First Thursday College of Dentistry News
Message from the Dean

 

Dear Colleagues:  

 

Although yesterday started out rainy and cool, the temperature got up to 70! It was perfect weather for the College of Dentistry's 28th Annual Research Day.

 

Because I was introducing our keynote speaker, I arrived at the Ohio Union a few minutes before the events started rolling. Once I found Dr. Helms, our guest lecturer from Stanford University, I told her how pleased we all were to have her, and how excited everyone was to hear about the role of stem biology in dentistry. Many people had seen her on the Discovery Channel, and they knew her to be an enthusiastic and engaging speaker. I knew we were in for a treat!

 

As I walked around the Ohio Union, what caught my eye was the number of students setting up their research posters or grabbing a bite to eat. Our faculty also were there in great numbers, many serving as judges, and there were others like me who came to hear about the amazing research our students are doing.

 

The program kicked off with Dr. Helms' presentation, and it was just what we needed to launch the day - organized, photo-rich, forward-thinking, and comfortably delivered. Her lecture was followed by a set of student presentations - the first time the college has done this. Four students were selected by their peers to give oral presentations to the group, and it was wonderful to hear them talk about their work.

 

I listened to presentations on topics that included the effects of black raspberries when used as therapy for experimental oral cancers; the use of Cone Beam CTs to measure periodontal bone height; and the reasons dentists refer patients to periodontists for crown lengthening. I would have liked to spend an hour listening to each student. They knew their stuff. Dr. Helms said she thought they were all graduate students because she too was impressed with them.

 

The event ended with a buffet luncheon and awards presentation for the students judged by faculty as being most exceptional. I walked back to the college, reflecting on the many ways this event will help make our students better as dentists, researchers, and as health care providers. The rest of the afternoon remained warm and spring-like. It was the perfect ending to a spectacular event! 


 

 

College News
68th Annual Post College Assembly: Fostering Tradition and Training 

 

The 68th Annual Post College Assembly (PCA) will be held May 17-18. This event continues a tradition of educational excellence by offering continuing dental education sessions on an array of topics for today's dental practitioner. Participants can earn as many as 14 continuing education units (CEUs) -- in one convenient on-campus location!

                                                                      
Dr. Purnima Kumar's Research Featured in Scientific American 

The research of Dr. Purnima Kumar, assistant professor in the Division of Periodontology, was featured in Scientific American, a premier publication that serves as a leading source and authority for science-related discoveries and technological innovation. 

 

The article, "Smoking Messes Mouth Bacterial Community," addresses the effect of tobacco smoke on healthy bacteria in the mouth. The article refers to research by Kumar published in Infection and Immunity entitled, "Tobacco smoking affects bacterial acquisition and colonization in oral biofilms." 

 

Appointment, Associate Dean for Clinic Administration and Patient Care

Dr. Fonda Robinson has accepted the position of Associate Dean for Clinic Administration and Patient Care. She will join the College of Dentistry in that capacity May 1, 2012, pending a vote on tenure and rank by the college faculty, and approval from the Office of Academic Affairs and the Board of Trustees. 

 

Dr. Robinson currently serves as Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, where she also has held the positions of Division Chief of Prosthodontics, Division Chief of Restorative Dentistry, and Assistant Dean for Clinical Operation. 

 

Dr. Deborah Mendel Serves as ADEA Women Liaison Officer

Dr. Deborah Mendel, associate clinical professor in the Division of Primary Care, will represent the college as an American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Women Liaison Officer (WLO).  

 
According to ADEA, the role of the Women Liaison Officer will vary in response to the institutional needs and climate of each representative, as well as adhering to the established roles already existing within the institution. While collaborating with each institution's senior leader, WLO representatives are encouraged to outline possible areas of activity and support mechanisms for women colleagues.
 

 

NIH Grant Awarded to
Dr. John Sheridan and Collaborators 

Dr. John Sheridan is the principal investigator on an interdisciplinary research project that includes College of Dentistry and College of Medicine collaborators whose research has been awarded a five-year NIH grant in the amount of $1,906,250.  
 
 "This new grant from the NIH will allow us to continue our studies of the interactions among the nervous, endocrine and immune systems," said Sheridan, professor and Associate Dean for Research at the College of Dentistry, and Associate Director of the Institiute for Behavioral Medicine Research at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. "This is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the pathways by which the response to chronic stress affects health."
 

 

College Hosts 28th Annual Research Day: Winners Announced

 

Research Day at the College of Dentistry is an annual event that showcases research conducted by dental and dental hygiene students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and residents. 

 

This year's event featured a distinguished lecturer from among the world's leading oral health researchers, Dr. Jill Helms. Recipients of the 2012 Research Day awards include the following:

 

Dean's Awards for Excellence in Research

Dental Student Award

Michael Border, 1st, $500

Joseph Pittman, 2nd, $250

Vivian Ariail, 3rd, $100

  

Graduate Student Award

Andrew Holpuch, 1st, $500

Eric Wolhleb, 2nd, $250

Ying An, 3rd, $100

 

 Post Doctoral Fellow Award

Jeanette Bennett, $500 

 

CTSA Best Clinical & Translational Abstract

Mike Border, $500

  

OSU ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician 

Andrew Holpuch

 

OSU Alumni Merit Award

Matthew Mason

 

OSU Alumni Achievement Award

Michael Border

  

 

Click here to view photos. 

 

Read on...

Research Lunch & Learns Held Monthly

 

The Office of Research at the College of Dentistry will host a  Lunch & Learn Series on research-focused topics the second Wednesday of each month. 

 

These one-hour sessions will be held in the SMS conference room, Postle Hall room 3123, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.)

 
Click here for upcoming Lunch & Learns. 
Linda Myers Named New Director of Dental Faculty Practice 

 

Ms. Linda Myers has been announced as the new Director of the Dental Faculty Practice (DFP) at the College of Dentistry. 

 

The director serves as the Practice Plan Director for DFP, a private corporation supporting the clinical practice efforts of 53+ faculty dentists housed within the college.

 

Read on...

College of Dentistry Students "Give Kids A Smile"  
  

Dental students provided free dental screenings and fluoride treatments for children at West Franklin Elementary School as part of "Give Kids A Smile Day" Friday, Feb. 3. 
 
More than 400 children were seen, and $15,660 worth of care was given at this event coordinated by the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) at Ohio State.
 

 

Read on...

Dentistry Students Participate in ODA Advocacy Academy

  

The purpose of the ODA Advocacy Academy is to teach students to become effective advocates for dentistry, to learn the dos and don'ts of lobbying, and to make an impact on debatable issues. 

 

The College of Dentistry students who attended the recent Advocacy Academy are all American Student Dental Association (ASDA) members whose interests include advocacy as it relates to the dental profession.

 

Read on...

Dental Hygiene Student Jessica Elder Receives Eliza B. Nichols Scholarship

  

Senior dental hygiene student Jessica Elder was recently chosen as the 2012 recipient of the Columbus Dental Hygienists' Association's (CDHA) Eliza B. Nichols Scholarship.  
 
The CDHA awards these scholarships annually in recognition of students' academic achievements, and their leadership and dedication to the dental hygiene profession.
 

 

Elder is president of the American Dental Hygiene Association's (ADHA) OSU Student Chapter, and she is the Student Council senior class representative

 

Mark Schibler Named Veler Dental Scholarship Recipient

  

Mark Schibler, a D1 student in the College of Dentistry, has been chosen as the 2012 recipient of the Richard C. Veler, DDS, and Betty G. Veler Dental Scholarship.

 

Students who are selected as Veler Scholars receive full, renewable, in-state tuition throughout their time in the DDS program as a result of their outstanding academic merit and their excellent character. 

 

Read on...

MandiBall Masquerade Held at Ohio Union
  

The College of Dentistry's Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the MandiBall Masquerade dinner and dance celebration on Friday, Feb. 17. 

 

Sponsored by the SGA and the Dental Alumni Society, the event was attended by students, faculty, and alumni, and featured music, dinner, refreshments, and dancing, along with a variety of elaborate costumes and masks. 

 

Click here to view the MandiBall Masquerade Facebook album. 

March 2012 Edition
 
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The Ohio State University College of DentistryThe Ohio State University
College of Dentistry
Postle Hall
305 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
dentmark@osu.edu