Members of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community made a strong showing at the 2020 Yankee Dental Congress, held January 30—February 1, 2020 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

From award ceremonies to the bustling alumni lounge, it seemed that GSDM students, residents, faculty, staff, and alumni could be found everywhere.

“GSDM’s presence at Yankee Dental Congress this year was simply incredible,” said Dean Hutter. “Everyone certainly did a great job representing our school and larger community, and I couldn’t be prouder to call myself the dean of GSDM.”

Read on for some of the highlights from this year’s conference, and click here to view photos from the conference.

Ten alumni, faculty honored at MDS ceremony

GSDM kicked off Yankee on a high note, with 10 members of the GSDM community recognized at the Presidential Awards Ceremony at the Seaport Hotel the night before the conference started.

Lea El Hachem PERIO 14 MSc 14, Ana Keohane DMD 16, Luri Lee DMD 16 AEGD 17, James Lee DMD 14, and Christopher Jacob Ward DMD 18 were honored with the Massachusetts Dental Society’s (MDS) “Ten under 10” award, which recognizes dentists who have been in the profession for 10 years or less and have made a significant contribution to the profession, their community, and/or organized dentistry.

Also at the ceremony, faculty member Antoine Hraiz, and alumni Simran Grover AEGD 08 DPH 08, Ana Keohane DMD 16, James Lee DMD 14, Cameron Shahbazian DMD 14, and Wanpeng Xu PERIO 13 MSc 13 DMD 15, and were recognized for their participation in the 2020 First District Leadership Academy, a leadership development program offered by the MDS.

Additionally, Pelly Chang DMD 89 was recognized as the 2019 MDS William McKenna Volunteer Hero. Chang, a clinical associate professor of general dentistry, was celebrated by her peers for substantial contributions to organized dentistry at both the state and local district levels.

Coffee, snacks and more at Alumni Lounge

Throughout the conference, the GSDM alumni lounge provided a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the exhibit hall. More than 660 individuals associated with the school stopped by to catch up with friends and colleagues and to grab coffee and snacks. Visitors also had the opportunity to fill out a “postcard to the future,” which will be placed in the GSDM time capsule during a dedication ceremony on April 24, 2020. The opening of the time capsule is then scheduled for October 17, 2063, the 100th anniversary of the founding of GSDM.

“I was so glad to see so many of our alumni stop by to visit the booth,” said Stacey McNamee, director of alumni relations. “It truly goes to show how tight-knit our community is.”

Alumni and friends also had the opportunity to catch up at GSDM’s annual alumni reception, which took place Friday, January 31 in the Plaza Ballroom of the Seaport Hotel.

GSDM alumnus, faculty member recognized at Orthodontic Symposium Luncheon

A GSDM faculty member and alumnus were recognized during this year’s Orthodontic Symposium Luncheon, held Friday, January 31, in the Westin Waterfront Hotel.

Bradley Woland DMD 11 ORTHO 14 received the Anthony A. Gianelly Award, which is given to an individual who demonstrates dedication to academia or clinical practice and contributes to the good and welfare of the orthodontic profession in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Gianelly, who passed away in 2009, was a longtime member of the GSDM faculty and served as chair of the department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics from 1968 to 2003.

Ken Drizen, clinical professor of orthodontics & dentofacial orthopedics, received the Frederick Moynihan Award, which recognizes an individual’s contributions to the profession of orthodontics in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

DMD students receive scholarships

On Saturday, February 1, Miranda Lee DMD 20 received the American College of Dentists (ACD) Senior Student Award during a luncheon held at the Seaport Hotel. That same day, during an awards ceremony held prior to the student debate (see below), Christian Ford MED 15 DMD 20 received the Matthew Boylan Scholarship, which is presented by the MDS and Eastern Dentists Insurance Company (EDIC) and is granted to a student or students who have provided distinguished service to organized dentistry and the community.

“In addition to being excellent students, both Ms. Lee and Mr. Ford embody our School’s core values of respect, truth, responsibility, fairness and compassion,” Dean Hutter said. “It is wonderful to see them both recognized in this way.”

BU ASDA faces off against area schools

Four GSDM students showed off their knowledge in the 11th annual ASDA District 1 Student Debate in the Westin Waterfront Hotel Harbor Ballroom on Saturday, February 1. Hannah Cooperman DMD 23 and Hitesh Vij DMD AS 20 faced off against students from Tufts, Harvard, the University of Connecticut and the University of New England, arguing correct policy and ethical issues confronting students and practitioners alike.

GSDM pre- and postdoctoral students & residents present research

GSDM also demonstrated its strong research expertise: Eight predoctoral students and postdoctoral residents were among the finalists selected by the Yankee Poster Session Committee to present their research during the Student Poster Session on Saturday, February 2.

Laura Callan DMD 20 won the predoctoral category with “A Guide to Implement Digital Technology in U.S. Dental Schools,” while Massimo Di Battista PERIO 20 won the postdoctoral category with “A Novel Approach for Histological Sample Preparation Utilizing Digital Dentistry.”

In addition to Callan and Di Battista, the following GSDM students presented research:

• Alina Ploaie DMD 20: “Digital Workflow of Removable Partial Denture Framework Fabrication at the Pre-doctoral Clinic”
• Asif Rangoonwala DMD AS 20: “In Vitro Evaluation of Tensile Bond Strength of Zirconia to Titanium Substrate with Nine Different Types of Luting Cements”
• Bushra Ahmad PERIO 20: “Robotic Implant Placement: The Next Frontier in Precision Periodontology”
• Abdullah Bamashmous PERIO 21: “Multiple Doses of Amnion Growth Factors Enhanced ALP Activity Promoting Bone Formation”
• Prajakta Joshi GERI 20: “Saving Senior Smiles: A Community Outreach Educational Program and a Pilot Research Project”
• Ling Peng, visiting researcher, Molecular and Cell Biology: “Evaluation of a Novel Diagnostic Marker Annexin A1 in Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome”

The Plaza Ballroom of the Seaport Hotel echoed with laughter and chatter on the evening of January 31, 2020, as members of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community gathered for an alumni reception as part of the 2020 Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, Massachusetts.

More than 500 students, alumni, residents, faculty, staff and guests attended the event, which is always one of the school’s most popular annual events.

Members of the GSDM community started streaming in to the ballroom at 6:00 p.m. Attendees mingled with their classmates, acquaintances, and peers before Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter took to the podium to offer opening remarks.

“I am so very pleased and proud to see such an outstanding turnout for this evening’s alumni reception,” said Dean Hutter. “Each of you is an integral part of our community, and it means a great deal to me to see you gathered together tonight.”

In his remarks, Dean Hutter celebrated the school’s “well-deserved reputation for innovation,” highlighting examples such as the state-of-the-art technology included as part of the Addition & Renovation Construction Project, the recent acquisition of two robot-assisted surgical devices, known as Yomi, and the addition to the School’s curriculum of a course on facial injectables (taught by GSDM Alumni Board President Gigi Meinecke DMD 88).

“As I look ahead to the future, as we incorporate 3D printing and artificial intelligence into our curriculum and patient course, I know that reputation will only continue to grow,” Dean Hutter said.

For more photos from the reception, click here.

First, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommended that all dentists close their offices except for emergency procedures until April 30, 2020 at the earliest. Then the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) followed suit.

That led area dentists to start looking for ways to help out, said  James Lee DMD 14.

“It was a grassroots effort,” he said. “[we were] thinking—how can we help?”

Along with other members of the MDS, Lee helped organize a donation drive from March 20-22, 2020, collecting personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and surgical masks from MDS dentists.

As the district coordinator for the East Middlesex district, Lee reached out to and communicated with dentists in his district, collecting their donations and dropping them off at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

In total, the MDS collected more than 3,000 surgical masks and 16,000 gloves from their members during the drive.

“I’m humbled by the leadership and generosity of our dentists donating PPE to frontline healthcare workers fighting COVID-19,” said Lee, “and I am proud that our dentists proactively stepped up to meet these critical needs instead of waiting for donation requests to take action.”

Lee said that dentists have played a critical role in providing aid  during the coronavirus crisis—both by donating PPE and handling emergency cases.

“Dentists across the country help keep emergencies and dental pain out of emergency rooms to alleviate our hospitals,” he said. “It is extremely rewarding to see our dental colleagues continue to give and serve without hesitation because, in times of crisis, that is what leaders do. Dentists are leaders and dentists are part of the solution.”

From donating PPE to helping patients get what they need, members of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community have found a variety of creative ways to offer help and guidance during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Here are some other ways that alumni have been helping out:

• Jonathan B. Levine DMD 81 and Andre Hashem DMD 92 PROS 90  were recently featured on the ABC News program Nightline after they answered the call to donate unused personal protective equipment to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City (Levine) and Boston Medical Center (Hashem).
• Jasmine Khedkar DMD 17, Maryam Shomali ENDO 93, and Rachelle Abou-Ezzi DMD 95 have all also been collecting and donating PPE in Massachusetts.
• Sean Rayment DMD 97 DSc 00 has been helping out with the MDS, donating gloves and surgical masks— and as the chair of the Health and Wellness Committee, trying to get resources out to all of the members of MDS to help them deal with pandemics.
• Greg Pezza DMD 03 AEGD 04 ORTHO 08 has been delivering Invisalign to his patients' mailboxes to ensure they can continue treatment throughout their stay-at-home order.
• Naveen Verma DMD 04 has been setting up emergency clinics to help dental patients and is working to connect dentists across Ontario who can donate PPE.
• Kadambari Rawal AEGD 10 DPH 18 has been on-call for emergencies at  Hebrew Senior Life, trying to resolve the dental emergencies in-house to reduce the exposure for medically compromised older adults by minimizing their need to leave long term care. Through the BDDS (Boston District Dental Society) board, she and others organized a drive for PPE donations at one of the BDDS board member's dental office.
• Angad Singh Virk DMD 19 has been treating emergency patients in Prescott, Ontario.

“I am very proud to see so many members of our GSDM community aiding in community efforts,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for helping out in these uncertain times.”

We know there are more stories out there about GSDM alumni giving back! Share your story with Stacey McNamee at smcnamee@bu.edu.

For Elias Exarchos ENG 15 DMD 19 PERIO 22, the path to periodontics started a decade ago – he just didn’t know it at the time.

After completing a degree in biomedical engineering at BU’s School of Engineering in 2015, he found himself at a crossroads, and had to decide whether to pursue a career in engineering or to apply to medical or dental school.

“My father, uncle, and aunt were all dentists, so I was exposed to it at a very young age, and it seemed fun and I always did like to work with my hands,” Exarchos said.

“Nowadays, dentistry kind of combines medicine, engineering and art in a way so I decided to go for it. I’m glad I did, because I enjoy it very much, and it checks all my boxes.”

Exarchos graduated from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine in 2019, and then continued his education in the school’s Advanced Education Program in Periodontics, where he was recently named the school’s second Zanni Scholar.

The scholarship is funded by the late Dr. Oreste Zanni PERIO 76, who bequeathed an endowment of $1.5 million to sustain an annual merit-based scholarship for a postdoctoral resident admitted into the school’s periodontics program.

“I was shocked when I heard the news,” Exarchos said. “It’s an honor, and I’m so grateful for the support toward my education.”

“It did have a big impact on me, because it allows me to focus more on my studies and worry less about my financial burdens. It does push me to do the best I can, to prove myself worthy to the faculty on the scholarship committee.”

Exarchos was first drawn to periodontology during his predoctoral studies at GSDM.

“Periodontology stood out—it seems to be evolving and changing the most,” he said. “There’s kind of been a critical shift in periodontology, where it’s gone from a subtractive to an additive approach. We’re not only able to treat periodontal disease. We’re able to save teeth that previously would have been deemed hopeless, we can regenerate bone and soft tissues, and we can address not only the functional needs of our patients, but also their cosmetic needs. And we can do this utilizing digital dentistry and the new technologies that are continuing to evolve. Research in the periodontology field is also constantly changing.”

When it came to deciding where to go for his postdoctoral education, the choice was easy. “I’d fallen in love with BU,” he said. “I’ve been here almost 10 years, and I’ve met many of the students and faculty….I knew it would be a good place.”

As a periodontology resident, Exarchos spends his time in the Postdoctoral Periodontics Patient Treatment Center  and participating in research activities.

“Every day is different,” he said.  “I’ve been keeping busy—I’ve learned that you get out of it what you put into it so I am staying in contact with patients and faculty, trying to manage my time.”

In the future, Exarchos said that he’d like to someday own his own practice—and give back to the next generation of dental students. “I’d also like to teach part time,” he said, “Maybe at BU—I’ve been here for years, why not keep it going?”

Honoring the history of black dentists in the U.S. while advocating for, mentoring the next generation of dentists of color.

Wallace Bellamy DMD 89 remembers the exact day he decided to become a dentist. It was an oven-hot summer day in Sacramento, and he had a dental appointment sandwiched between two-a-day high school football practices.

“We were in a nice air-conditioned office, nice music playing … and I could watch the procedure [reflected] in the dentist’s glasses,” Bellamy recalled. “He watched me as I was watching him, and at the end of the procedure, he asked if I wanted to come in and shadow him.”

Later that afternoon, Bellamy’s football coach asked the team what they wanted to be when they grew up. One by one, Bellamy’s teammates shared their goals – a professional football player, a baseball player – but when Bellamy’s turn came, he said, “I want to be a dentist.”

At the time, there weren’t many dentists of color in Sacramento, he said, but that didn’t deter him from charting a course into the profession by way of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. (“I loved my time in Boston,” he said. “[I loved] living and working and being educated in such a great city with a great academic history, with all of the other dental schools there that seemed to work in a collaborative spirit and effort.”)

When he returned to the Sacramento area in the early 90s, there still weren’t very many dentists of color in the area: Only about 30 of the city’s 1,800 dentists identified as people of color.

So Bellamy decided to get involved in local professional organizations, including the Sacramento chapter of the National Dental Association, which works to promote oral health equity among people of color and advocate for and mentor dental students of color. For Bellamy – who was, in his own words, a “late bloomer” to leadership – these initial involvements kick-started a career-long engagement with the National Dental Association and its state and local chapters that continues to this day (see sidebar).

“It’s important to remember the history of black dentists in the United States,” Bellamy said of his involvement with the NDA, which was founded 120 years ago by Robert T. Freeman as the Washington Society of Colored Dentists. “As recently as the [mid-to] late 1960s, dentists of color couldn’t belong to the American Dental Association… So we had our own.”

The racial and ethnic diversity of the dental field has increased since that hot summer day when Bellamy first decided to pursue the profession, but there is still room for improvement. Nationally, about 8 percent of dentists identify as Black/African American or Hispanic, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of students who entered dental school in 2018, only 5.3 percent were Black/African American and 10 percent were Hispanic/Latino, according to the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). While the percentage of entering Hispanic/Latino students has almost doubled since 2000, the share of Black/African American students increased only incrementally.

“That’s a concern to a lot of us,” Bellamy said. “That should be a concern to the community as a whole, because those are generally the people – not necessarily all – but generally the people who are going to go back into the communities and treat the communities which they came from.”

Bellamy believes that it is important for patients to feel like their oral healthcare providers understand their specific needs. And sometimes, particularly for patients who have been marginalized in the past, that can manifest as a desire to be treated by someone who “looks like them,” according to Bellamy. That’s why, according to Bellamy, it is important for clinicians to have a holistic understanding of the community they’re treating.

“You don’t necessarily have to be the same ethnicity, but you have to have either lived in or studied in or understand the area,” he said. “You can’t just go in and treat the area. You’ve got to treat people, not teeth.”

One barrier to expanding the pipeline of dentists of color is that, in many cases, young people of color don’t necessarily have anyone who “looks like them” to follow into the profession, said Bellamy. Through his work with the National Dental Association and other related organizations, Bellamy has reached out to students, particularly high school age or younger, with the goal of exposing them to possible careers in dentistry or other medical fields.

“It’s always great to see somebody who looks like you, doing some of the things you would like to do – or never even thought about doing before until you actually saw that person,” he said. “I always make myself available to be a mentor to these students, because they’re hungry for knowledge, they’re hungry for acknowledgment, they’re hungry for encouragement.”

This story is excerpted from the cover feature of the Spring 2020 Impressions -- read more here.

Helping to create the leaders of tomorrow by building a pipeline from elementary school to the dental practice.

Aidee Herman MSc 84 PERIO 86 DMD 90 knows what it is like to feel a little lost.

In 1981, when she arrived in Boston from Venezuela to begin the oral biology program at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), she didn’t speak English. The then-chair of the program allowed her to delay her admission by a few months so she could take a crash course in the language; once she began the program, the chair offered additional support to ensure she would be successful.

“The support I got from BU with my English from the beginning … [that’s] why I call it my BU family,” said Herman, who went on to complete three degrees at GSDM: a MSc in oral biology, a CAGS in periodontology, and a DMD through the Doctor of Dental Medicine Advanced Standing program.

“I know how difficult it is when you feel lost,” Herman said. “Nobody wants to be an immigrant, believe me. We leave our countries for different reasons: war, oppression, violence.”

Herman believes that she was successful, in part, because of the support and mentorship she received. Ever since, she has felt a sense of responsibility to give back to the Latino/Hispanic community and to other internationally trained dentists, by advocating for them and by giving them the same support and mentorship she herself received.

This dedication to helping others dates to early in her career when, in the early 1990s, leaders from the National Hispanic Dental Association (NHDA) – which was founded in 1990 – approached Herman about creating a state-level chapter. In 1993, the Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association, with Herman as its first president, became the country’s first state NHDA chapter.

Herman didn’t stop there. She thought the best way to ensure that clinicians understood the importance of advocacy and community service was to hook them early, before they got too busy with their practice, their families, and the myriad of other responsibilities of life.

“Students are the leaders of tomorrow, and we have to start right now, not when they graduate,” Herman said. “It is when they are students that we have to show them that they can balance their time and do advocacy and be leaders in the community.”

So in 1994, Herman created the first student chapter of the National Hispanic Dental Association at Tufts University. She then went on to help form student chapters at both Harvard School of Dental Medicine and at GSDM. (Both the Tufts and the GSDM chapters are still active, according to the NHDA website. For more on GSDM's chapter, click here.)

Having successfully established a pipeline from dental school to advocacy and community service, Herman decided she needed to do something about the pipeline of minority students into dental school. (As of 2000, the earliest year that data on dental school enrollment is available from the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), national enrollment was still overwhelmingly white, with Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino students representing about 4.7 and 5.4 percent of the entering class of dental students.)

This is a complex issue without an easy solution, but Herman believed one way to address it was to reach children early and provide them with information about oral health generally and information about the types of careers that are available in the oral healthcare field.

Herman partnered with the Boston Public Schools to create a program where, during National Children’s Dental Health Month, she visited different schools in the district, alongside her students and other members of the dental care team. The program helped students learn about good oral hygiene and expose them to possible careers in the dental field.

“Role models, that’s what we need,” Herman said. “I always said to [the students], ‘You see me being Latino, Spanish. I didn’t speak English at all when I came here. But you see me now, what I’ve accomplished in my life. You can say, “She did it. I can do it too.”’”

Even with all she has already done, Herman is still looking for new ways to give back. She founded a nonprofit, Hispanic International Mission, with the goal of reducing disparities in oral health and improving overall oral health, and she continues to search for internationally trained dentists who want to come study and work in the United States.

“I left my country because I was pursuing a dream, to get my education, improve in America,” Herman said. “I was fortunate [that] Boston University accepted me… because maybe I would have felt frustrated if I didn’t find the support that I found here at BU.”

This story is excerpted from the cover feature of the Spring 2020 Impressions -- read more here.

Taking every opportunity to have her voice heard and be a role model for women in the profession.

The summer before Cherae Farmer-Dixon DPH 14 started her junior year in college, she sat down with her advisor, and told him she wanted to go to dental school. He seemed “surprised,” she remembered, and told her that he wasn’t certain she would be a strong applicant.

“That was really kind of crushing for me,” Farmer-Dixon said.

Farmer-Dixon had known since before she even set foot on campus that she wanted to major in biology, and she wanted to be a dentist. At the time, though, dentistry was still considered a male profession: Her personal dentist was a man, the dentist she shadowed in high school was a man, said Farmer-Dixon.

Farmer-Dixon didn’t have a mentor to give her advice on how to fulfill her goals. Her college had a career counseling office, but “unless you really connect with someone who really guides and advises you, you’re really kind of figuring it out on your own,” Farmer-Dixon said. “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

But instead of taking her advisor at his word, Farmer-Dixon took it as an opportunity to prove him wrong: She transferred to a different college in the second semester of her junior year, found an advisor who supported her career goals, applied to five dental schools, got accepted to four, and enrolled at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.

More than three decades after she matriculated at Meharry (and with a brief departure for the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, where she did a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in dental public health), Dr. Farmer-Dixon is still there – but now, she’s the dean.

“If you talk to women from 50 years ago who broke the barriers and went to [dental] school, many of them will say it was difficult and that, in some instances, they were told they were taking a spot a man should have,” Farmer-Dixon said. “Even today, we have come a long way and we’ve made a lot of advances, but that does not mean there’s not still work to be done.”

The gender distribution in dental school enrollment has made steady progress over the last two decades, according to the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). In 2000, the entering class of dental students was about 39 percent female; in 2018, it was 50.5 percent female. At Meharry, the entering class of 2018 was almost 60 percent female.

Farmer-Dixon attributes the growing number of women in dentistry, in part, to the fact that the profession allows for a manageable work-life balance. Women don’t have to choose between being a leader in their career or having a family: They can “balance being a wife, a doctor, and a mother simultaneously,” Farmer-Dixon said. In other words, they can have it all.

While dental school enrollment is now equal along gender lines, the profession as a whole – and particularly leadership positions – is still catching up. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 34 percent of the country’s dentists are women. In 2014-2015, 22 percent of U.S. dental school deans were women, according to a briefing book produced by ADEA; the briefing book did note that of 28 new deans appointed in the two years prior to publication, 10 were women.

“Having the opportunity to let young women see me and other women as leaders, as professionals, is just as important today as it was before… because, unfortunately, there’s still that perception that when you think of a doctor, you think of a man,” Farmer-Dixon said. “It’s important that women as leaders should take every opportunity to have their voices heard and to be role models and mentors to other young women, to give them pearls of wisdom.”

Mentorship is a common theme when talking to Farmer-Dixon. Indeed, in addition to everything she learned about leadership management, research design, and developing public health research during her dental public health program at GSDM, one of the things she values most about her experience at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) is the relationships she formed.

“Feeling like you connect with someone is very important,” Farmer-Dixon said. “I felt that I could connect with the individuals at GSDM, [both fellow students and faculty]. And so when there was something that wasn’t clear, or I was feeling overwhelmed, it wasn’t a thing that I felt like, ‘Okay, I’ve just got to deal with this myself.’ I could go and I could talk with someone about it.”

Those relationships helped her while she was at the program and continue to help her years later, said Farmer-Dixon.

“I didn’t get here on my own,” she said. “It was through mentorship and guidance – I had, and I continue to have a great support mechanism.”

Farmer-Dixon believes it is her responsibility to pass that mentorship on – but not her responsibility alone. She also advocates for dental schools to be more proactive in providing mentors and guidance to their students, especially students who may be coming from traditionally underrepresented genders, races, and ethnicities.

Having an office of diversity and inclusion “is wonderful,” Farmer-Dixon said. “But I think there [also] has to be intentional [outreach] to those students … [and] being very intentional about setting them up with mentors who will check in with them, even if it’s a local alumnus, so that they can talk with someone who has walked the path that they’ve walked and who they can bounce ideas off of.”

“Dental school is stressful enough … [we need to] provide as much support as we can to help them in that journey,” she said.

This story is excerpted from the cover feature of the Spring 2020 Impressions -- read more here.

Eleven alumni of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine were inducted into the American College of Dentists on October 15, 2020, via a virtual, live-streamed ceremony. The Convocation of Fellows included the affirmation of fellowship, the roll call of new fellows, an awards presentation, and remarks from guest speaker Major General Richard W. Thomas, President of the Uniformed Health Services University.

“Achieving fellowship in the American College of Dentists is a wonderful accomplishment and one that each of these alumni must feel very proud in achieving,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter.

The American College of Dentists (ACD) is the oldest major honorary organization for dentists. In order to be granted fellowship, candidates must be nominated by other fellows in the college. Typically, the organization holds an in-person convocation for its newest fellows during the American Dental Association’s annual meeting; this year’s event was moved online due to the ongoing pandemic.

The International College of Dentists, which also typically inducts new fellows during the ADA’s annual meeting, expects to hold a virtual convocation ceremony later this year.

Maryam Shomali ENDO 93 joined organized dentistry after graduating from dental school in 1990—but it wasn’t until 10 years ago that she became actively involved with her Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) district, the Metropolitan District Dental Society (MDDS).

“I was a quiet member—I would attend a meeting on and off— but it wasn’t until the last 10 years that I got more involved,” Shomali said. “For me, it brings a camaraderie between you and your colleagues. Organized dentistry can be an isolating field. You’re in your room with your patients all the time. It wasn’t until I became involved with all of these volunteer positions that I realized … it’s nice to hang out with your friends, your colleagues, tap into their knowledge, get guidance from them, give back to the community.”

Shomali has come a long way since her days as a “quieter” member: She was recently named the winner of the MDDS’ 2020 Burke Volunteer award, which is presented each year to an MDDS member “in recognition of the outstanding efforts and contributions which have been put forth by the recipient for the betterment of the dental society, the practice of the dental arts, and the entire dental community,” according to the MDDS.

“I was actually very surprised,” said Shomali, “and I felt honored and humbled because I know that [it’s] a very prestigious award.”

Shomali has held a variety of leadership positions in the Metropolitan District Dental Society, which consists of several towns in the greater Boston area; she currently serves as MDDS treasurer and previously served as the organization's chair. She has also served as president of the Charles River Study club, chair of the Continuing Education Committee, and as a member of the Social Event Planning Committee.

Shomali also has volunteered for several years at the Metropolitan District’s “Give Kids a Smile” event, where children in need have the opportunity to partake in dental exams, x-rays and cleanings.

“It’s seeing those kids’ faces, their smiles—they’re so excited to learn how to brush their teeth, and the parents are so grateful about having this program that’s free to them,” Shomali said. “They feel like the dental community is taking care of them.”

Shomali said that her time at GSDM—in particular, the opportunity to study under the late Herbert Schilder, who chaired the GSDM endodontics department from 1963 to 2003—inspired her to get involved in organized dentistry.

“He [was] adamant that his residents become a member of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE),” she said.

Shomali graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. After practicing general dentistry for a year, she entered GSDM, where she was awarded a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies  in Endodontics in 1993. Shomali has worked in private practice for the last 27 years, and holds the rank of clinical assistant professor at GSDM.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to take shape in February 2020, Débora Heller PhD 16, a researcher based in Brazil who specializes in saliva, knew it was time to get to work.

“I called all of my students and said, ‘Look, we need to help out,’” said Heller, an assistant professor at the Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul and a visiting researcher at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein who mentors both predoctoral and postdoctoral students. “We’re researchers and we’re dentists…we work with saliva, we know from past experience that we can diagnose respiratory [illnesses] in saliva.”

Heller said that a saliva test for COVID-19 would be preferable to the more common nasopharyngeal swab test for several reasons. For one thing, the test would be safer—it could be done anywhere, by anyone, and doesn’t need to be supervised by a health professional, freeing up Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Heller also said that the test would be more comfortable, because it would not include the nasal swabbing.

Heller and her students mobilized, collecting saliva from patients with the virus and started a literature review.

“All of us researchers around the globe are working to fight this pandemic,” Heller said. “We want to help, so we want to publish as fast as we can so we can share the data.”

In September, the Journal of Dental Research published Heller and her colleagues’ literature review, which highlighted saliva’s utility as a biofluid in the diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19. According to their review, a total of 28 studies have investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva – and several confirmed reliable detection of the virus in the saliva of patients with COVID-19.

Heller and her colleagues are also doing their own research with saliva obtained from patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.

“We’re showing similar results that we can detect the virus in saliva. That detection is reliable, and we have started working with antibody detection in saliva,” she said.

Detecting the virus in saliva means that salivary tests—in which an individual spits into a sterile tube—could soon become the new normal.

“Those of us who work with saliva, we always say that saliva makes the diagnosis accessible,” Heller said. “It gives the opportunity for people who live far away, who cannot go to the hospital to get tested, or places that don’t have health professionals, to get tested.”

Heller credited her advisor at GSDM, Frank Oppenheim, emeritus professor of Translational Dental Medicine, for her skill at understanding saliva and its uses. Heller was a PhD student in Oral Biology from 2011 to 2016.

“[There are] not many of us in the world that are trained to understand and manipulate oral fluid,” she said. “I’m so grateful I was trained by Dr. Oppenheim— the greatest pioneer in saliva research— to have this training, to understand this oral fluid and to be able to apply it.“

In addition to the literature review and ongoing research, Heller has been involved with two other studies, one determining whether there is a mouthwash on the market that reduces the viral load in saliva, and one (currently in the review process for publication) that evaluates the economic and psychological impact of the pandemic on dentists based in her home state of Sao Paolo, which has more than 90,000 registered dentists.

In the future, Heller, who is also an adjunct professor at the UT Health Sciences San Antonio School of Dentistry, said that she hopes to see a rapid saliva-based test developed, which she thinks will help test more people quickly.

“I’m hopeful that saliva will be key to test as many people as possible,” she said, “to bring back our economy, our lives and as close to normalcy as possible.”

What do Mo the Mirror, Sanjay the Scaler, Polly the Polisher, and Ellie the Tooth Explorer have in common? They’re all characters in a children’s book, “Tooth Troopers,” written by Emily Foldes DMD 17 to help familiarize young patients with the instruments used during a routine dental check-up.

“I’m a general dentist, but I see a lot of kids in my practice,” said Foldes, who practices in Whitby, Ontario. “I started noticing some patterns; kids would get a little nervous when I would lift up the mirror or pick up the explorer because they didn’t know what these instruments were for.” 

With some extra time on her hands due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foldes came up with the idea to create a children’s book to introduce children to the different aspects of a routine dental visit.  

“It brings the  check-up to life,” Foldes said. “Each of the dental instruments portrays a character in the book. They introduce themselves, and explain their jobs and what they do.”

While doing research for her book, Foldes noticed that most children’s books featuring a visit to the dentist frame the event as a frightening experience, whereas “Tooth Troopers” positions it as an exciting adventure.  

“Someone’s always getting scared [in those books], which tell kids it’s a normal emotion to have going to the dentist,” Foldes said. “I wanted to do it from a different perspective, where the different tools are the characters and no one talks about fear. It’s great fun and colorful.” 

Foldes wrote the story, and then recruited a friend, Sari Richter, to illustrate the book. She self-published “Tooth Troopers,” which can be purchased on her website. She’s had some interest from teachers and other local dental offices—and it’s been a hit in her own office, as well. 

“A few of the hygienists at my office have actually used the book….to walk kids through their appointment,” Foldes said. “This one girl who I’ve seen for the past few years— who is always really scared—was like, ‘This is the best book ever!’”  

As it turns out, members of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community aren’t just oral health professionals—they’re also wordsmiths! Some alumni and faculty recently wrote and edited publications covering a wide variety of topics. Read on for more information about the newest books and publications to hit the shelves.  

Geriatric Dental Medicine
Joseph Calabrese DMD 91 AEGD 92
Associate Dean of Students, Director of Geriatric Dental Medicine, and Clinical Professor of General Dentistry 

Dr. Michelle Henshaw DPH 07 SPH 96
Associate Dean, Global and Population Health and Professor of Health Policy and Health Services Research 

Calabrese and Henshaw edited and contributed articles to an issue of Dental Clinics of North America focused on Geriatric Dental Medicine. The publication releases four issues annually, each focused on a single topic in dentistry and presented under the direction of an experienced guest editor or editors.

The issue that Calabrese and Henshaw oversaw provides readers with an overview of the geriatric population’s health and oral health needs and presents strategies to address these needs, either within a dentist’s own practice or through referrals. The issue also covers key concepts from demographic trends to the challenges inherent in financing oral health care for older adults to emerging technology.

Numerous GSDM faculty members and alumni contributed to the issue, including: Paul Farsai DMD 94 AEGD 95 SPH 97, clinical professor, of General Dentistry), Judith Jones DPH 00, Matthew Mara DMD 16 AEGD 17 Wheelock 19, assistant professor of General Dentistry, and Dr. Kadambari Rawal AEGD 10 DPH 18, clinical assistant professor of General Dentistry.

Mammals to Man: Dental Occlusion and Apnea
David DiBenedetto DMD 80

In “Mammals to Man: Dental Occlusion and Apnea,” DiBenedetto provides an overview of dental occlusion in both animals and humans and covers a variety of topics, including what dental occlusion is best for man, why horses get their teeth adjusted and the physics of all of it. This book is a good primer for dental, veterinary and nursing students.

DiBenedetto has been practicing dentistry for over 30 years and operates a practice in Pembroke, Massachusetts.

Airway is Life: Waking up to your family’s sleep crisis
Meghna Dassani DMD 05

In “Airway is Life: Waking up to your family’s sleep crisis,” Dassani provides an overview of sleep-disordered breathing, providing readers with information they need to spot issues so that they can get the help for their family.

Dassani currently practices in Houston. She has published two other books on sleep apnea and the dental practice: Healthy Sleep, Happy Kids and Sleep.Breathe.Dream.

The Slammer: A Critique of Prison Overpopulation, a Menacing Flaw in American Culture
Dr. Robert Allyn Goldman PERIO 71

In “The Slammer: A Critique of Prison Overpopulation, a Menacing Flaw in American Culture.” Goldman, who spent time working as a dentist in American prison system, takes on the central issues underpinning the ever continuum of prison expansions.

“This story will concentrate on the facts that keep the unfortunate in miserable sardine cans without any provable consideration for change,” the front jacket reads. “Our politicians are the nation’s lifeline for change, and yet many should be switching places with the incarcerated. If there is ever going to be a sincere change in the warehousing of human beings, there has to be a will for compassion and the election of politicians who do more than mouth false promises.”

Goldman received his Doctor of Science from GSDM in addition to specialty training in Periodontology, Oral Medicine, and Oral/General Pathology at Boston University Medical Campus. He practiced periodontics in the Boston area and in Florida, and has also written a book about his uncle, the school’s founder and namesake, Dean emeritus Henry M. Goldman.  

When Sean Rayment DMD 97 DSc 00 graduated from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), he found himself looking for ways to stay connected with his peers.

“When I was at BU, I was the president of my class for three years and did volunteer work with a couple of different committees, as well as the alumni organization,” Rayment said. “When I graduated, I just wanted to stay connected to everyone.”

Two decades later, Rayment is being recognized for his volunteer work with organized dentistry by the Massachusetts Dental Society, which recently named him the 2021 William McKenna Volunteer Hero. This recognition, named in honor of the late Dr. William McKenna, is the society’s way of thanking those members who go above and beyond to help the MDS achieve its goals, inspire colleagues, and advance the dental profession.

Rayment said he was surprised—but thrilled—to be recognized.

“There’s a lot of people who have been honored with the award in the past and they’ve done so much, so it was really humbling to be included in that category,” he said.

Rayment started volunteering at the Yankee Dental Congress after graduating from GSDM, doing everything from working in the information booth to serving as presiding chair of the event. He has also served on the Delta Audit Task Force, as a delegate to the MDS House of Delegates, Leadership Institute 2016-2018, Mentor Program, as a member of the Yankee General Arrangement Committee and MDS Ethics Subcommittee, and is an MDS Foundation donor and an MDS Political Action Committee supporter.

From 2016 to 2020, Rayment chaired the MDS Dentist Health and Wellness Committee (DHWC), which serves to provide resources and services to MDS members to improve their overall health and well-being.

“Over time, we’ve really built it up to being a much bigger program than it was 10 years ago, so we’re able to offer a lot of services and programs for members,” Rayment said. “I really enjoy it. We have a lot of fun, a terrific team of volunteers with the committee.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DHWC stepped up to help MDS members, providing resources including a private Facebook group where members could connect and share wellness tips.

“We had our committee together basically the same day to talk on the phone, about everything that was going on—what we needed to do, services we needed to provide,” Rayment said. “We had no idea what we were going to need to do, but we knew it was going to be a difficult time.”

Rayment, who is also the immediate past president of the GSDM Alumni Board, said that organized dentistry provides ample opportunities to give back to the larger community.

“When you’re a part of these organizations, there’s a lot of volunteer opportunities available,” Rayment said. “I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun and you feel like you’re giving back.”

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) students have received the Ozar-Hasegawa Ethics Award two years running, with Victoria Chang DMD 23 winning the award in 2020 and Luljeta Isedisha DMD AS 21 winning in 2021.  

“Over the years, I have encouraged students to make a submission for this contest,” Catherine Sarkis, acting assistant dean of Admissions and clinical associate professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research, said. “It's been a pleasure to see our talented GSDM students [Chang and Isedisha] winning the award in two consecutive years. I am very proud of their interest in ethics and professionalism, as well as their hard work.”  

The Ozar-Hasegawa Ethics Award is an annual award presented by the American Society for Dental Ethics to a dental or dental hygiene student for an essay or comparable product of careful ethical reflection. The Award is named for two individuals who have contributed to the scholarship, discussion, and application of dental ethics, Professor David Ozar of Loyola University and Dr. Thomas Hasegawa Jr. of Baylor University.  

 For her submission, Isedisha created a powerpoint presentation, in which she discussed a hypothetical case where a dentist prepares the wrong tooth—instead of replacing an amalgam restoration on #12, he removes the restoration on #13, which also happened to be amalgam.  

“It may seem like a small dilemma but it’s one that can happen often if we are not careful and vigilant during treatment,” Isedisha said. “The ethical issue is very clear in this case, but it is the way it will be addressed that will set the cornerstone of the professional you will be.”  

 Chang, the 2020 recipient of the Ozar-Hasegawa Ethics Award, entered as a first-year dental student. She wrote an essay titled “Past to Present: The Impact of a Pre-dental Incident on Myself as an Ethical Oral Healthcare Provider,” where she recounted an incident she witnessed while shadowing as a pre-dental student. 

 “It [the event] made me more appreciative of the importance of ethics, and the American Dental Associations Five Principles of Ethics, such as justice and being fair to your patients,” Chang said. “I committed to myself—even as a pre-dental student—that when I become a dentist someday, I promise I will be fair and do what’s right…to every single patient regardless of any other factor.”  

According to Sarkis, who teaches a series of courses in dental ethics and professionalism, dental jurisprudence and healthcare law and presents on behavioral sciences, practice management and risk management courses to predoctoral and postdoctoral students, ethics in dentistry is important for both the public and the profession.  

“Ethical practitioners have professional integrity and focus on the best interest of their patients,” Sarkis said. “They build doctor patient relationships that are built on the foundation of trust and respect which maintains and enriches the dental profession.”  

Chang said that she didn’t enter the contest expecting to win, but she was happy that her story resonated with the judges. 

“I wasn’t motivated with the possibility of winning, I was motivated by wanting to share this personal event that shaped me as a pre-dental student to become an ethical healthcare provider,” Chang said. “When I won, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to share the news with Ms. Sarkis, who served as my advisor for the competition.” 

Isedisha said that the contest served as a rewarding experience that reinforced the value of ethics.  

 “It helped stress once more the importance of ethical training during school and the crucial role ethics has in the practice of dentistry,” Isedisha said. 

After months of Zoom meetings and virtual events, members of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community had the opportunity to greet each other face to face during this year’s Alumni Weekend celebration.   

Approximately 65 people attended this year’s reception, which took place Saturday, October 2 in a new location, under a tent on Talbot Green on the Boston University Medical Campus. In addition to catching up with their classmates and sampling seasonally inspired refreshments, attendees had the opportunity to tour the dental school and explore the new spaces completed during the GSDM Addition and Renovation Project.  

“Everybody was so excited to see the school,” Stacey McNamee, director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, said. “It’s something that we, as members of the GSDM community, should be really proud of.  

Karun Gaba DMD 10, who traveled from Arizona for the event, visited the school for the first time since graduating and was impressed by the new spaces.  

“It was a great feeling, walking through the building and appreciating the changes made,” Gaba said. “I think the school is going in the right direction.”  

The event also included a special celebration for the Class of 2020. Each of the graduates who attended Alumni Weekend had their name called out by Dean Leone during the events and received a BU blanket as a gift. Videos inside of the school played a video featuring submitted photos from the Class of 2020’s time at GSDM and a list of the graduates. Graduates posed for photos in their regalia with their fellow classmates and former faculty members.   

 To see images from this year’s event, view the Flickr album.  

Even an impending blizzard couldn’t stop members of Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s (GSDM) community from shining bright during this year’s Yankee Dental Congress, which was help in person from January 27-29 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. 

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, GSDM did not host an alumni reception, instead choosing to set up an alumni lounge on the exhibit hall floor where members of the community could stop by, mingle with classmates and take snacks to-go. All attendees were required to remain masked during the event and show their vaccination card upon arrival. Classrooms were arranged to provide space between attendees, and courses were capped at 60-70 percent to allow for social distancing.  

 A Saturday snowstorm that blanketed the Greater Boston area with almost two feet of snow meant that this year’s event also ended a day early. Saturday’s events, including the 13th Annual American Student Dental Association (ASDA) District 1 debate, and the Massachusetts Dental Society's (MDS) "Ten under 10" award ceremony.

Over the course of three days, GSDM students, faculty, staff, residents, and alumni received awards, were recognized for their accomplishments and caught up at the alumni lounge. Below are some of the highlights from this year’s events.  

Catching up on the Exhibit Floor 

Throughout this year’s event, the alumni lounge welcomed members of the GSDM community, offering attendees the opportunity to catch up with friends and learn more about the latest GSDM news. Coffee and snacks were available to alumni, faculty, staff, residents and students.  

“It was so nice to see so many familiar faces at this year’s Yankee Dental Congress,” Stacey McNamee, director of Alumni Relations  & Annual Giving, said. “Even though we had to end the event early because of the snow, many members of our community stopped by the alumni event to say hi.”  

GSDM alumni recognized  

Three alumni— Peixi Liao PROS 18, clinical assistant professor of Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials, Dhara Shah DMD 13 and Divya Upadhyay DMD 15 —were honored with the MDS “Ten under 10” award, which recognizes dentists who have been in the profession for 10 years or less and have made a significant contribution to the profession, their community, and/or organized dentistry.  The award ceremony was postponed due to snow—awardees will be honored at an event sometime in the spring.

Additionally, Abol Tehrani DMD PROS 80 DMD 82 was recognized for his long service record on the Massachusetts Dental Society Board of Directors during the MDS House of Delegates’ 158th Annual Session.  

 DMD students receive scholarships  

 Two members of the DMD Class of 2022 received scholarships during this year’s Yankee Dental Congress.  

 Grace Kapov DMD 22 received the American College of Dentists (ACD) Senior Student Award, while Manavi Nagai DMD 22 received the Matthew Boylan Scholarship, which is presented by the MDS and Eastern Dentists Insurance Company (EDIC) and is granted to a student or students who have provided distinguished service to organized dentistry and the community. 

 To see photos from this year's event, click here. 

Twenty-nine members of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community were inducted into the American College of Dentists (ACD) and the International College of Dentists (ICD) in 2021— a testament to the significant contributions that GSDM alumni and faculty have made to the dental profession. 

 “A person must be nominated by two current fellows for either of these honorary organizations and it truly is an honor to be considered for fellowship,” said Celeste Kong PROS 84 DMD 87, chair and professor of General Dentistry. “As a proud fellow for both of these wonderful organizations and the current deputy regent for Massachusetts ICD, I often recruit colleagues from GSDM as I believe we have stellar faculty who by virtue of their dedication to education and promoting oral health care, are already the types of fellows ICD and ACD are seeking.”  

 Twelve GSDM alumni or faculty were inducted into the ACD, which is the oldest major honorary organization for dentists in the U.S.. In order to be granted fellowship, candidates must be nominated by other fellows in the college. Typically, the organization holds an in-person convocation for its newest fellows during the American Dental Association’s annual meeting; this year, inductees were honored virtually during a ceremony on October 14, 2021.  

 Seventeen GSDM faculty or alumni also joined the ranks of the ICD during a virtual induction ceremony on December 3, 2021, which can be streamed here. The ICD has 12,000 members in over 122 countries. Fellowship in the organization is by invitation only and is granted in recognition of an individual dentist’s outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind. 

“Congratulations to all of our alumni and faculty who were inducted into the ACD and the ICD,” Stacey McNamee, director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, said. “Being inducted into these organizations is an honor—I know that I speak for all of us at GSDM when I say that we are proud of you!”  

We apologize if we missed any GSDM faculty or alumni who were inducted into ACD or ICD last year. Please email gsdmcomm@bu.edu to let us know if we’ve inadvertently overlooked you, and we will update our story.

Almost 100 GSDM alumni turned out on a recent Friday night for the school’s first Alumni Weekend reception since 2019. The event featured a new location – the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport – and a new dean: Dean Cataldo W. Leone, who was named the school’s fourth permanent dean in November 2021.

“Alumni Weekend is always a wonderful opportunity for everyone to reconnect with classmates, colleagues, faculty, and staff. It’s a time to reminisce about shared memories and experiences, all while making new memories!” said Dean Leone.

Dr. Maryam Shomali CAS 87 ENDO 93, president of the school’s Alumni Association, also welcomed her fellow alumni, sharing how much it meant to her to address them as the leader of their alumni association.

“Family means a lot to me,” Shomali said. “Not only the family I was born into, or the family I built and nurtured, but also the family that I was adopted into – the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine family. This is a family I have always respected and have grown to fully appreciate throughout my dental career. This is why I am so honored to be able to lead this special part of our school.”

Alumni mixed and mingled for several hours, feasting on ricotta crostini, Vietnamese spring rolls, crab cakes, and other hors d’oeuvres, catching up with former classmates, and enjoying the views from the room’s patio.

The Friday night reception was just one of several events held during Alumni Weekend. GSDM alumni were welcomed back to campus on Saturday afternoon for tours of the recently expanded and renovated school; the school also hosted a CE course Saturday morning for interested alumni on the influence of facial growth in modern comprehensive dental rehabilitation, taught by Dr. Hamid Nassery DMD 92.

The weekend was capped off with the “Best of BU Alumni Awards,” during which the school’s own Dr. Cherae M. Farmer-Dixon DPH 14 was one of seven alumni from across the University’s schools and colleges to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Farmer-Dixon is dean of the School of Dentistry at Meharry Medical College. She is the third woman to head Meharry dental school and remains one of a few select women nationally who serve as a dental school dean.

“This honor is extremely well-deserved, as Dr. Farmer-Dixon is a visionary leader and an inspiring role model,” Dean Leone said. “Dr. Farmer-Dixon’s professional development is a compelling story – she has overcome barriers in race, gender, and academia itself while achieving her many successes.”

Dr. Joseph Calabrese DMD 91 AEGD 92 GERI 94, associate dean of students and clinical professor of General Dentistry, wears many hats at GSDM. But one of his most important, and potentially least heralded, roles is the school’s Deputy Title IX coordinator.

Dr. Calabrese’s work in this area was recognized recently when he was awarded the University’s first-ever Title IX Team Member-Exceptional Resources award by the Equal Opportunity Office. This award celebrates the characteristics and qualities that it takes to be a truly outstanding Deputy Title IX Coordinator or Title IX Team Member, and honors a team member who practices the three Rs: reporting, resource, and referrals.

“Joe has had a busy year … [and] despite the fact that serving as a deputy is ancillary to his full-time job at BU, Joe shows dedication to the seriousness of this role,” said Jessica Nagle, the University’s Title IX coordinator. She continued later, “Community members are comfortable and trust Joe as a resource.”

“This award is a well-deserved honor that recognizes Dr. Calabrese’s commitment to his Title IX work: He goes above and beyond to ensure that the dental school is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for all of our students and residents, and we are extremely lucky to have him as part of the GSDM community,” said Dean Cataldo Leone.

Across the University, more than 60 professionals were chosen by their deans to serve as deputy Title IX coordinators. Deputies are trained to be community resources: They are required to report potential violations to the Title IX coordinator, but can also provide community members with robust referrals.

“This work is an integral part of what we need to do to foster and maintain a safe and supportive environment that are students and residents are able to thrive in,” Calabrese said.

Serving as a deputy is a significant commitment, and as the role evolves, becoming more compliance-based than ever before, the time and training it requires will continue to increase.

“Joe realizes that this area of compliance is constantly changing,” Nagle said. “He continues to ask questions knowing that BU’s process is evolving. His eagerness to learn and clarify his role make him a truly outstanding resource for the dental school and our university.”

The Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community was thrilled to be attending the Yankee Dental Congress from January 26-28 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, with three days full of reuniting with former classmates and faculty in the alumni lounge, celebrating each other’s successes, and mingling at the alumni reception. 

This year’s event was the first Yankee Dental Congress without COVID-19 restrictions since February 2020.  

“It was a real pleasure to see this year’s Yankee Dental Congress operating in a similar fashion to pre-pandemic ways,” Stacey McNamee, director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, said. “Every year, Yankee Dental Congress is always a great time to catch up, reflect on the past year and honor those who are doing outstanding work in the field.”  

From students to faculty, many members of the GSDM community were recognized during the conference for their academic and clinical excellence and their main contributions to the profession. Below are some of the highlights from this year’s events.  

Six GSDM alumni named to MDS “10 under Ten” list 

GSDM alumni accounted for more than half of the Massachusetts Dental Society “10 under Ten” recipients this year. Six GSDM alumni were recognized as dentists who have made significant contributions to the field and have been in the profession for 10 years or less.    

•          Joshua Hurlburt PEDO 22
•          Manish Juneja DMD 17
•          Hongsheng Liu DMD 10 ENDO 12
•          Justine Karanian MED 11 DMD 15
•          Kyle Medeiros MED 12 DMD 17
•          Anisha Pandya DMD 20

Seven GSDM alumni, faculty inducted into Pierre Fauchard Academy 

Seven GSDM alumni and/or faculty members were inducted into the Pierre Fauchard Academy during the dental honor society’s annual breakfast meeting on Friday morning.   

• John Gusha DMD 84 
• Matthew Mara DMD 16 AEGD 17 Wheelock 19 (faculty) 
• Vasiliki Maseli, Clinical Associate Professor of General Dentistry 
• Andrew Miller DMD 12 AEGD 13 ENDO 15 (faculty) 
• Hesham Nouh PROS 15 (faculty)
• Ashish Agarwal DMD 17
• Divya Mudumba DMD 20 

During the breakfast, the organization also recognized its 2022 scholarship winners, including Mohamad Srour DMD 23, who was selected as a “deserving third year dental student.” Three other GSDM alumni and/or faculty – Manish Juneja DMD 17, Ana Keohane DMD 16, and Rashmi Shah PEDO 79 – attended the breakfast, after being inducted into the society during the national meeting in 2022.  

Former GSDM faculty member recognized as Yankee Dental 2023 award winner 

Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, former clinical professor of health policy & health services research, and pediatric dentistry, was presented posthumously with the James W. Etherington Award from Yankee Dental Congress. This award is given annually in recognition of New England dentists who dedicate much of their professional lives to furthering the high ideals and objectives of organized dentistry. Dr. Shenkin’s brother was in attendance to accept the award; Dr. Shenkin passed away in August 2021. 

DMD students participate in debate 

Scott Hunter DMD 25 and Avi Nagpal SAR 20 MED 21 DMD 25 represented GSDM in the fourth annual American Student Dental Association District 1 debate on Saturday. The competing debate teams were from University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, University of New England College of Dental Medicine, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and Pre-Dental, debating issues and policies currently challenging the dental education system and profession.  GSDM was victorious in its first-round face-off against Harvard. GSDM advanced to the final round against University of New England, with University of New England ultimately winning the debate.   

GSDM student, alumna recognized by ACD 

Joshua Clarke DMD 23 received the Senior Dental Student Award from the American College of Dentists New England Section during the organization’s winter meeting, held on Saturday. Clarke was selected due to his outstanding achievements in academics and leadership, and his initiative; Dean Cataldo Leone was on hand to present the award.  

Also, during the ACD luncheon, Pamela Baldassarre DMD 82 PERIO 84 received the Thomas F. Winkler Award, which recognized her leadership and dedication to both the dental profession and the American College of Dentists New England Section.  

Hundreds of GSDM community members attend annual reception 

This year marked the first alumni reception since 2020; both 2021 and 2022 were cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions, as well as the 2022 snowstorm that left the Greater Boston area with almost two feet of snow.  

Friday evening was full of joyous reunions and cheerful laughter with over 500 attendees, including alumni, faculty, students, residents, and friends of GSDM in attendance at the Plaza Ballroom in the Seaport Hotel. A new barcode-based check-in system led to a quick and easy entrance to the night’s festivities.  

Dean Cataldo Leone kicked off the evening with opening remarks, which welcomed all alumni and thanked everyone for creating a lovely evening.