant rom the National Institutes
o Health that is seeking to understand how blood
vessels grow, how they contribute to the growth
o cancer, and what might be done to arrest their
development.
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DentalUM Fall 200340
Dr. Jacques Nör rented two rooms in this house in Taquara, Brazil andpracticed dentistry here or eight years beore coming to the University o Michigan.
Photo courtesy o Dr.Jacques Nör
the formation and growth of new blood vessels that is
fundamental to physiological and pathological processes.
When asked why he chose this area, Nör said he wanted
to learn about “a basic biological phenomenon that affects
many aspects of oral health.” [See sidebar on angiogenesis
research, page 39.]
Although he teaches first-year dental students in a
preclinic and dentists in the School’s Advanced Education in
General Dentistry clinic, Nör doesn’t treat as many patients
as he used to when he rst entered the profession.
“I love working in a clinic, but because of my research,
I’m not as extensively involved with it as I was earlier in my
career,” he said. “I have found that clinic work and research
do, in fact, complement one another. It’s not a matter of
either/or.”
When asked how he nds time to teach, be involved in
six research projects, write about his research, mentor nearly
a dozen students, serve as a thesis committee member for four
others, and serve on the editorial board of three professional
publications, Nör said it’s a matter of organizing and time
management.
“I do spend many hours here, so when I go home, the
time I spend with my wife is even more meaningful,” he said.
Two Coincidences, Five Wedding Ceremonies
Nör met his wife, Silvia, at a 1996 lecture in Lima, Peru.
She was studying in Connecticut at the time and returned
to Peru to meet her father, Ramon Castillo. At the time, he
was president of the Latin American Meeting of Pediatric
Dentistry where Nör spoke.
“Silvia and I had a chance to talk at the opening
ceremony and we immediately clicked,” he said. “It wasn’t
until later that I realized who her father was.”
But there was an even more interesting coincidence Nör
learned about when he returned to Ann Arbor.
“When I mentioned Silvia’s name to my academic
advisor, Dr. Brian Clarkson, he smiled and said he and her
father were roommates during the 1960s when they were
students at the University of Rochester in New York,” Nör
said.
In November 1997, Dr. Jacques Nör and Silvia were
married in a civil ceremony in Ann Arbor. But they had to
repeat the ceremony four more times.
The rst time was a church wedding in the hometown of
her parents in Lima, Peru. The second time was at another
church wedding in the hometown of Nör’s parents in Brazil.
The third and fourth times, about a year later, were at the
Brazilian and Peruvian consulates in Chicago.
“Now tell me,” Nör said with a grin, “how many men
can say they married the same woman ve times?”
Silvia is a dentist who decided to start a second career
about six years ago. After earning dual degrees (a bachelor’s
and master’s) at Eastern Michigan University, she is an
interior designer for a rm that specializes in health care and
corporate design. “Her experiences in her rst career have
helped her to succeed in her second,” Nör said.
When he was in Brazil last Christmas, Nör visited his
parents and returned to the small ofce where he had his
rst job as a private practitioner. As he passed the clinic, he
couldn’t help but ponder what he has achieved.
“I thought if I didn’t make it here, my ‘Plan B’ would
be to return to Brazil. Since my career is progressing, our
decision is to remain here,” he said.
To reinforce that conviction in his own mind, Nör
recently sold his two most prized Brazilian possessions – his
former ofce and his automobile, a 1990 Chevy Monza.
A Desire to Make a Dierence
“It’s been an amazing journey that began with my parents
who taught me the basic principles of life, as well as being
lucky to nd the right people here at Michigan, that helped
me to achieve all this good fortune,” Nör said. “To be here,
in this environment, where so many people are not just good,
but outstanding at what they do, is truly an inspiration.”
As for what he would ultimately like to achieve, Nör
put it this way: “Because of my education and what I’ve
learned here, I feel I’m doing cutting edge research that has
the potential to have an impact on human beings suffering
from oral cancer. If I can contribute even one small building
block that improves the quality of life for patients suffering
from oral cancer, I will have accomplished something.”
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DentalUM Fall 2003 41
OHSOral Health Sciences PhD
“changed my lie”
PerKjeldsen
“I eel very ortunate to work with such a
talented group o people,” said Dr. Jacques
Nör (center) about the people who work
with him in his lab. Pictured with him are
(let to right):
• Tatiana Botero, a faculty member in the
endodontics program conducting
laboratory research.
• Kathleen Neiva, a junior faculty member
now in the Oral Health Sciences doctoral
program.
• Ryan Soden, a master’s student in the
endodontics program.
• Matthew Pinsky a third-year dentalstudent who won the Grand Prize in Basic
Science at this year’s Research Table
Clinic Day program or his work on
angiogenesis in oral cancers.
• Gabriela Mantellini, a faculty member in
operative dentistry conducting
laboratory research.
• Wendy Song, a physician, PhD, and
research associate who has been with
the lab that was created almost three
years ago.• AureliaVanderburg, a second-year dental
student who was in a summer research
program when this picture was taken.
• Elisabeta Karl, a candidate in the Oral
Health Sciences doctoral program.
“Without them,” Nör said, “I wouldn’t be
able to do what I’m now doing.”
Dr. Jacques Nör was the rst person
to deend his doctoral thesis and one o
two individuals who received a doctoral
degree in Oral Health Sciences rom the
U-M School o Dentistry during graduation
ceremonies in May 1999. [DentalUM, Fall
1999, page 16.]
“Receiving that degree changed my
lie,” Nör said. “It helped me realize the
impact research can have on people’s lives,
especially those who have oral cancer.”
Noting that the lie expectancy or
patients with oral cancer hasn’t changed
much in 30 years, Nör said the Oral Health
Sciences PhD program “gave me the tools
I need and now use in my work. I want to
make a contribution, no matter how small
it might be, to changing that record and
making a dierence in the lives o people
suering rom this disease.”
He praised both Drs. Charlotte Mistretta
and Peter Polverini or their eorts.
“As director o the doctoral program,
Charlotte deserves so much credit or all
her leadership that made the program
possible,” Nör said. “And Peter Polverini was
an excellent mentor who has always been
there or me throughout my academiccareer at Michigan.”
“The Oral Health Sciences program is
another example o how lucky I’ve been
since coming here to Michigan,” Nör said.
Valued Colleagues
Oral Health Sciences PhD “changed my lie”
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Education
• DoctorofPhilosophy,OralHealthSciences,UniversityofMichigan
School o Dentistry (1999)
• MasterofScience,pediatricdentistry,UniversityofMichigan
School o Dentistry (1994)
• Certicateinpediatricdentistry,FederalUniversityofRioGrande
do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1990)
• Internshipinpediatricdentistry,FederalUniversityofRioGrande
do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1986)
• DoctorofDentalScience,FederalUniversityofRioGrandedoSul,
Porto Alegre, Brazil (1985)
Academic Appointments and Proessional
Experience
• Associateprofessorofdentistry,U-MSchoolofDentistry
(eective September 1)
• Assistantprofessorofdentistry(1999-2003)
• Adjunctlecturer(1995-1999)
• Clinicalinstructor(1994-1995)
Honors & Awards
• Dean’s Research Award , U-M School o Dentistry (2002)
• New Dentist Scientist Award , American Dental Association Health
Foundation (2001)
• Edward Hatton Award , International Association or Dental
Research (1999)
• Edward Hatton Award , American Association or Dental Research
(1999)
• Dziewiatkowski Memorial Award or excellence in student
research, U-M School o Dentistry, Department o Biologic and
Materials Sciences (1998)
• Pediatric Dentistry Alumni Memorial Award , Kenneth EaslickSociety, U-M School o Dentistry (1995)
• Graduate Student Research Award , American Academy o
Pediatric Dentistry (1995)
• Award o Recognition, highest grade point average among 80
dental students, School o Dentistry, Federal University o Rio
Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1985)
Memberships in Proessional and Research
Societies
• AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience
(2002 to present)
• AmericanAssociationforCancerResearch(2000topresent)
• InternationalandAmericanAssociationforDentalResearch
(1992 to present); Member, AADR Fellowships Committee
(2001-2004)
• AmericanAcademyofPediatricDentistry(1992topresent)
Service
• Member,OralHealthSciencesPhDprogramcommittee,
U-M School o D entistry (2003-present)
• Faculty,OralHealthSciencesPhDprogram(2000topresent)
• Member,FellowshipsCommittee,AmericanAssociationfor
Dental Research (2001-2004)
• Member,editorialboard,Pediatric Dentistry, the Journal o the
American Academy o Pediatric Dentistry (2001-2005)
• Member,editorialboard,Operative Dentistry, the Journal o the
American Academy o Operative Dentistry (2001 to present)
• Adhocreviewer, American Journal o Pathology (2001 to present)
• Adhocreviewer, Journal o Dentistry or Children
(2003 to present)
• Adhocreviewer, Angiogenesis (2001 to present)
• Adhocreviewer, Journal o Dental Research (2001 to present)
• Member,editorialboard,Brazilian Journal o Pediatric Dentistry
(2002 to present)
• Member,ExperimentalTherapeuticsandCancerBiology
programs, U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center (2001 to present)
• Member,ResearchCommittee,U-MSchoolofDentistry
(2002 to present)
• Member,StudentResearchProgramCommittee,U-MSchoolofDentistry (2002 to present)
• Coordinator,ResearchSeminarSeries,U-MSchoolofDentistry,
Department o Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics
(2002 to present)
Dr. Jacques NörProfessional Achievements
Selected Highlights
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DentalUM Fall 2003 43
Faculty NEWS
This year is turning out to be a
banner year for Dr. William Giannobile.
This summer, he was named to
the new position of director of clinical
research.
In July, he received a prestigious
award for his work...just weeks after
receiving another major award.
Director o Clinical Research
“Will’s appointment to thenew position of director of clinical
research reects his stellar reputation
as a scientist and educator,” said Dr.
Peter Polverini, dean of the School
of Dentistry. “During his career, he
has established solid professional and
personal bonds with scientists and
academicians throughout the clinical
research community that will enable our
School to establish and sustain a broad-
based, competitive clinical research
program.”Giannobile, an associate professor
of dentistry in the Department of
Per iodont ics , Prevent ion , and
Geriatrics, will work with a clinical
research center steering committee
to define the center’s current and
future programs. Polverini said he
envisions the center serving as “a new
opportunity to provide patient care,
capitalizing on our existing strengths
in basic and translational research and
applying them in a patient centeredenvironment.”
Earlier this year, Giannobile
became the rst School of Dentistry
faculty member to receive U-M’s
prestigious Henry Russel Award for
his outstanding record of teaching
and research. [DentalUM, Spring &
Summer 2003, page 70.] Last year he
received the
A n t h o n y
R i z z o
Periodontal
R e s e a r c h
Award. This
year, he also
received, for
t he s econd
t i m e i n a s
many years,the R. Earl
R o b i n s o n
Award.
In addi-
t ion to h i s
teaching and research responsibilities,
Giannobile belongs to numerous
professional and research societies,
serves on the executive council of the
Midwest Society of Periodontology,
is an associate editor of the Journal
of Periodontology, has served onnumerous School committees, and has
been an advisor to dental and graduate
students.
Wins Major Award…or Second Time
For the second consecutive year,
Giannobile won the R. Earl Robinson
Award. Established to encourage
research in periodontal regeneration,
the award is presented to the author(s)
of a peer-reviewed published paper thatcontributes the most to the knowledge
of periodontal regeneration in a given
calendar year.
He won for his paper published in
the February 2003 issue of the Journal
of Periodontology. The award was
presented at the annual meeting of the
American Academy of Periodontology
in San Francisco in September.
Other contributors include: R.
Bruce Rutherford, former professor,
Department of Cariology, Restorative
Sciences, and Endodontics, now chief
scientic ofcer with a dental company
in Seattle; Orasa Anusaksathien,PPG lecturer; Sarah Webb, research
associate, PPG; and Qiming Jin,
research associate, PPG.
Giannobile also won a clinical
research award from Quintessence
Publishing Company for publishing
a scientic manuscript that has direct
clinical relevance and application in
periodontics.
In his article that appeared in the
June 2002 issue of the International
Journal of Periodontics and Restorative
Dentistry, Giannobile, in collaboration
with researchers at the Forsyth Institute
and the Harvard School of Dental
Medicine in Boston, reported on
the signicance of reservoirs of oral
microorganisms that can be eradicated
by surgical therapy to improve patient
health.
Giannobile New Clinical Research Director
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Faculty NEWS
A diagnostic kit being developed by an associate
professor of dentistry may not only determine if a
patient has periodontal disease. It may also serve as
a “front line” test oral health care professionals might
be able to use to determine if a patient has also been
exposed to biological warfare agents.
With a $4.2 million grant from the National
Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, Dr.
William Giannobile is developing the kit that would
analyze small volumes of saliva to look for pathogens
that cause periodontal disease and biological toxins.
By the end of next year, Giannobile hopes to
begin using the diagnostic kit to test a small number of
patients in School of Dentistry clinics. The following
year, larger-scale clinical trials, perhaps involving
more than 100 patients, could begin.
The device would simultaneously measure the
presence of bacterial byproducts, immune response
mediators, and bone breakdown products.
Sandia National Laboratories, which has major
research and development responsibilities in national
security, energy, and environmental technologies,
is also working with Giannobile to develop the
diagnostic test, dubbed “the microchem lab.”
Because other pathogens have features similar to
those responsible for periodontal disease, Giannobile
said the test could also determine if a patient has major
systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease andosteoporosis.
Collaborating with him are Dr. Charles
Hasselbrink and Dr. Mark Burns, both with the U-M
School of Chemical Engineering, and Drs. Dennis
Lopatin and Charlie Shelburne with the U-M School
of Dentistry.
Looking or PeriodontalDisease...and Biotoxins
Another test Dr. William Giannobile
is d ev el o ping m a y be c l o se t o
commercialization.
For the past two years he and a team
o researchers have been developing a
test that, in 15 minutes or less, would
allow dentists to test patients in their
oce or active periodontal disease and
peri-implant disease. [Dental UM, Fall
2001, page 73.]
During a six-month study in 2000
o more than 70 patients with advanced
periodontal disease, Giannobile and a
team o researchers discovered that a
molecule known as ICTP is released into
a patient’s bloodstream as bone dissolves.
The molecule is present in patients
with active periodontal disease and those
with osteoporosis and bone cancer.
“We hope to give dentists a non-
invasive tool that they can use in their
oice to determine i a patient has
periodontal disease,” Giannobile said.
“Much like a rapid-pregnancy test that
a woman can use to determine i she is
or is not pregnant, this tool would look
or certain chemical markers to quickly
veriy the presence o periodontal or peri-
implant disease.”
Funded with a small business
innovation grant rom the NIH, the test
is being developed with Biomimetic
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a small biotech rm
that has licensed Giannobile’s device, and
Assay Designs, Inc., an Ann Arbor rm that
is working to develop the rapid chairside
use o the test.
Rapid Test Moving Closer
to Commercialization
44
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DentalUM Fall 2003 45
Bradley Receives Major Award Clewell Earns Major
Award rom U-MMedical SchoolDr. Robert Bradley, chair of the Department
of Biologic and Materials Sciences, recently
received the highest honor bestowed by the
Association for Chemoreception Sciences.
The award, the Maxwell M. Mozell Award
for Achievement in the Chemical Senses, was
presented at the group’s 25th anniversary meeting
in April.
Bradley was honored for his 25 years of
research contributions that seek to understand
how neural connections for taste sensation
are formed and how taste neurons in the brainfunction. Using animal models, Bradley has
developed techniques to record taste neurons in
a rodent’s brainstem to learn more about how the
brain processes neurotransmissions focusing on taste.
Combining pharmacology and neurophysiology, Bradley’s laboratory has
made new discoveries about the nature of the interactions between neurons to
form synapses and pathways for taste sensation. His lab has been using infrared
videomicroscopy to study special sets of neurons that regulate salivary secretion
under stimulus control from the taste system.
Bradley’s work on the taste system highlights the major sensory system of
the oral cavity, specically, the sense of taste which is crucial in directing nutrient
intake, rejecting poisons, and providing quality of life pleasures associated with
the social- and life-sustaining function of eating.
In addition, Bradley’s laboratory is working to develop a neural implant to
make long-term recordings from single sensory bers that innervate the tongue.
The implant consists of a sieve-like array of small holes which are surrounded
by electrodes. The electrodes are connected to recording equipment that allow
recordings to be made from one sensory ber to determine how taste buds react
to changing conditions in the mouth over an extended period of time.
Dr. George Taylor, an associate professor in the
Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and
Endodontics, is one of 21 fellows selected for the American
Dental Education Association’s Leadership Institute.
The Institute is a year-long program designed to develop
the nation’s most promising dental faculty to become future
leaders in dental and higher education. During the June-to-
June program, fellows pursue a project addressing a key issue
It’s been quite a year for Dr.
Donald Clewel l , professor in
the Department of Biologic and
Materials Sciences and professor of
microbiology and immunology at the
Medical School.
This summer, Clewell received
the Distinguished Faculty Leadership
Award in Biomedical Research fromthe U-M Medical School’s Biomedical
Research Council.
The award, the highest honor
bestowed by the Medical School,
recognizes a faculty member in
biomedical sciences who makes
outstanding contributions in research,
teaching, and student mentoring.
Last year Clewell became the
rst faculty member from the School
of Dentistry to receive the prestigiousDistinguished Faculty Achievement
Award from the University of
Michigan Horace Rackham School
of Graduate Studies.
Clewell’s research was featured
in the Spring & Summer 2003 issue
of DentalUM (pages 79-81).
Taylor and Kotowicz: ADEA Leadership Institute
in dental education.
They will also work in groups with others in the program,
including fellows and advisors, who share similar interests
and aspirations.
One of three Leadership Institute advisors is former
School of Dentistry Dean, Dr. William Kotowicz. He and the
other two other dental leaders from across the country will
advise Taylor and 20 other members of the Class of 2004.
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DentalUM Fall 200346
PerKjeldsen
Dr. Robert Feigal Returns to Minnesota
Dr. Sharon Brooks has been named
editor of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology,
the ofcial journal of the International
Association of Dentomaxillofacial
Radiology. Published six times annually,
the journal is the only one dedicated to
this major eld of interest. At its May
meeting, the association agreed to fund
an online subscription to the journal for
the 66 poorest countries in the world, so
that their faculty and researchers could
obtain access to the journal.
and Hospital Dentistry, promoted
to professor of dentistry, with
tenure.
• Dr. Mary Ellen McLean, Depart-
ment of Cariology, Restorative
Sciences, and Endodontics,
promoted to clinical associate
professor.
• Dr. Michael Ignelzi, Department
of Orthodontics and Pediatric
Dentistry, promoted to associate
professor of dentistry, with tenure.
• Dr. Jacques Nör, Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences,
and Endodontics, promoted to
associate professor of dentistry,
with tenure.
Dr. David Kohn, associate professor
in the Department of Biologic and
Materials Sciences, was named
associate editor for Journal for Dental
Research.
Dr. Russell Taichman, associate
professor in the Department of
Per iodont ics , Prevent ion , and
Geriatrics, received the Undergraduate
Research Opportunity Program’s
Recognition Award for Outstanding
Research Mentorship. The award
recognized his mentoring contributions
and developing future researchers and
academic leaders.
Dr. Barbara Smith, an assistant professorin the Department of Periodontics,
Prevention, and Geriatrics, and director
of the School of Dentistry’s geriatric
dental programs, was elected secretary
of the Geronotology and Geriatrics
Education Section during the annual
meeting of the American Dental
Education Association in San Antonio.
Dr. Bud Strafon talks about Dr. Robert Feigal’s achievements during a arewell party or Feigal (let)prior to his return to Minnesota.
The School of Dentistry recently said farewell to Dr. Robert Feigal. He
returned to the University of Minnesota to become chair of the dental school’s
Department of Preventive Sciences in mid-June.
Feigal earned degrees in dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and completed his
doctoral training at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s.
During his 11 years at Michigan, Feigal was the director of the graduate
program in pediatric dentistry and head of the division of pediatric dentistry in
the School’s Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. He was also the
Samuel D. Harris Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and served as Associate Dean
for Graduate Programs and Facilities.
Dr. Charlotte Mistretta, professor of
dentistry and the director of the School
of Dentistry’s Oral Health Sciences
PhD program, was recently named the
William R. Mann Professor of Dentistry
by U-M Regents.
On September 1, the following faculty
members were awarded promotions:
• Dr. Stephen Feinberg, Department
of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Also of Interest...
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DentalUM Fall 2003 47
INTERESTING
INTERESTS Talk to aculty and sta at the School o Dentistry, or visit them at theiroce or at a clinic, and sooner or later you learn o an interesting hobby
or pursuit that they have.
In some instances, the activity parallels a career. Others, however,
are engaged in activities away rom the School that have no connection
to their proessional roles.
On the ollowing pages are examples o individuals with a range o
“interesting interests.”
Dr. Russell S. TaichmanAssociateProfessor, Department of Periodontics, Prevention,
Geriatrics
Arctic Hiker
Every summer since 1991, Taichman
and about 10 others each take a 70-poundbackpack with two weeks o ood, clothing
uel, and emergency supplies – but no cel
phones or radios. They’re oblivious to thenews. To navigate, they rely on a Globa
Positioning Satellite system.“The trips combine my interests in
history, natural history, and exploration,
he said.Hiking and occasionally kayaking
sometimes up to 80 degrees north latitude(the North Pole is 90 degrees north latitude)
Taic hman see s breat htak ing and barren
landscapes ew have seen.Recently, he ound a dog skull he late
learned were the remains o the dog thabelonged to Admiral Robert E. Perry, the rs
to explore the area. On another trip Taichmandiscovered a waterall that park rangers were
unaware o.
A map o the Arctic on his oice walsports dozens o red, blue, green, and yellow
push pins showing a particular trip and areavisited.
Sometimes his wie, Susan, accompanie
him. “But not this year,” he said. “She wantedurniture or the house instead.”
This picture o Dr. Russell Taichman was taken in2001 at Pangnitrung Fjord on Ban Island at 66degrees north latitude. “We just crossed the ArctiCircle ollowing a 16-day hike in nearby AuyuittuqNational Park,” he said. The park is oten reerred toas “the Switzerland o the Arctic.”
Vacationing “upnorth” means something totally dierent to Dr. Russell S. Taichman. To him,“up north” is WAY north – the Arctic Circle.
DentalUM Fall 2003 47
Photo courtesy o Dr.Russell Taichman
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DentalUM Fall 200348
Dr. David JacobsonDirector, Patient AdmittingandEmergencyServicesClinicSel-taught Musician & Instrument
Repairman
He plays throughout the day, as timepermits. “I’m uncomortable i I’m away roma musical instrument too long,” he said.
A sel-taught musician, Jacobson irstlearned to play the piano growing up in NewYork City. “Music intuitively came to me asnaturally as language,” he said.
Jacobson also repairs and buildsinstruments. Following a luthiery apprentice-ship last summer, he began designing “thebetter jazz guitar.”
Collecting musical instruments is alsoin Jacobson’s repertoire – guitars, basseskeyboards, drums, and other stringedinstruments such as the bouzouki, mandolinbanjo, and sitar. So too is recording. Twoo his compositions were released on anindependently-produced CD entitled Technicolor Motorhome 2000.
Although a picture o Frank Zappais pinned to a bulletin board in his oiceJacobson especially admires the work o LarryCarlton, a prolic guitarist who has recordednumerous commercial soundtracks.
Tucked in a corner o Dr. David Jacobson’sofce is “a cheap rock and roll guitar,” ashe described it, that
he oten plays.
Sylvia BowmanAdministrativeAssistant, School of DentistryPersonnel Office
Dog Walker
It’s volunteers like Sylvia Bowman.Four times a week, including ve or
six hours on weekends, she walks dogs, o all sizes, at the Humane Society o HuronValley just outside Ann Arbor.
“I take them outdoors and walk them,play ball with them, and give them anopportunity to stretch their legs,” she said.“I also try to make some o them moresociable so people want to adopt them.”
Bowman’s interest in the programbegan two years ago when she and herhusband wanted to adopt a dog. “I learnedmore about the program and thought thiswould be a un opportunity to volunteer.It’s great exercise, plus, I get paid in kisses!”
The best part o the program, shesaid, “is seeing a dog go home with its newamily.”
Oh yes, the Bowmans did nd the dogthey wanted – a beagle, named “Snoopy.”
48 DentalUM Fall 2003
Ever wonder
who walksthe animalsthat are cared or by your local humane society?
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DentalUM Fall 2003 49
Jane FolskeDepartment Secretary, OrthodonticsandPediatricDentistry Archer
Just ask Jane Folske. She didn’t learnto use a bow and arrow…until ater she wasmarried.
For the past 22 years, Folske has joinedher husband, Bruce, deer hunting nearlyevery weekend between early October and
late December. Other times, she’s practicingor competing in archery leagues or three-dimensional animal targets.
“During deer hunting season, I climb atree or hide in a camoufage blind. But eveni nothing happens,” she said, “I enjoy beingoutdoors at daybreak, watching the sun rise,and hearing and seeing the animals awaken.
It took her three or our years to bag herrst deer with a bow.
Folske uses a 42-pound compoundbow and a 28-pound longbow. (“Pound”describes how much orce is used to pullthe string.)
Two years ago, Folske was asked bythe Michigan Bow Hunters Association toparticipate in a 21-arrow salute memoriaservice, honoring an archery legend. “Eacho us red an arrow simultaneously. It wasimpressive and an honor to be involved.”
Debbie MontagueAlumni Officer, Officeof Alumni RelationsBasket Maker
For more than seven years she has beenmaking baskets o all kinds – fower, pumpkin,and recently, a shing tackle basket that wasa git to ormer Dean William Kotowicz.
Although Montague said she wasn’t sureshe would enjoy basket making when a riendrst suggested it, “I ell in love with it,” she said.“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands.I think it started when I was seven and took piano lessons or 10 years.” Later, Montaguemade clothes or her daughter, Melissa, whenshe was growing up.
In addition to weekly classes, Montagueand six riends get together every other week
to discuss and show their creations. She alsoattends an annual convention in Grand Rapids.
Montague estimates she’s made morethan 150 baskets, all o them practical…anddurable. Depending on their size and strengtho the reeds that are used, her baskets can holdbetween 20 to 40 pounds o goods or supplies.
“This is my way o unwinding at the end o a day,” she said. “Everyone needs some kind o release rom work at the end o the day. Andthis is it or me.”
“I’m a basket case!” Debbie
Montagueexclaims in jest as shetalks about her passion– makingbaskets.
Sometimes a hobby or interest is acquired during childhood.Other times, it’s later in lie.
DentalUM Fall 2003
Photo courtesy o JaneFolske
49
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DentalUM Fall 200350
Christine KlausnerClinical Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontics,Prevention, andGeriatricsFashion Eyeglass Afcionado
She’s usually wearing ashion eyeglasses
whose rames have an assortment o colors –reds, blues, greens, or orange.
“It’s my menopausal jewelry,” she saidwith a laugh. “I don’t collect diamonds o
gold, so I wear these instead.”Recalling the irst pair o eyeglasses
she wore as a th-grader – ones with thick
black rames – Klausner said, “I hated themSo when contacts rst came out when I was
a high school senior, I bought those.”
Although she still wears contactsKlausner began searching or ashion eye wea
about our years ago. “I wanted somethingwith a splash. Ater avorable response to the
rst pair rom patients, students, and acultyI looked or another set. Now I have about
eight pairs. Since they cost only ten or twenty
dollars a pair, they’re aordable,” she said.
Klausner said her husband also keepsan eye out or new glasses she might wantto wear. “Fashion doesn’t always have to be
clothes. It can be other things, like eyeglasses
And that works or me.”
PerKjeldsen
John DrachProfessor of Dentistry, Department of BiologicandMaterials
SciencesMug Collector
“Don Clewell suggested I put othersup, otherwise the shel would ill with
books and papers and look cluttered,”
Drach said.Drach took Clewell’s advice. Now he
has 20 mugs on his shel.His avorites include one rom one
o his daughters about dads, one romhis granddaughter, another rom Glacier
National Park, and another rom Wheaton
College.
“The one in my hand is also a avorite,rom the College o Pharmacy. My dad wasa pharmacist, my wie was a pharmacist,
and I was too,” he said.
Since 1966, Drach has been involvedin drug research, a proessor at the College
o Pharmacy, and teaches pharmacology todental and dental hygiene students. “So
drugs really have been a part o my lie, or
at least a signicant part o it,” he said.
I you’relookingor ChrisKlausner at the dental
school, it’seasy to fnd her.
When John Drachmoved into hisofce in 1986 ate
becoming chair othe Department o Biologic and Materials Sciencehe put a coeemug on his shel.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 51
Live a Lie o Real Meaning and Signifcance, Graduates Advised
Graduation DayMay 10, 2003
Live a Lie o Real Meaning and Signifcance, Graduates Advised
Dr. Charles Bertolami, Dean o theUCSF School o Dentistry
Keary Campbell
Can three words make a difference in a person’s professional andprivate life?
The speaker at this spring’s School of Dentistry commencement is
convinced they can.
Dr. Charles Bertolami, dean of the University of California School
of Dentistry in San Francisco, told graduates they have succeeded in
acquiring a considerable amount of information and transforming it into
knowledge.
But he cautioned knowledge and wisdom are not identical.
“Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom,” he said.
Bertolami’s challenge to graduates was to advance to the next level
and “take that knowledge and transform it, if you can, into wisdom.”He said that’s possible by remembering what he called “the three
magic words – discernment, feeling, and faith.”
All are interrelated.
Describing discernment as the ability to see the truth that is acquired
by living, Bertolami told graduates, “If you’re going to be an effective
practitioner, you have to accept that all people are incredibly discerning…
especially patients (who) are exquisitely effective in figuring out
everything they need to know about you and doing it with unbelievable
speed.”
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DentalUM Fall 200352
Because o renovations to Hill Auditorium, the
School o Dentistry’s graduation was held atthe Power Center or the Perorming Arts. Hill
Auditorium is scheduled to reopen in January
ollowing nearly $39 million o renovations
during the past two years.
Bertolami added that earning a degree is more than possessing a body of
knowledge. “People also see you as caring, compassionate, honest, fair, and
good.” If that’s not the case, he said, “this will be discovered and rediscovered
about you hundreds and thousands of times by patients and colleagues alike.”
Physical and emotional responses to perceptions, he said, create feelings.
Suppressing feelings is sometimes necessary, Bertolami said. But doing
so continuously, he cautioned, “is an extremely dangerous game. Once we get
comfortable hardening ourselves in one context, it can get out of control…and
diminish our humanity.”
Finally, he advised students to have faith, or condence, not just in themselves
or in others, but in something greater. “Everything depends on you being a part
of something and a part of something big,” he said. For those who were unsure,
Bertolami advised them to “believe in the excellence and superiority of truth over
untruth. That’s a start.”
Discernment, feeling, and faith, he said will help students make a successful
transition from dental school and “will lead you to a life of real meaning and
signicance.”
You can hear Dr. Charles Bertolami’scommencement remarks in their entirety
on the U-M School o Dentistry’s Web site:
www.dent.umich.edu.
On the homepage, click the text that
reads, “Graduation 2003.” Headlines
and photographs o each speaker will
then appear as will the time o each
speaker’s remarks.
You can listen to his remarks and those o
other speakers in any order you choose.
Knowing that Dr. William Kotowicz would soon be
stepping down as dean o the U-M School o Dentistry three
weeks ater graduation (but remaining a member o the
aculty), Dr. Charles Bertolami took a moment in his addressto praise his riend.
“For the graduates o this institution, the University o
Michigan, you should eel especially grateul because you’re
graduating rom a dental school that is inarguably, one o
the nest in the entire world,” Bertolami said.
“There is no one who knows dental education anywhere
in the world who, i asked to name the top three dental
institutions in the world, would not include the University
o Michigan,” he said. “You can’t appreciate this i the only
dental school you know is Michigan. But go someplace else
or a change and you’ll come back eeling extremely grateul.”“I’m saying this,” he joked, “as a person who himsel
graduated rom The Ohio State University.”
Bertolami said Kotowicz “has devoted his entire career
to this institution and along, with the aculty, has brought it
to the eminence it now enjoys.”
Kotowicz Praised by UCSF
Dental School Dean
Graduation DayDr.Bertolami’sRemarksonSchoolWebsite
Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 2003 53
“I loved teaching students…and I also want to thank them for using some of
my textbooks,” Dr. James Avery joked after receiving the Distinguished Service
Award.
A professor of dentistry, Avery retired from active faculty status in 1991 after
an illustrious 37-year career that began at the School of Dentistry in 1954 as an
assistant professor.
During his career he contributed to teaching, service, and research at the
School of Dentistry and the Medical School. He also held important administrative
positions, including chair of the Department of Oral Biology (1977-1986), was a
member of the executive committee (1962-1965), and served as president of the
International Association for Dental Research from 1974 to 1975.
As he thanked those who contributed to his success, Avery paid tribute to
Dody, his wife of 53 years. “She told me I ought to stand up and smile, shut up,
and sit down,” he said. After laughter and affectionate applause from the crowded
auditorium subsided, he continued, “Dody, I’m going to do just that.”
In addition to winning many honors and awards, Avery wrote more than 130
articles for publication, wrote and edited three textbooks, served on the editorial
advisory board for the Journal of Dental Research, and was a scientic reviewer
for several dental and oral health care publications.
The Classof
200396 DDS degrees
32 Bachelor o Science
degrees in dental hygiene
11 Master’s degrees
1 PhD
Distinguished Service Award
to Dr. James Avery
Graduation Day
Dr. James Avery
Teaching Awards to
Richards, Kerschbaum, and Dowson
You’ve undoubtedly heard the remark, “Records were meant to be broken.”
In one case, that may not be true.
Dr. Philip Richards received the Paul Gibbons Award for the 10th consecutive
year…a feat that may never be equaled, much less surpassed.
The annual award from dental students recognizes a teacher for his or her
outstanding teaching during the four years they, as students, were in the predoctoral
program.
Richards, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Periodontics,
Prevention, and Geriatrics, talked about his life and success in detail in the Fall
2002 DentalUM (pages 36-41).Professor Wendy Kerschbaum, director of the dental hygiene programs, and
Deborah Dowson, adjunct clinical instructor, were co-recipients of the Outstanding
Instructor of the Year Award presented by graduating dental hygiene students.
More information about the award presented to Kerschbaum and Dowson
appears in the Dental Hygiene section of this issue (page 58).
The remarks of all three and their advice to students can be heard on the
School’s Web site www.dent.umich.edu.
Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 200354
Graduation Day
In their farewell address, it’s customary for dental senior class presidents to
say “goodbye” to their classmates.
Not this year.
Instead, dental senior class president Aleco Tujios, concluded his remarks
with one word, “Aloha,” and slowly walked away from the podium.
Saying “aloha” is the Hawaiian word for “hello” and “until we meet again,”
the Hawaiian-raised Tujios said, “As the ancient Hawaiians didn’t believe in saying
goodbye, I will not say goodbye to my class. Aloha.”
Before he concluded his remarks, Tujios, told classmates that “in moving out
of the protective connes of the dental school…the future care of our patientslies solely in our own hands….It’s time for us to move on and take on new
responsibilities.”
Tujios enters the U-M pediatric dentistry program this fall.
His remarks can be heard on the School’s Web site: www.dent.umich.edu.
Dental Class President:
“Aloha”
Dental senior class president Aleco Tujios.
Over the past decade, the
Norman Mette Foundation has
provided $385,000 in scholarships
to U-M dental students. TheMette Foundation also supports
s c h o l a r s h i p s a t t h e U - M
Medical School. Dean William
Kotowicz publicly thanked Karl
Schetten-helm, a member o the
Foundation’s board o directors,
or their support o the School o
Dentistry and the University at this
spring’s commencement. Several
weeks earlier, the Foundation
received the University o Michigan’s James B. Angell
Presidential Society Recognition
Award or gits totaling more than
$1.6 million.
Keary Campbell
Keary Campbell
54
Karl Schettenhelm
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DentalUM Fall 2003 55
Graduation Day
Prior to receiving their dental degrees, brothers Robert and WilliamStevenson began commencement ceremonies singing the NationalAnthem.
A proud moment or Dr. Thomas Pink, a member o the School’s Alumni SocietyBoard o Governors, as he robes his son, Michael, just prior to being awarded hisdental degree.
With his seven-month-old son, Sammy, in his arms, dental studentStephen Sterlitz is about to receive his dental degree. Also wanting toparticipate in the ceremony, to the surprise o Dr. Marilyn Woololk (let)and Dr. Dennis Turner (right), are Sterlitz’s two other sons, 3-1/2-year-oldStephen (let) and 1-1/2-year-old Mitchell (back to camera).
Oral Health Sciences doctoral student Christopher Kazor is robed by Drs.Walter Loesche and Charlotte Mistretta.
Keary Campbell
Keary Campbell Keary Campbell
Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 200356
May graduation ceremonies were
doubly sweet for the Class of 2003.
Not only did dental students walk
off stage with a DDS degree, they also
knew the results of their NERB scores
earlier than they had before.
The benet? Graduates were able
to begin their careers months earlier
than in the past.
Beore
Since 1969, the Northeast
Regional Board (NERB) has
developed, administered, scored,
and reported the results of tests taken
by dental students.
Tests were given on two
consecutive days, typically in late
April. Both days, students might
spend a total of 12 or 13 hours on the tests, not only taking
them, but also setting up for the test and cleaning up.
They would not learn the results until late June or early
July. If a retake of one or both sections of the test wasnecessary, the earliest that could be done was in mid-August.
Beginning in the fall of 2002, the U-M School of Dentistry
participated in a pilot program that changed all that.
New Changes
U-M was one of ve of 22 dental schools in NERB’s
jurisdiction that took advantage of the program that allowed
students to take the rst part of their NERB exam in September
and the second part this past March. Opportunities to retake
the exam were also available.
NERB launched the pilot project following approval of aresolution by the ADA’s House of Delegates that urged NERB
and other testing organizations to work with dental school
educators to see if there was a way to improve the process.
“We participated because we thought the new timetable
would benet our students,” said Dr. Dennis Turner, assistant
dean for patient services. His ofce worked closely with
NERB to schedule and administer the exam at the U-M School
of Dentistry.
NERB Changes Beneft Dental StudentsEligible or Licensing by Graduation
Under the old schedule, Turner noted, if a student learned
they had to re-take one or more sections of the test, they
couldn’t do so until mid-August. “By then, they might be
enrolled in a graduate program, or AEGD program, or even inthe military which could make rescheduling impossible until
nearly a year after they graduated.” In addition, candidates
who were entering private practice would have to put their
lives on “hold” for months.
Now a Degree and a License to Practice
“This new schedule gives students peace of mind and
allows them to begin their careers much earlier,” he said.
For the School of Dentistry, this meant that 100 percent of
the graduates who took the exam were eligible for licensure
by commencement ceremonies in May.Turner praised his staff for their efforts.
“This success did not come without a great deal of effort
and dedication on the part of staff members in the ofce
of patient services,” he said. “The exam was given on the
weekend and many of our staff worked the evening before
the exam and then put in 15 hour days on both Saturday and
Sunday. They took a real personal interest in the success of
our students.”
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DentalUM Fall 2003 57
2003GraduationDENTAL HYGIENE
Anne Gwozdek, a member of the School of Dentistry’s Alumni
Society Board of Governors who earned her dental hygiene degree at
U-M in 1973, was the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumnae
Award at spring graduation.
Presented by the U-M Dental Hygienists’ Alumnae Association,
the award honors an individual who has made signicant contributions
to the dental hygiene profession.
Jemma Allor, president of the organization, said that “anyone who
meets Anne is instantly drawn to her positive outlook, vibrant energy,
and winning attitude.”
Gwozdek, as president of the Michigan Dental Hygienists’
Association (1999-2000), helped to expand the number of seats onthe state’s Board of Dentistry to include two members of the dental
hygiene profession, Allor said.
Working in private practice and as an adjunct clinical instructor
at the School of Dentistry, Allor said Gwozdek was also involved
with a task force that led to legislation that allows dental hygienists to
administer local anesthesia following 15 hours of classroom instruction
and 14 hours of clinical training. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2003,
pages 48-49.]
“I’m honored and humbled to receive this award,” Gwozdek said.
Recalling donning cap and gown to participate in her own
graduation ceremonies 30 years ago, she added, “little did I know atthat time what an impact my years here would have on my personal
and professional life.”
She said the education she received at the School of Dentistry
“opened the doors of employment opportunities and career
advancement, enhanced my love of lifelong learning, and provided
me with unprecedented respect among my patients and peers.”
Gwozdek encouraged graduates to remain involved with the
School after graduating.
Anne Gwozdek (right) receives the Outstanding Alumnae Award rom U-M Dental Hygienists’ Alumnae Association presidentJemma Allor.
AnneGwozdekReceivesOutstanding Alumnae Award
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DentalUM Fall 200358
Call or
Members… The Dental Hy gienis ts ’ Al umna e
Association is looking or members
who would like to serve on its
Executive Board beginning in 2005.
I n a d d i t i o n t o a r r a n g i n g
homecoming activities, the DHAA
stays current on dental hygiene issues
at the School and sponsors various
unctions or DH students. It alsoselects a recipient o the Outstanding
Alumnae Award that is presented each
year at commencement.
D HAA m eet ing s a re hel d
quarterly, generally at the School
o Dentistry. For more inormation,
please contact Debbie Montague in
the School o Dentistry’s Oice o
Alumni Relations at (734) 764-6856.
Outstanding Instructor Award
toKerschbaumandDowson
The Dental Hygiene Class of 2003 presented its
Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award to Wendy
Kerschbaum and Deborah Dowson at spring commencement
ceremonies.
Senior dental hygiene class president Richelle Pipski said
“it was so difcult to decide on a single candidate that my
classmates and I chose to bestow it upon two instructors.”
Pipski said Kerschbaum was not only “an integral part of
our dental hygiene careers as an instructor, but also a guidancecounselor, sounding board, and, most of all, our friend.”
Dowson was “ever so patient, she has taught us to be
patient with ourselves,” Pipski said.
The remarks of Pipski, Kerschbaum, and Dowson can be
heard in their entirety on the School’s Web site www.dent.
umich.edu.
DeborahDowson thanksdental hygienegraduates orthe award theypresented toher.
Dental hygienesenior classpresidentRichelle Pipski
(right) andProessor WendyKerschbaum.
DENTAL HYGIENE
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DentalUM Fall 2003 59
S U R V E Y
In order to better serve our dental hygiene community we would appreciate receiving
your input about dental hygiene continuing education. Please take a moment tocomplete this survey and either mail it to the Oce o Continuing Dental Education
or ax it to us at (734) 936-3065.
1. Please list topics that you are interested in learning more about.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Speaker suggestions:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Location preerences (cities/hotels):
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Would you preer to attend a CE course held on or o the U-M campus?
On campus O campus
5. Best day o the week or you to attend a CE course:
__________________________________________________________________
6. Do you preer an all-day course or a hal-day course?
All-day Hal-day
Please tear out this page, place it in an envelope and mail to:University o Michigan
School o Dentistry
1011 N. University
Room G508
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078
or, you may ax this to our oce at (734) 936-3065.
Pleaseclip
and
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DentalUM Fall 200360
Alumnus Prole
s president of the dental class of 1973, William
Maas challenged classmates in his farewell address.
He urged them to develop a personal or professional
statement of purpose, or identify with a personal mission, so
that they eventually would nd themselves providing oral
health care in a system that was shaped with their personal
input.
Since leaving the School of Dentistry, Dr. William Maas
has helped to shape the direction of oral health care.
Today, Maas directs the Division of Oral Health in
the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in Atlanta.
The division’s programs extend the use of proven
strategies to prevent oral diseases, assist state oral health
programs, and build the evidence base for preventive
strategies through research and program evaluation. Division
programs also strengthen state and national abilities to
monitor oral health and establish guidelines for infection
control in clinical dental settings.
Two years ago he retired as an Assistant Surgeon General
after 28 years of service as a commissioned ofcer in the U.S.
Public Health Service.
He also played a major role in shaping the groundbreaking
report focusing on the state of oral health in America issued
three years ago by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Change o Direction
So how did the Detroit-area native wind up in aninuential policy shaping role?
“When I entered the University of Michigan School of
Dentistry in 1969, I wanted to become a solo practitioner in
the Detroit area after earning my dental degree,” Maas said
during a telephone interview from his Atlanta ofce.
But by the time he actually received his DDS in 1973,
his plans were beginning to change.
Director, Division o Oral Health,
Centers or Disease Control and
Prevention
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S.
Public Health Service (retired)
In this photo, taken in the spring o 2001, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher presented Dr. WilliamMaas with the Surgeon General’s medallion or his work as the chie dental ocer o the U.S. PublicHealth Service. The medallion is the highest award bestowed by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Playing an
important role in
shaping the U.S.
Surgeon General’s
Report on Oral
Health
Photo courtesy o ADA News. © 2001 American Dental Association
Dr.William
Maas
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DentalUM Fall 2003 61
“I wasn’t ready to settle down,” he said with a chuckle,
“so I joined the Indian Health Service, in part, as an adventure,
but mostly to provide oral health care to a community of
individuals who needed it, in this case at the Public Health
Service’s Indian Hospital in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.”
For three years he provided clinical services in hospitals
and remote eld clinics, directed a team of four dentists and
seven assistants, provided a broad scope of services in ve
clinics to a large population on a vast, medically isolated
reservation, evaluated community needs, and planned and
implemented innovative school- and community-based
prevention programs that were later used as models for Indian
Health Service policies.
By 1978, Maas was director of dental services for the
Indian Health Service in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
There he directed a dental program providing clinical
care and community health services for 57,000 persons in
nine hospitals and 17 ambulatory care sites. He was also
responsible for strategic planning, resource allocation,
maintaining clinical data bases for program evaluation, and
transferring scientic knowledge to interdisciplinary health
workers to use in community clinics.
Ypsilanti Head Start Memories
His response to challenges while working in South
Dakota, and even more recently in his national leadership
roles, were strongly inuenced by memories of his dental
school days.
“I remember Bob Bagramian, Emerson Robinson, myself,
and several others screening four- and ve-year-olds who were
in the Head Start program on the outskirts of Ypsilanti. I was
struck by how much dental disease this group of children had
compared to others we had seen in the city,” he said.
The reason for the disparities, he learned, was due to the
uoridation of the city’s water supply.
It was during his second year at Pine Ridge that Maas’s
experiences in Ypsilanti resurfaced.
“I didn’t really forget them,” he said, “but I don’t think I
appreciated them as much until I was in South Dakota where
I saw high levels of dental disease.”
“That motivated me even more to see what policy changes
could be made at local, state, or national levels in how oral
health care is administered so that people could get the proper
preventive services and dental care they needed,” Maas
continued. “It also broadened my perspective. I was not just
responsible for treating individuals, I also had responsibility
for treating a community of patients.”
During these assignments, Maas determined that there
was not a solid evidence base to answer many of the questions
that he had while making clinical treatment decisions or
determining clinic and program policies. He sought advance
training in health policy and management.
Advancing Proessionally
In 1982, Maas earned a Master of Public Health degree
from Harvard’s School of Public Health and, a year later,
another master’s degree from Harvard, this time in Health
Policy and Management.
From 1983 to 1984, he was a dental public health resident
in the Ofce of the U.S. Surgeon General and subsequently
became board-certied in dental public health.
By 1987, Maas became assistant chief in the dental
services branch of the Indian Health Service. He was
now responsible for developing and evaluating IHS dental
programs, allocating resources, and guiding nearly 300
dentists and more than 400 other personnel who served nearly
1 million patients in 27 states.
In 1989, Maas became the rst dentist to be assigned to
the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. He served
in several positions, including acting chief of the scientic
review branch and deputy director of the extramural program
that addressed issues of cost, quality, and access.
In his roles, Maas was the principal advisor to staff and
agency leaders about developing and disseminating scientic,
policy-relevant information needed by patients, clinicians,
purchasers, health plans, and policy makers so they could
make better oral health care decisions.
“These three issues – cost, quality, and access – these are
the three issues we all face in the oral health delivery system,”
Maas said. “But there are a lot of tradeoffs that have to be
made in these areas in moving the system forward, which can
be better understood by research.”
Maas’s experiences were setting the stage for something
even bigger.
More than three years ater the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health
was issued, Maas said its fndings “are as robust now as they were then.”
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DentalUM Fall 200362
Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health
In May 1997, he was selected as Chief Dental Ofcer
of the Public Health Service and was promoted to the rank
of Assistant Surgeon General. In this role, he provided
leadership for, and coordination of, Public Health Service
dental programs and professional affairs for the Ofce of
the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
A short time later, Maas became a member of the project
team that prepared the rst report from the Surgeon General
about the state of oral health care in America.
“When I rst became involved with this report, I was a
one of three individuals responsible for developing an outline
and providing context and structure,” he said. The other two
members were Dr. Caswell Evans, projector director and
executive editor, and Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, co-executive
editor and deputy director of the National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research.
“The last three months before the report was issued,
we worked almost night and day to determine the best way
to sequence the contents of the report, how much detail we
would include, and other factors,” Maas said.
“We had Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, reviewing
copy and giving us feedback, as well as public health agencies
and many others.” As chief dental ofcer, Maas oversaw the
Department’s review and nal editing of the report.
The report was issued May 25, 2000.
Report’s Themes Still Valid
“This report is about oral health, not dentistry. It’s a
report about a health issue, not a professional issue. That
distinction merits mention,” Maas said.
“While the dental profession does have the most interest
in oral health, there are others who are involved in oral health
including program administrators, policymakers, physicians,
other health care providers, and others. We hope this report
is an opportunity for everyone involved in providing oral
health care to improve cross-collaboration so that, in the end,
the public receives the oral health care it deserves.”
More than three years after the report was issued, Maas
said its ndings “are as robust now as they were then.”
Among the report’s major conclusions: oral health
means much more than healthy teeth, oral health is a
component of overall health, and that safe and effective
measures exist to prevent the most common dental diseases
(caries and periodontal disease), but these have not been
applied as widely as possible which, in turn, has resulted in
profound oral health disparities in the U.S. today.
Maas said now that the detailed report has been public for
more than three years he is pleased that organized dentistry “is
using it as a vehicle to advocate to local, state, and national
policymakers what needs to be done to achieve the goal of
appropriate oral health care for everyone.”
Two years ago, Maas received the Distinguished Service
Medal, the U.S. Public Health Service’s highest award, for
his “distinguished career and his dedication to improving the
oral health of the nation and reducing health disparities.”
In citing his achievements as director of the Division
of Oral Health with the Centers for Disease Control, the
commendation said, “Dr. Maas is concluding his remarkable
career with a strong nish. His management of a major
health program and contributions to dental public health
leave behind a large legacy.”
Looking back on a 30-year career, it’s safe to say Dr.
William Maas has, indeed, practiced what he advocated.
“When I frst became involved
with this report (the U.S. Surgeon
General’s Report on Oral Health),
I was a one o three individuals
responsible or developing an
outline and providing context and
structure.”
Dr. William Maas (center) was among those at the School o Dentistry’sHomecoming tailgate at the U-M gol course prior to the Michigan-Houstongame on Saturday, Sept. 6. With him are Dean Peter Polverini (let) and Maas’ather, Larry.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 63
Education
• MasterofScience,HarvardUniversity(1983)
• MasterofPublicHealth,HarvardUniversity(1982)
• GeneralPracticeResidency,IndianHealthService(1978)
• DoctorofDentalSurgery,UniversityofMichigan(1973)
Proessional
• Director,DivisionofOralHealth,CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention
(1998-present)
• ChiefDentalOcer,U.S.PublicHealthService(1997-2001)
• SeniorDentalAdvisor(ChiefDentalOcer),AgencyforHealthCarePolicyand
Research (1989-1998)
• AssistantChief,DentalServicesBranch,IndianHealthService(1987-1989)
• Chief,AreaDentalServicesBranch,Aberdeenarea(SouthDakota)IndianHealthService
(1978-1981)
Honors and Awards
• DistinguishedServiceMedal,U.S.PublicHealthService(2001)
• President’sAward,AmericanDentalAssociation(2001)
• SurgeonGeneral’sMedallion,OceoftheU.S.SurgeonGeneral(2001)
• CarlA.SchlackAward,AssociationofMilitarySurgeonsoftheU.S.(1998)
• JackD.RobertsonAward,PublicHealthService“DentistoftheYear”(1994)
• MeritoriousServiceAward,U.S.PublicHealthService(1989)
Proessional Aliations
• AmericanAssociationofPublicHealthDentistry(1976-present)
• AmericanAssociationofPublicHealthDentistry,VicePresident,President-elect,
President, Past president (2000-2003)
• AmericanDentalAssociation(1969-present)
• AmericanDentalAssociation,Consultant,CouncilonGovernmentalAairs;Councilon
Access,Prevention,andInterprofessionalRelations;Delegate,4thDistrict,Houseof
Delegates (1997-2001)
• AmericanCollegeofDentists(1994-present)
• AmericanPublicHealthAssociation(1978-present)
• CommissionedOcersAssociationoftheUSPHS,Member,NationalBoardofDirectors
(1989-1994)
• Reviewer,JournaloftheAmericanDentalAssociationandotherjournals
DentalUM Fall 2003 63
William Maas, DDS, MPH, MSSelected Highlights
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DentalUM Fall 200364
“It’s just one piece of the oral
health care puzzle. We’re trying to
give dentists a new tool they can
use in their daily quest of providing
quality oral health care to patients.
This tool will summarize all the
scientic evidence pertaining to
clinical problems they face on a
daily basis.”
That’s how Dr. Amid Ismail
describes the work of the ADA’s
Interagency Task Force on Evidence-
Based Dentistry.
Ismail, a professor in the Department of
Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, is a
consultant to the committee.For about two years, committee members have discussed
ways to develop the concept of evidence-based dentistry
(EBD) as a roadmap of useful procedures ADA members
might want to consider and possibly use in their daily work.
Although evidence-based dentistry is relatively new in
the U.S., it’s frequently used in medicine and nursing and
commonly used in some European countries.
Ismail’s earlier experiences and insights are helping the
committee develop a possible roadmap.
“I had major EBD experience working with the Canadian
Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination and alsohelped develop the concept of evidence-based dentistry prior
to coming to Michigan,” he said. “I understand the logistics
that make a dental practice work and what goes on daily in
a dental practice.”
What It Is…What It Is Not
In a nutshell, Ismail said that evidence-based dentistry
is about the scientic basis behind clinical practices.
“It’s an extension of the ADA’s
policy that empowers dentists
to make decisions that take
into account several factors
– the preferences of their
patients, the medical and
dental histories of each patient,
and the clinical expertise of
the dentist,” he said. However,
Ismail also emphasized what
evidence-based dentistry is not.
“It is not about reimbursement or
deciding what procedures should be
covered by dental insurance companies. It is not
a ‘cookbook’ approach to dentistry. It is not designed to
replace the way dentists now practice,” he said.According to the ADA, evidence-based dentistry
“requires the judicious integration of systematic assessments
of clinically relevant scientic evidence.”
Put another way, EBD examines scientific evidence
pertaining to oral health care and dentistry in a disciplined,
methodical, unbiased manner. Information, or evidence, that
appears in journal publications is summarized and presented
in a way that mitigates biases inherent in that information.
That will be achieved by following a set of predetermined
protocols about how to extract the information. The reader will
also be informed about other aspects of the evidence includinghow it is evaluated and the number of reliable evaluators that
were used to extract the information.
For example, a recent systematic review on treating oral
mucositis after chemotherapy found that current evidence
favors using ice chips rather than medication, such as
chlorehexidine, to reduce the risk of developing inammation
and ulcers. Dentists might then advise patients that a cup of ice
during chemotherapy might prevent potential problems later.
A New Tool for Dentists?
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In short, in evidence-based dentistry, a question is
dened, information about a question is gathered, organized,
and evaluated. Possible outcomes are assessed and then that
information would be made accessible to dentists online.
“Each practitioner can then decide what to do with that
information in a given situation by also taking into account
other important factors – their education, experiences, and
patient preferences,” he said.
The Role o Technology
Technology will play an important role in shaping
evidence-based dentistry.
Already information is available to dentists and patients
on the Internet, World Wide Web, and from print publications.
But the sheer volume of that information presents challenges.
A patient with a specic condition may use the Internetand the Web to investigate and collect numerous articles,
reports, and data about that situation. However, a dentist
might not be able to read and digest all the information that is
published monthly because of other responsibilities including
running an ofce and providing oral health care to hundreds
or thousands of patients.
Evidence-based dentistry could be a dentist’s “edge.”
“A practitioner could go online, type a phrase about
a procedure or condition, ask a question, and then get a
summary of unbiased information from a Web site that we’re
planning to develop,” Ismail said.As information is retrieved, dentists could “discuss” it
online using message boards, provide commentary, and share
their insights and experiences with one another.
What’s Next
In the months ahead, Ismail said the EBD committee will
develop lists of credible, authoritative sources of information
dentists can rely on, summarize clinical and scientific
“It’s just one piece o the oral
health care puzzle. We’retrying to give dentists a new
tool they can use in their
daily quest o providing
quality oral health care
to patients. This tool will
summarize all the scientic
evidence pertaining to
clinical problems they ace
on a daily basis.”
Dr. Amid Ismail, proessor o dentistryand consultant to ADA’s Interagency
Task Force on Evidence-Based Dentistry.
information, and invite dentists to submit questions on anarray of topics. That, in turn, will help the group identify
major oral health care issues.
“The ADA policy on evidence-based dentistry is a
prudent and thorough approach to serving dentists and their
patients which, I believe, will be a model for others to follow,”
Ismail said. “It’s an exciting venture. I’m glad to be a part
of it and working with so many great people through an
organization of the ADA’s stature.”
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DentalUM Fall 200366
arlier this year I was appointed
chair of the Department of
Biologic and Materials
Sciences (BMS) after Dr.
Christian Stohler left to become
Dean of the University of Maryland
School of Dentistry. In addition to
his many achievements here, Dr.
Stohler was well-known internationally
for his investigations of oral-facial
pain disorders. In fact his work,described in the Spring & Summer
2002 issue of DentalUM (page
67), was featured in the May 23,
2003 issue of Newsweek magazine.
As I read the article, it was
interesting to note that one quote from
Dr. Stohler that was highlighted in
that issue of Newsweek was a remark
similar to one he delivered at the rst
Roberts Professorship in Dentistry
lecture last fall here at our School.At that time, he said that in about
10 or 15 years patients would be taking
“predictive tests that will show what
will or will not work” based on the
genetic makeup of each individual and
that drugs will be custom-designed
for individuals based on their genetic
composition. [DentalUM, Spring &
Summer 2003, page 44.]
Obviously, all of us wish him
well in his new venture in life. With
this change in department leadership,
I would like to use this opportunity to
outline some of my plans.
DEPARTMENT REPORTBiologic and Materials Sciences
Robert Bradley,
Chair
Goals
Our immediate plan is to recruit
new faculty members to replace
several individuals who are retiring.
Searches are currently underway for a
microbiologist as well as two clinical
track faculty. In the near future, a
national search will be launched to
recruit a new department chair.
A second goal is to increase
opportunities for clinical facultyto have access to research in the
department that will result in greater
interaction among basic scientists and
clinicians. By taking advantage of the
broad expertise possessed by our basic
science and clinical faculty members,
I anticipate we will be able to develop
new opportunities for clinical research.
These goals will be important in
strengthening an already outstanding
department with expertise in several
areas of biologic and materials sciences
and enhancing the reputation of this
department. My hope is that this
will bolster our competitive edge
in recruiting excellent faculty and
sustaining our exceptional funding
record, which I will describe a bit later
in this report.
Prior to leaving, Dr. Stohler
recruited Dr. James Simmer to our
department as an associate professor
of prosthodontics. Dr. Simmer, who
earned his dental degree from the
University of Michigan in 1980, later
obtained his doctorate in 1990 from
Wayne State University School of
Medicine.
Before arriving at Michigan to begin
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teaching, Dr. Simmer was an associate
professor in pediatric dentistry at the
University of Texas Health Science
Center in San Antonio. His research
interests focus on tooth development,
enamel and dentin formation, and the
molecular genetics of developmental
abnormalities of tooth development
such as amelogenesis imperfecta.
Department Awardsand Honors
During the past year, several
members of our department have been
honored for their achievements.
Dr. Don Clewell received the
Distinguished Faculty Achievement
Award from the Horace Rackham
School of Graduate Studies [see
DentalUM, Fall 2002, page 33] as
well as the Distinguished Faculty
Lectureship Award in BiomedicalResearch [see this issue, page 45].
Dr. John Drach was inducted as
President of the International Society
for Antiviral Research [see DentalUM,
Fall 2002, page 32] and was also elected
a Fellow of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Josef Kolling was elected
vice president of the Michigan Dental
Association. Next year, he will become
president-elect and, in 2005, presidentof the organization.
Dr. David Mooney was named in
the February issue of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Review as
among people to watch in 10 emerging
technologies that the magazine predicts
will change the world.
Drs. Mooney and Cun-Yu Wang
received the William J. Gies Award
during the 2003 meeting of the American
Association for Dental Research [see
DentalUM, Fall 2002, page 70]. This
award is presented for the best paper
published in the Journal of Dental
Research during the preceeding year.
Yours truly received the Max Mozell
Award for Outstanding Achievement
in the Chemical Senses presented atthe Association for Chemoreception
Sciences in April 2003 [see this issue of
DentalUM, page 45, for more details].
Dr. Charlotte Mistretta was named
the William R. Mann Professor of
Dentistry for her outstanding leadership
and nationally recognized achievement
in research, teaching, and service.
At the annual Faculty Awards
Banquet this spring, dental students
honored prosthodont ic facul ty.Dr. Geoffrey Gerstner, Dr. Maira
Rodriguez, Dr. Jose Delgado and Dr.
Alessandra Macedo were recognized
for their teaching. Dr. Kenneth May and
Dr. William Godwin were recognized
for their volunteer work during the
annual summer mouth guard clinic.
Several prosthodontic faculty
members participated in the Nobel
Biocare World Conference entitled,
“Today’s Standard for Patient Care,”
this spring. Dr. Brien Lang was a
member of the Scientic Committee
that designed the educational program
which included more than 50 speakers
from around the world.
His lecture also highlighted
research from many members of the
department. Other Prosthodontic
faculty featured included Dr. Michael
Razzoog, and Dr. Dong-Ho Lee.
Dr. Rob Schumacher a second-
year prosthodontic graduate student
presented a poster on “Custom
Designed Zirconium Crowns for
Implant-Retained Restorations.”
Last October, the department
hosted an open house to show what the
students in the Graduate ProsthodonticClinic are doing. It was also a time to
re-establish connections with alumni
and friends and tour the facility to see
what exciting things are occurring.
Participants also attended a seminar
that featured presentations by two of
our graduate students. A presentation
by Dr. Nicholas Tselios was entitled
“Introduction of the Maxillofacial
Prosthodontist.” Dr. Maha Al-Reyahi
spoke on “Implant Complications.”
Research
This has been a banner year for
research funding for the department.
During the past three years faculty
have been very successful in obtaining
funding from a number of agencies (see
Figure 1 on the next page). The total
amount received is at a record level for
us, about $7 million as of press time,
and has been steadily increasing during
the past four years (see Figure 2 on the
next page).
While about 50% of the funding
comes from the National Institute of
Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR), other institutes at the
National Institutes of Health are the
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DentalUM Fall 200368
source of 31% of the funding. The rest comes from
other sources, both national and local.This diversity of funding sources reects the
wide area of expertise members of our faculty
possess. Interestingly many investigators have
been successfully funded for a number of years
with successive competing renewals of the same
grant proposal.
For example, Drs. Clewell, Mistretta, and
myself have obtained funds for the same basic
project for 18, 15 and 17 years, respectively,
representing long-term commitments to research
in the dental school. Because of the wide rangeof scientic expertise of the department faculty,
research is being conducted on a number of
subjects. Some examples of these different interests
are described on the next two pages.
I’ve asked some members of our faculty to
provide information about the research they’re
conducting here at the School of Dentistry. Their
descriptions are provided.
Christopher Nosrat
My research involves working with a family of
related proteins known as neurotrophic factors. They play
major roles in the survival, development, maturation and
regeneration of nerve cells in the central and peripheral
nervous systems. Members of our team have shown thatdifferent classes of neurotrophic factors are important for
connectivity and development of teeth and the peripheral
taste system in both rodents and humans.
We have also established culture-dish and in vivo
models for tooth innervation to understand how teeth become
innervated and how we can develop therapies for idiopathic
dental pain. We are also using transgenic mouse technology
to generate new animal models to study target tissue-nerve
interactions and to possibly generate mice with supertasting
capabilities. We also use microarray technology to nd out
what genes are important for the structural integrity of theperipheral taste system.
A second project in the lab utilizes cells derived from
the dental pulp to develop repair strategies for spinal cord
injury and neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s
disease). Specic cells from the dental pulp produce an
array of neurotrophic factors. We have shown that grafting
such cells into spinal cord injury models improves the
condition and rescues the motoneurons (nerve cells that
control movement) from death. Work with cell culture and
animal models of Parkinson’s disease is ongoing. We aim
to develop an autologous grafting technique in which cells
from the dental pulp could be utilized for transplantation into
the brain of the same patient.
Charlotte Mistretta
My lab is interested in learning how sensory nerves nd their
way to particular regions of the tongue during development.
Specically, we want to know how nerves that innervate taste
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DentalUM Fall 2003 69
organs and nerves that innervate touch and pain receptors
can initially grow into the tongue in a common bundle,
and then nd their way to neighboring but separate lingual
sense organs. We’re conducting experiments to answer this
question: What aspects of the developing tongue might attract
specic nerves to specic regions in the tongue?Goals are to test hypotheses about how the family of
neurotrophin molecules modies neurophysiology of the
neurons in sensory ganglia, to discern molecules that regulate
papilla development, and to determine effects of regulatory
molecules and target tissues on functional differentiation of
innervating ganglia. In vitro approaches are used, including a
compartment culture system for embryonic ganglion explants
to permit separate molecular maintenance of the neuron cell
body, or soma, versus the neurites that grow from the soma,
and subsequent electrophysiological recording, and organ
cultures of the entire embryonic rat tongue. These in vitrosystems make possible study of molecular affects on cell
function in the developing taste system. Such studies are
essential for a full understanding of how neural circuits form
in the sense of taste, which motivates our food choices and
thereby mediates healthy or unhealthy diet patterns.
James P. Simmer
My principal research goal is to understand the genetic
and biochemical mechanisms of tooth development,
particularly dental enamel formation. Working with
colleagues at Michigan State University, we extractdeveloping teeth from pigs, isolate developing pig enamel
teeth to characterize proteins important for normal tooth
development, and then identify the cDNAs and genes that
encode them.
Our most notable achievements were to clone the genes
for kallikrein 4 (KLK4) and enamelin (ENAM), which are
important for dental enamel formation. We also recruit
families with inherited tooth defects, such as amelogenesis
imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and familial tooth
agenesis, and characterize the genetic mutations that are
the source of their tooth defects. We are currently making
knockout mice for enamelin and kallikrein-4, which will give
us a better understanding of the functions of these proteinsduring tooth formation. The term “knockout” refers to the
fact that a particular gene is removed or knocked out of the
genome to then see what happens.
Dennis Lopatin
My laboratory studies the interrelationships between
infection and immunity. Studies have included evaluations
of host immunity during periodontal therapy, relationships
between oral and systemic health, and interactions between
oral pathogens and the host that dene disease outcomes.
Current investigations are good examples of what’s knownas a “clinic to bench to clinic approach.”
Clinical studies revealed that healthy subjects had higher
levels of antibodies to bacterial stress proteins than patients
with periodontal disease. With the assistance of Allison
Combs, laboratory investigations revealed that these proteins
modied inammatory responses, apparently making patients
more susceptible to disease. As part of her doctoral work
in our laboratory, Dr. Domenica Sweier is now studying the
nature of the protective antibodies in patients. These ndings
will lead to new tests to identify patients at risk for developing
disease, as well as therapeutics for intervention.In related studies, Dr. Charles E. Shelburne is studying
the response of microbial pathogens to host anti-microbial
proteins. It is anticipated that these studies will lead to a better
understanding of how bacteria resist our immune defense
mechanisms and the development of drugs to make bacteria
more susceptible to our innate defenses.
Biologic and Materials Sciences
Their Research
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DentalUM Fall 200370
RESEARCHRESEARCH
Dental Students Win 40% o
AADR Research FellowshipsIt’s about as rare as a major league baseball player with a .400 batting average.
Collectively, U-M School of Dentistry students batted an astounding .409 at
this year’s American Association for Dental Research conference.
Nine dental students were among a group of 22 who received fellowships for
their research projects. The fellowships give students an opportunity to continue
their research and travel to AADR and IADR meetings.
In addition, dental student Azadeh Yavari won second place in the AADR
Pzer Hatton Awards Competition, Junior Division. The award is presented to
a student who demonstrates potential for a productive career in dental research.Competition for this award is limited to students who have conducted their research
as part of their professional training or undergraduate studies.
Dr. Renny Franceschi, associate dean for research, said “the success of our
students in obtaining these competitive fellowships and awards is a tribute to their
dedication to dental research and the quality of our faculty mentors.”
All 10 winners, their faculty advisors, and projects are featured on this and
the following pages.
Student: Swati Shah
Mentors: Drs. Lloyd Straon, Marita Inglehart
ProjectTitle:Behavioral Management o Pediatric
Dental Patients – The Parent PerspectiveWhattheProject’sAbout: Does the past aect
the uture? Shah’s project looks at the experiences
parents had with dentists when they were
children and how those experiences now aect
the types o oral health care that they as parents
allow their children to receive.
Student: Miranda AttiaMentor: Dr. Dennis Fasbinder
ProjectTitle:The Infuence o Preparation Design
Features on the Fit o CAD/CAM-generated
Ceramic Crowns
WhattheProject’sAbout:Technology plays a
major role in dentistry. Using computer aided
design and computer aided manuacturing
techniques, this research project looks at new
ways to design and prepare tooth-colored crowns
with the CEREC 3-D system (Sirona) so that once a
crown is placed on a patient’s tooth it comortablyadapts to the unique contours o the mouth and
also maintains margin integrity.
Student: Maura Stanchak
Mentor: Dr. Stephen Eklund
ProjectTitle:Eects o Payment Changes on Cost
and Patterns o Dental CareWhattheProject’sAbout:This project involves
using anonymous dental claims data to study how
access to dental care and patterns o treatment
change with the switch rom traditional Medicaid
to the new Healthy Kids Dental program. Healthy
Kids Dental, administered by Delta Dental Plan
o Michigan, has replaced traditional Medicaid
coverage in 37 o Michigan’s 83 counties.
Recent data rom the ederal governm
shows the U-M School o Dentistry ran
sixth among the nation’s dental schoo
total awards rom the National Instituto Health during ederal scal year 200
The statistics were released in early Ju
Total awards to the U-M School o
Dentistry surpassed more than $8.6
million or 35 projects during ederal
year 2002 (October 1, 2001 to Septem
30, 2002).
School of Dentistry
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Student: Matthew PinskyMentor: Dr. Jacques Nör
ProjectTitle:iCapase-9-mediated Ablation o
Oral Cancer Microvascular Network and Tumor Cell
Necrosis
WhattheProject’sAbout: This research is
evaluating i disrupting blood vessels that eed
oral cancers can lead to the death o cancerous
tumor cells. A gene (iCaspase-9) is induced to kill
cells exposed to a drug and also induced into cells
that are responsible or the growth o blood vessel
tumors. When the gene is activated, tumors areobserved to determine i they regress, and i so, to
what degree.
Student: Anne Lin
Mentor: Dr. Michael Ignelzi
ProjectTitle:Genomic Approaches to Study Craniosynostosis
WhattheProject’sAbout: Craniosynostosis, the premature
usion o skull bones, is the second most common human
birth deect in the ace and skull. Working with Dr. Michael
Ignelzi and his collaborators in the Musculoskeletal Diseases
Core Center at the Medical School, Lin is using gene chips
(more than 1,500 spotted onto glass slides), to compare
gene ex pression in normal skulls against those undergoing
craniosynostosis.
Student: Jerey WesselMentor: Dr. George Taylor
ProjectTitle: C-reactive Protein: A Systemic
Connection between Periodontal Disease and
Cardiovascular Disease
WhattheProject’sAbout:This study investigates
the relationship(s) between periodontal
disease, cardiovascular disease, and C-reative
protein (CRP), a plasma protein that responds to
infammatory stimuli. It will evaluate whether
CRP levels are higher in individuals with both
periodontal disease and cardiovascular diseasethan in persons with only periodontal disease or
cardiovascular disease alone or neither disease.
Student: Curtis GodreyMentor: Dr. Peter Yaman
ProjectTitle:Fit and Shear Bond Strength o
Indirect Inlays Cemented by Pre- and Post-cure o
Dentin Adhesive
WhattheProject’sAbout:Manuacturers
o dental adhesives have recently specied
polymerization o the dentin adhesive agent prior
to cementation o the restoration. This study
is testing the shear bond strength o ceramic
bonded inlays using the pre-cured dentin bonding
agent technique as well as a simultaneously-curedbonding agent. The marginal t o the ceramic
inlays and the eect o pre- and post-curing is also
being assessed.
Included in those numbers were 31
research grants totaling more than
$8 million, two training grants o more
than $455,000, and two ellowships o
more than $79,000.
The rankings o other dental
schools and the awards they received
can be ound on the Web at: http://
grants1.nih.gov/grants/award/trends/
dhedent02.htm.
Nationally in NIH Awards
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DentalUM Fall 200372
Sara Kellogg wasn’t even a student a
U-M School of Dentistry when she won
place for her dental research this spring.
Now a rst-year dental student, Kel
competed against 200 others and w
the top award from the American De
Education Association/Dentsply for
poster presentation, Hypertensive Patiena Dental School Patient Population.
It was the rst time in about ten yea
U-M School of Dentistry student captured
top honor.
Reviewing Dental Records
The poster presentation was the re
of a thesis project Kellogg was require
complete prior to receiving her bachel
degree at Kalamazoo College.
For nearly a year, Kellogg, undersupervision of Dr. Jack Gobetti, reviewed
charts of nearly 1,000 patients for incid
of hypertension. All patients were treate
U-M School of Dentistry clinics.
“I investigated incidents of hyperten
among patients treated at the dental sch
how many patients were unaware of t
condition until they were treated here
accuracy of the records, and how these re
compared with national results,” she said
From what Gobetti told her, Kelloggno research had been conducted on the to
“As far as Dr. Gobetti and I could determ
no research of this kind has been conduct
any U.S. dental school, despite the incre
rates of hypertension which prompt the n
for these screenings,” she said.
Her ndings were an eye-opener.
Student: Azadeh Yavari (2nd place, AADR Pfzer Hatton Awards
Competition, Junior Division)
Mentor: Dr. Michael Ignelzi
ProjectTitle: Msx2 Is Required or the Down-Regulation o
Alx4 by FGF2
WhattheProject’sAbout:This study ocuses on cranio-
synostosis, an early usion o the cranial sutures, that is the
second most common birth deect aecting the ace and skull.
We studied specic candidate genes that, when mutated, are
known to cause early usion in attempts to better understand
the molecular mechanisms o craniosynostosis.
Student:Brent Accurso
Mentor: Dr. Paul Krebsbach
ProjectTitle:Eects o Parathyroid Hormone onBone Marrow Stromal Cell Grats in Ir radiated
Cranioacial Deects
WhattheProject’sAbout: Because radiation
is a common postoperative treatment or head
and neck cancers, it’s critical to determine i new
approaches to bone regeneration are eective or
healing cranioacial deects that may result rom
cancer surgery and subsequent radiation therapy.
This study seeks to determine i the adverse
eects o radiotherapy can be overcome by
combining mesenchymal stem cell transplantationwith anabolic parathyroid hormone therapy. I
successul, this combined approach may lead to
new strategies or cranioacial reconstruction or
patients with head and neck cancers.
Student:Matthew Artley
Mentor: Dr. G. Rex Holland
ProjectTitle:Neuropeptides & InfammatoryMediators in Symptomatic Human Dental Pulps
WhattheProject’sAbout: Teeth with dental
caries are sometimes painul. This leads
to diculties in diagnosing and selecting
appropriate treatments. This project ex amines the
possibility that cells in the dental pulp produce
pain reducing substances, known to be active in
the central nervous system (such as endorphins)
in response to bacterial toxins and that these
may be responsible or the varying degrees o
pain experienced. Understanding the process o pain generation will lead to more appropriate
treatment, reduce tooth loss, and lead to more
eective restoration o damaged teeth.
First-Year Dental Stud
Photo by Jeremy Bayer Keary Campbell
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DentalUM Fall 2003 73
Hypertension Common
More than 30 percent of the
patients who were treated were
hypertensive. Of that number,
nearly half, 48 percent, were
unaware they had high blood
pressure prior to their visit to a
dental provider.In addition, nearly 9 percent
of the patients recorded blood
pressures that were so high
that they had to get medical
approval from a physician prior
to receiving oral health care.
What the Findings Mean to Dentists
“Because hypertension is the most prevalent health problem among adult patients,
recognizing it and treating it before a patient comes to a dental clinic is important,”
Kellogg said. “Dentists have a unique opportunity to screen for hypertension sincemany patients often visit their dentist on a more regular basis than their primary care
physicians.”
Hypertension screening offers dentists an opportunity to establish baseline blood
pressures of their patients, Kellogg added, which, in turn, means they can regularly
monitor a patient’s change in blood pressure over extended periods of time. “Sadly,
though, this opportunity is rarely taken advantage of,” she said. “And since a dental
setting can be stressful for many patients, not recognizing hypertension and dealing with
it beforehand can have serious consequences for patients with elevated blood pressure.”
Kellogg thought that both the ADA and the American Dental Education Association
should reevaluate their guidelines and strengthen them, if necessary.
Two Reactions to Winning Top Prize
When she learned she had won the top prize, Kellogg said “Dr. Gobetti jumped out
of his chair while I just sat in mine, stunned.”
The abstract of Kellogg’s work has already been published in the February issue
of the Journal of Dental Education. She plans to work with Gobetti on publishing the
research in more detail and plans to become involved as the U-M School of Dentistry’s
representative to the ADEA.
A student in the School of Dentistry’s Oral Health Sciences PhD
program is conducting research that’s
trying to determine why prostate cancer
cells grow and survive.
Dr. Abraham Schneider, this year’s
recipient of the Dziewiatkowski Award,
says that despite advances in diagnosis
and patient care, it is still not fully
understood why advanced prostate
cancer cells are prone to metastasize
to the skeleton and, in turn, stimulatethe formation of abnormal bone which,
ultimately, affects a patient’s quality of
life.
Prostate cancer is estimated to
cause approximately 31,000 deaths
annually in the U.S.
“It appears that bone is an ideal
place for prostate cancer cells to grow
and survive,” Schneider said. “A variety
of bone-specic factors provide a fertile
environment that enable prostate cancer
cells to thrive in the skeleton and cause
abnormal bone formation.”
Using novel experimental models,
his research is attempting to learn why
that occurs.
Schneider said he’s determined that
when cancer cells are injected into mice,
Do Bones Supportand Spread One
Type of Cancer?
School o Dentistry
Researcher Seeking
Answers
Takes Top Prize - Hypertension Aects Dental Treatment
Photo courtesy o Sara Kellogg
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DentalUM Fall 200374
Dr. Moon Bina Park, a graduate of the School of Dentistry’s orthodontic training program, recently was
awarded the Harry Sicher First Research Essay Award by the American Association of Orthodontics. The annual
award is given by AAO for an individual’s meritorious rst research effort.
Park, who worked in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Ignelzi, examined genes that control new bone formation
in her project, A Prole of Gene Expression During Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis.
Distraction osteogenesis is the formation of new bone (osteogenesis) triggered by the gradual separation
(distraction) of a bone that has been cut. If a bone is cut and gradually distracted, new bone grows between the
two cut ends.
Ignelzi said Park’s work is signicant for two reasons.
“First, mandibular deciency is the third most common human birth defect affecting the face and skull.Although distraction osteogenesis has quickly become state of the art to correct human mandibular deciency,
we have little insight into the genes that control the formation of new bones,” he said.
Ignelzi said Park’s work also has implications for tissue engineering. “By applying force to the mandible to
stimulate the growth of new bone, we avoid a major problem, the rejection of articial materials by the body.”
Park’s project was a part of a larger collaboration Ignelzi and his research team has with a group at Stanford
University.
U-M School of Dentistry students have won ve of the past seven Sicher First Research Essay awards.
they frequently metastasize to joints of the lower limb and to the craniofacial
region.
In a novel noninvasive procedure
Schneider and researchers use a
bioluminescence molecular imaging
system at the U-M Center for Molecular
Imaging to track tumors in real-time.
The cancer cells are marked with
a gene that generates light, similar to
the way reies generate light. That
light is captured electronically by acamera and displayed on a monitor that
enables researchers to view the results
of their work immediately and pinpoint
the location and the progression of the
cancer cells over time.
As to how dentists and their
patients might one day benet from his
Dr. Bina Park Wins AAO Research Essay Award
research, Schneider said that although itdoesn’t happen often, dentists need to
be aware that prostate cancer cells also
metastasize in the craniofacial region.
In addi t ion, the knowledge
gained from these models about bone
remodeling and how tumor-derived
factors can modify the bone may help
inform practitioners of ways to treat
localized bone loss, including cases of
periodontal disease.
Presented annually since 1989,the Dziewiatkowski Award honors the
memory of Dr. Dominic Dziewiat-
kowski, director of the Dental Research
Institute from 1967 to 1972 and chair
of the Department of Oral Biology from
1967 to 1977.
Dr. Abraham Schneider (let) is presented theDziewiatkowski Award by Dr. Robert Bradley,Chair o the Department o Biologic and MaterialsSciences.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 75
2 Grad Students Win Major Perio Awards
Talk about an impressive achievement!
This spring, two students in the U-M School of
Dentistry’s graduate periodontics program won both major
awards from the American Academy of Peridontology.
The residents, Ricardo Gapski and Yong-Hee Chun,
each won a $15,000 Abram and Sylvia Chasens Teaching
and Research Fellowship from the AAP.
Created two years ago, the annual $30,000 fellowships
help graduate students launch their careers in periodontal
education. To be considered for the award, candidates must
be third-year students enrolled in an accredited periodontal
program in the U.S. or Canada. They must also express a
desire to pursue a career in periodontal education.
Both Gapski and Chun received a Master of Science
degree in periodontics during commencement ceremonies
this spring.
Ricardo Gapski
Gapski said his desire to teach periodontics was
inuenced by his clinical and volunteer experiences both
during and after earning his dental degree from the Federal
University of Parana State in Curitiba, Brazil.
Michigan, he said, “changed me professionally and
personally, making me enthusiastic toward a new path,
investigating and teaching.”
Reecting on his experiences in Brazil and at Michigan,
Gapski said he has enjoyed teaching and would like to use his
experiences in clinics and classrooms to enhance the quality
of life for all patients. “Since teaching is a two-way street,”
he said, “I am condent that I have the skills as an instructor
to share my knowledge with students, while enhancing my
own.”
Yong-Hee Chun
Chun came to U-M School of Dentistry after earning
her dental degree and Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at
the University of Goettingen, Germany. She then worked
as a clinical assistant professor in operative dentistry and
endodontics at the Charite, Humboldt University in Germany.
As she worked for her DMD degree she realized “that
restoring a tooth and preventing it from caries was one thing,
but when confronted with periodontal disease, even a perfect
tooth-colored state-of-the-art restoration cannot prevent a
tooth from being lost.”
Studying periodontics at U-M and hearing lectures by
scientists “has been an eye opening experience for me,”
Chun said. “I’m fascinated by the fact that clinical events
are simulated and tested at the molecular level.”
Reecting on her laboratory experiences, Chun said
conventional periodontal therapy alone is not entirely
sufcient to correct or prevent periodontal disease. That
realization has led to a greater interest in periodontal
regeneration.
Chun said she hopes to work toward better understanding
the processes of developing periodontal tissues.
Dr. Laurie McCauley, chair of the Department of
Periodontics, Prevention, and Geriatrics said, “The fact that
two of our students won this award is a great testimonial to
the quality of our graduate periodontics program.”
PerKjeldsen
Yong-Hee Chun and Ricardo Gapski both won a $15,000 rom the AmericanAcademy o Periodontology to help them launch their careers in periodontaleducation.
School News
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DentalUM Fall 200376
They came from Detroit, Ann Arbor, Dexter,
Ypsilanti, South Lyon, and other parts of Michigan.
One parent and her son arrived as early as 7:30 a.m.,
an hour-and-a-half prior to the start of the program.
More than 100 student athletes were at
the School of Dentistry July 26 to receive free
customized mouth guards made by dental students
who were supervised by faculty members.
The young athletes who were tted for the
mouth guards said they would use their new piece
of protective equipment in sports including football,
ice hockey, soccer, and wrestling.
The annual clinic, now in its 16th year, is
organized by the dental school’s Student Council
which invited all dental students to participate. It’s
an opportunity for them and faculty members to
serve the community and a way for the students
and faculty to interact in a less formal, more relaxed
environment.
Dental Students Enthused
“I really enjoyed doing this for the rst time last
year, so that’s why I participated again this year,”
said fourth-year dental student Reneelyn Salud.
Paris Vaughn, a third-year dental student, said
this was the rst time he participated in the mouth
guard clinic. “I saw pictures of previous clinics and
it looked like fun, so I decided to join in,” he said.
Third-year dental student and dental student
council president Susie Sandstrom, said, “this year’s
clinic was great. We had a lot of student and faculty
participation and more than 100 kids and adults from
many different communities who were tted. I can’t
wait to do it again next summer.”
As the young athletes waited in the lobby, Joan
McGowan, associate professor of dental hygiene,
talked to them and provided information about the
dangers of spit tobacco.
School News
Jerry Mastey
Student Dentists Make Customized
Mouth Guards for Young Athletes
Dr. Sharon Brooks discusses the importance o mouth guards witha reporter rom Ann Arbor Community TV.
Dr. Ken May checksthe mouth guard
made or 13-year-old Anthony
Rossetto o SouthLyon to ensure aproper t. Since
he plays ootball,Anthony asked or
and received a strapon his mouth guard.
Third-year dentalstudent Paris
Vaughn explains to ayoung athlete what
happens ater hisoral impression has
been taken.
Jerry Mastey
Jerry Mastey
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DentalUM Fall 2003 77
There’s nothing like having a front-row seat in observing and having a hand in shaping
policy. That’s what fourth-year dental student Claudia Cotca will tell you.
Two years ago, she was selected by the American Student Dental Association to be
the ADA’s Washington National Policy extern [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2002,
pages 79-80.]
Since then, she has returned monthly to the nation’s capitol to participate in the
dynamics of the policy-making process.
She shared some of her recent experiences and observations.
March 11 & 12:
Invited by Richard Green, director of communications for the ADA’s Congressional ofce in Washington to
attend the ADA Washington Leadership Conference. Legislative briengs, Capitol Hill hearings, meetings
with legislators and staff kept the session intense and relevant for active grassroots leaders from around
the nation. Ergonomics, amalgam, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, children’s health, and oral health
disparities were among the topics discussed.
March 28:
Invited by Julie Allen Scott, ADA health care consultant and project manager, to attend the Bioterrorism
Conference co-sponsored by the ADA and the Department of Health and Human Services. I was extremely
pleased to witness the White House’s recognition of the dental profession as a leader in supporting new
programs of the Ofce of Homeland Security.
The government is counting on dentists and physicians to play a major role in using their professional
expertise to help the public cope with biological and/or chemical weapons emergencies. As the oral health
care profession has assumed more responsibility, the government has appropriated funding for Universities to
participate in preparing education/information programs to help with this new role. [Editor’s Note: See page
44 for story about Dr. William Giannobile’s efforts to develop kit to analyze saliva for periodontal disease
and potential biological toxins.]
May 8:
I attended the House Wellness and Human Rights Subcommittee Hearing in Government Reform onAmalgam chaired by Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) and led by Rep. Diane E. Watson (D-CA). The ADA testied
against the claims of amalgam-related mercury hypersensitivity and toxicity. The committee heard evidence
from sources including research supported by the FDA, ADA, CDC, and World Health Organization. I am
working to arrange showing a videotape of this important hearing at the School of Dentistry.
There are more complications to this issue than meet the eye. These include the government taking
a leading role in supporting the removal of amalgam from the marketplace, assuming some nancial
responsibility for this action, and maintaining the integrity of the profession. Another complicating factor
involves the rules and regulations dentists must follow, especially limited fees associated with Medicare and
A Front-Row Seat in Policy MakingDental Student Claudia Cotca Shares Her Experiences
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Medicaid coverage of composite restorations. The bottom line from this hearing seems to be that as
composites improve and policy is enacted that supports the use of new materials being developed,
amalgam may no longer be used.
May 21:
President’s dinner. I was invited by Dorothy Moss, director of the ADA’s Government Affairs Ofce
in Washington, D.C, and attended with ADA Executive Director, Dr. James Bramson; ADA lobbyists
Judy Sherman, Mike Graham, and Bill Prentice; ADA Political Action Committee (ADPAC) director
Frank McLaughlin; Dr. Ed Vigna, ADPAC treasurer; and School of Dentistry alumna Dr. Jane Grover
(DDS, 1979), ADPAC chair.
I was impressed at how effective the dental profession is in leading and adapting to numerous
economic and political changes. Unappreciated by many, this exibility has led to thorough reviews
and recommendations on the best ways to practice dentistry which are signicant, both nationally
and internationally. I’m especially interested in how these changes and recommendations can help to
improve oral health care in countries whose economies are in transition.
May 27:
Lobbied with the Global Health Council at the Capitol. Attended meetings with ofcials in the ofces
of Senators Elizabeth Dole and Carl Levin, and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia, MI) to discuss
the Millennium Challenge Account. This White House-initiated proposal of $1.3 billion would help
countries whose economies are in transition provide health care services. Also discussed was the
Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act (SB 1142) which provides funds to states to administer
oral health care services to children.
May 30 & 31:
Guest of ADA Council on Governmental Affairs. ADA is informed by NIDCR of emphasis on oral
health disparities by NIDCR director Dr. Lawrence Tabak and Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, chief dentalofcer of the U.S. Public Health Service. I was delighted to hear Dr. Kleinman praise, in particular,
the School of Dentistry’s Dr. Amid Ismail for his work investigating oral health disparities in Detroit.
At this time, the ADA is informed by members of the National Governors Association that the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are proposing a change that would result in canceling
funding for about 3,000 dental residency programs at dental schools around the country. The reasons
for this proposal are unknown presently. Since then, the ADA has met with Health and Human
Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and other ofcials on Capitol Hill seeking to halt the proposed
move. Other topics discussed include women’s health, oral health and disability, and children’s health.
Following the President’s dinnerin Washington, D.C., ourth-yeardental student Claudia Cotca (right);School o Dentistry alumna and ADAPolitical Action Committee chair,
Jane Grover (second rom right); andDr. Ed Vigna, ADPAC treasurer gettogether or a picture with SenateJudiciary Committee chairman, OrrinHatch (R-Utah).
Photo by ReectionsPhotography, Washington D.C.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 79
Patricia Schultz, admin-istrative associate in the Ofce
of Research at the School of
Dentistry, recently received a
major award for her work from
the University’s Ofce of Vice
President for Research. She
was one of three from across
the U-M campus to receivethe Distinguished Research
Administrator Award.
The annual award honors
individuals “from any unit
at the University who have
demonstrated over a number
of years d i s t ingui shed
service exemplifying the goals of professional research
administration.”
Prior to presenting the award, Fawwaz Ulaby, U-M vice
president for research, described Schultz as “a person whogoes about doing her job without fanfare or calling attention
to her efforts.”
Schultz joined the School’s Ofce of Research as its
rst administrator in the summer of 1995. In addition to
serving as the School’s primary research administrator,
Schultz also administers the School’s Oral Health Sciences
doctoral program and supports the School’s Center for
Craniofacial Regeneration, formerly known as the Center
for the Biorestoration of Oral Health.
One nominator characterized Schultz as “a cherished
resource who has been essential for the success of ourresearch activities.”
In addition to her activities at the School, Schultz has
also made contributions to research administration across
campus. She has served on committees developing electronic
administrative systems and has worked to develop the
Research Administrators Instructional Network.
Schultz is a member of the American Association for
Dental Research and the Society of Research Administrators.
SchultzWinsDistinguished Research Administrator Award
The School of Dentistry recently hosted its fth annual
awards program for staff members with more than 10 years
of continuous service.
13HonoredforLong-TermService
Keary Campbell
Honored or 10 years o service were: Front row (let to right): ChrisStrayhorn, Ed Steinman, Pattie Katcher, and Nancy von Hoe. Back row: JudySchmidt, Pamela Horvath, Marie Navarre, Coral Adas, and Amy Reyes. Alsoreceiving a 10-year award but not pictured was Doreen Fitzgerald.
Kumud Danak, administrator in the Department o Biologic and MaterialsSciences, was recognized or 20 years o service.
Honored or 30 years o service were Bobby Newton (let), and BonnieLoepke, Department o Periodontics, Prevention, and Geriatrics.
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DentalUM Fall 200380
his October 16th marked the 100th
anniversary of the death of the founder
of the University of Michigan School
of Dentistry, Dr. Jonathan Taft. Dr.Taft
was also a leader in the dental profession – locally,
nationally, and internationally.
Born in 1820 in Russellville, Ohio (a town
of about 500 approximately 42 miles southeast of
Cincinnati and 15 miles north of the Ohio River),
Taft began studying dentistry in 1841.
Two years later he entered private practice and
published his rst article as a dental professional
in 1847. (The rst dental school in the nation,
Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, was founded
in 1840, followed by the Ohio College of Dental
Surgery in 1845. So at the time Dr. Taft began
Dr. Jonathan Taft
to practice, dental degrees were uncommon and
difcult to obtain.)
In 1850, Dr. Taft earned his DDS degree from
the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. In 1854, he
joined the College’s faculty and became its dean
in 1858.
Dr. Taft continued to publish actively for
over 60 years. Several articles were slated for
publication at the time of his death in 1903.
In 1858, he was already the editor of the
nationally-regarded journal, Dental Register
of the West, which he later co-edited with his
friend, George Watt, DDS, until Watt died in
1893. Following Watt’s death, Dr. Taft was the
publication’s editor until relinquishing the role to
Dr. Nelville Hoff in 1900.
Noted Author and Prominent Leader
In 1859, Dr. Taft published the rst edition of
the textbook, Taft’s Operative Dentistry, which,
through several editions, remained the denitive
work on this topic until his death.
During his professional career, Dr. Taft
held a number of leadership positions in dental
organizations including:
• President, American Dental Association
(1868-1869).
• Co-founder, National Association of
Dental Examiners (1883).
• First President, National Association of
Dental Examiners (1883; reelected in
1884, 1885, and 1886).
• Co-founder, National Association of
Dental Faculty (1884).
• President, International Medical Congress,
Section XVII: Dental and Oral Surgery
(1887).
A Centennial Review of the Achievements of By Patricia Anderson, U-M School of Dentistry Librarian
Dr. Jonathan Taft (1820-1903)
This photo o Dr. JonathanTat, which appeared inthe School o Dentistry’sAlumni Bulletin in1971, is believed to havebeen taken when thedental department waslocated in a buildingwhich was on the site o the current Chemistry
Building on NorthUniversity Avenue. Thephoto was acquired romArthur Forbes, assistantproessor o English.His son, Robert NormanForbes, was valedictoriano the Dental Class o 1898.
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DentalUM Fall 2003 81
• President, National Association of Dental
Faculty (1899-1900).
• Chairman, American Medical Association,
Section of Oral and Dental Surgery (1892).
• Executive Committee, World’s Columbian
Dental Congress (1892-1894).
Building the U-M College o DentalSurgery
The Michigan State Dental Association
aggressively recruited Dr. Taft for the deanship
of the U-M College of Dental Surgery (as it was
called at the time of the College’s creation in 1875).
Two years later, Dr. Taft was inducted into the
Michigan Dental Association and in 1881 received
the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine from
U-M.
Dr. Taft successfully shepherded the College
of Dental Surgery through its early years, dening
goals and standards for the College, lobbying for
improved facilities, and rening the curriculum.
That effort culminated in 1900 with the adoption
of the rst four-year program leading to a dental
degree.
It was no coincidence that the rst signicant
discussions of professional ethics in dentistry
involved Dr. Taft and George Watt in the late 1850s.
The rst national code of dental professional ethics
was adopted by the American Dental Association
in 1866. Dr. Watt chaired the committee that
drafted the code of ethics.
In an editorial endorsing the new code of
ethics, Dr. Taft stated it covered the same ground as
a similar code in Ohio. Ohio adopted the national
code in 1866 and Michigan followed suit in 1877,
shortly after Dr. Taft became dean at Michigan.
Dr. Taft was also recognized as a leading
supporter of women in the dental profession,
serving as a mentor to both Lucy Beaman Hobbs
Taylor and Ida Gray. Taylor was the rst woman
in the nation to receive a degree in dentistry, from
the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866. Gray
was the rst African-American woman to earn a
dental degree, in 1890, from the University of
Michigan College of Dentistry.
In another pioneering endeavor, Dr. Taft was
the rst dentist to testify in an American court
using bitemarks as evidence.
Truly an innovator and leader, it was only
tting that upon his death, obituaries and tributes
were published in over 20 of the leading dental
journals of the time. One of those tributes was
from the Faculty of the College of Dental Surgery
of the University of Michigan adopted October 23,
1903. It read, in part:
He labored to make this a leading school
for training men to the highest ideals of
professional culture, that through its alumni,
professional standard might be upheld and
public service of the highest grade be secured.
His personal efforts have ceased forever, but
his spirit remains to complete the work he
designed.
Additional information about Dr. Taft can be
found on the University of Michigan Dentistry
Library Web site: www.lib.umich.edu/denlib/
about/exhibits/taft. Or you can visit the new
exhibit about Dr. Taft at the School of Dentistry’s
Sindecuse Museum.
the 1st Dean of the U-M School of Dentistry
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Alumni News
School o Dentistry Alums in MDA Leadership Roles
Adam Hogan (DDS 2003) is now doing his general
practice residency with the U.S. Navy in Portsmouth,
Virginia. Before graduating, he was awarded the prestigious
Delta Dental Fund Student Leadership Award for his
outstanding leadership, volunteerism, and activities in thedental profession and the community. The award, which
included a cash gift of $2,500, recognized Hogan for his
leadership and potential to contribute to the profession.
Hogan was student council president and vice president and
directed the 2001 mouth guard clinic.
Paula Sweeney (DH 1994), who is working as a regional
practice manager for Dental Care Partners overseeing the
operations of ve Detroit area ofces, recently earned a
master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the
University of Detroit. She also received the Dean’s ScholasticAchievement Award and the American College of Health
Care Executives Achievement Award.
Carol A. Leebvre (DDS 1983; MS, prosthodontics 1986)
is the new editor of The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. A
professor of oral rehabilitation at the Medical College of
Georgia School of Dentistry, Lefebvre is a diplomate of
the American Board of Prosthodontics and a fellow of the
Class Notes
Six graduates of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry were recently elected to leadership positions with
the Michigan Dental Association for 2003-2004. They are:
• Dr. Raymond Gist, Class of 1966: new MDA
president [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2003,
pages 29-31].
• Dr. George Goodis, Class of 1964: president-elect.
• Dr. Josef Kolling Class of 1981: elected to the newly-
created position of vice president.
• Dr. Joanne Dawley, Class of 1980: secretary.
• Dr. Steve Dater, Class of 1988: treasurer.• Dr. Wayne Colquitt, Class of 1968, joined the MDA’s
Board of Trustees representing the Washtenaw District.
Academy of Prosthodontics. In
1996, she received the Medical
College of Georgia’s Teaching
Excellence Award. Six years
later, her department received aDepartment Award for Teaching
Excellence from the Board of
Regents of the University System
of Georgia.
Gary Berman (DDS 1981), has been elected president
of the American Society of Forensic Odontology. The
organization, with more than 1,100 members in 26 countries,
is the largest organization dedicated to the pursuit of forensic
dentistry. Berman, who has more than 10 years experience
identifying the remains of individuals from disasters, wascalled to Ground Zero hours after two jets slammed into the
World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. [DentalUM,
Spring & Summer 2002, pages 51-53.]
Scott Arbit (MS orthodontics, 1978) was recently elected
president of the Wisconsin Society of Orthodontists for a
one-year term. He has served as president of the Wisconsin
Society of Dentistry for Children and has lectured for the
New MDA OfceKolling, MDA secretary from 2002-2003, is the rst person
to be elected to the new position of vice president.
This is the rst step in a three-year succession that leads to
the presidency of the organization. Kolling’s one-year term
as president of the 6,100 member organization will begin in
mid-May in 2005.
“This is a new ofce for me and one that’s been re-
established by the MDA,” Kolling said. The MDA abolished
the ofce of vice president in 1979 and in its place established
the Board of Trustees and House of Delegates.
Kolling served a maximum of two consecutive three-yearterms as a member of the Board of Trustees representing the
Washtenaw District.
DentalUM Fall 200382
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DentalUM Fall 2003 83
Wisconsin Dental Associationon temporo-mandibular joint
diagnosis and treatment as well
as on leading edge retainer
techniques. Arbit, who has served
on numerous professional and
community boards and is involved
in philanthropy, has also written
articles on TMJ and cleft palate.
Capt. Kimon Rumanes
(DDS 1978) has moved to anew job at the Navy Bureau of
Medicine and Surgery where he
is working with the staff of the
Chief of the Navy Dental Corps
in Washington, D.C. For the past
three years he was commanding
ofcer of the Naval Dental Center
Southeast, based in Jacksonville,
Florida. In his new role, Rumanes will work on homeland
defense coordination, HIPPA issues, implementing digital
radiography throughout all Navy clinics, dental ofce designon ships, and other matters.
Jack Bates (DDS 1941)
[DentalUM, Fall 2001, pages 20-
25] seems to be enjoying using
his computer and learning how to
use his new scanner. “I’m turning
a lot of photographic negatives
and slides into prints. My father
left me 30 slides he made up years
ago showing early scenes of myhome town of Ovid, Michigan,
and I was able to get those into prints. …I’m now starting
to print many negatives of pictures I took ever since 1935
in my hometown. That should keep me out of mischief for
most of the summer. It’s fun and exciting.”
’71 Dr. James G. PagonisMay 3, 2003
’71 Dr. Gary J. GarwoodGlastonbury, Connecticut
April 27, 2003
‘75 Dr. Stephen L. Miller Fenton, Michigan
July 20, 2003
In Memoriam
DentalUM Fall 2003 83
Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz
Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz (DDS, 1956), died at his
home in Bethesda, Maryland, Aug. 10. He was 71.
After earning a master’s degree in public
health in 1960, he spent his career as an advocate
of community water uoridation, both nationally
and internationally.
Among the awards he received included theInternational Association for Dental Research’s
H. Trendly Dean Award for distinguished
accomplishments in research and development
in behavioral science, epidemiology, and public
health; the Association of Public Health Dentistry’s
Distinguished Service Award, and the American
Public Health Association’s John Knutson
Distinguished Service Award in Dental Public
Health.
“I worked with Dr. Horowitz,” said Dr.
William Maas, Director, Division of Oral Health,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
retired Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public
Health Service. “He received the highest awards
his specialty can bestow and contributed to the
oral health of hundreds of millions of people
throughout the world.”
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DentalUM Fall 200384
What’s New with You?Your Classmates Want to Know!
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with a picture (black and white or color) to: Jerry Mastey, editor DentalUM, University of
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The Ties That Bind
AnewpedestrianbridgeconnectingtheUniversity’s Central Campus andtheU-MMedical Center officiallyopenednear thenewLifeSciences InstituteonSeptember15.
Fromoppositesides of thebridgethat spans WashtenawAvenuenear ZinaPitcherDrive, deans fromseveral schools andcolleges unwounda100-yardspool of ribbon.Whenbothgroups met at thecenter of thewalkway, theytiedthetworibbonstogether under anarchof maizeandblueballoons.
Amongthedeans fromCentral Campus participatingintheceremonyincludedDr.Peter Polverini (right), deanof theSchool of Dentistry; GeorgeKenyon, deanof theCollegeof Pharmacy(center); andLiz Barry(right), managingdirector of theLifeSciences Institute.
TheyjoinedDeanAllenLichter of School of MedicineandDeanNoreenClarkfromtheSchool of PublicHealth.
Several offices intheLifeSciences Institute, thephysical focal point of theLifeSciences Initiative, alsoopenedthat day. The230,000squarefoot facilityis oneof threenewbuildingsthatarepartofthelifesciencesinitiative
PerKjeldsen
PerKjeldsen