Worth the Wait! - Georgia Health Sciences University

COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN/DISCOVERYOFLIGHT.COM
A LOOK INSIDE: On Exhibit: Annual Report 20 On a Mission 24 Black Hawks Rising 28
Georgia Health Sciences University
FALL/WINTER 11
ANNUAL REPORT EDITION
Worth the Wait!
After seven years of planning
and 549 days of construction,
the future of Georgia dentistry is here!

FROM the DEAN
“
Now that we’ve settled
in, we can get back to
fulfilling our college’s
vision to be among
the nation’s premier
dental colleges, and our
university’s vision of being
a globally recognized
research university and
academic health center.
”
GHSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE
Delivering on our Promise
The celebrations are over, but
the warm feelings remain.
I was deeply touched by
the outpouring of support
shown by the College of Dental
Medicine community during the grandopening
gala for our new building in
September. As the days pass, the
facility has felt more and more like
home for myself, our students, faculty
and staff.
Now that we’ve settled in, we
can get back to fulfilling our college’s
vision to be among the nation’s
premier dental colleges, and our
university’s vision of being a globally
recognized research university and
academic health center.
The new building, of course, will
play a major role in making both those
visions a reality.
With our freshman class growing to
80, we now have the largest number
of students we’ve ever had in our
dental program. The increased clinical
and educational capacity the new
space affords us makes us perfectly
aligned with Transformation 2020,
Georgia Health Sciences University’s
long-term strategic plan.
You’ll be hearing more about
Transformation 2020 in the coming
months. It will include our revised
mission, vision, values and our
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With new building finished, we’re ready for growth
roadmap to creating a highly
integrated, world-class organization.
I am excited by this new era in our
institution’s history, and when the
details emerge, I’m sure you will
be too.
For now, I hope you enjoy this
edition’s look back at a pivotal year
in our college’s history, starting with
the celebration of our new facility
on Page 2 and ending with our
annual report on Page 20. The report
also includes some of our goals
for research growth, philanthropy,
faculty development and statewide
expansion.
My thanks to everyone in
the College of Dental Medicine
community for helping make 2011
a special year. Together, working to
improve the oral health of the great
state of Georgia, I am sure there will
be many special years to come. n
Connie Drisko, D.D.S.
Dean and Merritt Professor

COURTESY CHRIS THELEN
OPENED WIDE
ON EXHIBIT:
Annual Report 2011
A look at our fine art
and accomplishments
24
On a Mission
Team provides dental
care internationally to
those in need
20
28
2
Black Hawks Rising
Two students also Army aviators
Worth the Wait
New facility now
officially open
DEPARTMENTS
Student BITES 16
Student Voice 18
Faculty BITES 19
Development 32
More than a Building 33
Alumni BITES 35

Worth the Wait!
BY DAMON CLINE
Now open, new dental building will serve state’s
dental education needs far into the future
2 word of MOUTH
COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN/DISCOVERYOFLIGHT.COM

FALL/WINTER 11
Dean Connie Drisko addresses dignitaries during grand-opening celebrations.
“Today, we’re here. Here, in this
beautiful building that is nothing
less than a fitting architectural
representation of our gifted faculty,
exceptional students and superb staff.”
–DEAN CONNIE DRISKO
Gone are the rumble of earth-moving
bulldozers and concrete-churning cement
trucks. So too is the crackle of electric arc
welders joining steel beams and the low
whine of hydraulic cranes hoisting panels
of drywall and plate glass five stories high.
Those sounds that echoed through
the south end of Georgia Health Sciences
University for 549 days were replaced Sept.
23 by cheers and jubilant applause during
the grand-opening celebration of GHSU’s
new College of Dental Medicine.
The 269,133-square-foot building that
now houses most of the college’s 370 faculty
and staff is the result of years of planning,
fundraising and labor. Looking at the final
product, Dean Connie Drisko said it was well
worth the effort.
“When we first started talking about this
building seven years ago, I never dreamed
this day would come,” she said. “But today,
we’re here. Here, in this beautiful building
that is nothing less than a fitting architectural
representation of our gifted faculty,
exceptional students and superb staff.”
The $112 million facility is more than a
shinier replacement for the previous facility
built in 1970; it will enable the college to
continued
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Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal
Georgia Health Sciences University
expand class sizes well into the future to meet the oral
health needs of Georgia’s growing population.
“This building stands as a monument to the collective
effort of Georgia,” GHSU President Ricardo Azziz said. “It is
more than a building; it is an investment in the health of the
citizens of Georgia.”
Georgia ranks 48 th in the country for dentists per
100,000 residents. U.S. Department of Labor estimates
indicate Georgia needs to fill an average of 160 dental
positions per year. Nearly one in seven Georgia counties
lacks a dentist.
“This expansion is just in time to help us meet what
the community knows is a pressing statewide need,” said
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, who noted that each dentist
creates an annual economic impact of about $1.3 million to
the state.
The old dental building at the corner of 15 th Street
and Laney-Walker Boulevard will continue to be used for
classroom space for students – which currently number 281

College of Dental Medicine
– until construction of the Education Commons building,
a project that will feature technologically advanced lecture
space for dental and medical students. The $50 million
project, which would connect to the new dental building by
an elevated walkway, would also house the administrative
offices of the Medical College of Georgia.
The additional capacity at the new dental building
enabled the College of Dental Medicine to increase its
freshman class from 70 to 80 students this year. The
college anticipates accepting 100 students per class in
the near future. The college, the state’s only dental school,
has graduated more than 2,000 dentists since its first
graduating class in 1973. More than 80 percent of its
graduates stay in Georgia to practice.
“I know the University System of Georgia will be
continuously proud of what’s been done here and what
will be accomplished in the future,” University System of
Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said. n
University System of Georgia Chancellor
Hank Huckaby
“This building stands as a monument to the collective effort of Georgia.”
–GHSU PRESIDENT RICARDO AZZIZ
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Grand Gala
The grand opening Sept. 23 was not just to celebrate
the completion of the new College of Dental Medicine
– it was to say thank you to those who helped make it
happen.
That includes state lawmakers, nearly 800 alumni
and friends who gave more than $10 million in private
funds, Augusta officials who helped GHSU acquire the
property on which to build the school as well as the
residents who relocated (see Tribute to Gilbert, Page 14).
Dean Connie Drisko thanked her predecessors for
growing the college to the point where expansion under
her tenure was made necessary.
“With this beautiful new facility, we are building
on a legacy that began in 1969, before we even had a
building to teach in, when classes were conducted in
two temporary trailers,” Drisko said.
Georgia Health Sciences University
word of MOUTH

COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN/DISCOVERYOFLIGHT.COM
Gov. Nathan Deal (right) greets Dr. Emile Fisher, one of the College
of Dental Medicine’s most loyal supporters.
Students Ashland Doomes (from left), Jose Navarro, Arjun Patel and Karin Davis
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Student Chad Brantley
Patty McGahee and her husband Willie McGahee,
Assistant Environmental Services Manager
Georgia Health Sciences University
Patient Care Coordinator Anne McGowan (left) and Jennifer McNeill,
Director of Patient Services
Mayor’s Assistant Karyn Nixon, Mayor Deke Copenhaver and City Administrator Fred Russell
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COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN/DISCOVERYOFLIGHT.COM
College of Dental Medicine
The centerpiece of the new building’s lobby
is a hanging three-tier mosaic sculpture by
Augusta artist Paul Pearman.
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State-of-the-art clinical space
With 316 dental chairs, the building is one of the largest
clinical facilities in the nation. Its advanced simulation and
practice labs can accommodate 100 students at a time.
And its Class-C operating room and recovery unit will make
the college one of the few in the nation with an outpatient
surgical center. Amenities include a “kid-friendly”
pediatrics area, all-new equipment and increased patient
parking space.
Georgia Health Sciences University
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COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN/DISCOVERYOFLIGHT.COM

College of Dental Medicine
FALL/WINTER 11
11

12 word of MOUTH

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Architect: Lord, Aeck & Sargent
Contractor: BE&K Building Group
Project Management: Gleeds USA
$77.5 million: Construction value
549: Days of construction
1.68 acres: Building footprint
56,030 square feet: Amount of exterior brick
146,596 square feet: Amount of exterior glass
22,128 square feet: Amount of interior glass
5: Number of floors
269,133 square feet: Total floor space
74,448 square feet: Carpeted floor space
19,680 square feet: Tiled floor space
590,000 square feet: Total insulation
294 miles: Electrical wiring
4,349: Light fixtures
3,500: Light switches
2,484: Sprinkler heads
785: Doors
316: Dental chairs
270: Glove dispensers
75: Clocks
At a
Glance
42: Fire extinguishers
COURTESY JASON CHRISTENSEN
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Tribute to Gilbert
Former Gilbert Manor housing complex
The new College of Dental
Medicine building is located at
1430 John Wesley Gilbert Drive on
a 15-acre site that was home to
the Gilbert Manor public housing
complex from 1941-2008.
Georgia Health Sciences
University has previously
announced plans to build a tribute
to the property’s namesake to give
thanks to Augusta city officials and the former residents of Gilbert
Manor who helped make the land available for university expansion.
A committee of university officials and community leaders have
been formed to conceptualize the memorial to Gilbert, which will
be built from bricks and granite
salvaged during the property’s
demolition. The university
acquired the property from the
Augusta Housing Authority through
a $10 million contribution from the
Augusta Commission.
Gilbert (1864-1923) was a noted African-American teacher,
administrator and classical scholar. Paine College’s Gilbert-Lambuth
Memorial Chapel, built in 1968, is partly named in his honor. n
Georgia Health Sciences University
June 8, 2009
July 14, 2010
April 19, 2011
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COURTESY CHRIS THELEN
College of Dental Medicine
SPRING/SUMMER 11
June 17, 2010
Aug. 6, 2009 Sept. 30, 2009
Jan. 25, 2010
Worth the Wait!
Sept. 23, 2011
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S t u d e n t B I T E S
Mercy Mission
College of Dental Medicine students, residents and
faculty were part of a 1,500-member volunteer team
that provided free dental care to nearly 2,200 indigent
Georgians at the inaugural Georgia Mission of Mercy
two-day event in Woodstock, Ga., in August.
The event, organized through the Georgia Dental
Association and the First Baptist Church of Woodstock,
provided an estimated $1.5 million worth of cleanings,
fillings, extractions, limited root canal therapy and lab
procedures.
Community volunteers assisted with child care,
clinic set-up and tear-down, entertainment, office
services, parking, security, translation, hospitality and
trash removal. The event was attended by several
state legislators and Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal.
It was also featured on Atlanta-area network television
affiliates as well as nationally on The Today Show and
The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.
“Since Georgia Mission of Mercy’s conclusion, emails
from patients and people around the country expressing
gratitude for this initiative have poured into the GDA
office,” said GDA President Dr. Michael O. Vernon (’77).
COURTESY JONATHAN BULLARD
Georgia Health Sciences University
GHSU College of Dental Medicine students Brian (left) and Ken (right)
Sellers take a break from their volunteer duties with Dr. William Bennett
(’10) at the Georgia Mission of Mercy event in Woodstock, Ga.
Dr. Jonathan Bullard (’10) cares for a patient at the Georgia Mission of Mercy
event with April Lanier of Georgia Northwestern Technical College assisting.
COURTESY GDA
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College of Dental Medicine
COURTESY LINDSEY ANDERSON/BRITTANY WATERS
COURTESY DR. KATHARINE CIARROCCA
Running for the cause
College of Dental Medicine students
participated in the annual Give a Smile
5K Run-Walk in October. Students created
the Give a Smile Foundation in 2007 to
encourage patients in need of dental care to
seek treatment by offsetting a portion of the
cost. Students Stewart Helton and Bridget
Lyons had the fastest men’s and women’s
times with 16:42 and 16:44, respectively.
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Chinese students (from left) Weitao Ren, Jing Wang, Jing Zhang and Yueting Wang; and
GHSU dental faculty Drs. Carole Hanes, Philip Hanes and Franklin Tay; and students
Brett Burford, Jonathon Chang, Bradford Huffman, Destiny Foote, Jonathan Foote and
Melanie Tang
Cultural Exchange
Chinese dental students from Zhejiang University recently spent a
week observing College of Dental Medicine students and faculty as
part of an exchange program sponsored by the International College
of Dentists. The program at GHSU, coordinated by Dr. Franklin Tay,
Associate Professor of Endodontics, was started in 2008. During
the week, the visiting students joined their GHSU counterparts and
faculty members for a social get-together.
Serving those who served
The GHSU College of Dental Medicine joined the Charlie
Norwood VA Medical Center and various Augusta-area
community organizations in October to provide a one-stop
resource location for homeless veterans.
The Stand Down for the Homeless 2011 resource fair at the
Salvation Army’s Greene Street facility featured dental services
from GHSU volunteers as well as free food, haircuts, HIV and
blood pressure tests and flu vaccines. More than 300 people
received services during the daylong event.
Third-year dental student Dustin Kilby examines a patient at the
Stand Down for the Homeless 2011 resource fair.
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student
Out with the Old,
In with the New
BY ANNA K. SCHULTZ
Georgia Health Sciences University
is the longest distance between two places” – a clever reflection
from one of America’s greatest playwrights, Tennessee Williams.
“Time
Isn’t it true…time is the point of reference by which we measure
everything. Life is measured in years, holidays defined by months, schedules
are arranged to the day, and even the hour.
For GHSU dental students, our day-to-day experience is defined by various
classes, clinic sessions and – from time to time – a few long evenings in the
lab. And at mere months from graduation, I often find myself thinking back on
years past. Although it may not have seemed so long ago that I was preparing
my 10th crown on No. 3 in the lab (all the while thinking that I would end up
sitting in my patient’s lap before I was able to do anything with indirect vision),
or studying for what seemed like my 15th pharmacology test, these four years
have surely flown by.
I can confidently say I am a different person since starting dental school,
and one of the most rewarding experiences for me has been to see my
classmates grow along with me. As we have grown and developed, so has the
dental school.
Our class is distinctive in that we will be the first graduating class in our
new building. We have seen it all, because we have been there for it all. We
interviewed in our old building and spent countless hours in Room 1020. We
spent even more time in the third-floor simulation and dirty labs – where we
worked until close to midnight a few times getting those denture set-ups just
right, while ’80s music filled the space from our dusty black stereo system on
top of the supply cabinet.
The three years we spent in that building are full of memories for us, where
we were welcomed into a community made up of professors, administrators,
assistants, staff and fellow students. Our dental school experience has been
marked by that initial impression, but we have surely seen great changes during
the past few years.
I remember meeting over lunches to offer input on the design of the new
building in which we are now practicing. What an incredible facility! As my class
took our manikin boards in October, I couldn’t help but be thankful that my
handpiece was working, and my water unit never empty.
We are so blessed as a dental community, to be a part of something much
bigger than ourselves. This new building represents much more than hours of
planning and design, and months of construction; it represents a facility that
helps serve not only the local Augusta area, but also the state of Georgia at
large.
As our class prepares for graduation, we are making a transition as well –
one marked by time, and representative of our progression from dental students
to dental professionals. But as we make that transition, we also acknowledge
that as such, we are dedicated to a lifetime of active learning. And as we forge
onward, we will always remember where and with whom our dental educations
began and the building that served us so well those first few years.
Out with the old, in with the new – except for that dusty black stereo system
that’s found a new home in our senior dental lab and reminds me every day
how far we’ve come. n
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College of Dental Medicine
facultyBITES
n New Faculty
Dr. Christopher Cutler is Chairman of the
Department of Periodontics. Cutler was
previously Associate Dean for Research and
Professor in the Department of Periodontology
and Implant Dentistry at Stony Brook
University’s School of Dental Medicine in
New York. Cutler earned his Doctor of Dental
Surgery and Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Pathology
degrees at Emory University.
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Dr. James J. Cray Jr. is an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Oral Biology. He was
previously a postdoctoral research fellow at the
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s
Division of Plastic Surgery. His research
interests include craniofacial anomalies,
specifically craniosynostosis.
Dr. Brent Haeberle is an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation. He
earned his undergraduate degree from the
University of Kentucky and completed his
dental education at the University of Louisville
School of Dentistry.
Dr. Rick Halvorsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department
of General Dentistry. He earned his undergraduate degree at
Augusta State University and completed his dental education at
GHSU.
Dr. Robert B. Moss Jr. is an Assistant
Professor in the Department of Orthodontics.
He earned his undergraduate degree from
Georgia Southwestern State University and
completed his dental education at GHSU.
Dr. Emily L. Bundy is an Instructor in the
Department of Oral Biology. She earned
her undergraduate degree from Creighton
University and completed her dental education
at the University of Colorado School of Dental
Medicine.
Dr. Yosvany J. Vento is an Instructor in
the Department of Oral Rehabilitation.
He completed his dental education at the
Universidad Central de Este in the Dominican
Republic.
Dr. Mark (Hsien-Chung) Chiu has joined the
College of Dental Medicine Laboratory for Applied
Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration as a
Fellow. Chiu serves as an Assistant Professor at
the Department of Dentistry, National Defense
Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
n Awards and Announcements
Drs. Ulf M.E. Wikesjö and Cristiano
Susin received the American Academy
of Periodontology’s R. Earl Robinson
Periodontal Regeneration Award for the
study, “Periodontal healing following
reconstructive surgery: Effect of guided
tissue regeneration using a bioresorbable
barrier device when combined with
autogenous bone grafting. A randomizedcontrolled
trial 10-year follow-up.” Wikesjö
and Susin co-authored the article in the
Journal of Clinical Periodontology with
colleagues from the University of Oslo.
Drs. Worku Abebe
(clockwise from left),
Babak Baban, Ranjitha
Krishna and Mahmood
Mozaffari attended the
European Association for
Predictive, Preventative and
Personalised Medicine’s
World Congress in Bonn,
Germany. Abebe, Baban and
Krishna presented scientific
data while Mozaffari served
as a panelist.
Dr. Allison Hunter, Assistant Professor
in the Department of Oral Health and
Diagnostic Sciences, recently attended
the Summer Institute in Clinical Dental
Research Methods at the University of
Washington in Seattle.
Dr. Connie L. Drisko was named the Girl
Scouts of Historic Georgia’s Professional
Honoree at the 2011 Women of Distinction
awards event in Augusta.
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On Exhibit
The crowning achievement of the 2011
fiscal year was completion of the new
College of Dental Medicine building, but
equally impressive was the college’s
overall growth and performance during the
year. Enjoy some of the year’s highlights
while perusing the many works of art that
can be found in the new building.
First Home of the Dental School 1969-1971 School of Dentistry 1971-2011
Dentistry building series, by student Ben Popple, donated by artist
’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11
ANNUAL
REPORT
2011
A LOOK AT OUR FINE ART AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
E N R O L L M E N T
In 2011, more students were accepted
into the freshman class than previous
years, giving us the largest number of
enrolled students ever.
248
251
245
264
281
63 66 65 70 80
TOTAL STUDENTS
FRESHMAN
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Drill Team, by ShoBodon,
donated by Dr. Connie Drisko
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’07
$1,325,594
121 students
$10,955 per student
Workers attempted to save as many
existing trees as possible during
construction of the new building at the
former Gilbert Manor site. Construction
crews were disappointed that one large
oak tree, in particular, could not be
saved. After felling the tree, workers cut
it into firewood for donation to needy
families in nearby neighborhoods and
had artist Phillip Pohlman carve a tooth
out of a remaining piece that is on
display in the first-floor lobby.
REVENUE: STUDENT CLINICS
’08
$1,378,047
124 students
$11,113 per student
Current College of Dental Medicine 2011
’09
$1,388,905
124 students
$11,201 per student
’10
$1,488,401
123 students
$12,101 per student
PATIENT:
VISITS/PROCEDURES
In ’11: 66,790 / 111,514
In ’06: 55,636 / 84,885
Perfect Relationship, by Ana Thompson,
donated by Dr. Barry and Kathryn Bennett
’11
$1,643,557
127 students
$12,942 per student
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$6,248,254
Georgia Health Sciences University
R E V E N U E : A L L C L I N I C S
’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11
View from Rialto, by Joe Wolff, donated by artist
Untitled, by Dr. John Uetsuki, donated by artist
$10,492,091
Clinic revenue from all sources
continued to grow
FACULTY
RESIDENTS
STUDENTS
S T U D E N T
R E S E A R C H
Student co-authorship on scientific publications
and research abstracts increased
12
16
12
19
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’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11
Pinocchio’s Magical Adventure, by Tom duBois,
Disney Discovery Collection No. 4, donated by Rhonda Graybeal
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College of Dental Medicine
2012 GOALS
n Raise at least $1 million in gifts and pledges
n Grow CDM Alumni Association by 5%
n Create and meet semi-annually with
CDM Board of Visitors
n Increase number of dental faculty in leadership
positions throughout the university, community,
state and national organizations/institutes
by 10%
n Increase total National Institutes of Health
funding by 5%
n Implement leadership/plan for oral
public health collaboration
n Occupy renovated/new research space
n Continue to plan for Education Commons building
n Increase margin generation for fiscal
sustainability and growth by 2%
n Increase total patient visits by 5%
n Plan clinical site in Atlanta with extramural
residency training programs
n Increase qualified diverse applicants
and enrollees for pre-doctoral
and residency programs by 2%
n Increase mobile curriculum for all
core courses by 10% n
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A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 1
Missing Orange Series: Cure, by Dr. Ricardo Azziz, donated by artist
Looking Up In Rain, by Dr. Myles Williams, donated by artist
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Georgia Health Sciences University
On a Mission
BY SHARRON WALLS
Team provides dental care to remote area of Chile
Drs. Ben Lyons (left) and
Michael Pruett share a
smile with one of their
Chilean patients.
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COURTESY DRS. BROOKE LOFTIS ELMORE AND MICHAEL PRUETT
College of Dental Medicine
She had been carrying around the dentigram card for five years. It listed
the numerous dental procedures the Chilean woman needed. With each visit
to the dentist, one restoration or procedure would be checked off. Just one.
Then she would wait for her turn to come around again, perhaps another
year, before the next procedure would be done.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Dr. Michael Pruett of his visit to the
Los Lagos region of southern Chile. “These are areas way off in the woods,
with only one dentist available to go around to all these sites.”
In Los Muermos, a Chilean
municipality of 17,000, dental care is
extremely limited, especially in the rural
areas, where two-thirds of the population
lives.
“She was so excited,” Pruett said of
his patient. “She handed me her card and
said, ‘Look! You have finished me up.’”
Pruett, Director of General Practice
Residency and Assistant Professor of
Oral Rehabilitation at the Georgia Health
Sciences University College of Dental
Medicine, was part of a 10-person
mission team from Augusta that treated
more than 250 Chileans in just four days
during the spring, providing an estimated
$150,000 worth of dental care. And they
did it with only six dental chairs in five
locations.
From their home base in Los Muermos,
where two mobile clinics were stationed
to perform root canals and extractions,
teams traveled an hour and a half each
day over dirt roads to reach patients in the
tiny hamlets of Estaquilla, Cumbre and
Los Piques, practicing in little huts heated
by wood-burning stoves and mobile vans
the size of UPS trucks. Some patients
rode up on horseback.
continued
FALL/WINTER 11
Drs. Misha Ghazarian
(right) and Jason Hamilton
inside the mobile clinic
(top) and out.
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“We had guys sitting with their legs on
either side of the chair because they didn’t
want their spurs to cut our dental chair,”
said Dr. Andrew Currie, one of six GHSU
residents on the trip. “There are families
out in the valleys, walking with their team
of oxen. These folks are out in the middle
of nowhere, where a tooth abscess can kill
you, with no access to care and no money
to pay for it when they do get it.”
Dr. Brooke Loftis Elmore, GHSU Director
of Advanced Education in General Dentistry
and Instructor of Oral Rehabilitation, could
attest to the challenging conditions.
“We blew our air compressor and
generator three times the first day,” she
said. “They drilled a hole in the floor and
ran the cords outside to the compressor
in a lean-to shanty and we ran all our
equipment through that. There was a hole
in the floor and it was 40 degrees, so we
had to bundle up to keep warm.”
Borrowed equipment from Los Muermos’
primary health care center had to be
returned each night for sterilization. Without
dental assistants, the faculty and residents
assisted each other.
Chilean dental students from the
Universidad de Concepción and Universidad
Austral in central and southern Chile served
as translators while learning about dental
techniques and materials with which they
were unfamiliar.
Sometimes working into the night, the
American dentists dealt with whatever
came their way, whether it was a simple
restoration, a complicated extraction or the
removal of a cyst from a patient’s cheek.
“These people have been on waiting lists
for two or three years to have one tooth
pulled,” Currie said. “Or maybe they needed
three fillings, and two years later when
those fillings still haven’t been done, now
they need two extractions and a root canal
instead.”
Whatever their need, the people came
and waited patiently to be seen.
“We had one patient with three
extractions and eight fillings done all in one
sitting,” said Elmore. “The patients just
sit quietly and never flinch. They are so
humble, so friendly, so gracious.”
The trip, the first dental mission to the
area, was organized through First Baptist
Church of Augusta, which had previously
sent medical mission teams to the region.
Pruett, a member of the church, worked
with Associate Pastor Rodger Murchison,
whose daughter and son-in-law are
missionaries in the district, and College
of Dental Medicine alumnus Dr. Douglas
Clepper to coordinate the collection of
supplies for the trip.
Area dentists and dental supply
companies donated everything from
basic supplies such as goggles, gauze
and gloves, to anesthesia and composite
resins. Travel expenses were paid for by
GHSU alumni and supporters.
On the last day, the Chileans expressed
their gratitude to the team with a
ceremony and presentation of handcarved
wooden plaques to each member.
“I think we have an open invitation to
come back and do it again.” Pruett said.
“We are definitely talking about it.” n
Awaiting departure: Drs. Jason Hamilton (from left),
Doug Clepper, Michael Pruett, Adrienne Wimbrow,
Misha Ghazarian, Andrew Currie, Brooke Loftis Elmore,
Connie Drisko, Beth Rainwater, Philip Kraver,
Ben Lyons and Sharla Bush
SHARRON WALLS
Georgia Health Sciences University
word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine
GHSU-affiliated dental mission trips
are many, with students, faculty and
alumni volunteering their skills worldwide
in locations such as Ecuador, Bulgaria,
Trinidad, Mexico and Peru, where the
college has a permanent clinic.
This year alone, in addition to the
Chilean trip, Dr. Kevin Frazier, Vice
President for Student Services and
Development and Associate Professor of
Los Muermos team members
GHSU faculty
Dr. Michael Pruett,
Director of General Practice Residency and
Assistant Professor of Oral Rehabilitation
Dr. Brooke Loftis Elmore, Director of
Advanced Education in General Dentistry and
Instructor of Oral Rehabilitation
Dr. Andrew J. (Josh) Hamilton, part-time
GPR and AEGD faculty
FALL/WINTER 11
Rehabilitation, led a second group that
included GHSU students and alumni to
Braila, Romania.
Dr. Allen Braselton, Assistant
Professor of Oral Rehabilitation, took a
Medical Campus Outreach group to the
Amazon River in Peru for the third time.
And Dr. Ken McMillan, Clinical Assistant
Professor, led a group of six students to
Piedras Negras, Mexico.
GHSU residents
Dr. Sharla Bush
Dr. Andrew Currie
Dr. Misha Ghazarian
Dr. Ben Lyons
Dr. Beth Rainwater
Dr. Adrienne Wimbrow
Others
Dr. William Trotter, private-practice
oral surgeon
Rev. Andrew Jones, Minister of
Missions and Faith, First Baptist Church
In Peru, senior dental student Perrice Murray
(from left), Dr. Will Smalley (’10), Dr. Allen
Braselton and junior dental student Jessica Brown
(in background) assist a young patient.
Dr. Paul Mitrofan (’02) treats a patient in
Romania, assisted by Jaclyn Frazier.
Rebecca Hughes (left), a translator and volunteer, and
Dr. Beth Rainwater work together with a patient.
COURTESY DR. ALLEN BRASELTON
COURTESY DR. KEVIN FRAZIER
27

COURTESY US ARMY
Georgia Health Sciences University
Black
BY STACEY HUDSON
28 word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine
Hawks Rising
First
F
Before dental school,
two students piloted helicopters
in Iraq and Afghanistan
FALL/WINTER 11
Lt. Walt Green raced his Black Hawk
helicopter through the Iraqi night toward the
source of a distress call he was answering. All the
platoon leader knew was that a roadside improvised
explosive device had shattered a company of
traveling humvees.
Green and a second Black Hawk pilot surveyed
the scene as small arms fire rained down on the
blast radius from a nearby village. Two vehicles lay
in pieces and smoke rose into the starry sky. Soldiers
were hurt, but the rocky
landscape in the northern
Iraq province of Sinjar
provided little coverage to
land and load.
Using the region’s
sandy soil to their
advantage, Green’s
counterpart positioned his
bird between the hostile
town and the downed
unit. His blades twisted
a tornado of sand and
dirt into the air, creating
a natural smokescreen so
the soldiers could load
their wounded. Green
navigated the village
perimeter, drawing fire
away from the scene of
the disaster.
Protected by an
armored seat and side
panels, Green wasn’t
concerned about the
small arms fire; bullets
bounced off the Black
Hawk like acorns off a
trampoline. Explosives
were another story.
continued
Walt Green
29

30
Good pilots had been brought down by lucky shots from
untrained militants.
Green, now a second-year student in the College of
Dental Medicine, covered the medivac’s tail as it took off
with the wounded.
“Just then, a rocket-propelled grenade fired and flew
right between his tail and my nose,” Green recalled of the
incident in 2003.
The insurgents’ missed shot revealed their position,
allowing his door gunners to take them out of
commission.
PERIL AND EXCITEMENT
About 2,000 miles away in Afghanistan, Capt.
Kevin Wiman was trying to land his Black Hawk on a
mountaintop. The margin of error was miniscule; if he
landed short, he’d crash into the mountain, an overflight
would send him over the side of a cliff.
Kevin Wiman
Such are the perils – and excitement – of flying in one
of the world’s most rugged and dangerous places.
“Flying was a blast over there – racing it over a
mountaintop and letting it drop as fast as you can,
then following a river through the valley,” Wiman said.
“Afghanistan has a lot of natural beauty.”
The Black Hawk, known as the UH-60, is the Army’s
work-horse helicopter, serving a multi-purpose role
between the slow but heavy-lifting Chinook CH-47 and
the nimble Apache AH-64 attack helicopter.
“One day I might fly a generator to an outpost,”
Green said. “The next day I might fly a colonel to meet
different religious and political leaders. Or I could be
running combat missions to find an insurgent – take four
helicopters, box off the town and go door-to-door.”
Green, an Augusta native, once flew then-Secretary of
State Colin Powell on a diplomatic mission in northern
Iraq.
“People think of firefights when you say you went to
war in Iraq. But a lot of times, you’re doing something
“The odds are tremendously small that I would
find another Army aviator in my class, let alone
someone who flew that exact same aircraft.”
–KEVIN WIMAN
Georgia Health Sciences University
like hanging out with some sheik, finding out what his
town needs and trying to get it for him.”
It was a difficult and challenging role – especially for
a 23-year-old. After graduating in 2001 from Vanderbilt
University with a degree in history, Green started his fouryear
ROTC commitment at the U.S. Army Flight School at
Fort Rucker, Ala. He then received advanced training at
Fort Campbell, Ky., before being deployed to Iraq, where
he oversaw 56 soldiers and 14 aircraft as platoon leader.
Wiman, also a second-year dental student, graduated
from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in
2003 and also went to flight school at Fort Rucker. He
chose Special Forces training at Fort Bragg, N.C., then
completed the U.S. Army Pathfinder Course to learn
how to plan and execute airborne operations. He was
promoted to Company Commander, overseeing hundreds
of soldiers in several platoons.
But the former Eagle Scout and New Jersey native still
wanted to be in the pilot’s seat. So he worked his way
word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine
over to Flight Platoon Leader and ended up in one of only
two Black Hawk companies in all of eastern Afghanistan.
“I’ve never worked so hard in my life. I flew about 400
hours in six months,” he said. “After that, everything else
in life you take with a grain of salt. You don’t stress out
about anything.”
In a class of 70 students, it’s a unique coincidence
that Green and Wiman would share such an uncommon
background.
“The odds are tremendously small that I would find
another Army aviator in my class, let alone someone who
flew that exact same aircraft,” Wiman said.
FUTURE PLANS
Green and Wiman’s military experience contributed to
their choice of professions.
“I found the military rewarding,” Wiman said. “But I
would rather have had a more direct hand in helping the
wounded. That’s one of the reasons I started considering
medical or dental school.”
He left the Army for the Navy’s education program,
the Health Services Collegiate Program, and although
he’s a native northeasterner, he chose Georgia Health
Sciences partially because he loves the South’s climate.
“Going into dentistry is a more radical shift in my
comfort zone than shifting between branches of the
military,” Wiman said. His wife, Daniela, a dental hygiene
student, have two children together: a 3-year-old son,
Gabriel, and a daughter, Isabella, born in September.
Wiman will be committed to seven years in the Navy
when he graduates. He plans to stay in the Navy until
he reaches retirement (he’ll be 42 by then), then open a
private practice.
For Green, health care runs in his family – his parents,
Charles and Peggy, are Augusta physicians and Medical
College of Georgia graduates (classes of 1974 and 1973,
respectively). And Green’s wife, Mary Kate, is a first-year
physician assistant student at Georgia Health Sciences
University.
After returning from his deployment, he started taking
prerequisite classes at Augusta State University and
shadowed area dentists, including family friend Dr. J.
Benjamin Deal (’74).
“The example he set as my childhood dentist stuck
with me,” said Green, who plans to go into private
practice when he graduates. n
FALL/WINTER 11
Black Hawk – At a Glance
Entered service: 1979
Manufacturers: United Technologies of Stratford, Conn.;
General Electric, Lynn, Mass.
Crew: 4 (2 pilots; 2 crew chiefs/gunners)
Capacity: 2,640 pounds (11 combat-equipped troops)
Cruising speed: 173 mph
Mission: Provide general support, medical evacuation, command
and control, air assault and special operations support
Overview: With its troop capacity and cargo lift capability,
the versatile Black Hawk has enhanced the overall mobility
of the Army while providing agile support on the battlefield in
most weather conditions. Its critical components and systems
are armored or redundant, and its airframe is designed to
progressively crush on impact to protect the crew and passengers.
31

D E V E L O P M E N T
We’re In! Thank You!
Without the support of countless
alumni, friends, foundations and dental
organizations, the realization of opening
our new College of Dental Medicine
would not have been possible.
The generosity of Georgia’s dentists
and the entire oral health profession
helped us top our fundraising goal
– and we’re still climbing. Outright
contributions, pledges, gifts in kind and
numerous donations of equipment made
this a successful effort.
The list below recognizes the many
contributors to the More Than a Building
If you would like to invest in the future of
the College of Dental Medicine, please call
the Development Office at 706-721-3073 or
learn more at the Georgia Health Sciences
Foundation website at www.gahsf.org.
campaign. Every effort has been made to
recognize those who made a gift at the
$1,000 level and above. If your name
has been inadvertently omitted from
the list, please contact us and we will
correct the error.
If you were unable to attend the
grand opening activities in September,
you owe it to yourself to visit the new
school.
You will be amazed at your new
College of Dental Medicine.
Georgia Health Sciences University
32 word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine
$10 Million and still growing
$3,000,000
The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Inc.
$1,000,000
Dr. Emile Fisher
Dental Practice Group, GHSU College of Dental Medicine
$100, 000 - $250,000
Dr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Goldstein
Dr. Jeannie Harris Moran (’75)
Dr. Louvenia A. Rainge (’90)
Dr. George N. Snelling III (’75)
Dr. Joe and Mrs. Sharon Chafin (’81)
Dr. Walter E. Stewart and Mrs. Walter E. Stewart
Dr. Melisa A. Rathburn-Stewart and Dr. Michael B. Stewart
SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundation - Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust
The Tull Charitable Foundation
$50,000 - $99,999
Georgia Dental Association
Dr. George MacMaster (’86)
Dr. Kathy M. and Mr. Thomas Brittingham (’83)
Dr. Jimmy and Mrs. Wendy Cassidy (’83)
Drs. Connie L. and Richard R. Drisko
Dr. and Mrs. Alec Nazih Elchahal (’95)
Drs. Allen French (’81) and Ginger Kirkland (’87) R.D.H.
Dr. Aubrey F. Hedrick Jr. (’77)
Dr. Wayne Hester (’81)
Dr. Isaac and Mrs. Joanne Holton Jr. (’76)
Dr. Paul Isler and Mrs. Martha Isler
Dr. David and Elizabeth Perry (’84)
Dr. R. Steven Powell (’81) and Mrs. Deborah Taylor Powell (’80) R.D.H.
Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Rogers
Dr. Marie Schweinebraten and Dr. Chris McFarland (’79)
Dr. Karyn L. Stockwell (’82)
Dr. and Mrs. T. Barrett Trotter (’73)
Atlanta Dental Study Group
Georgia Academy of General Dentistry
Georgia Society of Periodontists
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Alumni Association
$25,000 - $49,999
Dr. G. Blake Collins (’95)
Drs. Hugh and Anne Mazzawi
Dr. Dave C. and Cheryl S. Lee (’83)
Drs. James and Elaine Whitney
Mrs. Jean C. Hickey
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2014
Dr. William V. Argo (’82)
Dr. Leon and Mrs. Barbara Aronson
Dr. David Brantley (’85)
Dr. Henry L. Diversi
Dr. Edward J. and Mrs. Lorraine Green (’83)
Drs. Ken and Carol Leggett (’87)
Dr. Thomas R. McDonald (’83)
Dr. Scott T. McPherson
Dr. Edward H. and Mrs. Nancy Mohme (’81)
Dr. J. Gregory Morris (’93)
Dr. Robert and Marianne C. Moss (’80)
FALL/WINTER 11
Dr. David Pumphrey and Mrs. Christine Pumphrey
Dr. Stanley D. Satterfield (’77)
Dr. Novy and Mr. Mark Scheinfeld
Dr. Jennifer Diversi Thompson (’87)
Dr. Mollie Winston and Dr. Greg Marks
Atlanta Business Bank
D.D.S. Staffing
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2012
Ms. Rhonda Mullins/Vista Pro Consulting
Willeford Group CPA, PC
$10,000 - $24,999
Alliance of the Georgia Dental Association
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1976
Dr. J Alex and Mrs. Sandra Bell (’82)
Dr. Daniel and Dr. Becky Carlon
Dr. Emmanuel C. Ngoh (’94)
Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society
Dr. Gordon L. Brady (’76)
Dr. Ben W. Jernigan Jr. (’76)
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1986
AFTCO Associates
Dr. and Mrs. William W. Clance Jr. (’80)
Dr. and Mrs. James W. Holland Jr.
Dr. Edwin M. Richardson (’85) and Mrs. Patricia Richardson (’83) R.D.H.
Dr. Grant and Mrs. Shuishan Loo (’90)
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1981
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1983
Dr. Bruce Ashendorf (’81)
Dr. Terry N. Tumlin (’81)
Dr. Patrick W. Powell (’87)
Dr. Michael R. Worthy (’80)
Aegis Publications
Dr. Kenneth K. Hutchinson (’82)
Dr. Kent C. Simmons and Mrs. Susan Simmons
Dr. and Mrs. Doug Clepper (’73)
Dr. William T. Calhoun
Drs. Frank and Gretchen Caughman
Dr. Barry D. Cohen
Dr. Amanda W. Conti
Mr. Dale and Mrs. Pam Crail
Dr. F. Brent Davis (’90)
Dr. Kathryn R. Freedman (’01)
Dr. and Mrs. Steven R. Goldberg
Dr. James A. Granade Jr.
Drs. Philip and Carole Hanes
Dr. and Mrs. John E. Horvath
Dr. T. Howard Jones
Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Jordan (’86)
Dr. Victor A. and Mrs. Beth Koehler (’74)
Dr. James Matthew and Mrs. Leigh Anne Mazzawi (’98)
Dr. Ben Z. Mibab
Dr. Paul E. Pafford (’76)
Dr. Edward S. Parker (’95)
Drs. Gerald (’82) and Candace Rausch (’83)
Dr. Mark A. Retterbush (’83)
Dr. Mark S. and Kathy Ritz
Dr. Michael B. Rogers (’73)
Dr. Thomas & Louis Shelton (’94)
Dr. Mark Shurett
Drs. Matt (’85) and Page Smith (’86)
Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Sugarman
Dr. Steven B. Turner (’77)
Drs. Richard (’76) and Rebecca Weinman
Dr. Tyjuan M. Williams (’08)
Mrs. Gwen Fulcher Young
American Dental Association/ADA Foundation
Georgia Academy of Dental Practice
Georgia Society of Periodontists
GHSU College of Dental Medicine Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
College of Dental Medicine Class of 2010
$5,000 - $9,999
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1974
Mr. Don Waters
Oral Surgery Associates
Dr. Janine J. Bethea
Dr. and Mrs. N. Tyrus Ivey
Dr. Robert J. Michelich
Eastern District Dental Society
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Ellis
Dr. Lindsay Holliday (’83)
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1980
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1997
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1977
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1991
Dr. Donald F. Brown
Dr. and Mrs. Clayton R. Davis (’80)
Dr. Renee B. Parrish (’91)
Dr. Michael O. Vernon (’77)
Dr. Jeremy R. and Anna Ward (’97)
Dr. Lee House Baker Sr.
Dr. Andrew R. Allgood (’73)
Dr. and Mrs. Lewis L. Brown
Dr. James R. Collins (’76)
Dr. Douglas E. Cleveland
Dr. John W. Dickey (’81)
Dr. Timothy and Tammy Fussell (’87)
Dr. Varnell Gaines (’78)
Dr. Erica Greene (’06)
Dr. Greg and Julie Griffin (’98)
Dr. James E. Haddad Jr
Dr. John F. Harrington Jr.
Dr. Larry G. Hubbard
Dr. Robert W. Johnson (’82)
Dr. Philip E. Koch (’77)
Dr. Richard B. Liipfert (’85)
Dr. Dale Madson (’76)
Dr. and Mrs. Ronnie E. Mobley (’74)
Dr. Nooredin K. Nurani (’90)
Dr. David Owings
Dr. Robin S. Reich
Dr. Robert H. Smith
Dr. Fionn Thomas (’00)
Dr. John W. Vollenweider (’78)
Dr. Janice Wilmot (’86)
College of Dental Medicine Class of 1985
New Hampshire Dental Society
Northern District Dental Society
Northwest District Dental Society
33

$1,000 - $4,999
$4,600 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1989
$4,500 Dr. Laney E. Smith (’97)
$4,500 Western District Dental Society
$4,000 Dr. Ralph Cohen (’74)
$4,000 Dr. Brian Womble (’80)
$4,000 Dr. Patrick H. Yancey III (’87)
$4,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1978
$4,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1987
$4,000 Southwestern District Dental Association
$3,550 Dr. Pat Patterson
$3,500 Dr. Vernon Greene Jr. (’74)
$3,300 Dr. Glenn Sosebee (’91)
$3,250 Seattle Study Club of Atlanta
$3,200 Dr. David R. Myers
$3,127 Dr. Philip L. Hooton (’81)
$3,000 Dr. Susan J. Baker (’85)
$3,000 Mr. Mohammad R. Esfandiarinia
$3,000 Dr. Wayne W. Herman
$3,000 Dr. Judson Hickey (‘80)
$3,000 Dr. Douglas and Mrs. Reeda Katz (’80)
$3,000 Dr. Felix Maher (’91)
$3,000 Dr. and Mrs. H. Edward Paris Jr.
$3,000 Mr. and Mrs. David Rainwater
$3,000 Dr. Gino Saponari (’96)
$3,000 Dr. Richard K. Straus (’84) and Mrs. Julie B. Straus R.D.H (’85)
$2,750 Dr. Phillip H. Durden IV (’89)
$2,700 Dr. James B. Hall
$2,500 Dr. Richard G. Bennett Jr (’98)
$2,500 Dr. Kevin B. Frazier
$2,500 Dr. Bradley Greenway
$2,500 Dr. Brad Lipham and Mrs. Amy Stevens Lipham R.D.H. (’94) (’92)
$2,500 Dr. Mehrdod Parsa (’91)
$2,500 Dr. Sergio J. Pausa (’89)
$2,500 Dr. James Quarles
$2,500 Dr. Marvin Winter
$2,500 Georgia Dental Society
$2,500 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1975
$2,500 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1988
$2,500 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1998
$2,500 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 2011
$2,500 Southeastern District Dental Society
$2,400 Dr. James W. Dougherty
$2,100 Dr. Marilyn S. Gaylor
$2,100 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1982
$2,050 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1992
$2,000 Dr. Melvin O. Baker (’74)
$2,000 Dr. Cecil B. Bray III (’83) and Dr. Sally Young (’84)
$2,000 Dr. Charles W. Brunson Jr. (’80)
$2,000 Dr. Vincent M. Carey (’91)
$2,000 Ms. Tina Carter
$2,000 Dr. Jeffrey A. Cauley
$2,000 Dr. Celia P. Dunn (’90)
$2,000 Dr. Andrea M. Garmon (’89)
$2,000 Dr. Gary A. Lewis (’77)
$2,000 Dr. Marlon E. Murrell (’74)
$2,000 Dr. Patricia E. Noland (’91)
$2,000 Drs. David and Edna Pashley (’78)
$2,000 Dr. L. Travis Smith (’74)
$2,000 Dr. Curtis M. Standish (’81)
$2,000 Dr. George W. Thomas
$2,000 Dr. Cameron Michael Wimpy (’82)
$2,000 Cherokee Study Club
$2,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1973
$2,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1996
$2,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 2001
$2,000 Scientific Voice
$1,700 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 2002
$1,500 Dr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Adams (’83)
$1,500 Dr. Max J. Cohen
$1,500 Dr. Richard S. Callan (’83)
$1,500 Dr. and Mrs. L. Maxwell Ferguson
$1,500 Dr. Wade B. Hammer
$1,500 Dr. Edward Kelly and Rita Kelly
$1,500 Dr. H. Jeffrey Lindsey (’84)
$1,500 Mr. Monal Patel
$1,500 Dr. Ronald K. Reagin Jr (’02)
$1,500 American College of Prosthodontists – Georgia Section
$1,500 MCG Department of Dental Hygiene Faculty and Staff
$1,500 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 2006
$1,400 Dr. Kenneth H. Farrar (’80)
$1,250 Dr. Roberta C. Cann (’83)
$1,200 Dr. Jimmy S. Balkcom(’78)
$1,200 Dr. Dara Barron (’92)
$1,200 Dr. Jacqueline Michelle Malone (’96)
$1,200 Dr. Bonita Richter (’96)
$1,200 Dr. Shurlang Yen (’96)
$1,100 Dr. Richardson M. Odum (’85)
$1,100 MCG School of Allied Health, Dental Hygiene Class of 2010
$1,100 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1984
$1,100 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1999
$1,075 Reserve Officers Association, Department of Georgia
$1,030 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1995
$1,000 Dr. Robert Ackerman (’73)
$1,000 Dr. Richard C. Anderson (’83)
$1,000 Dr. Stan J. Anderson (’74)
$1,000 Dr. Hal N. Arnold (’84)
$1,000 Dr. Charles E. Barber (’01)
$1,000 Dr. Sidney M. Baggett (’87)
$1,000 Dr. Rodrick L. Barden (’96)
$1,000 Dr. Raymond Barnum (’75)
$1,000 Dr. B. David Barrett
$1,000 Dr. Jack A. Belll
$1,000 Dr. Lee A. Bell Sr (’73)
$1,000 Dr. Lex Belyeu
$1,000 Dr. Emmett Black (’73)
$1,000 Dr. John S. Blalock (’97)
$1,000 Dr. Jim Boyle (’77)
$1,000 Dr. Jimmy L. Brock (’76)
$1,000 Dr. Ronald L. Burton (’78)
$1,000 Dr. J. David Carson (’77 Med)
$1,000 Dr. Sam L. Castillo (’88)
$1,000 Dr. Ron Cavola and Debi Cavola
$1,000 Dr. Gerald J. Chiche
$1,000 Dr. Jason C. Croft (’07)
$1,000 Dr. and Mrs. Keith Crummey (’84)
$1,000 Dr. Charles E. Dameron Jr. (’98)
$1,000 Dr. J. Benjamin Deal (’74)
$1,000 Dr. John K. Dooley
$1,000 Dr. Joseph R. Dromsky (’88)
$1,000 Dr. Herman A. Elder (’73)
$1,000 Dr. C. Weldon Elrod (’77)
$1,000 Dr. James Fagan III (’81)
$1,000 Dr. James Farmer (’88)
$1,000 Dr. John H. Ferguson
$1,000 Dr. Craig N. Fievet (’77)
Georgia Health Sciences University
$1,000 Dr. James B. Finch (’74)
$1,000 Dr. Brad Ford (’78)
$1,000 Dr. Mark Garfunkel (’75)
$1,000 Dr. James A. Granade III (’95)
$1,000 Dr. Robert M. Gray (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Walter K. Hudson (’90)
$1,000 Dr. Carroll Hughes
$1,000 Dr. Mildred M. “Mili” Hunt (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Mark Ingram (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Sherida Jacobs (’97)
$1,000 Dr. Kenneth E. Kay (’87)
$1,000 Dr. James G. Keagle
$1,000 Ms. Julie Kerlin
$1,000 Dr. Michael Kinsley (’87)
$1,000 Dr. Kevin and Lisa Kirkland (’07)
$1,000 Dr. Malcolm Kling
$1,000 Dr. Thomas Lee (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Robert N. Lowe (’78)
$1,000 Dr. Carl Lockwood (’77)
$1,000 Dr. Lawrence E. Marable (’85)
$1,000 Dr. Dale Miles (’84)
$1,000 Dr. Nancy B. Napier (’89)
$1,000 Dr. Donald B. Nelson Sr. (’74)
$1,000 Dr. Norris L. O’Dell (’75)
$1,000 Dr. Erick Pagan (’91)
$1,000 Dr. Forest Pagett (’92)
$1,000 Dr. Rex Patterson
$1,000 Dr. J. Benjamin Patrick (’75)
$1,000 Dr. Michael K. Phelan (’86)
$1,000 Dr. Gail V. Plauka (’78)
$1,000 Dr. Bruce A. Preston (’90)
$1,000 Dr. Stanley Prince (’91)
$1,000 Dr. Hal S. Raper Jr.
$1,000 Dr. James Reynierson III
$1,000 Dr. Louis A. Riccardi
$1,000 Dr. Victor L. Riccardi
$1,000 Dr. Derek V. Schop (’95)
$1,000 Dr. Susan Sockwell (’92)
$1,000 Dr. Ronald C. Smiley (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Brian L. Smith (’01)
$1,000 Dr. Deena Holliman Smith (’87)
$1,000 Dr. Richard A. Smith
$1,000 Dr. James R. Smouse
$1,000 Dr. Rhoda Joyner Sword (’05)
$1,000 Dr. Patrick Toms (’96)
$1,000 Dr. Robert W. Vedder (’81)
$1,000 Dr. Paul Walls (’82)
$1,000 Dr. Jerry L. Williams (’86)
$1,000 Dr. Kenneth Wyatt (’99)
$1,000 American Association of Endodontists Foundation
$1,000 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
$1,000 American College of Dentists
$1,000 American Dental Political Action Committee
$1,000 Greater Columbia Dental Association
$1,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 1990
$1,000 MCG School of Dentistry Class of 2007
$1,000 Pierre Fauchard Academy
$1,000 Procter & Gamble
$1,000 The Dental A.R.T.S. Center
$1,000 West Georgia Dental Study Club
$1,000 Wilmer Eames Dental Study Club
34 word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine
alumniBITES Awards? Professional honors? Special activities? We would like to recognize you.
’77
Contact Publications Editor Damon Cline at 706-721-4706 or e-mail dcline@georgiahealth.edu.
Dr. Michael O. Vernon,
of Augusta, was recently installed as
the 143rd President of the Georgia
Dental Association. He practices
general dentistry as a partner in
Augusta Dental Associates. He
was honored as 2010 School of
Dentistry Distinguished Alumnus and is also a Fellow of
the American College of Dentists, International College of
Dentists and Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Vernon is an
Honorable Fellow of the GDA, a member of the Hinman
Dental Society and a Delegate to the American Dental
Association House of Delegates.
’84
Dr. Cary E. Goldstein
is serving as Local Arrangements Chairman for the
American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry. He recently
coordinated the academy’s meeting in Puerto Rico and
will oversee its Washington, D.C., meeting in 2013.
’92
’93
Dr. Angela Britt
has recently been accredited
by the American Academy of
Cosmetic Dentistry, one of 28
granted this designation earlier
this year. Dr. Britt recently
earned her fellowship at the Las
Vegas Institute for Advanced
Dental Studies. The Baxley, Ga.,
native has founded Exceptional
Dentistry of the Golden Isles in
Brunswick, Ga.
Dr. Angie Gribble Hedlund
has joined the faculty of the Dawson Academy, a provider
of dental continuing education, with concentrations
in occlusion, the temporomandibular joints and
comprehensive esthetic restorative dentistry. She
recently opened a solo practice, Esthetic Dental Solutions,
in Alpharetta, Ga., after practicing 16 years with Atlanta’s
Goldstein, Garber & Salama. She and her husband,
Richard, who completed his general practice residency at
GHSU in 1993, reside in Roswell with their two daughters.
FALL/WINTER 11
’99
Dr. Larry T. Weddle Jr.,
of Broomfield, Colo., was elected Secretary of the
Metropolitan Denver Dental Society, a component
of the American Dental Association that promotes
ethical dentistry practice and improvement of dental
care standards. He owns an orthodontic practice in
Westminster, Colo.
’08
Dr. Rebecca L. Martin,
of Savannah, Ga., recently joined Endodontic Associates
of Savannah. She is a member of the American
Association of Endodontics.
’09
Dr. Brent E. Herrin
recently joined Dentistry for Children and Adolescents as
a pediatric dentist. He previously worked for All American
Smile Center.
’11
Dr. William D. Moore,
of Madison, Ga., married GHSU College of Nursing
graduate Amber Forrester, also of Madison, on May 7.
Moore is employed with DuBose Family & Cosmetic
Dentistry in Monroe, Ga. Amber is employed by Georgia
Health Sciences as a Surgical ICU and Shock Trauma
nurse.
Dr. O. William Reeder Jr. (center) received the Louisiana
Dental Association’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award
for professional conduct and outstanding contributions
to organized dentistry. He received the award at the
association’s annual session from Dr. Kenneth Schott
(left) and Dr. Thomas Giacona (right). Reeder earned his
certificate in endodontics from GHSU in 1976.
Continuing Education 2012
These Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental
Medicine courses are accepted by the Academy of General
Dentistry for Fellowship/Mastership credit. The current term
of acceptance extends until Dec. 31, 2013.
IV Sedation
Jan. 11-Feb. 17, GHSU campus
Hands-on Implant Placement with Live Surgeries
TBA, GHSU campus
Goldstein Lecture Series
April 27, Augusta, Ga.
Saturday with the Faculty
April 28, GHSU campus
Clinical Advances in a Restorative Practice
May 26-28, Hilton Oceanfront Resort, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Clinical Anatomy of the Head and Neck
TBA, GHSU campus
Symposium on General Dentistry
July 1-7, King and Prince Beach Resort, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Dental Hygiene Symposium
July 20-22, Savannah Marriott, Savannah, Ga.
New Therapies and Current Controversies in Dentistry
July 27-29, Kiawah Island Resort, Charleston, S.C.
Specialize Your General Practice
Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Ga.
Pedo at the Beach
TBA, Hilton Oceanfront Resort, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Dental Update for the General Practitioner
Oct. 12-14, Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Ga.
Bleach at the Beach
TBA, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Last Chance CDE
TBA, GHSU campus
Register online at www.georgiahealth.edu/ce/dentalce/ or
contact the Division of Continuing Education at
800-221-6437 or 706-721-3967.
35

Save the Date
April 26-29, 2012
HOMECOMING 2012
Reconnect With Old Friends
See What’s Changed Around Campus
Join Us For Family-Friendly Fun
Can you help? It’s a snap!
Georgia Health Sciences University is creating a pictorial
directory that will serve as a timeless memento of your alma
mater. We need your help.
Please take a moment to compile your GHSU-related
photographs and submit them for possible inclusion in the
directory. The photos can be formal or informal, silly or
cerebral, reflecting on- or off-campus activities.
EMAIL
digital photos to:
cderiso@georgiahealth.edu
Smile!
Send us your photographs.
MAIL
You’ve just contributed to
GHSU’s historical archives.
All prints will be returned promptly in the condition in which they were
received. Be sure to include your contact information.
prints to:
Christine Deriso, AD-1108A,
Georgia Health Sciences University
Augusta GA 30912

A in History
www.georgiahealth.edu/dentalmedicine
GHSU President: Ricardo Azziz, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Dean, College of Dental Medicine: Connie Drisko, D.D.S.
Director of Publications: Jack Evans
College of Dental Medicine Publications Liaison: Donna Bellino
Editor: Damon Cline
Photographer: Phil Jones
Writers: Stacey Hudson and Sharron Walls
©2011 Georgia Health Sciences University
Dr. Judson C. Hickey, founding
Dean of the School of Dentistry,
exits the school’s then-new building
in this 1971 photo.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the GHSU College of
Dental Medicine is to educate dentists
in order to improve overall health and to
reduce the burden of illness on society
through the discovery and application of
knowledge that embraces craniofacial
health and disease prevention. Its vision
is to be a premier college of dentistry.
GHSU is an affirmative action/equal
opportunity educational institution that
prohibits discrimination on the basis
of age, disability, gender, national
origin, race, religion, sexual orientation
or status as a Vietnam War veteran.
The GHSU College of Dental Medicine
believes a diverse student body
enhances the educational opportunities
for all students and is beneficial to the
dental profession, the College of Dental
Medicine and the state of Georgia.

www.georgiahealth.edu/dentalmedicine
Advancement and Community Relations
1120 15th Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912
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FALL/WINTER 11
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Wrong address? Need to update your information?
Tell us by email at: updateinfo@georgiahealth.edu
Go online to: www.georgiahealth.edu/updateinfo
Or call us at: 706-721-4001
One of the most advanced sections
of the new College of Dental
Medicine building is its simulation
laboratory, the Thomas P. Hinman
Center for Lifelong Learning, which
can accommodate 100 students at
a time. The lab was made possible
through the generosity of the
Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society.