DEAN’S MESSAGE
Fall 2009 Volume 25, Number 2
Staying Connected:
the Dean’s Faculty
mong the hundreds of great faculty
members we have here at the School of
Dentistry who provide an outstanding
education to our students are the members of the
Dean’s Faculty.
Established 16 years ago, the 35 men and
women who currently belong to this group travel
from their private practices to our clinics at least
one half-day a week and pass along their wealth of
knowledge and share their experiences with our
predoctoral students and residents in our specialty
clinics.
Their involvement, as you will read beginning on
page 3, supports all of our missions.
Talk to any member of the Dean’s Faculty,
and you will hear them say they enjoy interacting
with our students and the opportunity to “give
something back” for the outstanding education they
received here at Michigan.
Many also say that the discussions they have
with our students help them “to stay on their toes.”
It’s not uncommon for members of the Dean’s
Faculty to incorporate some of what they learn here
and put it to use in their own practice.
I am extremely grateful for the time and effort
that every one of them gives to us, especially during
these tough economic times when everyone’s
resources are stretched to the limit.
The presence of each member of the Dean’s
Faculty enriches the lives of our students and speaks
volumes about the profession of dentistry.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Polverini, Dean
DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the
University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Send comments and updates to:
dentistry.communications@umich.edu or Director of
Communications, School of Dentistry, Room B307, 1011
N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078
Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Polverini
Director of Communications . . . . . . Sharon Grayden
Writer & Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Mastey
Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Jung
Editorial Review Board: Member publication
Dennis Lopatin - Chair of the American
Richard Fetchiet Association of
Erica Hanss Dental Editors
Lynn Johnson
Sharon Grayden - ex officio
The Regents of the University:
Julia Donovan Darlow, Laurence B. Deitch, Denise Ilitch,
Olivia P. Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew C.
Richner, S. Martin Taylor, Katherine E. White, Mary Sue
Coleman, ex officio
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Alumni Society Board of Governors
Terms Expire 2010:
Samuel Bander, ’81 Grand Rapids, MI (Chair)
Kerry Kaysserian, ’81 Traverse City, MI
Jerry Booth, ’61 DDS, ’64 MS, Jackson, MI
Josephine Weeden, ’96 DDS, ‘99 MS, Saline, MI
Kathleen Early, ’77 DH, Lakeland, MI
Terms Expire 2011:
Jemma Allor, ‘00 DH, Mt. Clemens, MI
Sondra Moore Gunn, ‘78 DDS, ‘80 MS, Ann Arbor, MI
George Yellich, ‘72 DDS, ‘77 MS, Los Gatos, CA
Michael Cerminaro, ‘86 DDS, Muskegon , MI
John McMahon, ‘82 DDS, Grand Rapids, MI
Terms Expire 2012:
Metodi C. Pogoncheff, ’76 Lansing, MI
Wayne Olsen, ’81 Traverse City, MI
Sheree Duff, ’80 BSDH, Grand Blanc, MI
David O. Cramer, ’93 Grand Rapids, MI
Scott Schulz, ’96 Traverse City, MI
Student Representative: Anh Pham (D2)
Ex Officio Members:
Peter Polverini, Dean
Janet Souder Wilson, ‘73 DH, Northville, MI
Alumni Association Liaison
Steve C. Grafton , Executive Director, Alumni Assoc.
Richard R. Fetchiet, Director of External Relations and
Continuing Dental Education
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,
complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination
and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal
opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender
expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment,
educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may
be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section
504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services
Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, (734) 763-0235, TTY (734) 647-1388.
For other University of Michigan information call (734) 764-1817.
Copyright © 2009 The Regents of the University of Michigan
contents:

Read more DentalUM on our Web site at www.dent.umich.edu

1
FEATURES
COVER STORY
3 DEAN’S FACULTY
Each enjoys the opportunity
to take time from their
private practice to teach

1 Dental Videos Go Global

on YouTube
1970s era videos now available
3
7 School Selected for
Pilot Program
9 Homecoming Weekend
Alumni return - 3 inducted
into Hall of Honor

15 Graduation
Speaker Sandro Galea says oral
health care a global concern

PROFILES
17 17 Faculty
Dr. Paul Krebsbach
21 Alumna
Dr. Karen-Lee Jones Stewart

DEPARTMENTS
19 Faculty News
23 Department Update
25 Dental Hygiene
27 Research
30 Alumni News
25 Cover Photo: Per Kjeldsen
 Jerry Mastey

Dan Bruell

More than 650 videos from the U-M School of

Dentistry’s learning resources archives are drawing considerable
interest worldwide since becoming available for free viewing on the

Drawing W
Internet. The School, which launched its YouTube Channel in March
(www.youtube.com/user/umichdent), was recently the second
most-viewed educational channel on the popular Web site, topped
only by Stanford.
The dental school’s videos are included on the University of
Michigan’s new YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/um) launched
“ This is the best
in September. The University’s portal includes videos focusing on video I have ever
special speakers and events, classroom lectures, and other highlights.
seen on caries
School of Dentistry videos are the result of an effort that began
several years ago to digitize more than 1,200 videotapes that were removal. Thank
created in the School’s television studios in the 1970s. Ana Iacob, you so much.”
a Dental Informatics research associate, has been working on this
project from the start and is adding more items to the digital archives (Egypt)
each week.

DentalUM FALL 2009

11
 Screen shot of a vintage Dental Hygiene
instructional video.

Dr. Lynn Johnson, professor

of dentistry and assistant dean for
Informatics and Innovation, says the
School’s videos are a part of the “Open.
Michigan” initiative, an effort designed
to create and share the University’s
and the School’s knowledge, resources,
and research with the global learning
community.
Among the School of Dentistry
videos that are available include those
dealing with prosthodontics (170),
occlusion (84), oral surgery (59),
anatomy (75), and many others. “We
have converted and uploaded more
than 1,000 dental videos spanning 35 • “Such a good site. WOW!! Thanks since the 1970s, its physical structure
years of instruction,” Johnson said. “I for all of these. I have suffered from and elements have not changed. “That’s
encourage oral health care professionals TMD for 14 years. Please do more.” what makes our videos timeless,”
everywhere to visit the UMichDent (United States) Johnson said, “because a dentist in Asia
YouTube Channel and explore this • “I’m not even a dental student and or Europe or Africa can use what they see
content. To get to the UMichDent these videos are very interesting to in our videos and apply that knowledge
Channel, just click the YouTube icon on me.” (Canada) in their clinical environment.”
the School’s home page.” • “This is best video I have ever seen However, Johnson was quick to
on caries removal. Thank you so note that those in the U.S. who view
Favorable Reaction much.” (Egypt) the videos will see how regulations
Emily Springfield, an instructional • “Thank you so much!!! This video have changed. For example, when
technology designer with the School of has helped me a lot. Thank you so the videos were created in the 1970s,

orldwide Interest on the Web

Dentistry who played a major role in
ensuring content from the videos could
be transferred from the videotapes for
viewing on the Web, said, “the channel
currently averages about 5,000 hits a
day, and the average increases every
week. Our videos have been viewed
more than 600,000 times to date.”
While most views are from those in the
U.S., people worldwide are also viewing
the channel, as noted in remarks below:
much U-M Dentistry for sharing.”
(Philippines)
• “Wow...seeing a video that was shot
37 years ago is amazing. Keep it
up Michigan :) ...These videos really
help me a lot as a new graduate.”
(Egypt)
• “Very useful video indeed. I hope
there will be more.” (Sudan)
Although knowledge about the
oral cavity has grown significantly
dental students and faculty members
did not wear glasses, facemasks, or
gloves when treating patients. A note
advising viewers about those and
other regulatory changes appear at the
beginning of those videos.
In addition, those who want to
download content to a video iPod can
access approximately 100 videos at the
School’s iTunes U portal on the home
page.

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22
 Dean’s
Faculty:
Volunteering Time...
Sharing Experience
Dean’s Faculty Members

Cariology, Restorative
Sciences & Endodontics
• Robert Coleman
• Anthony Dietz
alk to any member of this select group and you will hear each one say that • Richard Han
they enjoy “being involved” and passing along what they have learned during • Allan Jacobs
their years of practice to dental students who are beginning their predoctoral • Jed Jacobson
clinical education. • Thomas Johnson
• James Laidlaw
Members of the group, known as the Dean’s Faculty, travel to the School of • Michael Lindemann
Dentistry at least one half-day a week to pass along their knowledge and experiences • Oscar Link
to eager-to-learn students in the School’s predoctoral and graduate clinics. • Charles Murray
“Their involvement at the School supports all of our missions, and I’m extremely • Richard Rubinstein
grateful for the time and effort each one of them gives us,” said Dean Peter Polverini. Periodontics & Oral Medicine
“Their contributions, which support our preclinical and clinical programs, are • William Beck
invaluable, especially during tough economic times such as those we’re now facing, • Suheil Boutros
when everyone’s resources are strained.” • William Carroll
• Heather Charchut
Established 16 years ago, membership in the Dean’s Faculty is by invitation only. • Kok-Heng Chong
All 35 practitioners, both general dentists and specialists, have been recommended • Roger Hill
by a colleague. The nominee meets with a department chair before his or her name • Salah Huwais
is submitted to a committee for consideration and approval. • Jeffrey Johnston
• Mitch Kaplan
• Amar Katranji
Mutually Beneficial Interaction • Christopher Kazor
Five members of the Dean’s Faculty, featured on pages 4-6, are enthused about • Michael Krause
the opportunities they have to teach students as well as learn from them. • William Mason
• Steve Meraw
“Being in contact with the students helps me to stay on my toes,” said Dr. Roger
• Kelly Misch
Hill, who teaches in the graduate periodontics clinic once a month. • Allan Padbury
Dr. Deborah Priestap agrees. “Being a member of the Dean’s Faculty has expanded • Luis Perez
my knowledge of dentistry in ways I never imagined when I entered the dental • Mark Setter
• Anthony Spagnuolo
profession,” she said.
• Diego Velasquez
One of the charter members of the Dean’s Faculty, Dr. Richard Han, says he enjoys • Mark Zahn
challenging students to think through a problem to develop answers to questions. • Greg Zann
However, not all learning takes place in a clinic.
Dr. Thomas Bloem meets with students in discussion groups twice a month to Orthodontics &
Pediatric Dentistry
talk about some of the finer points of running a practice and treatment plans. • Deborah Priestap
“We will continue to rely on these master clinicians and practitioners in the
various disciplines to help launch and sustain exciting new initiatives that will be a Prosthodontics/Biologic
part of our new vision for dental education at Michigan,” Polverini said. & Materials Sciences
• Thomas Bloem
Each fall, a recognition dinner is held to honor and thank Dean’s Faculty members
for their contributions. “We realize this is a small gesture of appreciation on our
part, but it is one that is offered with heartfelt sincerity,” Polverini said. “It gives us
a chance to say ‘thank you’ to each on a very personal level.”

DentalUM FALL 2009

33
Jerry Mastey
Dr. Roger Hill talks to second-year periodontal resident Dr.
Hsun-Liang Chan about the work he did on a patient in the
School’s graduate periodontics clinic.
Dr. Roger Hill
DDS, University of Detroit Mercy, 1970
MS, periodontics, University of Michigan, 1974
When he’s teaching in the School’s graduate
periodontics clinic, Dr. Roger Hill, a charter member
of the Dean’s Faculty, says he often brings with him
examples of treatments he has provided to some of his
patients during the past 20 or 30 years so the residents
better understand the long-term implications of their
work.
“These cases, where the names and other identifying
patient information are confidential, are what I call
‘proof of principle’ that demonstrate the results of
treatment and maintenance of dentitions over 20 or 30
years,” Hill said. “Students can actually see what work
has been done, and I often tell them ‘this is what can
happen to a patient over an extended period of time’
when they perform a certain procedure,” he added.
“Seeing the results decades later is information that is
very helpful and useful to them.”
Hill makes the 200 mile round trip once a month
to Ann Arbor from his practice in Bay City. Saying he’s
a teacher whose role “is to show students how to save
a patient’s teeth,” Hill says he’s also a student.
“Being in contact with the students helps me to
stay on my toes,” he says. “I’m staying abreast of new
developments in periodontics, especially in research.
Having first-hand access to that kind of information
from the students and other faculty members, in turn,
helps me to be a better periodontist at my own practice.”
DentalUM FALL 2009
Jerry Mastey
Dr. Deborah Priestap and Dr. Annelise Preslan, a third-year
orthodontic resident, share a lighter moment following Priestap’s
review of a treatment plan Preslan developed for a patient.
Dr. Deborah Priestap
BS, University of Michigan, 1977
DDS, Ohio State University, 1983
MS, University of Detroit Mercy, 1986
“Being a member of the Dean’s Faculty has
expanded my knowledge of dentistry in ways I never
imagined when I entered the dental profession,” says
Dr. Debby Priestap.
A member of the Dean’s Faculty for 10 years,
Priestap travels about 40 miles to the School of
Dentistry every Friday from her office in Milford,
Michigan to teach and work with residents in the Robert
W. Browne Orthodontics Clinic.
“The residents are intelligent, energetic, and open
to new ideas. That attitude has inspired and challenged
me to reconsider what I have learned and how I practice
orthodontics,” she says.
A cutting edge area of orthodontics that has
impressed Priestap is how microimplants are being
used for maximum anchorage control. “When I see
the residents using these implants and how patients
benefit,” she says, “I realize the significance of what
is being done at Michigan and how it will impact our
specialty in the years ahead.”
Priestap says she considers herself “fortunate
to have regular contact with some of the finest
orthodontists in the world at the School of Dentistry.
Their knowledge and insights are invaluable assets to
Michigan’s orthodontic community.”
A member of the State Board of Dentistry and an
examiner and consultant for the American Board of
Orthodontics, Priestap was a member of the University
of Michigan swim team as an undergraduate.
44
 Dean’s
Faculty
Jerry Mastey
Dr. Richard Han listens as fourth-year dental student Beth Vinckier
points to the chart of an electronic record and describes the work
she has performed on a patient and her treatment plans for the
patient’s return visit to the 3 Green Clinic.

Dr. Richard Han

DDS, University of Michigan, 1965

“I’m one of the original members of the Dean’s Faculty

and have been enjoying myself immensely,” says Dr.
Richard Han. “I enjoy working with the students in the
clinic and their positive attitude toward higher education.”
Han says students attending professional schools such
as dentistry and medicine have a different outlook from
undergraduate students. “Students in professional schools
are here because they want to be,” he says.
In the 3 Green comprehensive care clinic, Han
encourages students to think through a problem.
“Knowing there are multiple solutions to most
problems, I ask questions that help students look at a
problem and break it down into small steps. When the
student thinks through an issue and has a solution, that
develops confidence and encourages independence,” he
says.
A charter member of the Dean’s Faculty, Han says he
has noticed a change in the approach to dental education.
“From the mid 1960s to today, dental training is
more focused on skills in the operatory while other work
is delegated to others inside or outside the office,” he
says. “While I’m not sure anyone can, or wants to make
a gold crown, today’s dentist seems to be more inclined
to become a good chairside technician. I think there is
more to dentistry than accommodating a high volume of
patients,” Han adds.
“As a dentist develops his or her skills and enhances
their knowledge, each becomes a more creative problem
solver, a better communicator, and is more likely to develop
long-term relationships with patients. All of that helps
them become more complete practitioners,” he says.

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55
Jerry Mastey
As part of a treatment planning seminar, Dr. Thomas Bloem (center)
talks to graduate prosthodontic residents Drs. Zeina Al-Salihi (left)
and Dimitrios Chronaios about various private practice perspectives
when presenting oral health care options to their patients.
Dr. Thomas Bloem
DDS, University of Michigan, 1976
MS, prosthodontics, University of Michigan, 1978
Since practice management is important in dentistry,
Dr. Thomas Bloem comes to the School of Dentistry twice
a month for a discussion group meeting to talk about
treatment planning from a specialty practice perspective.
A member of the Dean’s Faculty for three years, Bloem
taught predoctoral and graduate prosthodontics for 17
years until 1996.
“Clinical skills are important,” he said, “but students
also need to be practical in successfully managing their
patients.” Citing the current economic environment,
Bloem said it has become increasingly important for
dentists to be adaptable.
“Today, a good practitioner will closely listen to what
the patient is saying and, when necessary, offer options
that help a patient reach his or her oral health goals. You
have to embrace flexibility,” he says. That might mean, for
instance, “working with a patient over a longer period of
time instead of trying to complete treatment in the fewest
number of appointments possible. You want the patient
to reach their goals without abandoning the plan you share
with them.”
Bloem says he enjoys talking to graduate students
because “many times their perspectives are refreshing.
It’s their willingness to learn and their curious nature that
makes me willing to help.”
Active in dental organizations and a regional director
of the American College of Prosthodontics, Bloem says he
always emphasizes how crucial it is for students to give
back to the dental profession. “I know how important
it has been to me and my career, and I want to convey to
students that this will be something that’s important for
them and their careers too.”
DentalUM FALL 2009
Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles Murray
Dr. Charles Murray
Dr. Charles Murray
DDS, University of Michigan, 1955
“This is something I have been pleased to do for
more than a decade. It’s my way of giving back to the
dental school for all it did for me when I was a student at
Michigan,” says Dr. Charles Murray.
A general practitioner in Birmingham, Michigan until
his retirement in 1998, Murray was invited to become a
member of the Dean’s Faculty about a year before retiring.
Twice a week during the winter semester he travels to the
School of Dentistry to teach first-year dental students in
the Dr. Roy Roberts Preclinical Laboratory.
“The technology being used to educate students today
is certainly more advanced than when I was a student,” he
said with a laugh. “Today’s dental students are savvy when
it comes to technology and, overall, are very sharp. We’re
getting the cream of the crop.”
Technology aside, Murray says it’s been interesting
to see how the composition of dental classes has changed
since when he was a student.
“In the 1950s, we had only one female dental student
in our classes. But today classes are about half male and
half female,” he says. “I think that’s good because dentistry
is one of those professions that offers a lot of opportunities
to both women and men.”
Murray adds that teaching in the preclinic helps him to
stay abreast of advances, both technical and scientific. “I
enjoy working with the first-year dental students. They’re
very appreciative of what you do for them.”
66
 School of Dentistry
Selected for Pilot Program
The U-M School of Dentistry is one of three dental schools nationwide
selected to participate in a pilot program designed to increase access to
oral health care among underrepresented minorities and low-income
groups, develop programs to encourage adolescents from these groups
to consider and ultimately pursue careers in the dental profession, and
enhance academic-community partnerships.
The American Dental Education Association, the national
organization that serves dental education, has received a grant from
the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to develop the program. Results from the
ADEA-supervised initiative will be shared with the nation’s other 56
dental schools.
Building on the success of its community outreach program, the
U-M School of Dentistry will increase its activities at sites where its
students already provide care – the Bay Mills Health Care Center that
serves Native Americans in Brimley, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula;
the other at a community based dental clinic in Washtenaw County. The
pilot program began in August and will continue for 18 months.
“This program seeks to improve the oral health of traditionally
underserved minorities,” said Dr. Stephen Stefanac, associate dean for
patient services, whose office supervises the School’s outreach program.
“But this initiative also offers something new, recruitment through
engagement,” he added.

Recruitment through Engagement

Another goal of the initiative, Stefanac said, is to encourage more
middle school and high school students to pursue a career in oral health
care and foster mentoring relationships among those students, dental
students, and staff members at the community clinics. “By building
relationships and becoming engaged in health education activities
with our dental and dental hygiene students who work side by side
with dentists, hygienists, and staff at community clinics, we hope these
adolescents will be inspired to seriously consider becoming oral health
care professionals.”
The two other dental schools selected for the pilot program were the
Howard College of Dentistry in Washington, D.C. and the University of
Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

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77
 School of Dentistry histologist Chris
Strayhorn holds an encased sample of
a molar from a 40,000-year-old baby
wooly mammoth whose remains were
discovered and featured on television
and in National Geographic magazine.

Definitely
the Coolest
Thing I’ve
Done
Jerry Mastey

“It’s definitely the coolest thing I’ve done because the tooth I looked at was
40,000 years old,” said Christopher Strayhorn as he talked about his role in “The
Dental School
Baby Mammoth Project” that was featured on the National Geographic Channel Histologist
and was the cover story in the May issue of National Geographic magazine.
Strayhorn, a histologist in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Discusses His
Medicine, analyzed portions of the creature’s molars, small intestine, and
other tissues at the request of U-M paleontologist Dr. Daniel Fisher. Role with “Baby
The baby mammoth, known as Lyuba, was discovered on a riverbank in
northwest Siberia about two years ago. The discovery excited Fisher, whose
Mammoth
research was funded by National Geographic, because of what he described Project”
as “the quality and completeness of her preservation. No other specimen
preserves this much of the original anatomy.”
Strayhorn said after he received tissue specimens from Fisher, he cut small
sections of the specimens and stained them to make cellular features more
apparent. “Usually I’m doing this same work on rodent teeth and bones, but
this was unlike anything I’ve done in the 17 years I have been here,” he said.
“A couple of years ago, I examined the tusks of a mammoth that was about
10,000 years old. But now I was looking at teeth more than four times that
old.”
Strayhorn said of the nearly one dozen tissues he examined, “the teeth
were, by far, the most exciting specimens to look at. Since we examine a lot
of teeth, we know that they don’t change over time, even though surrounding
tissues do,” he said. Strayhorn added that as he examined another tissue
sample, an intestine, he discovered a blade of grass that was also the same age.
You can read more about Lyuba, the baby mammoth, and role of U-M
paleontologist Daniel Fisher at “Baby Mammoth Studies Validate U-M
Researcher’s Techniques” at www.dent.umich.edu/news/current.

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88
 ALUMNI RELATIONS

Alumni Return for

Homecoming Weekend
early 100 School of Dentistry emeritus
alumni returned to their alma mater
September 24, 25, and 26 to renew
acquaintances and par t ic ipate in
Homecoming Weekend activities. The
group included 66 graduates of the Dental Class of
1959 and 29 members of the dental hygiene class.
The emeritus alumni were presented with
medallions by Dean Peter Polverini. Later, they toured
the Dr. Roy Roberts Preclinical Laboratory and saw
how today’s dental students are using technology to
enhance their education.
Following a class picture in the Kellogg Building
lobby, there was a luncheon in the Sindecuse Atrium
prior to the induction of three former faculty members
into the School’s Hall of Honor.
Other events included Friday’s Morawa Lecture
Call Photography and a Homecoming Gala honoring nearly 350 dental
and dental hygiene alumni.
Jerry Mastey On Saturday, many alumni and their spouses
participated in the Alumni Association’s Go Blue!
Tailgate and watched Michigan defeat Indiana 36-33.

(Top) Dr. Robert Galin was among

the emeritus alumni who received a
medallion and congratulations from
Dean Peter Polverini.

(Bottom) After receiving their

medallions, emeritus alumni gathered in
the lobby of the Kellogg Building for their
50-year class reunion photo.

DentalUM FALL 2009

99
 Kathleen Richards (right), the daughter of the late
Prof. Albert Richards, and Dr. Sharon Brooks, hold
a replica of the plaque citing his achievements.

Stohler Receives
Distinguished Service
Award
Dr. Christian Stohler, world renowned researcher
and former chair of the Department of Biologic and
Materials Sciences, received the Distinguished Service
Award from the Alumni Society Board of Governors.
Call Photography
The award recognizes and honors a living person who
has made outstanding contributions to the U-M School
of Dentistry, the dental profession, or the Society.
Dean at the University of Maryland Baltimore
College of Dental Surgery since 2003, Stohler was with
the University of Michigan School of Dentistry for
more than 20 years. During that time, he conducted
extensive research on pain, including its causes and
manifestations, its effects on jaw functions, and
how oral health care professionals can help patients
experiencing the malady.
Stohler has returned to Michigan several times,
including delivering a keynote address about pain in
February 2007 during the School’s annual Research Day
program.

Call Photography

Eric Lorey, the son of the late Dr. Robert Lorey, and Dr. Ron
Schaffer, a fellow classmate of Dr. Lorey.

3 Inducted into Hall of Honor

Three prominent former faculty members were
posthumously inducted into the School’s Hall of
Honor. Dr. Robert Lorey, Professor Albert Richards,
and Ms. Frances Shook were enshrined for their
lifetime contributions to U-M and the oral health care
profession.
Lorey and Richards taught for more than 40 years.
Shook was a member of the School’s first dental hygiene
graduating class in 1922 and a founder of the Michigan
Dental Hygienists’ Association.
Dr. Christian Stohler received the Distinguished Service Award during
Forty-one men and women have been inducted
Homecoming Weekend activities. Dr. Charlotte Mistretta, professor
into the School’s Hall of Honor since it was established and associate dean for Research and PhD Training, highlighted his
in 2003. achievements before the award was presented.

DentalUM FALL 2009

10
10
 ALUMNI RELATIONS
Drs. Herman Kupeyan, Joseph Clayton, and Marie Gale.
Former Instructor Becomes
Patient…Reunites with
Former Students
Dr. Joseph Clayton’s Journey
He knew he was in good hands from the start. How
could he not be? He taught them everything they knew about
restorative dentistry.
Dr. Joseph Clayton, who taught graduate dentistry in
fixed prosthodontics at U-M for 25 years until his retirement
in 1996, recently had to travel from his home in Bonita
Springs, Florida, to Canada, and then back to Florida for
follow-up care for six implants.
Maintaining frequent contact with former students
as he has for many years, Clayton, now 79, needed some
complex dental work to replace several missing posterior
teeth. Knowing what needed to be done, he traveled to
Windsor, Ontario, where one of his former students, Dr.
Herman Kupeyan (MS, prosthodontics, 1983), installed the
implants.
Clayton returned to Florida and received follow-up
treatment from another former student, Dr. Marie Gale (MS,
prosthodontics, 1982).
Recently, the three had an opportunity to reunite
while Kupeyan was on vacation in Florida. Clayton, Gale,
and Kupeyan met at Gale’s office in Ft. Myers to review the
dental work…and, of course, reminisce about their days at
the School of Dentistry. They also paused for this photo
outside Gale’s office.
11
11
Clayton
Scholarship
When he retired, Dr. Joseph Clayton
gifted more than $100,000 to the U-M
School of Dentistry to establish the Dr.
Joseph A. Clayton Graduate Scholarship
Fund. Each year, the Fund awards
a $5,000 scholarship to one or more
students in the graduate prosthodontics
program.
2009-2010 Recipients
For the 2009-2010 academic year,
scholarships were awarded to Quinn
Chan and Carl Pogoncheff.
Chan earned a bachelor’s degree
in biomedical engineering from the
University of Virginia in 1999, a master’s
in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins
in 2003, a DMD from Tufts in 2007, and
completed a one-year AEGD residency
at the University of Connecticut in 2008.
He was a prosthodontics instructor at
Tufts before coming to Michigan.
Pogoncheff earned a bachelor’s
degree from U-M in 2005 and his dental
degree from the School of Dentistry
this spring. As a dental student, he
received several awards including
the Francis B. Vedder Award and the
American College of Prosthodontists
Undergraduate Achievement Award.
Previous Recipients
2008-2009 Clayton Scholarships
have been awarded to Dr. Ibrahim Al-
Munif, Emily Giroux, and Jennifer Suh.
Previous recipients include Emily Giroux
(2007-2008), Jennifer Suh (2006-2007),
George Wei Chih Wu (2005-2006), Averil
Mearnic (2004-2005), Bryan Williams
(2003-2004), Rob Schumacher (2002-
2003), Karen-Lee Jones Stewart (2001-
2002).
DentalUM FALL 2009
 Looking For Leaders!
Alumni Society Board of Governors
Here’s your chance to make a difference. In September 2010 five members will be elected to the U-M School of
Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors. The group will include four dentistry graduates and one dental
hygiene graduate. All will serve a three-year term. This is a perfect opportunity for you to become involved with
the School, build relationships with students, faculty, and staff, and perform a worthwhile and satisfying public
service. If you’re interested in serving, or if you would like to nominate someone, send in the form below. In the
event more than 10 individuals are nominated, the Board’s nominating committee will select a representative slate.

I nominate for the Board: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

ClassYear (s): _____________________________________________________________

Address (if known): ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2nd name: _______________________________________________________________

ClassYear (s): _____________________________________________________________

Address (if known): ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

If you nominate yourself, please send your biography (45 words or less) on a separate sheet of
paper. However, because of time constraints on our staff and limited space in the magazine,
we cannot accept a CV. Instead, please take a few moments to highlight what you consider are
major achievements, whether personal or professional.

Return the form, and your biography if you’re nominating yourself, to:
Carrie Towns
Office of Alumni Relations
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
540 E. Liberty, Suite 204
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Nominations must be received at the School of Dentistry by January 31, 2010.

DentalUM FALL 2009

12
12
 STUDENTS

New Dental Students Receive

White Coats
ne hundred five first-year dental students were welcomed
into the dental profession during the School’s eighth annual
White Coat Ceremony at Rackham Auditorium on September
25. Welcoming the students and reminding them of their obligations
to their patients and the profession in his keynote address was Dr.
William Wright, president of the Michigan Dental Association.
Wright earned his dental degree from U-M in 1975 and a master’s
degree in orthodontics, also from U-M, in 1984.
After receiving their white coats, the dental students recited an
oath promising to maintain the highest standards of professionalism,
care and excellence.
The 62 men and 43 women who are members of the Dental Class
of 2013 were selected from 2,098 applicants. Fifty-one are Michigan
residents, 54 are from out of state. Their average age is 24.

(Left) Dr. William Wright, president of the Michigan Dental

Association, welcomed first-year dental students into the oral
health care profession at this fall’s White Coat Ceremony.

(Below) William Ballard beams after receiving his white coat.

Call Photography

DentalUM FALL 2009

13
13
u-m dental students
t seems we saw everyone in the
community,” said dental student
Sara Arnold with a smile as she
discussed the oral health care she
and other U-M dental students provided
in Hagley Gap, Jamaica, last winter.
Arnold, a third-year dental student,
and two dentists, Drs. Bill and Therese
Shortt, who both earned dental degrees
from U-M in 1987, participated in a
School-approved outreach initiative in
February in the village located about 10
miles east of Kingston.
Arnold and other dental students
were in the Caribbean nation as part
of a University-wide collaboration
called Students for Jamaica. The group
is an interdisciplinary partnership
of U-M students who want to make
a difference in developing countries
by providing dental and medical care
as well as other ser vices ranging
from infrastructure improvements to
economic development.
During the week they were in
Jamaica, the dental students examined
more than 300 patients, extracted
527 teeth, and also educated children,
adolescents, and parents about simple,
DentalUM FALL 2009
REACH OUT
in
Photos courtesy of Sara Arnold
yet effective, oral hygiene practices
that they could do on a daily basis to
minimize caries.
Dental students walked to clinics
from their host homes in the community
to see patients beginning at 8 o’clock
every morning. “Most of the time,
there were lines of patients waiting to
be seen when we arrived,” Arnold said.
“For most of the children and many
adults, this was the first time they were
seeing a dentist.” Following a quick
15- or 20-minute break for lunch, the
dental students treated patients until
five o’clock.
The Blue Mountain Project, a
nonprofit organization that provides
health care, education, and other
programs to residents of Hagley Gap,
hosted the dental students and chose
(Above left) “Open your mouth as big
the families the dental students stayed
as a lion so I can take a look at your
with during the trip. “The families teeth” dental student Sara Arnold
cooked dinner for us and then we went tells this 4 year old.
to the town square for some music and
dancing. But were always in bed by eight (Above) For learning to sing “Hail
to the Victors” taught by U-M
o’clock because we were going, virtually
dental students, this 4 year old was
nonstop, every day,” Arnold said. “It was rewarded with a Maize Rage tee
an amazing experience, and I’m looking shirt.
forward to returning.”
14
14
 All photos Per Kjeldsen

Dentistry Graduates Challenged:

Think, Act Locally…and Globally

The Class of 2009
ral health care is no longer only the concern of a dentist or specialist about his
Includes those who
or her patients. It’s now something much bigger – a global concern that will
completed formal
require the attention and action among all oral health care professionals.
requirements and those
That was the message to University of Michigan School of Dentistry graduates at to receive degrees
commencement ceremonies at Hill Auditorium in May from a U-M professor who has or certificates after
spent his life researching the health of groups of individuals around the world. completing their formal
Dr. Sandro Galea, director of the Center for Global Health and a professor of requirements.
epidemiology at the School of Public Health, told graduates, “Oral health is inextricably
• 116 DDS degrees
linked to all other aspects of health…and you will play a central role in promoting oral
• 26 Bachelor of Science,
health in the 21st century.” Dental Hygiene
Also a research professor at the U-M Institute for Social Research, Galea told • 25 Master of Science –
graduates “the well being of each and every one of us in this auditorium is increasingly Dental Hygiene,
dependent on the welfare of others around the world.” Endodontics, Prostho-
Citing advances in global investment, trade, and technology that have improved the dontics, Restorative
lives of millions worldwide, Galea said these forces have also led to greater disparities Dentistry, Orthodontics,
in health in general and oral health in particular. Saying the world is becoming smaller Periodontics, Pediatric
and even more interconnected, he said “globalization is unstoppable.” Dentistry
Describing the relationship between oral health and development as “complex,” • 2 Certificates in
Galea said “the best estimates are that three in four people throughout the world do Periodontics
• 1 Ph.D., Oral Health
not have access to adequate oral health care.”
Sciences
He urged graduates to get involved in addressing disparities “because as health care
providers we have a moral imperative to reduce human suffering. Your training has
given you knowledge and ability to make life better for people from all walks of life.”
Beyond ethical obligations, Galea said the goal of improving the oral health of
people worldwide “is motivated by the interdependence between all countries. Better
health for one nation is better health for everybody.”
Telling students they were finishing their studies “at one of the best dental schools
in the world,” Galea said he hoped all graduates would be involved in global health “as
a health professional and as a citizen of the world.”

DentalUM FALL 2009

15
15
 ALUMNI HOOD SONS, DAUGHTER

Eight fathers and one mother

who earned dental degrees
from the U-M School of
Dentistry hooded a son or
daughter before their grad-
uate walked across the Hill
Auditorium stage to receive
a diploma. The students and
their parents were:
Irene Haddock and her
mother, Dr. Susan Haddock
(DDS 1983)

Andrea Fraser and her

father, Dr. James Fraser
(DDS 1977)

Trevor Hartwell and his

father, Dr. Brian Hartwell
(DDS 1969)

Steven Jaffe and his father,

Dr. Jeffrey Jaffe (DDS 1979)

Jamie Luria and his father,

Dr. Mark Luria (DDS 1978)

Timothy Wentzloff and his

father, Dr. Dale Wentzloff
(DDS 1971)

Carl Pogoncheff and

his father, Dr. Metodi
Pogoncheff (DDS 1976)

Lindsey Wurtzel and her

father, Dr. Donald Wurtzel
(DDS 1981)

Chad Zillich and his father,

Dr. Richard Zillich
(DDS 1970)

DentalUM FALL 2009

16
16
 FACULTY
PROFILE
Per Kjeldsen
Working to Take Science and Dental
Education in New Directions
His father was an anesthetist and,
for about two years, the only one in
the western Upper Peninsula town of
“I saw coming to Bessemer, Michigan. His mother was a
Michigan as an nurse. So, naturally, from an early age,
Paul Krebsbach thought about becoming
opportunity for a physician.
“But since my dad was the only
me to broaden my anesthetist covering that part of the
credentials and state and on call twenty-four hours a
day, seven days a week, I began thinking
to interact with about a career in dentistry,” Krebsbach
experienced faculty, said. “Dentistry seemed to be more
interesting and more fun because you
not just at the could combine science and art and set
your own office hours.”
dental school, but But doubts about becoming a
with other units on dentist surfaced during Krebsbach’s first
year in dental school.
campus.” “The science was not as deep as I had
hoped,” he said. “I spent a lot of time
memorizing information, but wanted to
do more than memorize what I read in
a book. I wanted to be more hands-on
and do science that someday would be
17
17
published in the textbooks that dental
students were reading.”
Following a conversation with Dr.
Robert Gorlin, a prominent Minnesota
pathologist who convinced him to
participate in a summer research
program, Krebsbach remained in dental
school and graduated with his DDS in
1987.
“I was in the early stage of my
dental school education, and couldn’t
see beyond my efforts in the preclinical
labs,” Krebsbach said. “Dr. Gorlin
opened my eyes to a broad range of
possibilities that included more in
depth science and research. These
opportunities reshaped my attitude and
career aspirations and led to a rewarding
career that includes teaching, practicing
dentistry, and scholarship.”
NIH: “Felt Like a Kid in a
Candy Store”
He then traveled to the east coast
and in 1993 earned both a certificate
in periodontolog y and a PhD in
biological sciences at the University of
Connecticut. Krebsbach also became an
attending periodontist at the Veterans
Administration Hospital in Newington,
Connecticut, and was in private practice
for three years in Laurel, Maryland.
“I enjoyed being a clinician, but
didn’t have the experience I needed
to become a research scientist, so I
jumped at a post-doctoral fellowship
opportunity at the National Institutes of
Health,” he said. “During the three years
I was there (1993-1996), I felt like a kid
in a candy store. It’s the best place in the
world to do basic science research.”
Krebsbach said he took advantage of
opportunities to collaborate with other
principal investigators. “I’m especially
grateful to three of my mentors at NIH,
Yoshi Yamada, Ken Yamada, and Pam
Roby,” he said.
DentalUM FALL 2009
 As Krebsbach was considering his
next steps and wrapping up his work at
NIH in 1996, he met Dr. Peter Polverini,
who chaired the University of Michigan
School of Dentistry’s Department of
Oral Medicine and Pathology. Polverini
urged Krebsbach to visit Ann Arbor and
decide if Michigan might be a good fit for
him and his research plans.
It was. Krebsbach said several
factors influenced his decision.
“I saw coming to Michigan as an
opportunity to broaden my credentials
and to interact with experienced faculty,
not just at the dental school, but with
other units on campus,” he said. “I
was impressed with the dental school’s
emphasis on ‘the big picture.’ That is,
this School sees itself being connected
to other units, such as medicine and
engineering. I thought Michigan would
give me the opportunities I wanted to
not only conduct research, but also teach
and be involved with those other schools
and colleges here.”
In March 2005, Krebsbach was
named chair of the Department of
Biologic and Materials Sciences and the
Division of Prosthodontics by Polverini
who, two years earlier, returned to the
School of Dentistry to become dean. As
chair, Krebsbach directs a department
with 36 faculty members, 26 adjunct
faculty, and 86 staff.
Stem Cell Research, Tissue
Regeneration
“It was a major transition from
managing a handful of people in a
laboratory to managing so many more
as department chair,” he said with a
laugh. “But I enjoy the challenge of
running a complex scientific and clinical
operation.”
In addition to his administrative
responsibilities, Krebsbach also mentors
PhD students and postdoctoral fellows,
DentalUM FALL 2009
teaches at U-M Hospital, and does
research in the areas of embryonic and
adult stem cells and tissue engineering
and regeneration.
“We’re conducting embryonic and
adult stem cell research to understand
how a stem cell either remains a stem cell
or becomes a more specialized type of
cell,” he said. Asked what role the School
of Dentistry would have in the new U-M
consortium to create new embryonic
stem cell lines that was announced in
the spring, Krebsbach said, “it’s too early
to tell, but several dental school faculty
members will have the opportunity to
contribute.”
As for tissue engineering and
regeneration research, he said he and
other researchers are “trying to take the
knowledge discovered in recent years
and develop new tissues for patients
to replace those that may have been
damaged or lost.”
In the past, Krebsbach said that
research “might have focused on
regenerating a single tissue, such as
bone or cartilage, but our current work
is much more complex because these
tissues don’t exist in isolation.”
Describing some of the research
being conducted, Krebsbach said “we
are developing methods to spatially
control how growth factors and genes
are delivered from biomaterials to
regenerate the interfaces between
tissues, like the bone and cartilage
interface of an articulating joint.” He
added that these approaches will require
incorporating concepts from both
biology and engineering. “Consequently,
the work requires collaboration with
scientists with different backgrounds.
That’s what makes it fun,” he said.
Asked how soon it might be before
that laboratory research might be used
by dentists in their offices, Krebsbach
said it would take time. “Already,
Per Kjeldsen
Dr. Paul Krebsbach explains some of the
innovative ideas the committee is discussing
to reshape education to the Alumni Society
Board of Governors.
gene therapy trials are underway and
in other instances proteins are being
delivered from materials and are
currently used in clinics. But as we
learn more, new questions arise that
need answers.”
Rewards of Teaching, Benefits
to Students
Mentoring PhD students
and teaching at the U-M Hospital
c o m p l e m e n t K re b s b a c h ’s o t h e r
duties. “I am a teacher, a scientist, an
administrator, and a mentor, so as a
result, I’m super busy. But I enjoy that,”
he said.
“What’s especially gratifying is to
see a student who takes the information
from a classroom lecture or research
laboratory or clinic, understands it,
and comes up with what I call ‘the
total picture.’ What’s even more
impressive is when the student takes
that information and begins exploring
in new directions,” he said. “When that
happens,” Krebsbach said, “It shows
we have done our job as teachers or
18
18
 FACULTY
PROFILE
as mentors and that a student has
confidence to think independently and
go in a new or different direction.”
Giving Direction to the
Dean’s Vision
Krebsbach is doing some of that
himself. As chair of the dean’s Vision
Implementation Steering Committee,
he is investigating possible new
opportunities for dental educators and
new directions for dental education.
Since December 2008, the
committee has been meeting weekly
to take the findings of the Strategic
Assessment Facilitating Committee
and implement Dean Peter Polverini’s
directive to create the dental school
of the future. Key elements include
continuing the School’s tradition
of excellence while also developing
innovative approaches to classroom
education, clinical instruction, research,
and outreach that could reshape
dental education and the profession
of dentistry itself. “Soon we will have
recommendations that we can begin
implementing,” he said.
When he’s away from the dental
school, Krebsbach relaxes playing
baseball with his children and playing
the piano. “I’ve been taking lessons for
four or five years. I enjoy the blues and
jazz, especially improvisational jazz.”
Krebsbach sees a connection
between his new leisure pursuit and his
work.
“When I was studying for my dental
degree, I didn’t want to just memorize
someone else’s science, I wanted to make
new discoveries and take science in new
directions. That’s innovation. It’s like
playing jazz because you learn the basics
and then see what happens when you go
in a different direction.”
19
19
Faculty News
Dr. Lysle Johnston Receives Callahan Memorial Award
for 50 Years of Contributions to Orthodontics
Dr. Lysle Johnston,
Jr., who chaired the
School of Dentistry’s
Department of
Orthodontics and
Pediatric Dentistry, directed the
graduate orthodontics program
from 1991-2004, and who was the
Robert W. Browne Professor of
Dentistry, was honored by the Ohio
Dental Association for his 50 years of
contributions to orthodontics.
Johnston received the prestigious
Callahan Memorial Award during
this year’s Callahan Celebration
of Excellence in Columbus, Ohio.
The award is named for John Ross
Callahan, a noted Ohio dental
researcher and leader in organized
dentistr y. Established by the
association in 1920, committee
members consider the achievements
and contributions of nominees
worldwide before selecting a recipient.
Dr. Sunil Kapila, current chair
of Orthodontics and Pediatric
Dentistry, lauded Johnston as “an
exceptional intellectual who has
continued to challenge his students
and the profession. Lysle has always
sustained a superior level of excellence
as a teacher and scholar, and has set a
high standard for future generations
of educators. For all these reasons,
he is highly deserving of the Callahan
Memorial Award,” Kapila said.
Johnston earned his DDS from
U-M in 1961 and a Master of Science
degree in orthodontics in 1964. He
received the School of Dentistry’s
Distinguished Service Award during
graduation ceremonies in May 2005
for his contributions to U-M, the
School, and orthodontics.
Johnston is the recipient of
numerous honors, most notably the
Albert H. Ketcham Award from the
American Board of Orthodontics,
the 5th International Award of the
Italian Society of Orthodontists and
the Dewel Award of the American
Association of Orthodontics.
He has delivered the
Mershon and Salzmann Lectures
of the American Association of
Orthodontics, the Angle Memorial
Lecture of the E.H. Angle Society of
Orthodontists (twice), the Northcroft
Lecture of the British Society for
the Study of Orthodontics and the
Arthur Thornton Taylor Memorial
Lecture of the Australian Society
of Orthodontics. He is a fellow of
both the American and International
Colleges of Dentists and, by election,
a fellow in dental surgery of the Royal
College of Surgeons of England.
Johnston has served on the
editorial boards of a number of
journals, including the American
Journal of Orthodontics, Dentofacial
Orthopedics and the [Br itish]
Journal of Orthodontics. He was
also a member of the Oral Biology
and Medicine Study Section of the
National Institutes of Health and
a director of the Edward H. Angle
Society of Orthodontists.
DentalUM FALL 2009
 Richards Receives AAP
Teaching Award
Dr. Philip Richards,
clinical professor
of dentistry in the
De par tment o f
Periodontics and
O ral Medicine,
has received the
American Academy of Periodontology’s
Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring
Award for 2009.
The organization’s major teaching
award was presented to Richards, who
also directs the School’s predoctoral
periodontics curriculum, during the
School’s convocation program in late
August. According to department
chair, Dr. Laurie McCauley, the award
“is given to the periodontal educator
who has demonstrated a commitment
to excellence” and conveys knowledge
and enthusiasm to students in clinics.
Richards also received the award in
2005.
“ T his award has special
significance for me because it’s
based on nominations and votes of
support from faculty members who
are my colleagues in this department,”
Richards said.
Richards talked about his ability
to “connect” with students in a feature
that appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of
DentalUM, the School of Dentistry’s
alumni magazine. “I really work hard
to treat students as professional
colleagues from day one,” he said.
The students notice and appreciate
his commitment to excellence, both
in the classroom and in clinics. Many
DentalUM FALL 2009
students have praised Richards for Faculty Promotions
“his passion for educating students,”
“treating us as colleagues,” and “his Five U-M School of Dentistry faculty
willingness and ability to share his members were promoted during
knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for the meeting of U-M Regents in
dentistry.” May. The promotions were effective
Richards, who earned his dental September 1.
degree from U-M in 1984 and a
master’s degree in periodontics four Tenure Track
years later, has received numerous Vesa M. K aar tinen, MS, PhD,
teaching awards from students. promoted to associate professor of
Ten times he received the School’s dentistry, with tenure; Department
Paul Gibbons Award for outstanding of Biologic and Materials Sciences.
teaching and 11 times was named
Instructor of the Year. George W. Taylor, DMD, DrPH,
promoted to professor of dentistry,
Sohn Elected APHA w i t h te n u re ; D e p a r t m e n t o f
Governing Counselor Cariology, Restorative Sciences and
Endodontics.
Dr. Woosung Sohn,
Clinical Track
assistant professor
Rodrigo de Faria Neiva, DDS, MS,
in the Department
promoted to clinical associate
o f C a r i o l o g y,
professor; Department of
Restorative
Periodontics and Oral Medicine.
Sciences, and
Endodontics, has
Samuel Zwetchkenbaum, DDS,
been elected a Governing Counselor
MPH, promoted to clinical associate
in the Oral Health Section of the
professor; Department of Oral and
American Public Health Association.
Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital
His two-year term begins in November
Dentistry.
at the conclusion of APHA’s annual
meeting in Philadelphia.
Joint Appointments
In his role, Sohn will work with
Jacques E. Nör, DDS, MS, PhD,
other members of the Oral Health
Department of Cariology, Restorative
Section and APHA’s Governing
Sciences, and Endodontics, promoted
Council, the association’s legislative
to professor of otorhinolaryngology,
body. However, Sohn added he plans
without tenure, in the Medical
to use his election “as an opportunity
School.
to inform students and faculty at the
dental school about the work of the
APHA in general and the Oral Health
Section in particular.”
20
20
 ALUMNI RELATIONS

P R O F I L E

Jerry Mastey

“It’s the ultimate compliment Dental School Teachers,

In addition to practicing dentistry in Ann
Arbor, Dr. Karen Lee-Jones Stewart is
extensively involved with local, state,
and national dental associations.
when your child tells you they want
to enter your profession,” said Dr. Lee
Jones as he talked about the decision
his daughter, Karen, made years ago to
become a dentist.
Still practicing dentistry, but now
part time with his daughter, Lee was
also an instructor at the U-M School
of Dentistry and director of minority
affairs for 25 years before retiring in
1997.
Karen-Lee Jones Stewart earned
her dental degree from U-M in 1994 and
received a certificate in prosthodontics
in 2003. Her interest in dentistry began
working for her father.
“I recall doing odds and ends for
dad when he had his office on South
State Street in downtown Ann Arbor,”
she said. “I remember in eighth grade
answering the telephone and even
putting coins in parking meters for his
patients so they didn’t have to worry.”
In high school, Lee took Karen to
the School of Dentistry for Career Day
and introduced her to many female
dental students. “I liked the idea of
being your own boss, working with
your hands, and helping people,” she
said. After graduating from Hampton
University in Virginia with a bachelor’s
degree in biology, Karen returned to
Michigan. Two years after receiving
her dental degree from U-M, she began
teaching in the School’s preclinic and
also taught clinical foundation courses.
Role Models
“As a student, I had some great
teachers and role models, including Drs.
Emerson Robinson, Andy Koran, Ken
May, and Christian Stohler,” she said. “It
was Dr. Stohler who urged me to pursue
prosthodontics.” After earning her
certificate, Karen taught part time for
two years in the School’s comprehensive
care clinic.
“Bob Lorey thought Karen should be
a teacher too,” Lee added. “It was a good
suggestion, and I’m glad she decided to
do that.”
Karen said working with her father
in his private practice was “a bit of a
challenge” because she tried to live up to
his high expectations. “But there were
benefits too, especially learning the ins
and outs of running a business,” she said.
“I recorded the cost for supplies,
learned how to charge for your services,
the importance of collections to keep
the business running, and more,” Karen
said. “That’s helped me considerably
because I know where the money is
going and where it’s coming from.”
Sage advice from her father – about
the importance of becoming involved
in organized dentistry with local, state,
and national associations – has proved
invaluable.
In addition to participating in the
Michigan Dental Association and the
American Dental Association, Karen
is involved with the Wolverine Dental

DentalUM FALL 2009

21
21
Society and the National Dental Society.
She’s a member of the MDA’s Public
Relations Committee that is developing
statewide television commercials about
good oral health that are scheduled to
be aired in the fall.
She is also active in the ADA’s
Institute for Diversity in Leadership
that works to enhance the skills of
dentists who have historically been
underrepresented in leadership roles.
To participate in the Institute, each
member had to develop a community
leadership project.
Promoting Good Oral
Health Locally
Working with 10 public libraries
in Washtenaw County about three
years ago, Karen developed a dental
education program for parents and
children, customizing each program to
reflect the demographics of Ann Arbor,
Ypsilanti, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, and
other communities.
She created a package of information
for each library to give to patrons about
the importance of good oral health,
including simple, but effective, steps
parents and guardians can take and that
children and adolescents can follow. For
parents or guardians who were taking a
child to the dentist for the first time, for
example, she developed a list of what to
expect along with follow-up actions they
could take after the visit to maintain
good oral health.
The initiative was so well received
that Karen has been invited back to
several of the same libraries to speak
during Children’s Dental Health Month.
She has also spoken about oral health
at one of Ann Arbor’s high schools and
the elementary schools attended by
her daughter, Lee, age 7, and her son,
Anthony, age 6.
Besides practicing dentistry with
DentalUM FALL 2009
her father, Karen teaches two mornings
a week in the School of Dentistry’s Dr.
Roy Roberts Preclinical Laboratory.
“Working with the dental students
keeps me on my toes,” she said. “Their
questions help me to recall information
I may not have thought about for
some time, and it also helps me better
organize my thoughts to more effectively
communicate with them.”
In May, she participated in her
first sprint triathlon in St. Croix. The
event included swimming one-half mile,
biking eight miles, and running four
miles. “The sprint triathlon is a nice
introduction to the sport,” she said.
“I finished the race in two-and-a-half
hours. My goal was to finish, so I’m
happy.”
Karen said teaching, working at
her practice, participating in dental
association activities, exercising, and
spending time with her family “provides
important balance in my life. I couldn’t
do as much as I have been able to do
without the help and support I receive
from my husband, Anthony, a sociology
teacher at Ann Arbor Huron High
School, his family, and, of course, my
father and mother.”
Asked if she will try to persuade her
son and daughter to carry on the family
tradition of becoming a dentist, Karen
said, “That will be their choice. I will
answer any questions they may have,
but, in the end, it will be their decision.”
Looking back on her decision to become
a dentist, Karen said, “it’s one that
has been very rewarding. I have had
opportunities I never imagined and
have become empowered and gained
confidence by overcoming obstacles.
It’s a rewarding career. You can educate
people of all ages, help people smile, and
relieve pain in patients. I can appreciate,
even more, why my father continues to
love dentistry, even now.”
DDS 1961
Semi-retired,
busy, and
loving it
“I’m a senior citizen, semi-retired,
busy, and loving it,” said Dr. Lee
Jones, now 75, as he talked about
his life after retiring from the
School of Dentistry in 1997.
Working three half-days a
week in the practice now run by
his daughter, Lee said he travels
with his wife “once or twice a
year, watches Michigan football
and basketball as much as I can,
and I also offer advice to the
School’s Multicultural Affairs
Committee when asked.”
Expressing pride in Karen’s
professional and personal
achievements, Lee said, “It’s been
very rewarding to see her develop
as a dentist and as a teacher.
She has fulfilled her life doing
what she has wanted to do. As a
parent, when you see your child
doing well, you feel that you’re
being rewarded too.”
Lee said one of his rewards is
spending time with his 6-year-old
grandson, Anthony, and 7-year-
old granddaughter, Lee.
Looking back on his time
at the School of Dentistry, Lee
said, “That was time well spent,
getting to know and help so
many students.” Last summer,
Lee received the National Dental
Association’s Civil Rights Award
for his work as director of the
School’s Office of Minority
Affairs.
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22
 PERIODONTICS AND ORAL MEDICINE
Laurey
McCauley
Chair
ur success is directly linked to our
efforts to attract, develop, and
retain the right people and the
best people for our department.
The Department of Periodontics
and Oral Medicine (POM) includes
the divisions of periodontology (pre-
doctoral and graduate); dental hygiene;
prevention and geriatrics; and oral
pathology, oral medicine, and radiology.
We emphasize: 1) performing the
highest caliber oral and periodontal
research, 2) improving our teaching
programs through faculty and course
development, and 3) fostering a strong
sense of community among our faculty,
staff, students, and alumni.
Our preeminent research program
is strongly grounded in the basic
science of tissues that comprise the
periodontium. Our clinical research
complements our efforts in the graduate
periodontics clinic and at the Michigan
Center for Oral Health Research
(MCOHR). Research in periodontics
and oral medicine is distinctive and
wide-ranging. It includes strategies
for predictable bone regeneration,
diagnostic indicators of periodontal
disease, predictors of effective therapy,
23
23
methods to control inflammation,
and regulation of cell growth and
differentiation. Our department’s
Web site, www.dent.umich.edu/pom,
has a complete list of faculty research
interests and highlights some recent
clinical research.
Enhancing Clinical Teaching
A major commitment is teaching
clinical periodontics. Dr. Robert Eber,
our associate chair, says, “The joy of
being a dental educator is touching the
lives of students, helping them grow as
new dental health care providers, and
enabling them to provide the best dental
care to their patients.”
We are constantly seeking ways to
enrich and improve clinical teaching.
Dr. Phil Richards, our predoctoral
periodontics director, chairs a new
Clinic Design Committee that is a part
of the Dean’s dental education vision
initiative. The committee is working
to develop a new clinical curriculum for
the predoctoral program that is expected
to be launched next fall. Committee
members include several POM faculty
– Prof. Wendy Kerschbaum, Dr. Steve
Stefanac, and myself.
The new curriculum will involve
te a m s o f f a c u l t y a n d s t u d e n t s
emphasizing earlier clinical experiences
and greater flexibility for students
interested in research, public service,
dental specialties, or other opportunities.
Dr. William Giannobile, professor and
director of MCOHR, chairs the Track
Team Committee which includes other
POM faculty – Drs. Russell Taichman,
Marilyn Woolfolk, and Darnell Kaigler.
The group is developing tracks for dental
students that will take them beyond the
traditional dental curriculum to explore
opportunities in health care, business,
and research.
Faculty Changes
We have added to our clinical
periodontal teaching staff. Dr. Jill
Bashutski (MS, periodontology, 2008),
is a full-time clinical assistant professor
teaching graduate and pre-doctoral
students. Drs. Hector Rios, an assistant
professor (MS, periodontology, 2009),
and Gustavo Avila (MS, periodontology,
2009), a post-doctoral fellow, recently
joined our predoctoral teaching staff.
Sadly, we are losing two excellent
clinical instructors. Dr. Alden Leib
left this summer to teach graduate
periodontics at the U-D Mercy. Dr.
Susan Friedman recently left due
to family commitments. Dr. Fred
Burgett officially retired last December
after more than 35 years of dedicated
service. We will miss these outstanding
educators.
At the graduate level, we continue
to recruit exceptional students. We are
committed to developing graduates
interested in academic careers while
also trying to help clinicians interested
in working in the private sector. More
than 50% of graduates from our
periodontal program in the past ten
years are pursuing academic careers.
Our periodontal residents have authored
numerous papers and book chapters,
and have received a record number of
awards from the American Academy of
Periodontology.
New Program and Help
for Practitioners
Our oral pathology, medicine,
and radiology unit has developed
a new educational program, a full-
time 36-month program in oral and
maxillofacial pathology, which awaits
accreditation. The first resident will
enroll in July 2010. Students who
complete the program receive a certificate
DentalUM FALL 2009
in oral and maxillofacial pathology and
qualify to take the specialty board
exam. Interested candidates will also
be able to enroll in a master’s program
in dentistry or a PhD program in oral
health sciences. Dr. Paul Edwards is the
residency program director.
For practitioners outside the
School of Dentistry, as well as those in-
house, we offer a cone beam computed
tomography (CBCT) service. CBCT is an
x-ray technology that produces three-
dimensional images of bony structures
at ver y high resolution. Dental
applications include implant planning,
evaluating temporomandibular joint
dysfunction, and detecting jaw diseases.
Drs. Sharon Brooks and Erika Benavides,
board certified oral and maxillofacial
radiologists, interpret the scans. For
more information, please call the
School’s Dental Faculty Associates at
(734) 764-3155 or (734) 936-0332.
Encouraging Teaching Excellence
We are always working to develop
faculty by encourag ing them to
participate in educational programs,
leadership institutes, and sabbaticals.
Recently, Dr. Nisha D’Silva completed
a six-month sabbatical at the Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology with
Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan. They studied the
use of bioinformatics to evaluate head
and neck cancer biology and biomarkers.
Dr. Robert Eber was chosen for
American Dental Education Association’s
Dental Education Leadership Program.
Drs. D’Silva and Taichman were
members of the inaugural class of the
MBA Essentials and Entrepreneurship
Program at the Ross School of Business.
The program focuses on business
fundamentals and offers insights on
how to be an entrepreneur.
Dr. Preetha Kanjirath completed
DentalUM FALL 2009
the University of Washington’s Summer
Institute in Clinical Dental Research
Methods which focused on methods that
enhance one’s ability to perform clinical
research.
Dr. Jill Bashutski completed
the ADEA Academy for Academic
Leadership last year. Dr. Gustavo Avila
will complete this program that provides
teaching tools for new faculty who are
entering academia. Both Jill and Gus
had fellowship support from the AAP
to attend this program.
Dental Hygiene
The past year was one of major
change in dental hygiene with the
retirement of two long-time and valued
faculty members – Joan McGowan
(DentalUM, Fall 2008, p. 43) and Susan
Pritzel (DentalUM, Spring & Summer
2009, p. 28).
As we thanked them for their
contributions and said good-bye, we
welcomed others. Dr. Susan Taichman
and professors Anne Gwozdek and
Janet Kinney became full-time faculty
members July 1, 2008.
As a part-time clinical instructor,
Gwozdek was instrumental in creating
and implementing the E-Learning
Degree Completion Program. As a
full-time faculty member, she serves as
director of degree completion programs
for dental hygiene. Kinney, an assistant
professor, is a clinical and didactic
instructor who is also active in clinical
research studies at the Michigan Center
for Oral Health Research. Taichman
is also an assistant professor and
teaches research methods and scientific
communication and provides guidance
to dental hygiene students with their
annual Research Day presentations.
She brings expertise in women’s health
research and collaborates with faculty
Awards & Recognition
• Steve Stefanac and Laurie
McCauley inducted as
Fellows in the International
College of Dentists.
• Flavia Pirih (finalist) and
Jill Bashutski (1st place)
named in the AAP Orban
competition.
• Julius Bunek named a finalist
for the AAP Kramer Award.
• Rodrigo Neiva named a
finalist for the AAP Tarrson
Fellowship.
• Flavia Pirih and Xin Li named
recipients of the American
Association for Bone and
Mineral Research (ASBMR)
Young Investigator Award.
• Dr. Xin Li received three
young investigator awards
in two months from ASBMR,
Harold Frost Sun Valley, and
Cancer and Bone Society.
both within and outside our School.
Dental hygiene students have
significantly expanded their
involvement in community activities.
The program received the Key Award for
Outstanding Community Service earlier
this year from the Huron Valley Boys
and Girls Club. The E-Learning Degree
Completion program continues to
thrive and gain national recognition.
Recently, Gwozdek, Emily Springfield, an
instructional technology designer, and
Kerschbaum participated in conferences
and presentations showcasing this
program. The first cohort of students
graduates this December. (more online
at www.dent.umich.edu/news/current)
24
24
 DENTAL HYGIENE

DH Faculty Urge Dexter

Council to Approve Water
Fluoridation
In May, faculty members from the
U-M School of Dentistry were joined
by officials from the Michigan Dental
Association, Washtenaw District Dental
Society, and the Michigan Department
of Community Health and persuaded
village officials in Dexter, Michigan
to fluoridate that community’s water
supply.
Jerry Mastey Among those from the School of
Dentistry who spoke about the benefits

Telling the World About It of water fluoridation were Dr. Robert

Eber, Dr. Woosung Sohn, Anne Gwozdek,
DH E-Learning Program Gets and Mary Layher. Eber told council
members that fluoridation would benefit
Global Attention the entire community.
“It was exciting to watch this all
heir voices were heard around the world…and they didn’t even happen,” Layher said. “I felt proud of my
have to leave Ann Arbor. This spring, the dental hygiene’s online U of M dental network that is so available
E-Learning program received worldwide attention during the when needed for these vital issues.”
annual Technology, Colleges, and Community conference that The U-M School of Dentistry has
showcased how the Internet is fostering collaborative learning, social long played a major role in urging
networking, and best practices. communities to add fluoride to their
In a conference room in the Kellogg Building, Wendy Kerschbaum, drinking water. In 1945, Dr. Philip
director of the dental hygiene program; Anne Gwozdek, director of the Jay, a pioneer in research on the cause
degree completion program; and Emily Springfield, instructional designer, and prevention of dental caries, began
watched as those attending the conference logged on from their respective the tradition by persuading leaders in
colleges and universities including Ft. Myers, Florida; Mississauga, Ontario; Grand Rapids to add fluoride to their
Liverpool, England and dozens of other locations. water supplies. Water fluoridation has
“This is incredible!” exclaimed Gwozdek, who took the lead in developing been acknowledged by the U.S. Surgeon
the School’s distance learning program, as the logging-on continued. General and the Centers for Disease
Moments later, Springfield spoke into a microphone saying, “This is Control “as one of the great public health
Emily from Ann Arbor with Wendy and Anne. How does this sound?” achievements of the twentieth century.”
“Perfect,” came the reply from Honolulu where the program was being
coordinated. Dental Hygiene
Using Web-based communication and collaboration software, the three
shared their knowledge and experiences developing the School of Dentistry’s
Outstanding Faculty Award
dental hygiene online E-Learning program that began in January 2008. The Dental Hygiene Class of 2009
“It’s amazing how technology has changed learning for everyone, presented Dr. Susan Taichman with their
including educators,” Gwozdek said. “This online conference was a unique Outstanding Faculty Award at graduation.
experience for all of us, and having the opportunity to share information An assistant professor of dentistry in
about our program, courses, and portfolio development with an international the Department of Periodontics and
audience was both exciting and a privilege.” Oral Medicine, she is also an assistant

DentalUM FALL 2009

25
25
research scientist at the School of
Dentistry.
Class president Metaxia Roumanis
said Taichman “introduces dental
hygiene students to an aspect of their
profession that they may not be aware
of – research.”
Taichman told the dental hygiene
students “you clearly have made the
connection that understanding research,
along with developing excellent clinical
skills, is essential to the practice of dental
hygiene.”
DH Students and Faculty
Participate in “Smile for Life”
Dental hygiene students and faculty
joined the University of Michigan
community earlier in the year to support
the American Cancer Society’s efforts to
save lives through cancer research and
provide support to those fighting cancer
and their loved ones. It was the first time
in the history of this event at U-M that
the School participated with its “Smile
for Life” team. The team’s formation was
a collaboration between the leadership of
the Student American Dental Hygienists’
Association and the American Student
Dental Association.
U-M Dental Hygiene
Program Honored
The University of Michigan School
of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program
has been honored for its community
involvement and oral health care
education.
During the Huron Valley’s Boys and
Girls Club annual Leadership Award
Recognition ceremony in the spring,
the School received the Key Award
for Outstanding Community Service.
Club Director Frank Rigger presented
the award and praised the School’s
DentalUM FALL 2009
dental hygienists for their continuous
involvement with the club during the
past six years and expanding the oral
health care education initiative from an
annual event to a 12-month program.
“The School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene
program has become an important
component of our club and has done
much to improve the oral hygiene and
overall health of our members,” he said.
“We hope to continue this collaboration
for many years.”
1st Place in National
Competition for DH Student
A graduate student in the School’s
dental hygiene program won first place
earlier this year at a nationwide student
competition sponsored by the American
Dental Education Association.
Amy Coplen received top honors at
the ADEA’s annual session in Phoenix
for her winning poster, Dental Hygiene
Students’ Knowledge of Genetics in
Dentistry: Baseline Measures. She
assessed the genetics knowledge of 30
first-year dental hygiene students and
18 fourth-year dental hygiene students.
Her projected preceded the launch of
the Web-based genetics case simulations
for dental hygiene students. These
simulations, designed to encourage
problem solving, were incorporated into
the curriculum last fall.
Students Receive National
Appointments
Two U-M dental hygiene students,
Lindsey Bolduc and Michelle Washburn,
have been selected to serve in national
roles with the American Dental
Hygienists’ Association (ADHA).
Bolduc, now a fourth-year student,
was selected to serve as ADHA District
V Alternate Student Delegate. She
Call Photography
The late Frances Shook was one
of three persons posthumously
inducted into the School of
Dentistry’s Hall of Honor during
Homecoming Weekend. Holding
a replica of a plaque describing
Shook’s achievements are Mary
Layher (left), and Melva Baxter
who earned a certificate in dental
hygiene from the School of
Dentistry in 1950.
represented dental hygiene students
from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and
Kentucky at ADHA’s annual session
in Washington, D.C. in June. In
addition to attending all sessions of
the ADHA’s House of Delegates, Bolduc
will participate in district and student
caucus meetings at the annual session
and attend educational and networking
events.
Washburn, also a fourth-year
student, is a member of the ADHA
Student Advisory Board. Washburn,
along with three other students chosen
by ADHA’s president from a national pool
of applicants, assists the ADHA Council
on Student Relations in planning the
student track of ADHA’s annual session.
26
26
 RESEARCH
U-M Dental Student Chosen for Prestigious Program
Stieber Named Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar
or the second time in five years, a
student from the U-M School of
Dentistry was selected as one of
42 students from across the nation
to participate in the National Institutes
of Health’s prestigious Howard Hughes
Medical Institute Research Scholars
Program.
Jane Stieber, who completed her
third year of dental studies this spring,
participated in the year-long program
that began in July. Established in
1985, the program gives outstanding
students at U.S. medical and dental
schools an opportunity to spend a
year on the NIH campus in Bethesda,
Maryland conducting basic, translational,
or applied biomedical research under
the direct mentorship of a senior NIH
research scientist. Students can choose
a mentor from more than 1,200 tenured
or tenure-track intramural scientists
working on more than 2,500 research
projects.
In addition to pursuing her classroom
and clinical education, Stieber works in
27
27
Jerry Mastey
the laboratory of Dr. Peter Polverini, dean
of the School of Dentistry, assisting in
cancer research, specifically angiogenesis.
“I want to take full advantage of this
one year, once in a lifetime opportunity
to decide if I want to pursue a career in
research after earning my dental degree,”
she said. “Although I have been involved
in cancer research, I plan to be flexible
and keep an open mind because I may
discover when I’m there that there may
be another area that might interest me
even more.”
Participating in the one-year
program will delay Stieber’s graduation
plans until 2011. “I don’t mind it,
however, because I hope my experiences
will inspire others to seize opportunities
like this to better themselves. One can
only do this specific program while
they’re a student in a dental, medical, or
veterinary program, so, in reality, it’s now
or never,” she said.
A native of Boyne City, Michigan,
Stieber came to the School of Dentistry
after earning a bachelor’s degree in
biolog y from Northern Michigan
University in Marquette. Though offered
admission for undergraduate studies at
U-M and Michigan State, she accepted
a full-tuition, full-room and board
scholarship from Northern Michigan
University, one of only ten students to
receive this scholarship. At Northern
Michigan, she was a member of the
university’s cross-country varsity team
and participated in two NCAA Division
II championship tournaments. She has
run in the Boston Marathon, the Detroit
Marathon, and two Bayshore marathons
in Traverse City.
The first student from the U-M
School of Dentistry to be chosen for the
program was Karen Likar in 2004.
School of Dentistry Students
Receive Major Research Awards
The University of Michigan School
of Dentistry continued to be recognized
for its research prowess. During the joint
meeting of the International Association
for Dental Research, the American
Association for Dental Research, and
the Canadian Association for Dental
Research, six students from the School
of Dentistry earned major awards for
their work. Eighty-five abstracts and
talks were presented by U-M researchers
at the gathering of dental scientists.
Hatton Awards
The Hatton Awards are presented
by both AADR and IADR to junior
investigators who demonstrate the
potential for a successful career in dental
research. An AADR committee selected
the six best presentations from among
27 who were nominated. The selected
six then competed at IADR with other
divisional winners.
DentalUM FALL 2009
 Turki Alhazzazi won both a first
place IADR/Hatton Award (senior
category) and second place in the AADR/
Johnson & Johnson Oral Health Products
Hatton Award (senior category) for his
poster presentation “SIRT3, Longevity-
Promoting Gene, A Novel Therapeutic
Target for Oral Cancer.”
The five-year survival rate for oral
cancer, approximately 50 percent,
has not changed in several decades.
Alhazzazi, who works in the lab of
Dr. Yvonne Kapila, discovered a novel
potential therapeutic target for oral
cancer.
His research and training are
supported by NIDCR, NIH grant RO1
DE014429 and funds from the King
Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia.
Kathleen Neiva received a 1st place
in the AADR/Johnson & Johnson Oral
Health Products Hatton Award (senior
category) for her poster, “Endothelial
Cell-Initiated Crosstalk Enhances Tumor
Cell Survival and Migration.”
Working in the lab of Dr. Jacques
Nör, Neiva has been investigating how
endothelial cells initiate signaling events
that affect tumor cell biology between
those cells and head and neck cancer
cells. Her research is supported by grant
P50-CA97248 (University of Michigan
Head & Neck SPORE) from the NIH/
NCI, and grants RO1-DE14601, RO1-
DE15948, RO1-DE16586, R21-DE19279
from NIDCR, NIH.
Other Awards
• Ki-Wan Kim, second-year dental
student – AADR Student Research
Fellowship.
• Crystal Rosser, first-year dental
student – AADR Student Research
Fellowship.
• Anne Ziegler, first-year dental student
– AADR Student Research Fellowship.
DentalUM FALL 2009
Gies Award
The William Gies Award is presented
during the IADR/AADR annual session
for the best paper that was published in
the Journal of Dental Research during the
preceding year.
Erica Scheller, a student in the
School’s dual degree DDS/Oral health
Sciences PhD program, received the
award in the field of biological research for
her article, “Wnt/Beta-Catenin Inhibits
Dental Pulp Stem Cell Differentiation.”
Scheller EL, Change J, Wang CY (2008).
J Dent Res 87(2):126-30. This research
was conducted with Dr. Cun-Yu Wang,
now at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Gene Therapy Appears Safe to
Regenerate Gum Tissue
Laura Bailey, U-M News Service
Scientists at the U-M School of
Dentistry have developed a method
of gene delivery that appears safe for
regenerating tooth-supporting gum
tissue — a discovery that assuages
one of the biggest safety concerns
surrounding gene therapy research and
tissue engineering.
Gene therapy is an accepted, viable
therapeutic concept, but safety is a
major hurdle, said William Giannobile,
professor in the Depar tment of
Periodontics and Oral Medicine. The
most notable incident highlighting
the safety concerns of gene therapy
research and treatment occurred several
years ago when a teenager died when
given the adenovirus during a gene
therapy clinical trial at the University
of Pennsylvania.
Why U-M Approach is Unique
The U-M therapy also uses the
adenovirus, Giannobile said, but the
big difference in the U-M approach lies
in the local application and much lower
dose. Instead of injecting the genes into
the blood vessels, where they can then
travel through the bloodstream and
result in unexpected and sometimes
fatal reactions, U-M scientists put the
genes on a localized area, directly on the
tissue during surgery much like a paste.
“What the U-M study showed is the
topical method is very well contained
and doesn’t distribute throughout the
body,” said Giannobile, who also directs
the Michigan Center for Oral Health
Research and has an appointment
at the U-M College of Engineering’s
Department of Biomedical Engineering.
“This approach alleviates the safety
concern about negative reactions within
the body. When the teenager died, it got
into his bloodstream and he reacted to
it. It was tragic. This is the first study
of periodontal disease therapy that
demonstrates the distribution of these
genes is very safe, suggesting that it
could be used in the clinic for clinical
application.”
Giannobile added that his new
study “doesn’t look at all the safety
concerns, but certainly this is very
important to the field. The two clinical
applications to date where it shows
potential are periodontal disease and
diabetic wounds. Maybe the reason for
this,” he added, “is that both diseases
result from a compromised or a defective
healing environment.”


The next step for the U-M team is
to use the new gene delivery approach
in human clinical trials, Giannobile said.
The planning stages for these studies will
begin next year.
The paper, “Adenovirus Encoding
Human Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-B
Delivered to Alveolar Bone Defects
Exhibits Safety and Biodistribution
Profiles Favorable for Clinical Use,” is
28
28
 RESEARCH
partially available online. It appeared
in the May issue of the journal Human
Gene Therapy. Co-authors include Po-
Chun Chang, Joni Cirelli, Yang-Jo Seol,
Qiming Jin, Jim Sugai, Nisha D’Silva
and Theodora Danciu. The study was
supported by the National Institutes of
Health and the AO Foundation.
Neiva Receives
Dziewiatkowski Award
Kathleen Neiva, a PhD student
in the School of Dentistr y ’s Oral
Health Sciences Program, received
the Dziewiatkowski Award this year
for her novel research focusing on the
interaction between endothelial cells
and head and neck cancer cells.
According to Dr. Jacques Nör, her
mentor and professor in the Department
of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and
Endodontics, current angiogenesis
research (which focuses on the growth
of new blood vessels from existing ones)
considers tumor cell initiated events
as the dominant and most biologically
relevant in stimulating head and neck
cancer cells.
However, Nör said that Neiva’s
research takes an approach that directly
opposes conventional thinking. “Her
work has shown that vascular cells send
signals that increase the survival and
invasion of tumor cells,” he said. “These
findings may lead to new treatments for
head and neck cancers that use drugs
which may be able to block this signaling
sequence.”
Ne i va , a B ra z i l i a n - e d uc ate d
dentist moved to the U.S. in 2001
and began working as a volunteer in
Nör’s laboratory a year later. Although
she never conducted research before
then, Neiva said the more she learned
about research, “the more intrigued
29
29
Sarah Hughs
Kathleen Neiva (center) received the
Dziewiatkowski Award this year for her
research excellence. With her is her
mentor, Dr. Jacques Nör (left) and Jane
Damren (right), daughter of the late Dr.
Dominic Dziewiatkowski for whom the
award is named.
I was about this new horizon in my
life. I discovered a new passion and
realized that more important than
providing a beautiful smile to patients
was understanding how things work,
seeking better diagnoses, treatments,
materials, and strategies to help them.”
This spring, Neiva received a First
Place AADR Hatton Award (senior
category) for her work. In June, her
work demonstrating strong activation
of critical signaling pathways in tumor
cells that were initiated by angiogenic
endothelial cells was published in the
journal Neoplasia. She is a co-author
of five other manuscripts detailing her
research and discoveries in the Nör lab.
Established in 1989, the
Dziewiatkowski Award recognizes U-M
School of Dentistry students for their
research excellence. The annual award is
named for Dr. Dominic Dziewiatkowski
who taught at the School of Dentistry
for 18 years and directed the Dental
Research Institute from 1967 to 1972.
Spending Tops $1 Billion at U-M
Annual research spending at the
University of Michigan surpassed
$1 billion for the first time in 2008-
2009, a milestone that highlights the
University’s role as an economic resource
benefitting the entire state.
“It’s an enormous milestone, and the
fact that it’s happening in the midst of
this recession is all the more important,”
says Stephen Forrest, vice president for
research.
School Receives Federal
Stimulus Funds for Research
The School of Dentistry has received
nearly $3 million from the federal
economic stimulus package known as the
American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) that was approved by
Congress in February. The research
grants to the School are among more
than $103 million in research funding
that has been awarded to various U-M
colleges and schools.
Research Day: February 9th
The School of Dentistry’s annual
Research Day will be held on Tues., Feb.
9, 2010.
Keynote speaker will be Dr. Philip
Stashenko, president and CEO of The
Forsyth Institute, Harvard University.
The topic of his 1:00 p.m. presentation
will be: The Role of Research in the
Dental School Mission.
More than 80 poster presentations
by dental, dental hygiene, specialty and
PhD students, and post-doctoral fellows
are expected. Exhibitors will also attend.
(more online at www.dent.umich.edu/
news/current)
DentalUM FALL 2009

NEWS
Dr. Raymond Gist
New ADA
President-Elect
School of Dentistry
alumnus Dr.
Raymond Gist
(DDS 1966) has
been elected
president-elect
of the American
Dental Association
during the organization’s Annual
Session in Honolulu. Gist, who
practices general dentistry in Flint,
is the first African-American to
be elected to the top leadership
position of the nation’s largest
dental association that represents
approximately 156,000 members.
When he begins his one-year term
on October 13, 2010, Gist will become
the first U-M School of Dentistry
graduate to serve as ADA president in
more than 40 years. The late Dr. Floyd
Ostrander served a one-year term
from 1967 to 1968.
Gist, who has represented
Michigan and Wisconsin on the ADA’s
Board of Trustees as a member of
the Ninth District since 2005, was
president of the Michigan Dental
Association from 2003-2004. He is
also a Fellow of the American College
of Dentists, the International College
of Dentists, and the Pierre Fauchard
Academy.
Gist’s campaign for the ADA
presidency was led by Dr. Josef
Kolling, an adjunct clinical associate
professor of dentistry in the School’s
Department of Prosthodontics, who
was MDA president from 2005-2006.
DentalUM FALL 2009
Rickert Inducted into
Michigan Women’s
Hall of Fame
Dr. Jessica Rickert
(DDS 1975) was
recently inducted
into the Michigan
Women’s Hall
of Fame as the
nation’s first
female American
Indian dentist. She received the Life
Achievement Award from the Michigan
Women’s Studies Association in
October.
Rickert, who runs a private
practice in Interlochen, is a member
of the Prairie Band Potawatomi
Nation. Through her grandfather,
she is a descendent of Chief White
Pigeon. A founding member of the
Society of American Indian Dentists,
she is the author of Exploring Careers
in Dentistry, a book published in 1983
that describes the profession and
offers advice for those interested in
pursuing a career.
Rickert is active in the ADA, MDA,
the American Association of Women
Dentists, the National Association
of Professional Women, and was
president of the Resort District Dental
Society (2001-2002).
ALUMNI RELATIONS
U-M Alums
Elected to MDA
Leadership Posts
Several School of Dentistry alums
were elected to leadership roles with
the 5,500-member Michigan Dental
Association. Elected during the MDA’s
152nd annual meeting were:
• William Wright (DDS 1975, MS
orthodontics 1984) of Jackson,
president.
• Connie Verhagen (DDS 1986, MS
pedodontics 1988) of Muskegon,
vice president.
• Debra Peters (DDS 1993) of Grand
Rapids, speaker of the house.
• Robert Coleman (DDS 1980, MS
endodontics 1987) of Livonia,
treasurer.
• Jeffery Johnston (DDS 1982, MS
periodontics 1986) of Bloomfield
Hills, editor.
Susan E. Hinman (DDS 2004) has
been accepted into the endodontics
program at the Naval Postgraduate
Dental School in Bethesda, Maryland.
The program begins next July.
Currently stationed at the Parris
Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in
South Carolina, Hinman was recently
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Commander.
Neal Smith (DDS
1984), of Bridgman,
Michigan, received
the Martin Luther
King Legacy of
Freedom Award
earlier this year
for his oral health
care outreach initiatives. During the
past 30 years, Smith has traveled to
Mexico, Zambia, and Romania to
30
30

NEWS
provide dental care and has also
established seven self-sustaining
dental clinics, mentored more than
a dozen dentists in former western
Soviet Union states, and lectured
to dentists in Moscow and St.
Petersburg, Russia.
Frederick Muenchinger (DDS
1970, MS prosthodontics 1972),
of Tampa, Florida, was installed
as president of the Hillsborough
County Dental Association
(Tampa) in May. A founder, charter
member, and past president of
the Michigan Society of Prostho-
dontists, Dr. Muenchinger is also
a past president of the Florida
Prosthodontic Association, past
president of the Southeastern
Academy of Prosthodontics,
fellow and past board member
of the American College of
Prosthodontists, and fellow of the
International College of Dentists
and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
He was a clinical instructor and
assistant professor from 1970-
1975 at the U-M School
of Dentistry.
31
31
In Memoriam
’38 Dr. Joseph Marceau
April 7, 2009; Hanover, New Hampshire
After receiving his DDS from U-M, Dr. Marceau was
one of only seven dentists licensed to practice in
Vermont in 1938. He was an Army dentist during
World War II and later returned to U-M and earned
a master’s in orthodontics in 1946. As a dentist
he helped establish a school for dental hygienists,
traveled across Vermont distributing toothbrushes,
and educated youngsters about the importance of fighting tooth decay.
He also convinced communities to introduce fluoride into their water
systems and created the “Tooth Fairy” program which paid for oral
health care of many of the state’s children. Later, he taught himself to
fly so he could travel to treat his patients. He also kept active tending a
2,000 tree apple orchard in South Burlington. In 1999 he was honored
by the State of Vermont’s legislature for completing “an extraordinary
career that profoundly improved the dental health of Vermonters.”
’41 Dr. Irving Katzman
April 8, 2009; Boca Raton, Florida
’55 Dr. Henry Milczuk
January 19, 2009; Berkley, Michigan
In addition to treating patients in an office he shared with his practicing
partner of 27 years, Dr. Arthur Hamparian, Dr. Milczuk also practiced
special care dentistry treating patients in nursing homes and traveled
to the homes of medically compromised patients in southeastern
Michigan. A member of the U-M football team during his freshman
year, Milczuk later served as a treasurer of the Victor’s Club. A Civil
War enthusiast, he frequently traveled to Civil War sites and talked
to groups about how that war led to changes in how dentistry and
medicine were practiced. (Editor’s note: The previous issue of DentalUM
incorrectly noted the death of Dr. Hamparian.)
’59 Dr. Richard Courtney (MS ’67, oral pathology)
June 5, 2009; Grosse Point Farms, Michigan
After earning his dental degree from U-M, Dr. Courtney served three
years in the U.S. Naval Dental Corps and then spent two years in
general practice. He completed his oral pathology training at the U-M
Medical Center, received his master’s degree in 1967, and returned
to U-M in 1975 as an associate professor of pathology and instructor
at the Medical School. He was later promoted to professor in oral
pathology at the School of Dentistry and assistant professor in the
Medical School. In 1977 he became chair of the Department of Oral
Pathology. He also chaired the Committee on Cancer Control of the
Michigan Dental Association, was a director of the American Board
of Oral Pathology, and a member of the Clinical Cancer Training
Committee of the National Cancer Institute.
’61 Dr. Alan Welty (MS ’63, oral diagnosis)
May 27, 2009; Corunna, Michigan
’64 Dr. Frederick L. Roeser
September 8, 2009; Clarkston, Michigan
DentalUM FALL 2009
 G O B LUE
ONLINE!
University of Michigan School
of Dentistry Continuing Dental
Education is going PAPERLESS.
BLUE goes GREEN
ALL CE course registrations
MUST be completed online
and paid by credit card only.
Visit our Web site at:
www.dent.umich.edu/alumni/cde
If you have any questions,
please call 734-763-5070
www.dent.um ich.edu/alumni/cde
For more information about these and other
continuing dental education courses contact:
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Office of Continuing Dental Education
1011 N. University Ave.
Room G508
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078
Call 734-763-5070 or 734-763-5171
www.dent.umich.edu/alumni/cde
Upcoming Continuing
Dental Education Courses
37th Annual Moyers Symposium
Efficient & Effective Tooth Movement:
Evidence-Based Orthodontics
February 27 & 28, 2010 (Saturday & Sunday)
Orthodontists may benefit from new technologies
and protocols designed to hasten tooth
movement, streamline treatment, and improve
outcomes. This year’s Symposium will focus on
the biology and biomechanics of teeth, with an
emphasis on effectiveness and efficiency.
NEW
Breaking Dental Myths Using Computer-
Based Resources & Evidence-Based
Resources: Hands-On for the Over 40
Crowd
April 23, 2010 (Friday)
Participants will “learn by doing” – searching for
and evaluating information on the Internet from a
medical database such as PubMed or the Cochrane
Report. Repeated queries will enable participants
to determine how much they should trust
information they retrieve when they are online.