Monthly Communication - January 2008 Edition

In an open letter to the entire Staff and Faculty at the University of Washington Zach Lowe (’06) wrote: “…I truly believe now that I have completed dental school, that the education that I received at University of Washington is second to none…” More than four thousand dental students like Zach have reaped the benefits of an extraordinary education since the inception of our School more than six decades ago. Their experiences are the result of countless hours from committed members of our faculty, staff, alumni, friends and other supporters. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to educating the most competent oral health care professionals anywhere in the world.

-Martha

DENTAL COMMUNITY CONTACTS

Earlier this year Dr. Dexter Barnes (‘69), WSDA president and I met for breakfast for a second time in as many months to discuss our profession and to exchange ideas.  In particular, we talked about the rich history of the School.  I look forward to sharing the details of future meetings and continuing to find more ways for the School and Association to work together.

In December I was fortunate to travel to Davangere, India to participate in the 32nd Indian Society of Periodontology National Conference.  This was my first trip there, which was hosted by the Bapuji Dental College and Hospital.  The goal of the conference was to update approximately six hundred participants about the fields of Periodontology and Implantology.  I was invited as a key note speaker and spoke on several topics, including “Periodontal Regeneration – Dev., Cellular and Molecular Approaches”, “Cementum as a dynamic tissue – Current Concepts” and “Dental Education –“Present and Future Perspectives”.  This trip afforded me a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas about the future of dental education and research, the direction in which our School is moving, and to talk with students and faculty from many areas of India and elsewhere.

FACULTY

During a recent visit to Seattle, Dr. Werner Geurtsen confirmed his decision to return to Germany for personal reasons.  Prior to taking the Associate Dean position, Dr. Geurtsen was a full professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and highly regarded as an educator and researcher.  During his tenure, Dr. Geurtsen focused successfully on moving us toward a more patient-centered approach to care.  I thank Dr. Geurtsen for his outstanding performance and commitment as Associate Dean for Clinical Services. I am in discussion with the Executive Committee to identify a new Associate Dean who can continue to move us forward.

Dr. Douglas Ramsay, Chair of the Department of Dental Public Health Sciences, has been accepted as a Fellow of the 2008-09 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute.  He will join twenty-one other dental educators who are also enrolled in ADEA’s Ninth Class of Leadership Institute.  Dr. Ramsay’s participation represents the first time a faculty member the University of Washington has attended the Institute. ADEA will make a formal announcement of the 2008-09 class in the Bulletin of Dental Education Online later this spring.

STAFF

School Fiscal Analyst Zene Tefera has just completed her seventh year as a member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Planning Committee. Since 2000, Zene and fellow committee members have been meeting every August to coordinate the celebration that occurs in January.  Committee members include staff from each of the six health science schools, as well as representatives from the Global Health Resource Center, Health Sciences Administration and Office of Multicultural Affairs. Zene’s responsibilities range from collecting the nominations from each school for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Volunteer Award, to reserving the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. and transferring it from Schmitz Hall, to assisting with the cake cutting ceremony, serving punch and post-party clean up.  We are grateful for Zene’s dedication to ensuring a high-quality and memorable event each year and for her commitment to serving our School.

STUDENTS

Rosana Bishai (’08) was recognized for her service to her class, the dental school and to the community with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Volunteer Award.  This award is bestowed on one student in each of the University’s six health science schools. The School is proud that Rosana has applied her leadership to motivate others to lend their skills for the good of the community though volunteerism to those in need.  This nomination added to Rosana’s already-impressive resume of accomplishments, including being selected as the 2007 Academy of Dentistry International Terry T. Tanaka Student Humanitarian Award winner.  The Tanaka Award recognizes volunteer services by "rising" fourth-year dental students who have served in a foreign country or a local area during their previous three years as a dental student.

In the winter of 2007, the UW School of Dentistry's fourth-year student volleyball team, The Drillers, earned the Intramural Activities (IMA)'s co-rec volleyball league title, capping off four consecutive, record-setting years of championships.  Each team is comprised of dental students from the first-, third- and fourth-year classes. Since 2004, The Drillers, captained by Heather Cunnington (’08), have dominated this league's championship games.  In 2006, the championship was decided with a battle of wills between the school's co-rec teams, represented by the third- and fourth-year students.

CONTINUING DENTAL EDUCATION (CDE)

Registration is now open for the 2008 Ernest M. Jones Memorial Lectureship.  This year’s lecture will be held on Friday March 28 at Meany Hall and feature Mark T. Murphy, DDS, FAGD of The Pankey Institute.  More information about his lecture, “Four-Dimensional Dentistry: A Team Development Program”, and other CDE courses held in 2008 is available online:   www.uwcde.com 

 

A complete list of School of Dentistry events and archived editions of the Dean's Monthly Communications are also available online.

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