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Dr. Izutsu's Retirement Reception

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

On Monday, October 26, the Department of Oral Biology hosted a retirement reception to honor Dr. Kenneth T. Izutsu, who retired on October 1, 2009 after 38 years of service to the University of Washington. The event was held at the University of Washington Club and was attended by faculty, staff, students, family and friends. The reception was highlighted by speeches by Dr. Martha Somerman (Dean), Dr. Thomas Morton, Jr. (Acting Chair), Dr. Jeremy Horst (graduate student representative), Drs. Beatrice Gandara and Peggy Lee (Oral Medicine), and Dr. Izutsu. The department presented Dr. Izutsu with an inscribed rocking chair.

Theresa Marks Graduation

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Theresa Marks completed the M.S. for Dental Hygiene Educators Program Spring Quarter, 2009. During her stay, Theresa was very active in the DECOD (Dental Education in the Care of Persons with Disabilities) clinic and helped develop curriculum for future students participating in the clinic. She was also a member of the UW Oral Health Collaborative and was active in setting up events to serve under-served children in her local area. Theresa has secured a position at Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, Maryland as a lead instructor. She will be active in setting up their future Dental Hygiene Program. We will all miss Theresa, but wish her the very best in her new position. Congratulations to Theresa!

Dr. Ching-Yi (Emily) Wu Graduation Reception

Friday, August 21, 2009

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On Thursday, August 13, 2009 Dr. Ching-Yi (Emily) Wu successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “The role of A-kinase anchoring 5 in amylase secretion from mouse parotid acini.” Her committee consisted of Dr. Eileen Watson, Chairman, and Drs. Izutsu, McKnight, and Presland. The Department of Oral Biology held a reception to celebrate Dr. Wu’s accomplishment. Congratulations Emily!

Jeremy Horst Receives Magnuson Scholar Award

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Dr. Jeremy Horst, a D.D.S./Ph.D. student in Oral Biology, was recently selected to receive the 2009 Magnuson Award for the School of Dentistry. The purpose of this program is to recognize graduate students with outstanding potential for research in the health sciences. The Program began in 1993 and is funded from a $2 million endowment from the Warren G. Magnuson Institute for Biomedical Research and Health Professions Training. Each of the six Health Science Schools was asked to nominate one student. Dr. Horst joined the department in 2004 and completed the DDS portion of his program in 2008. He is continuing his progress toward the PhD under the direction of Dr. Ram Samudrala, an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology. The aim of Dr. Horst’s research project is to create a set of algorithms to characterize the molecular mechanisms directly controlling mammalian mineralization. Congratulations to Dr. Horst on receiving this prestigious award.

Dr. Thanaphum Osathanon Dissertation Defense

Monday, August 03, 2009

On Monday, May 11, Dr. Osathanon successfully defended his dissertation thesis entitled “Microporous Nanofibrous Fibrin-based Scaffolds for Craniofacial Bone Tissue Engineering.” His committee consisted of Dr. Cecilia Giachelli, Chairperson, and Drs. Tracy Popowics, Martha Somerman, and Miqin Zhang. Dr. Osathanon has returned to his position in Thailand, Lecturer, Department of anatomy, Faculy of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Kuang-Dah Yeh Dissertation Defense

Monday, August 03, 2009

On Thursday, July 23, Dr. Yeh successfully defended his dissertation thesis entitled “The impact of growth and occlusal function on pig alveolar bone.” His committee consisted of Dr. Tracy Popowics, Chairperson, and Drs. Susan Coldwell, Susan Herring, and Richard Presland. Dr. Yeh plans to return to Taiwan to fulfill his commitment to the Ministry of National Defense, the organization that sponsored his study at the University of Washington. Congratulations to Dr. Yeh – the department wishes him the best in his future research endeavors.

Maryam Ganjehzadeh Rohani Dissertation Defense

Monday, August 03, 2009

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On Monday, July 27, Dr. Rohani successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “Differential Role of Protease-Activated Receptor-1 and -2 (PAR1 and PAR2) in Innate Immune Responses and Signal Transduction in Oral Keratinocytes.” Her committee consisted of Drs. Beverly Dale-Crunk and Whasun Chung, Co-Chairpersons, and Drs. Richard Darveau and Eileen Watson. The Department of Oral Biology held a reception to celebrate Dr. Rohani’s accomplishment. Congratulations Maryam!