From the Dean`s Desk - Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

From the Dean’s Desk
March 2013
A Message from the Dean
DuringmycareerasdeanofNewJerseyDentalSchool,Ihaveoftenfeltgreatprideinbeingassociatedwiththis
school.ThefeelingIgotwhilelisteningtotheaccreditationteam’stremendouslypositivereport,however,de ies
description.And,Icouldnothavebeenhappierwiththeprofessional,warmandhelpfuldemeanorthateveryone
showedtheevaluators.Mycongratulationstoall,andmysincerestthankstoeveryonewho
workedsohardtoachievethisoutstandingresult.Aswemoveaheadwewillcontinuetostrive
forexcellenceineverythingwedo.Thankyouallagain.
NJDS Receives Stellar Reaccreditation Report
Therewasneveradoubt,butnowit’sof icial:
NJDShasonceagainattainedthehighestlevelof
excellenceasadentaleducationalinstitution.
TheCommissiononDentalAccreditation
(CODA)re‐accreditedtheschoolforanother
sevenyears,afterspendingfourdaysreviewing
everyaspectoftheacademicprograms,
includingtheCODEprogram,generalpractice
residency,andourpostgraduateprogramsin
endodontics,orthodontics,periodonticsand
prosthodontics.Atapost‐accreditation
reception,DeanFeldmansaidthattheschoolhas
neverhadsuchanoverwhelminglypositive
report,withnorecommendationsfor
improvement.“Alongwiththeiraccolades,the
teamnotedmanyofthestrengthstheyfoundin
boththepre‐doctoralandpostgraduate
Two of the students who helped during the CODA site visit receive thank
programs,”shesaid.“Icouldnotbeprouderof
you gifts at the post-accreditation reception. They are Lisa Veselovsky
thisinstitutionorthisoutcome.”
and Andrew Jursik, III.
And the Winner is...
Theresultsoftheannualstudentestheticscompetitionarein,andthis
year’swinnerisEmmaPollack,’13.Thecompetition,nowinits ifthyear,
ishostedbyReenaM.Varghese,DMD,MSEd,MSc,assistantprofessor,
RestorativeDentistryandcoursedirectorforEstheticDentistry.All
fourth‐yearstudentsareinvitedtosubmitbeforeandafterphotosof
patientstheytreatedinthe"estheticzone.”Drs.JoelMartin,
MarcRosenblumandAndrewBrafman,allofRestorativeDentis‐
try,anonymouslyselectedthewinner.Student‐Dr.Pollack’snamewillbe
addedtotheplaqueofawardwinnersintheOralHealthPavilionlobby.
“Evenafter iveyears,thestudentscontinuetobeenthusiasticabout
thecompetition,”saysDr.Varghese.“Thecompetitionprovidesanoppor‐
tunityforourstudentstoshowcasetheirwork.Ihopewatchingthem
willinspirethethird‐yearstudentstostartpreparingfornextyear’s
event.”PhotosofStudent‐Dr.Pollack'sworkandthatoftheother
studentswhocompetedareonthebulletinboardnexttoroomD‐839. Emma Pollack points to her winning entry on the D-Level bulletin board.
Page 2
Helping in the Wake of Sandy
From the Dean’s Desk
...at NJMS
TheUniversitycommunitycametogetheron
theNewarkCampusonFebruary28for
“UMDNJ’sGotTalent,”afundraiserforvictims
ofSuperstormSandy.
Morethan300peoplefromtheUniversity
andthecommunitygatheredinNJMS’sGrand
Foyertowatchperformancesbyfaculty,staff
andstudents.Theeventraisedmorethan
$1,000.Singers,poets,musicians,andevena
hula‐hoopdancertooktothestageforan
eveningofunforgettableentertainment.
Arguably,oneofthemorememorableacts
wasTheDeansandFredaZackin,whoper‐
formedtheirownrenditionoftheVillagePeo‐
ple’sfamousoldie,“Y.M.C.A.”Thegeneralcon‐ (l‐r)JulieO’SullivanMaillet,CecileFeldman(withFloss‐o‐saurus,the
sensuswasthatwhilethe“DeanTeam”may
dentalpuppet),SueSalmond,FredaZackin,PeterAmenta,KathyScotto
nothavebeenthemosttalentedact,its
andRobertJohnsonsingtheirownrenditionof“Y.M.C.A.”
memberscouldnotbebeatfortheirgood
naturesandenthusiasm.
...and at the Prudential Center
Theremaynothavebeenanyhattricks,butthe
puckwas lyingatthe irstUMDNJWinterClassic
CharityHockeygame.HeldatthePrudential
CenterinNewark,thegamefeaturedtheNew
JerseyMedicalSchool(NJMS)Medwingsvs.the
NewJerseyDentalSchool(NJDS)Bitewings,with
proceedsgoingtotheRestoreOurShorefund.
Theeveningstartedwithaceremonialpuck
dropbythedeansofeachschool,followedby
nonstopactionthatwasfastandfurious.There
weregreatpasses,outstandingsavesbyboth
goaliesandaperfectde lection,whichledtoa
The NJDS Bitewings with Dean Feldman and coach Pam Alberto, DMD Bitewings6‐5winovertheMedwings.
Addingtotheexcitementwasa“chuck‐a‐puck”
contest.Spectatorsthrewpreviouslypurchasedpucksontotheiceat
intermission,aimingforthecenteroftherink.Winnersreceiveda
signedhockeystickandphotosofDevil’sstarIlyaKovalchuk.
Oneofthegame’sorganizerswasNJDSstudentJudson
Dacher‐Shapiro,whoplaysrecreationalhockeywiththreeNJMS
students.“Wegottalkingonedayanddecidedtodoacharitygame,”
hesays.“TheNHLlockoutwastheperfectopportunitytoreservethe
ice.”Student‐Dr.Dacher‐Shapiro,thecaptainoftheBitewings,says
severalteammembersaskedPamelaAlberto,DMD,toplay,howev‐
er,sheoptedtobethecelebritycoachinstead.Shewastheperfect
choice,sinceshewasonthewomen’sicehockeyteamatPenn.
“Thefaculty,studentsandtheirfamiliesallhadagreattime,”says
Student‐Dr.Dacher‐Shapiro.“Anditwasfunforustoplayinfrontof
somanypeople.Butweweremostexcitedaboutraising$7,400,
whichfarsurpassedourgoalof$5,000.We’rehopingwecanmake
The nonstop action at the Winter Classic Charity
thisanannualevent.”
Hockey game was fast and furious.
From the Dean’s Desk
Page 3
Fun and Learning at Liberty Science Center
StudentsfromNJDSteamedupwithDeltaDentalofNew
Jersey,theSchoolofHealthRelatedProfessionsandthe
HudsonCountyDentalSocietytopresentthe14thannualOral
HealthAwarenessDayatLibertyScienceCenterinJerseyCity.
Hundredsoffamiliesvisitedthemuseum,wherethey
learnedproperoralhygieneandthebasicsofgoodnutrition,
allwhileplayingcarnival‐stylegamesandvisitinginteractive
exhibits.Foradultstherewereexhibitsonthepreventionof
diseasesrelatedtosmokingandinformationonsmoking
cessation.Morethan100volunteers—52ofthemfrom
NJDS—helpedmakethedayasuccess.
“Ourstudentshelpedpeopleunderstandhowcertain
AnNJDSstudentexplainstoayoungsterhowtolook
habitsanddiseasescauseharmfuleffects,”saysDeb
forthecavitiesinthedentalmannequin,usinga
Goldsmith,RDH,MS,directoroftheevent.“Ourhopeisthat
dentalmirror.
thiseventresultsinbetteroralhealthforeveryone.“
Expo Showcases Student Research
NJDSstudentscontinuetheirquestforthecauses,
treatmentsand,perhaps,eventhecuresfororaland
systemicdiseases.Atthisyear’sannualBalboDental
ResearchExpo,atotalof54pre‐doctoral,postgradu‐
ateandsummerresearchstudentspresentedpost‐
ersthatcoveredawiderangeoftopics.Judgingthe
competitionwereDrs.SowmyaAnanthan,Rufus
Caine,GillDiamond,DanielKadouri,Padma
Mukherjee,SamuelQuek,NarayananRamasubbu,
MarcRosenblum,AshaSamant,HelenSchreiner,
GayathriSubramanianandVincentTsiagbe.
Inadditiontothepostercompetition,students
couldattendseminarsandfacultycouldattendaCE
(l-r) Drs. Rosenblum, RamasubbuandKadourilistenasastudent session.Dentalmanufacturersexhibitedtheir
explainshisposterduringtheResearchExpo.
productsthroughouttheday,aswell.
SummerResearchwinnersareAmyTran(1st),GrigoryEfrosandJonathanSnow(2nd),andKathrynPallonetti
andMichaelFeurstein(3rd).ClinicalpostgraduatewinnersareMohamedElazhri(1st),AbhinayWadkar(2nd),and
RashmiGanesh(3rd).ResearchpostgraduatewinnersareBollammaPuchimada(1st),PrashanthKonathan
Haribabu(2nd)andDeyaaeddinAlnaas(3rd).
Theeventisnamedforitsfounder,thelateDr.MichaelBalbo,afacultymemberandstudentadvocate,who
workedwithstudentmentalhealthservicesontheForesightLeadershipprogram.
Calendar of Events
Thursday,May9
9amto7pm
OralCancerScreeningand
EssexCountyCancerandHealthFair
NJDSD‐LevelAtriumandClinics
WalktoFightOralCancer
NJDSstudentsareinvitedtoparticipateinthis
communityserviceactivity.Jointhe ightagainstthiskillerbywalking
intheAnnualOralCancerWalkNewYorkonApril21,rainorshine.
ThewalkbeginsatKissenaParkVelodrome(BoothMemorialAve.
andParsonBlvd.,Queens,NY)andendsatCitiField,WilletsPoint.
FormoreinformationcallDr.MahnazFatahzadehat2‐1956,or
e‐mailheratfatahza@umdnnj.edu.
Page 4
From the Dean’s Desk
Donors Make the Difference
TherenovationoftheBrunsden‐VillaPediatricClinicandtheDeltaDentalSpecialCare
Clinicarewellunderway,withcompletionscheduledfortheendofAugust.
Everyoneislookingforwardtolearningandtreatingpatientsinbrandnew,state‐of
the‐artclinicsthatmatchthequalityofourfaculty,studentsandstaff.LocatingthePedi‐
atricDentistryClinicandSpecialCareTreatmentClinicnexttoeachotherandimproving
theexistingspacewillincreaseaccessforpatients,reducewaittimes,andcreateanenvi‐
ronmentthatre lectssensitivityandconcernforpatientsandcaregivers.Theredesigned
spacewillincludewiderhallways,doorwaysandoperatories,withcustomizeddental
unitsforthespecial‐needspatientpopulationinwheelchairsoronstretchers.
Inthiseconomicclimateofreducedstatefunding,peoplewhocareaboutthefutureof
ourschoolaremoreimportantthanever.NJDSisgratefulforthegenerosityofour
donors,whohavemadethisrenovationpossible.Recently,somenewdonorshelped
raisetheremainingfundsneededtocompletetheproject.Mrs.HeniKoenigsbergrecent‐ Dr. Samuel Koenigsberg
lyhonoredherlatebrother,Samuel,withagenerousgifttocreatetheDr.SamuelR.
KoenigsbergEducationalConferenceRoominthenewpediatricclinic.TheConferenceRoomwillbeequipped
withthelatestinstructionaltechnologiestobeusedforarangeoflearningactivities.Dr.Koenigsbergwas
directoroftheschool’spediatricdentalclinicuntilhispassingin2001.Amongthealumniwhohaverecently
donatedareRyanScally,DMD,’10,Ped.,’12,andhiswife,Stephanie,whodirectedtheirgifttoaprojectthatis
meaningfultobothofthem:naminganoperatoryinmemoryofRyan’smother.
Namingopportunitiesareavailablefrom$5,000andup,andgiftsof$500ormorewillberecognizedonan
attractivedonorwall.Giftsofanyamountareappreciatedandwillhelpusraisethelastamountneededto
completetheproject.Forinformationonhowtogive,contactNJDSDevelopmentDirectorJenny‐AnnKershnerat
973‐672‐4963orjkershner@njhf.org.
Awards and Honors
CecileFeldman,DMD,MBA,dean,NJDS,receivedanADEAPresidentialCitationatthe2013ADEASessionin
Seattle.Citationsareawardedtomemberswhohaveshown“extraordinarydedicationtodentaleducation.”
HodaYoussef,DMD,associateprofessor,RestorativeDentistry,becameaDiplomateoftheAmericanBoardof
Prosthodontists.
Presentations
ShahidAziz,DMD,MD,professor,OralandMaxillofacialSurgery,presentedalecture“OralSubmucousFibrosis‐
ComingtoAmerica”attheSySymanskiMemorialMiddlesexCountyDentalSocietylectureinFebruary.
BarryZweig,DDS,associateprofessor,OralandMaxillofacialSurgery,presentedalecture“Challengesand
SolutionstoLateralApproachSinusAugmentation”attheDentalxpGlobalSymposiuminLasVegasinFebruary.
Publications
DanielFine,DMD,professorandchair;KennethMarkowitz,DDS,assistantprofessor;HelenSchreiner,PhD,assis‐
tantprofessor,allOralBiology.“LactoferrinKnockoutMiceDemonstratesGreaterSusceptibilitytoAggregatibac‐
terActinomycetemcomitans‐InducedPeriodontalDisease.”JournalofPeriodontology.E‐pubaheadofprint2013.
KennethMarkowitz,DDS,assistantprofessor,OralBiology.“Anewtreatmentforsensitiveteeth:Adesensitizing
rinse.”JournalofDentistry.41s:1‐11s.2013.
ScottDiehl,PhD,professor,OralBiology.“CardiorespiratoryBiomarkerResponsesinHealthyYoungAdultsto
DrasticAirQualityChangesSurroundingthe2008BeijingOlympics.”HealthEffectsInstitutewebsite.
http://pubs//healtheffects.org/view.php?id=397.