Summer 2011 - College of Dental Medicine - Columbia University

CDM students and faculty begin an oral health care mission withSomos Amigos in the mountains of the Dominican Republic.

Enhanced OptionsIn Oral Health Care«6 primus primus | |SUMMERSUMMER201120116

...are under development at SSBS—where economics, epidemiology, genomics, gerontology,health services and systems evaluation, bioinformatics,nutrition, oncology, pediatrics, pathology, pharmacology,physiopathology, pediatric dentistry, policy analysis,psychology, sociology and statistics may all converge ina single day.primus | SUMMERSUMMER201120117

GuaranteeingOral Health Care for All Children:A Shared Focus of Four Diverse Training Grants«Professor of Dentistry and Health Policy and Managementat Columbia University Burton L. Edelstein, DDS, MPH, haschaired the Section of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS)since its formation in 2003. Dr. Edelstein holds degrees fromSUNY Buffalo School of Dentistry and Harvard School of PublicHealth and has a dual appointment at CDM and Columbia’sMailman School of Public Health. In 1996, after practicingpediatric dentistry for 22 years, Dr. Edelstein became a RobertWood Johnson Health Policy Fellow for Senate Minority LeaderTom Daschle, working on health coverage legislation. He alsofounded the Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP), a nonprofithealth policy agency dedicated to providing oral healthcare for all children, served as oral health consultant to theDepartment of Health and Human Services, chaired the U.S.Surgeon General’s Workshop on Children and Oral Health,wrote the section on children in the Surgeon General’s Report,and provided technical assistance to legislators on the Children’sHealth Insurance Program (CHIP) and Healthcare Reform laws.The diversity of Dr. Edelstein’s career models the multidimensionalityof goals proposed in four current SSBS dentaltraining programs, funded through the Health Resources andServices Administration (HRSA).8 primus | SUMMER 2011

“We’re the only dental educators oncampus who haven’t any dental chairsor any labs,” says Dr. Courtney Chinn,a faculty member in CDM’s Section ofSocial and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS).Despite the absence of facilities usuallyconsidered basic to dental education,the Section of Social and BehavioralSciences is thriving. Collaborativeresearch projects joining SSBS facultywith colleagues across the ColumbiaUniversity Medical Center attractextramural funding running well intoseven figures annually.Working with the Columbia Center for New Media Teachingand Learning (CCNMTL), SSBS faculty have developed fiveonline teaching modules for the Section’s predoctoral grant toillustrate the needs of underserved populations throughout thevarious stages of their lifespan. This grant encourages studentparticipation in community activities and sponsors two studentsannually in the dual-degree DDS/MPH program.A second grant, for pediatric dentistry residents and practicingpediatric dentists, aims at building a sustainable networkof providers committed to the care of children-at-risk. Onlinematerial for this group raises awareness of other health careprofessionals—nurses, occupational therapists, social workers,and others—able to support the work of pediatric dentists.On March 30, the grantees and SSBS faculty joined with theCDM pediatric dental alumni association at a special dinnerto launch a program of mutual interest. Their objective is toeducate and organize community members as participants inactivities that could ensure children’s oral health care, therebyhelping to improve their lifelong overall health.«primus | SUMMER 2011 9

Leadership and diversity«Multidimensional Leadership“Alternative Careers in PediatricDentistry,” a grant in its fourthyear at CDM, is dedicated todeveloping, expanding anddiversifying leadership amongpediatric dentists, particularlyin academia, research and publichealth. The program trains 10pediatric dental residents andone Fellow in each year of thegrant and reaches an additional150 residents annually througheducational programs in thetristate area. Trainees areencouraged to consider careeroptions that expand privatepractice and promise to enrichthe discipline. Dr. Edelstein andco-Director Dr. Courtney Chinnintroduce trainees to alumniwho have already made changesin the way they practice. Some mayaccept Medicaid patients, while othersare actively involved with Head Start, areleaders in organized dentistry, are conductingresearch, are teaching, or areinvolved in government. Encouraged bysuch examples and SSBS staff support,each Leadership in Pediatric Dentistry(LEPED) Fellow is now successfully followinga complementary alternative careerpath. The first, Dr. Talia Rubin (2008-09),since completing her MPH, serves as theNew York City Department of Health’sdental advisor; the second, Dr. CarolOnyango (2009-10),who earned an MPHat King’s College, London, directs a preventivedentistry program for US militaryfamilies in Germany; while the currentFellow, Dr. Anu Tate (2010-11), is workingin healthcare policy at CDHP.10 primus | SUMMER 2011

Epidemiology, bioinformaticsand biostatistics join toimprove population healthAthanasios I. Zavras, DMD, MS, DMSc, an internationallyrecognized researcher in oral and molecular epidemiology,was appointed in 2010 as the founding director for the newlycreated Division of Oral Epidemiology and Biostatistics atSSBS. His agenda for the Division integrates epidemiology,biostatistics, bioinformatics, and the social and behavioralsciences with public health. In collaboration with the MailmanSchool of Public Health, Dr. Zavras is developing innovations—clinical, genomic, technological or analytical—and theirappropriate application to an educational model addressingpersistent global health problems.He and his team are particularly interested in gene environmentinteractions and the evaluation of biologic pathwaysthat lead to disease, especially in the case of cancer andosteonecrosis of the jaw. Evidence-based information of thissort is important for the development and application ofpublic health activities—like screening programs that canassess risk and establish identifications of disease at an earlystage. Dr. Zavras’s own research may soon lead to just sucha useful outcome.Continuously funded for the past 15 years with substantialgrants from the National Institute of Dental & CraniofacialResearch (NIDCR), Dr. Zavras has become a leadingscientist in personalized dentistry, an emerging paradigmof dental care delivery based on genomics and systemsbiology. Individualization of treatment, constructed fromthe patient’s unique genomic characteristics, can supportimprovements in all areas of dental care: preventive,pharmaceutical, or restorative.Dr. Zavras’s discovery that behaviors and exposure to riskfactors like tobacco smoking or alcohol can interact withspecific inherited variations in ERCC5 and IGF2R genes toaffect oral cancer risk offers a prime example of applyingresearch to individual patient treatment. (cont. on p. 12)«primus | SUMMER 2011 11

«Manhattan Plot—Susceptibility Marker for Osteonecrosis of the Jaw8Original SNPInputed SNP------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0-log 10 (P–value)2 46289909106 29109106 29309106 29509106 29709106 29909106 30109106 30309106 30509106 30709106 30909106 31109106 31309106Chromosome 3 (bp)(ABOVE) Recently, using high throughput, genome-wide analysis, Dr. Zavras uncovered four major markers for osteonecrosis of the jawin people taking bisphosphonates which had been prescribed to reduce or prevent osteoporosis or control various types of pain. Thatreport is currently in peer review.Using state-of-the-science laboratory research and informaticsmethodologies, and pairing epidemiological factors withgenotype markers, Dr. Zavras’s team is engaged in perfectinghigh-risk screening assessment algorithms that can drivecost-effective detection of solid oral and pharyngeal tumorsat an early stage, when treatment offers a greater promise ofpatient survival. A second, equally important project isthe development of a screening tool for women withosteoporosis who depend on bisphosphonates to reversebone loss. The goal of this work is to identify those whoare predisposed to osteonecrosis—and to do so beforepotentially damaging treatment has begun.12 primus | SUMMER 2011

Averting diseaseBY LEARNING new behaviorsRaising dentistry’s ability to contribute to the best overall health for an expanding andaging public is a driving force throughout the Section of Social and Behavioral Sciences.In SSBS’s Division of Community Health, where David Albert, DDS, MPH, is director,faculty members concentrate on the development and testing of programs that hope tomitigate health problems through the introduction and practice of behavioral changes.A program of this sort, currentlyunderway, addresses the dangersof tobacco use. Known to causelung cancer, pulmonary disease,and other conditions that ultimatelyreduce quality of life,tobacco use also affects oralhealth adversely, a problem whichhas received less emphasis. Becausetobacco byproducts enterthe body through the oral cavity,their harmful effects willundoubtedly occur there first.This places the dentist in a uniqueposition to identify patients whoneed to learn about and follow aprogram of tobacco cessation.The effort to build a frontline ofdental professionals who aretrained to encourage smokingcessation is led by Dr. Albertand his colleague Dr. Lynn Tepper,About 443,000 U.S. Deaths AttributableEach Year to Cigarette Smoking *Lung Cancer 128,900Ischemic Heart Disease 126,000Chronic Obstructive PulmonaryDisease 92,900Other Diagnoses 44,000Stroke, 15,900Other Cancers 35,300Average annual number of deaths, 2000–04.Source: MMWR 2008;57(45):1226–1228.«primus | SUMMER 2011 13

Dr. Tepper and her tobacco cessation students finish the 2010 fundraisingwalk for oral cancer research in Manhattan.a psychologist on both the SSBS and Mailman School of PublicHealth faculties. One of the few dental schools in the nation toteach a full semester course on tobacco cessation, CDM is alsodistinguished by offering this course under the codirection ofa psychologist, rather than a pharmacologist or pathologist.Once more, with CCNMTL’s cooperation, the faculty has createdan innovative self-study course for the Tobacco Cessationprogram participants. Built around a group of multimediaindependent-learning modules, the course includes demonstrationvideos, immediate-response quizzes, and treatmentactivity choices in tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy. A“virtual patient” activity, for instance, presents four patients,each with a different, but significant, history of tobacco use.“ContentedUser”RelapsingStayingStoppedThinkingAboutStoppingDecidingto StopStoppingTrying toStay Stoppedstudents take a seminar toreview lessons learned online,act out treatment scenarios,and, finally, write reports ontheir learning experience.The program focuses, too,on empowering studentsto persist when advising unwillingpatients about theirneed to give up tobaccouse. CCNMTL staff andDr. Albert recently testedthe success of the site witha group of first-year studentsto see how well they couldnavigate the previously unknownprogram. Encouragedby the results, they planto incorporate the programin CDM’s curriculum aftermaking some revisions. Inthe future, they hope toshare the site with partneringinstitutions.Students conduct an assessment for each patient and recommenda treatment plan, culminating in an online prescriptionwritingactivity. After completing their work on the website,14 primus | SUMMER 2011

Smoke and fire safetyfor homebound patientsTobacco cessation instruction in the Community HealthDivision is not limited to CDM students. Funded throughan American Legacy grant for homebound geriatic dentalpatients, SSBS Assistant Professor of Clinical Dental MedicineKavita Ahluwalia, DDS, MPH, is teaching home health aidesfrom the Isabella Nursing Home in Northern Manhattan howto help patients become tobacco free. Dr. Ahluwalia providesthe aides with training in motivational interviewing tactics,discusses how to introduce the Surgeon General’s “Five A’s”—Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange—in the process,suggests special activities to increase motivation for thepatient to make changes, and gives each aide a data systemin which her teaching points are reproduced. The aides areenthusiastic about this training, which not only helps themto improve their patients’ health, but provides the IsabellaHome with more detailed records on their homeboundpopulation. Dr. Ahluwalia also leads a FEMA-sponsoredproject on reducing fire hazards that may occur becauseof smoking in the patients’ homes.(ABOVE) Sharifa Williams (left), a Mailman School MPH candidate inbiostatistics and program coordinator for the Community HealthDivision of SSBS, supports Assistant Professor Kavita Ahluwalia (right)in managing the tobacco cessation program for health care aideswhose patients are homebound.primus | SUMMER 2011 15

alumni newsDC Dental MeetingOn April 2, Dean Ira Lamster hosted a luncheon during the Nation’s Capital DentalMeeting in Washington DC. The alumni who attended: Paul Halla ’48, Ashur Chavoor,Ortho ’53, James Lipton ’71, Carolyn Gray, Hyg ’73, ’75, I-Jun Lin-Kung ’89, SuzanneKim ’90, Chris Bonacci ’92, OMFS ’98, Mao Lin ’95, and Jeffrey Laughlin ’08 representeda 60-year span of classes.Dr. James Lipton with Carolyn Gray.16 primus | SUMMER 2011

alumni newsAnnual Mentor ReceptionHeld In Tauber Room, Butler LibraryThe Alumni Association held its annualspring Mentor Reception on March 23at the Columbia Morningside Campusin Butler Library’s Tauber Room, whichis named for the father of Robert Tauber’62. He was Dr. Maurice Falcolm Tauber(1908-80), the Melvil Dewey Professorof Library Service at Columbia, andan internationally renowned libraryeducator at Columbia. Students,alumni, residents and faculty enjoyedinteracting with CDM alumni, discussingcareer choices and hearing first-hand informationabout life after dental school.During the academic year, mentors canbe found through the Alumni Office,which keeps a list of alumni and facultywho volunteer to meet with students onan individual basis.(TOP) David Berkower ’12 and GailSchupak, Ortho ‘85.(MIDDLE) Steven Boss ’13, AmericanStudent Dental Association (ASDA)representative to the NYSDA, andP. Deborah Weisfuse, DMD, VicePresident, New York State DentalAssociation (NYSDA).(LOWER) David Koslovsky ‘06, AssistantProfessor of Clinical Dental Medicine,Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery,and Robert Tauber ‘62, Assistant ClinicalProfessor, Division of Restorative Dentistry.primus | SUMMER 2011 17

alumni newsYankee Dental 2011Old and new friends gathered during the annual CDM alumni luncheon atthe Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, which took place on January 26.(TOP) left to right: Monte Miller, AlanKaplan, Assistant Clinical Professor,Restorative Dentistry, and Ellen Kaplan,Richard Gochman ‘83, John Herzog ‘83,Denise Shapiro ‘84, Alan Gold ‘83,Ellen Karandisecky ‘83 and KarenLewkowitz ‘82.(LEFT) front row, left to right: ArthurWein ‘67, Donald Stammer ‘67,Thomas Connolly ‘77, Perio ‘80 andVonnie Lee ’08; back row: StevenSpivack ‘81 and Stephen Kaplan ‘67.18 primus | SUMMER 2011

alumni newsYoung Alumni Inaugurate Study GroupThe first meeting of CDM’s recently formed Young Alumni Study Club was held on February 24in the Manhattan home of Dr. David Momtaheni, associate clinical professor, Division of Oraland Maxillofacial Surgery. The 20 young alumni who enjoyed Dr. Momtaheni’s hospitality forthe evening also heard Michelle Mirsky ‘77, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of OperativeDentistry, speak on “Esthetic Dentistry.” The new group was organized by Mina Kim ‘10.Left to right: Mina Kim ’10, Flavio Kottar ‘10, YandrescoQuintana ‘09, and Shiva Basir ‘09 are welcomed by their host,Dr. Momtaheni (center).primus | SUMMER 2011 19

alumni newsArt and NetworkingAttract Many To CDM Reception at Sotheby’sCDM’s second annual networking reception was held on Wednesday, April 13at Sotheby’s art auction galleries on East 72nd Street. More than 80 alumni, faculty,students and residents enjoyed a colorful selection of important 20th century art,hors d’oeuvres and wine, and the opportunity for lively conversation.Left to right: Amanda Hochstein ‘10, JennCastro ‘09, Shiva Basir ‘09, Yasemin Kilical ‘09,Mina Kim ‘10, and Tatyana Oks ‘09, Perio ‘12make a decorative addition to an abstractwork by Willem de Kooning at Sotheby’s atthe networking reception.20 primus | SUMMER 2011

alumni newsCDM Alumni GatherDuring San Diego ADEA(TOP) Nate Hornsby ‘04, Prosth ‘07(left) and Dean Ira Lamster (far right)at the College’s alumni receptionin San Diego in March, with AmyBryer ‘04 (center), who helped toorganize the event.(BELOW) Garrick Alex ‘13 withMorton Shapiro ‘50, Perio ‘55enjoy the San Diego evening.primus | SUMMER 2011 21

alumni newsOrtho Society Annual MeetingThe newly renamed Thomas Cangialosi Annual Meeting of the Orthodontic AlumniSociety was held on March 11 at Chelsea Piers. The Society presented a day-longcourse on “Successful Strategies for Private Practice Orthodontists,” given byDr. Terry A. Sellke.Left to right: Larry Siegel, DDS, AssistantClinical Professor; Sunil Wadhwa ‘96, PhD,recently appointed Division Director;Melvin Leifert, DDS, Clinical Professor;Thomas Cangialosi, DDS, Ortho ‘75, formerDivision Director; and Dean Ira Lamster.The Orthodontic Alumni Society Executive Board (left to right): Jean Gong, DMD, Ortho 05,President; Alexis Fermanis ‘02, Ortho ‘06, President-Elect; Michael Leifert, DDS, Ortho ‘04,Vice President; Ronniette Garcia-Leifert, DDS, Ortho ‘03, AEGD ‘07,Treasurer/Secretary; JayCho, DDS, Ortho ‘07, Editor, Ortho Alumni Society Newsletter; George Pliakas, ‘06, Ortho‘09, Newsletter Co-Editor; Tiffany Madison Christensen ‘07, Ortho ‘10, Treasurer-Elect.22 primus | SUMMER 2011

alumni newsJeffrey S. Senzer ’73, Endo ’75Is NYCDS President-ElectOn January 20, 2011, Dr. Jeffrey Senzer wasinstalled as President-Elect of the New YorkCounty Dental Society, the largest of the13 component societies in New York State.He will assume the office of President inJanuary 2012. Dr. Senzer, who maintains afull-time practice in midtown Manhattan,taught clinical endodontics at Columbiafor more than 30 years. Although no longeron the clinic floor, he still volunteers as afacilitator in the junior and seniorEthics courses. In 2010, he washonored with induction into thePierre Fauchard Academy; heis also a Fellow of the AmericanCollege of Dentists and theNew York Academy of Dentistry.Jessica Lee ’97, MPH ’97Receives Early Career AwardColumbia dual degree holder Jessica Lee‘97, MPH ‘97 was one of 20 recipientshonored in 2010 with the Presidential EarlyCareer Award for Scientists and Engineers,presented by President Obama at a specialWhite House ceremony. The annual awardsrecognize beginning scientists who haveshown extraordinary potential in theirfields of study for helping America maintainits world leadership position in science.Dr. Lee, an NIDCR grantee whoalso holds a PhD, is an associateprofessor in the Department ofPediatric Dentistry at the Universityof North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Dr. Lee studies the oral healthliteracy of parents and caregiversand its effects on the oral healthof preschool-aged children.primus | SUMMER 2011 23

ON campus eventsCraniofacial Regeneration CenterIs Opened on VC 12The Center for Craniofacial Regeneration was inaugurated on March 2. Foundedby CDM and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Center will engagein fundamental research, develop new technologies and create interdisciplinarytraining and interaction with other centers of excellence at Columbia and worldwide.Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD, Edward V. Zegarelli Professor and Senior Associate Deanfor Research at CDM, and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD, Professor of BiomedicalEngineering and Director, Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, whoholds appointments on both the medical and dental faculties, are codirectors ofthe Center. Keynote speaker for the event, MIT Institute Professor Dr. Robert Langer,was joined on the program by Dr. Lee Goldman, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciencesand Medicine; Dean Ira Lamster; Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora, Dean, Columbia FuFoundation School of Engineering and Applied Science; and Dr. Thomas Cangialosi,Waugh Professor and former Chair, Section of Growth and Development.Left to right: Dr. Thomas Cangialosi,Dr. Jeremy Mao, Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora,and Dean Ira Lamster mark theofficial opening of the Center forCraniofacial Regeneration.24 primus | SUMMER 2011

ON campus eventsNew Schein Clinic DedicatedTo Serve Northern ManhattanThe new Henry Schein, Inc. Diagnostic and Emergency Care Clinic at ColumbiaUniversity College of Dental Medicine was dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremonyon March 18. Housed on VC 7, the Clinic is furnished with equipment, technologyand health care supplies made available through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation,Inc., to serve dental patients in the surrounding community.During their decade-long strategic partnership, Henry Schein Inc. and the ColumbiaUniversity College of Dental Medicine have been dedicated to making state-of-theartdental services available to people for whom such treatments might otherwisebe out of reach. Speaking at the celebration, Dean Ira Lamster praised HenrySchein’s major contributions to improving “the oral health of the people of northernManhattan,” adding “...the opening of the Diagnostic and Emergency Clinic at theCollege is tangible evidence of this commitment.”Left to right: Stanley Bergman,President and CEO, Henry Schein,Inc., Arthur Martin, EquipmentSpecialist, Henry Schein Dental,Jules Paoletti, Eastern RegionalManager of Special MarketsEquipment, Henry Schein, NYSSenator Adriano Espaillat, SteveKess, Vice President of ProfessionalRelations, Henry Schein, andDean Ira Lamster at the dedicationof CDM’s new Henry Schein Clinicon VC 7.primus | SUMMER 2011 25

ON campus eventsBrazilians Travel to CDMNearly 40 dental professionals from Brazil travelled to CDM in March to attenda five-day International Implantology Week symposium with Course DirectorDr. Dennis Tarnow, director of Implant Education. Additional faculty presentersincluded: Dr. James Fine, associate dean for Postdoctoral Education; Dr. JohnGrbic, director, Division of Oral Biology; Dr. Sidney Eisig, chairman, Section ofHospital Dentistry; Dr. Mildred Embree, assistant professor in Orthodontics;Dr. Stephen Wallace, associate clinical professor in Periodontics; and Dr. DavidMomtaheni, associate clinical professor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. CleberSilva, who is Brazilian and an instructor in the Division of Community Health atCDM, served as faculty host for the group. A cocktail reception offered theparticipants a chance to meet informally with their course instructors and someof CDM’s Deans and Division Directors.(ABOVE) CDM faculty and staff and Brazilianvisitors get together for a photo.26 primus | SUMMER 2011

ON campus events(top) Course attendees with Dr. Tarnow: (left to right) Dr. Emildre Costa Barrosofrom Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Tarnow, Dr. Sandra Fabiano Alves from Rio de Janeiro, andMs. Elaine Gomes de Andrade Rosa from Goiânia, Goiás.(BELOW) Dr. Tarnow shares a laugh with (left to right) Dr. José Ribamar de AlmeidaCerqueira Filho, Rio de Janeiro, and CDM colleagues: Dr. Gary Greenstein, clinicalprofessor, Division of Periodontics, and Dr. John Cavallaro, associate clinicalprofessor, Division of Prosthodontics.primus | SUMMER 2011 27

ON campus faculty appointmentsCDM AlumnusSunil Wadhwa ’96New Director for OrthodonticsOn June 1, 2011, Sunil Wadhwa ’96 became Director, Division ofOrthodontics, succeeding Dr. Thomas J. Cangialosi. Dr. Cangialosirecently resigned following many years of leadership in the Divisionbut will continue to teach as member of the Division faculty.According to Dr. Wadhwa, receiving the appointment meantachieving a major goal in his life. He says, “Fifteen years ago, whenI was sitting in the classroom as a dental school student, it was mydream—even then—to return to Columbia and to exactly the positionI have just accepted. Dr. Cangialosi has always been my mentor, andit is my hope that I can follow his tenure in the Division of Orthodonticsat CDM in a way that honors his achievements here.”Dr. Wadhwa is a 1996 graduate of the College of Dental Medicine,as is his wife, Dr. Cheryl Sobieraj. He comes to his new positionfrom the University of Connecticut, where he earned both a PhDand a clinical specialty certificate in Orthodontics and held the titleof Charles Burstone Endowed Assistant Professor of Orthodontics.He is Board Certified, a member of the Edward Angle Society ofOrthodontists North Atlantic Component, the American Associationof Orthodontists, the American Association of Dental Research, theInternational Association of Dental Research, and the AmericanAssociation of Orthodontists, which has recognized Dr. Wadhwa’sresearch with two awards. His NIH-funded research is focused oncartilage growth in the mandibular condyle.Dr. Wadhwa was welcomed to his new post at a reception held inhis honor on June 8th.Dr. Sam Zeichner Is New DirectorFor OMFS Radiology DivisionIn February, Dr. Sam Zeichner, Section of Oral and Diagnostic Sciences,became director of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.Dr. Zeichner holds an MA in Biophysical Chemistry from Montclair StateUniversity, an MS (Hyg) from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate Schoolof Public Health, and earned his Certificate in Oral Radiology from theUniversity of Connecticut Health Center. He has been executive directorof the Maxillofacial Radiology Research Foundation and adjunct associateprofessor of Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Radiology at UMDJ. He alsohas wide experience in maxillofacial imaging in private practice.28 primus | SUMMER 2011

ON campus activitiesDr. Kim Joins EndodonticsJournal Editorial BoardSahng Gyoon (Martin) Kim, DDS, assistant professorof clinical dental medicine in the Division of Endodontics,has been appointed to the editorial boardof the Journal of Endodontics, the official journalof the American Association of Endodontists.Dr. Kim, who earned his DDS from Seoul NationalUniversity and received a certificate in endodonticsand an MS in Oral Biology at UPenn School ofDental Medicine, joined the Division in August2009. His research is in the area of periodontaland endodontic tissue engineering.Columbia Scientistsand NYASPublish Conference PapersJohn T. Grbic, DMD, MMSc, professor of ClinicalDental Medicine and director, Division of OralBiology, and John P. Belezikian, MSD, professorof Medicine and director, Division of Endocrinologyat P&S, are coeditors for “Bisphosphonates andOsteonecrosis of the Bone,” a volume in theAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences(NYAS) published in February. The presentationsfrom the first international conference on thissubject, cosponsored by P&S and CDM at NYASin 2007, include authors from both the MedicalCenter and Morningside campuses.primus | SUMMER 2011 29

ON campus new facultyMildred Embree, DDS, PhDTissue RegenerationAlthough she habitually received high academic honorswhile preparing for a career in research science, AssistantProfessor of Clinical Dental Medicine Mildred Embree’searliest ambition was to become a writer. That goal wasprobably influenced by her childhood in Charleston, SouthCarolina, a city known for romance and historical charm.Nevertheless, after graduating from the College of Charlestonas Outstanding Senior in Bio-chemistry and earningDepartmental Honors, it was clear Millie Embree would find alife in science. She considered a medical degree but finallychose to enter dental studies at the Medical University ofSouth Carolina. An NIDCR Summer Dental Student Awardled her back to basic research. While exploring the role ofpotentially pathological cells in the temporomandibularcartilage tissue of genetically altered mouse models, thefuture Dr. Embree got excited about laboratory scienceagain and stayed on for another year of TMJ research.By 2010, she had earned both a DDS/PhD and theDistinguished Thesis Award for “The Role of ExtracellularMatrix Proteins, Biglycan and Fibromodulin in TemporomandibularJoint Osteoarthritis.” Her thesis topic remainsDr. Embree’s preoccupation on a journey marked byscholarly publications and rewarding scientific collaboration.She admits, “It’s really cool to be an expert.”Now a faculty member, working under Dr. Jeremy Mao atthe Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, she is in the processof setting up her own research. It’s a challenge, but Dr. Embreesays she enjoys the work of “fulfilling all IRB requirements,training assistants, and . . . making sure it all comes together.Because, in the end,” she says with a smile, “it’s up to me.”Jessica Hilburg, DDS,Teaching EnthusiastAssistant Clinical Professor Jessica Hilburg likesteaching at CDM—a lot. She began by volunteeringone day a week in the fourth-year clinic atColumbia after her old friend, Dr. MaryLee Kordes,a faculty member at CDM, suggested the idea toher. Seven years later, she is working four days aweek in a paid position as a group leader in theclinic. Even though Dr. Hilburg had to cut back onher private practice in Valhalla, commute two hoursevery day and take on committee assignments, herenthusiasm for the job knows no bounds. “It wasterrific,” she says, “when Dr. Lichtenthal asked if Iwanted to take on more responsibility!”Dr. Hilburg feels strongly connected to herstudents. She encourages them to ask for helpwithout feeling frightened or ashamed, andstresses watching patients, to see “how he walksor sits, or if he looks uncomfortable—things thatcan be important clues to his health.” She alsodiscusses how to talk with patients about intraoralissues discovered during examination that suggestpotentially serious problems.Dr. Hilburg chose dentistry while in high school.She was offered summer internships at AlbertEinstein College and at Seventeen, where themagazine offices were “so adorable and pink”she was really tempted. But, knowing the choicemight seal her future, she decided to work for aphysiologist instead. He told her that she hadgood hands and should consider being a dentist.Now, her daughters, 19 and 22, are studyingmaterial science/engineering and medicine,respectively. Dr. Hilburg is pleased to think shehas shown them that women can have both afamily and a fulfilling career.30 primus | SUMMER 2011

ON campus studentsOn March 27, (left to right) Staci Reyes-Robinson ‘11, MariaBrachowicz ‘13, Mohammad Arif ‘13, Hyungjoo True Kim ‘13,Sarah Kazi ‘12, Chelsea Brockway ‘13, Michelle Lee ‘13, MarcusSur ‘13, and Marcus Couey ’12 volunteered for CDM’s secondyear of participation in Columbia Community Outreach (CCO)Day, an event organized through the Morningside campus.The group visited Minisink Townhouse, a Harlem help centerfor children of parents who have been incarcerated. Whilethere, they put a fresh coat of paint on the center’s gym andbasement. Dr. Jeff Cloidt ‘82 and Chelsea Brockway helped toorganize CDM’s student volunteers.primus | SUMMER 2011 33

ON campus studentsCDM SNDA MembersSpeak At Campus STEP PresentationOn April 2, the CDM chapter of the Student National Dental Association(SNDA) joined with other CUMC students in a panel discussionand workshops introducing the Science & Technology Entry Program(STEP) to an audience of middle and high school students. STEP, whichhas been operating for more than 20 years at CDM, provides minorityand/or economically disadvantaged students in Grades 7 to 12 withskills needed to enter pre-professional degree programs in scientific,technical and health-related fields. SNDA members (front row, left toright) Nana Odoom ‘12, Brandon Jackson ’12, Bernard Tran ‘12,Edwin Smith ‘13; (back row, left to right) Jeff Hajibandeh ‘14,Benjamin Pass ‘13, and Brian Gill (P&S student) helped to organizethe presentation.First-year CDM StudentsHold “Philanthropy Day”The Class of 2014 raised morethan $700 to sponsor their dayof community philanthropy, whichincluded providing oral healthcare education and supplies tofive third-grade classes at PS 173in Northern Manhattan. SixtythreeCDM students participatedin oral hygiene presentations andshared information about what toexpect on a first visit to the dentist.Each of the 150 third-graderswho attended received toothbrushes,toothpaste, dental flossand information about Columbia’scommunity dental clinics. Theenormous enthusiasm of the 2014Class members was supported bypharmaceutical companies whichprovided the day’s supplies.34 primus | SUMMER 2011

ON campus studentsCDM Volunteers Give600+ Kids A SmileCDM celebrated the ninth annual Give Kids ASmile (GKAS) Day on February 4. More than120 students, faculty and staff volunteered forthis national ADA event to promote oral healthawareness and treatment of children in underservedareas of the country.(RIGHT) Shawn Francis ‘14 introduces a youngparticipant to the activities of the GKAS program.(BELOW) Children at PS 139 in Northern Manhattanschools get busy identifying things that are goodfor their teeth during GKAS Day.primus | SUMMER 2011 35

OFF campusCDM Hosts First InternationalConference on Dental and Craniofacial Stem Cells(ABOVE) The audience and distinguished speakers for the first internationalconference on stem cell regeneration pose for a photo marking the event.The First International Conference on Dental andCraniofacial Stem Cells, cohosted by CDM, NIHand NIDCR, was held at the New York Academyof Sciences from April 27 to 29. Jeremy Mao,DDS, PhD, Edward V. Zegarelli Professor andSenior Associate Dean for Research at CDM,organized the Conference with Darwin Prockop,MD, PhD, Texas A&M Health Science Center,and Pamela Robey, PhD, and Nadya Lumelsky,PhD, both from the National Institutes of Health.An audience of 200 professionals from 19countries gathered to hear 30 of the world’smost prominent stem cell scientists share theirexpertise in this promising area of research.Dr. Mao said the exchange of information hadopened the way for future cross-disciplinarystudies that could transform the treatment oforal health problems, including cleft palate,missing teeth, root canals and facial trauma.36 primus | SUMMER 2011

OFF campusHe added that further discovery instem cell biology research also hadthe potential for translation intoregenerative therapies for patientswith “congenital anomalies, trauma,cancer, and chronic disorders.”Dr. Mao’s Columbia laboratory hasbeen a leader in creating early examplesof biocompatible bodyparts, like replacements for missingteeth, built on tooth-shaped scaffoldsand augmented with growth factorsand proteins to attract stem cells thatwill grow the new bone in place.The Conference was generouslysupported by several partners,including: ICOI (gold level);Dentsply and StemSave (silver level);and Glaxo SmithKline (bronze level).Coincidentally, during the Conference,the United States Court of Appealsfor the District of Columbia Circuitruled that government financing ofembryonic stem cell research—closeddown earlier by a Federal Judge inDC—could recommence.(ABOVE LEFT) Nadya Lumelsky, PhD, director, Tissue Engineering andRegenerative Medicine Research Program, National Institute of Dentaland Craniofacial Research, and co-moderator for the Conference asksthe speakers’ panel a question.(ABOVE) left to right: Dr. Jens Ove Andreasen, Copenhagen; SørenSteno Ahrensburg Christensen, MSC, Værløse; and Dr. Niels UlrichHermund, Gentofte.(BELOW) Yang Chai, DDS, PhD, associate dean of research and director,Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, at USC, discusses the neuralcrest origin of dental stem cells.primus | SUMMER 2011 37

OFF campus(ABOVE) Dr. Jeremy Mao (second from right) with winnersof the stem cell conference’s New Investigator Awards:(left to right) Dr. Jiafeng Gu, CDM; Dr. Mildred Embree,CDM; Dr. Emma Juuri, Institute of Biotechnology, Universityof Helsinki; and Dr. Ivan Rebustini, NIDCR-NIH. Missing fromthe group is Dr. Jonathan Stahl, UC San Francisco, who alsoreceived a New Investigator Award.(LEFT) Pamela Den Besten, DDS, MS, chair, Division ofPediatric Dentistry at UC San Francisco discusses researchpresented in the Conference poster competition.38 primus | SUMMER 2011

OFF campusSymposium Stresses Collaboration AmongHealth Care Professionals In Treating Patients with DiabetesEstimated number of new cases of diagnosed diabetes among peopleages 20 years or older, by age group, United States, 2010.*1,200,0001,000,0001,465,000800,000Number600,000400,000465,000390,000200,000020–44 45–65 >65 –Age GroupOn May 4, CDM joined withP&S and the New York Academyof Sciences (NYAS) to present“Diabetes and Oral Disease:Implications for HealthProfessionals,” at 7 WorldTrade Center, the home ofNYAS. Dr. David Albert,director of CDM’s Divisionof Community Health anda member of the ScientificOrganizing Committee forthe symposium, describedthe program as “providingcurrent information about the bi-directional relationshipbetween oral disease and diabetes . . . “ An audience of150 health care professionals, including 83 from dentistry,heard William C. Knowler, MD, DrPH, National Institute ofDiabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NationalInstitutes of Health, give the keynote address, “The DiabetesEpidemic.” The program continued with presentations byphysicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners,endocrinologists, general dentists, periodontists, dentalhygienists, epidemiologists, public health and nursingprofessionals, and basic science researchers, speakingon the need for interprofessional management ofpatients with diabetes.* About 1.9 million people ages 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010.primus | SUMMER 2011 39

philanthropyShenjuti Chowdhury ’13wins Fasano Scholarship“. . .a wonderful way tohonor our father who wasa very proud graduate ofColumbia Dental School.”Shenjuti Chowdhury ‘13 is the first recipient of a $1500 scholarship presented in memoryof Carmine Mario Fasano ‘52. The award, open to first-year CDM students, is funded bythe Columbia Association of Customs and Affiliate Federal Agencies, a nonprofitorganization founded by Italian immigrants in the United States.Ellen FasanoDr. Fasano was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Harvard beforeentering Columbia’s dental school. He prevailed over economic hardship to make surehe would receive a good education and could enter the profession of his choice.Ms. Chowdhury, like all applicants for the Fasano scholarship, was required to write aone-page essay describing the personal challenges she overcame to attend andsucceed in dental school. The following excerpt is from her winning essay.“Life from its inception was challenging for me. . . . Not only was I a premature baby,but I was also born with a cleft palate and lip. Bangladesh is a patrilineal society wherefemales are considered to be inferior to males, and girls are . . . burdens on their parents’shoulders. . . . My parents never viewed me simply as a girl. They treated me as a humanbeing who was given every opportunity to turn her thoughts into a reality. . . .The painI was forced to bear due to my physical condition inspired me to pursue a career whereI can alleviate the agony of others. I began weaving dreams of a future where I was anorthodontist who provided medical care to people born with congenital defects like me,thus easing their pain.”(ABOVE) Dr. Fasano’s daughters, Adele (left) and Ellen (far right) with Shenjuti Chowdhury atthe award luncheon.40 primus | SUMMER 2011

philanthropyNaming of New CDM Wingwill Commemorate Dr. LevineHarry M. Levine ‘36, CC ’33, who died in August, 2006, made CDM abeneficiary of his estate. The College will recognize Dr. Levine’s significantgenerosity by naming the newly renovated VC 17 wing in his honor.A Smart Plan:The Gift Annuity—A Gift That Pays You BackToday, more of us are looking for innovative ways to staywithin our means while also helping to support the futureof institutions we care about. Fortunately, there is a meansof making a gift that can solve this problem and even givesomething back to the donor.Your single gift returns four benefits:A fixed payment for life, to you or a beneficiary you name;A current income tax deduction; membership in the WilliamJ. Gies Planned Giving Society; and—important supportfor CDM’s mission.For your gift of an annuity to Columbia University Collegeof Dental Medicine, you will receive lifetime payments ata fixed rate.Age Rate55 5%65 5.5%75 6.4%70 & 65 5.2%75 & 70 5.5%To learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities, please contact:Geri Connors, Director of Development, at 212-342-5612 orgc2399@columbia.eduprimus | SUMMER 2011 41

IN memoriamKourken A. Daglian ’43 Robert Gottsegen ’43,Perio ’48Dr. Kourken A. Daglian passed away at theage of 93, on February 26, 2011. Afterearning his DDS at Columbia, Dr. Daglian,who specialized in head and neck injuries,practiced oral surgery for 45 years onMadison Avenue in Manhattan, as well asat his campus office in Atchley Pavilion.A member of the SDOS (now the Collegeof Dental Medicine) Oral Surgery facultyfrom 1945 to 1990, he held an appointmentas Associate Professor of Clinical DentalMedicine at the time of his retirement.Dr. Daglian will be remembered for hisdelightful sense of humor, his kindness anda zest for life, which he shared with his family,friends and patients. He is survived byhis wife, Marliese, and children: KourkenThomas, Susan, Melanie and Krikor.Dr. Robert Gottsegen, a pioneer in the fieldof periodontal dentistry, died on February 28.Born in New York on June 21, 1919, he graduatedfrom the University of Michigan in 1939.During WW II, he entered an acceleratedthree-year program at the Columbia UniversitySchool of Dental and Oral Surgery (now theCollege of Dental Medicine), earning his DDSin 1943. After an internship at Mt. SinaiHospital, he served in the United States Army,where he received a Commendation Medal,European Theatre of Operations. Followingtwo years as a Public Health Service/NIHResearch Fellow in Dentistry, he became amember of the first class in Columbia’sAdvanced Specialty Training Program inPeriodontics, from which he graduated in1948. Dr. Gottsegen soon established a privatepractice limited to periodontics in New YorkCity and was later appointed Director of PostgraduatePeriodontics at the Universityof Pennsylvania. He was given the sametitle when he later joined the SDOS facultyat Columbia, where he spent the remainderof his academic career. On retirement, hereceived the title of Professor Emeritusof the University.Dr. Gottsegen held office in: the AmericanSociety of Periodontists, the Executive Councilof the American Academy of Periodontology,and the American Board of Periodontologyand was Consultant to the National Commissionon Diabetes. He was president of theAmerican Academy of Periodontology (AAP)from 1970 to 1971, receiving its Gold MedalAward in 1988; was honored as a Fellow ofthe AAP; received the SDOS DistinguishedAlumnus Award and theIsadore Hirschfeld Awardof the Northeastern Societyof Periodontists. He was aFellow of the AmericanCollege of Dentists andthe New York Academyof Dentistry. His researchinterests included: theconnection of diabetesto periodontal disease,systems of health caredelivery, and metabolicinfluences on periodontaldisease. Above all,Dr. Gottsegen was ateacher and mentor tohundreds of Columbiastudents. His clinical demonstrationswere dentalworks of art, his knowledgeof the relevant literaturewas encyclopedic, andhe was in demand as alecturer at other schoolsand in many foreign countries,presenting more than650 courses over 38 years.A connoisseur of finewines and dining, he had alifelong passion for travel,visual arts, music and theatreand being with his sixbeloved grandchildren,Jessica, Liza, Sam, Ben,Kate, and Gardner.Predeceased by his wife of54 years, Rita Gillette, he issurvived by his sons, David,Daniel and Jonathan.Contributions may be madein Dr. Gottsegen’s honorto the College of DentalMedicine or the AmericanAcademy of Periondontics.42 primus | SUMMER 2011

IN memoriamfor Columbia University’s 250thanniversary celebration honoredhim as one of the “ColumbiansAhead of Their Time.”Irwin D. Mandel ’45Dr. Irwin D. Mandel, Professor Emeritus ofDental Medicine at the Columbia UniversityCollege of Dental Medicine, passed awayon May 26, 2011.Dr. Mandel was born on April 9, 1922. Aftergraduating from the College of the City ofNew York in 1942, Dr. Mandel earned hisdental degree in 1945 from Columbia, where,except for two stints in the Navy Dental Corps(1945-46 and 1952-54), he spent his entirecareer. Beginning in 1946, he worked as aresearch assistant at the school and in hispart-time private practice. By 1968, Dr.Mandel devoted himself full-time to researchand teaching. He founded and was directorof the Division of Preventive Dentistry atColumbia, the first department of its type inthe country. He was also founding director ofthe Center for Clinical Research in Dentistryand was Associate Dean for Research fornearly 50 years before attaining emeritusstatus in 1992. A past president of theAmerican Association for Dental Research,his many awards include the first Gold MedalAward for Excellence in Dental Research fromthe American Dental Association (1985), theAward for Leadership in Periodontology fromTufts University (1971), the International Awardfrom the University of Connecticut (1979),the Jarvie-Burkhardt International Award fromthe New York State Dental Association (1990),and the Distinguished Service Award fromthe American Association of Public HealthDentistry (1991). Dr. Mandel held honorarydegrees from Columbia University (1996:Doctor of Science honoris causa), theUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of NewJersey (1981) and the University of Göteborg,Sweden (1994). A Dental School symposiumDr. Mandel conducted pioneeringresearch on the role of dental plaquein tooth decay and periodontal disease,and is also known for studiesof salivary composition related todental disease and systemic disease.As a teacher, researcher, and authorof 225 scientific articles and 18 booksor book chapters, Irwin D. Mandelplayed a major role in shifting thefocus of dentistry from repair to prevention.For nearly 50 years, he wasChief Dental Advisor to ConsumersUnion and its publications, consultantand spokesperson for the AmericanDental Association, Associate Editorof the Journal of Dental Research,a grants reviewer for the NationalInstitute of Dental and CraniofacialResearch, an active writer and reviewerfor the Surgeon General’sReport on Oral Health (2000), andserved as the preventive dentistryconsultant to NASA’s mannedmission to Mars project.Generations of dental students atColumbia were influenced by Dr.Mandel’s insistence on the needto translate research findings intoimproved clinical care. His prodigiousintellect, sharp wit, anddevotion to Columbia and theprofession of dentistry will longbe remembered. He is survived byhis wife, Charlotte, his daughters,Nora and Carol, and his son Richard.Dr. Mandel’s family has requesteddonations in his memory be sent tothe College of Dental Medicine,Irwin D. Mandel Research Fund.A Commemoration celebrating the lifeand achievements of Dr. Irwin Mandelwas held at CUMC on Wednesday,September 14.primus | SUMMER 2011 43

IN memoriamPaul Tannenbaum ’61,Perio ’67Dr. Paul Tannenbaum died in a skiingaccident on February 2. Born inBrooklyn on April 30, 1936, he earnedhis DDS in 1961 before serving fortwo years as a lieutenant in theDental Corps of the United StatesNavy. In 1963, he attended CornellUniversity Graduate School ofMedical Sciences to study GraduateBiostatistics, returning to Columbiain 1967 for a certificate in Periodontology.He published numerousscientific papers on the crystallinechemistry of bone mineral while hewas a research fellow and consultantat the Hospital for Special Surgery inNew York. Dr. Tannenbaum wasa gifted and beloved teacher atthe Columbia University School ofDental and Oral Surgery (now theCollege of Dental Medicine) formore than 30 years.He was a member of, and chaired, numerouscommittees at the AmericanAcademy of Periodontology and waspresident of the New York Academyof Dentistry and of the ColumbiaPeriodontal Alumni Association.Most recently, he served as a boardexaminer for the American Board ofPeriodontology, where he was alsochairman. Dr. Tannenbaum maintaineda private practice in periodonticsin Manhattan with his friend andmentor, Dr. Robert Gottsegen, whodied on February 28 (see above), withDr. Susan Karabin ‘81, Perio ‘84,and with Dr. Edward Gottesman.An avid photographer, Dr.Tannenbaum traveled the worldsearching out natural beauty. Duringthe past year alone, he visitedAntarctica, Africa, and Europe.Dr. Tannenbaum is survived by twosons, Stephen and Daniel, from hismarriage to Willma Reichek, andsix beloved grandchildren: William,Beatrice, Dorothy, Julia, Pablo,and Sofia, and by Jane Cates, hiscompanion of fourteen years.Donations in memory of Dr.Tannenbaum can be directedto the Dr. Paul J. TannenbaumFund at Columbia UniversityCollege of Dental Medicine.In MemoriamJuditta S. Angliss, Hyg ’36Robert L. Downes, DDS, Ortho ’37Isidore M. Samuels ’39Arthur S. Freese ’39Irving L. Maislen, DDS, Ortho ’40Emanuel S. Knishkowy ‘41Bernice O’Connell Dunn, Hyg ’43Paul A. Most ‘43Robert Gottsegen ‘43, Perio ‘48Chester Schept ‘43Kourken A. Daglian ‘43Irwin P. Heide ‘43Irwin D. Mandel ‘45Irving D. Halbrecht ‘45Edgar Gattegno ‘45Ruth N. Kahn, Hyg ‘46Julius Lieberman ‘46John D. Piro ‘46Martin A. Garber ‘46Raymond H. Russell ‘47Philip P. McManus ‘50Eugene A. Cohen ‘51Rosalie Mandle Crane, Hyg ‘51Kenneth K. Murakami ‘51Leonard A. Sarvela, Jr., DDS,OMFS ‘52A. Raymond Tannenbaum, DDS,Ortho ‘52John D. Suomi ‘53Abraham M. Blechman, DDS,Ortho ‘54Arthur M. Mettelman ‘54Morton S. Brod ‘55Cornelius A. McGlennon, DDS,Ortho ‘55Thomas W. Portway, ‘56Solomon Snyder, DDS,Pedodontics ‘56Herbert I. Oshrain, DDS, Perio ‘58Leon Levy, DDS,Perio ‘59Stuart S. Osleeb ‘60Paul J. Tannenbaum ‘61, Perio ‘67Richard A. Donelli ‘63Frank A. Cavedo, Jr. Ortho ‘64John L. Cuskley ‘65Herbert N. Appel, DDS, Ortho ‘66Jack Brandon, DDS, Ortho ‘68Michael A. Rubin ‘69Joseph L. Wasileski ‘69Robert F. McIntyre ‘71Albert A. Pilvelis, Jr., DDS, Ortho ‘71Ellen G. Holliday Azzaretti ‘81Eric P. Schoenlein ‘85, Ortho ‘86Frank J. Tabacchini, DDS, Ortho ‘85Tomas J. Barrios ‘9044 primus | SUMMER 2011

Brian Alpert ’67, OMFS ’70notableQ. Dr. Alpert, you grew up in Lake Placid and wereeducated in New York City, but you’ve spent well overhalf your life in Kentucky; how did that happen?A. Because after getting my DDS and my oralsurgery certificate at Columbia in l967 and 1970, Idid my military service at a hospital in Korea. Then, acouple of months later when I was just starting my firstacademic job at the University of Illinois Medical Center,a colleague I had worked with in the army landed thechair in dentistry in Louisville and asked if I wanted todirect the residency program there. So, eight monthsinto academics, I was an associate professor anddirector of my own program.Q. Sounds as if that’s turned out rather well?A. Absolutely. Even though I had to drag my wifeSouth, she soon came to love the lifestyle. Withinfour years I became a tenured professor of Oral andMaxillofacial Surgery, with a very “healthy” practice.As of the first of April this year, I’ve been chair of theDepartment of Surgical and Hospital Dentistry at theUniversity of Louisville School of Dentistry for 24 years.I’m happy and so is my wife.Q. You also sound pleased that you chose academicdentistry, with oral and maxillofacial surgery as yourspecialty, both in the classroom and the OR?A. Yes, in spite of being kind of a dinosaur in ourspecialty, since I have only a single degree and most ofmy junior colleagues have an MD as well as a DDS.Nevertheless, I’ve been running a successful doubledegree program for 20 years. I’m also Chief, Service ofOral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Dentistry, at the Universityof Louisville Hospital, where I’m on rotation every thirdnight, repairing the full scope of craniomaxillofacialtrauma. And, I still have a private practice.Q. You’ve watched dentistry change in major waysover almost half a century. What have you observed?A. Well, we’ve seen dentistry become the premierhealth profession, overtaking medicine for many differentreasons: work hours, managed care, insurance, and overallincome. There are always a couple of MDs working towarda dental degree in our classes. It appears to me, however,that many in our profession focus chiefly on selling preventionand beauty, but not on treating disease. Also, toofew graduates are interested in entering academics ortreating the underserved.Q. You have dozens of publications, lecture frequently inall parts of the country and around the globe, and attendmany ceremonies to receive professional honors. Add onteaching, administration and surgery: you’re a very busyman. Do you have time for anything else?A. I’m a collector of high-end guns, I do some deerand duck hunting, I’m a skiier, and I like doing carpentry.I have a good life and would do it all again, given similaroptions. If you like what you do, it’s not work.Dr. Alpert received the 2011 Distinguished AlumniAchievement Award on May 6 at CDM’s Class Reunion Day.primus | SUMMER 2011 45

CDM Continuing Education: 2011 Fall Course ScheduleComprehensive Implantology ContinuumDr. Dennis Tarnow, Dr. Stephen Chu and Dr. James Finedates Choice of:Option I (Six weekend sessions)Oct. 1-2, Nov. 5-6, Jan. 21-22, Feb. 25-26,March 24-25 and April 28-29.or Option II (Two 6-day sessions)Tues.-Sun., Nov. 1-6 and Tues.-Sun., Feb. 21-26.note Includes CU/ICOI Symposium Dec. 9-1095 Credits. $7,500.Co-sponsored with Biomet3i, Nobel Biocare and Straumann.Esthetic Essentials ContinuumDr. Stephen Chu and Dr. Mark Piteldates Seven weekends. Oct. 1-May 19.67 Credits. $5,500.Enroll in the entire course or sign up for individual weekend sessionsthreeor more weekends receive a 5% discount.Ethics and JurisprudenceDr. Robert Tauber and Lance Plunkett, JDdate Wed. Sept. 21, 9 a.m.-Noon.3 Credits. $135, NYSDA members $65.Mandated Ethics Course sponsored by the New York StateDental Foundation.Implant Study ClubDr. James FinedatesOct. 5, Nov. 9 and Jan. 11, 6-8 p.m.2 Credits. $125.Social Media and YourDENTAL Practice:Strategies for Effective Online MarketingDr. Edward Zuckerberg and Dr. Tamar Schillerdate Fri. Oct. 28, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 4 Credits. $175.Powerful Endodontics Done Simplyfor the General PractitionerDr. Allan Deutsch and Dr. Barry Musikantdate Fri. Nov. 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 4 Credits. $175.Co-sponsored with Essential Dental SeminarsTobacco Cessation InterventionDr. Lynn Tepper and Dr. David Koslovskydate Fri. Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-Noon. 3 Credits. $145.Columbia University/ICOI Dental Implant Symposium:Controversies and Innovations in Implant DentistryScientific Director: Dr. Dennis Tarnow, and a programof internationally renowned speakers.date Fri. and Sat., Dec. 9-10. 11 Credits. $595ICOI Members/CDM Alumni, $495.Co-sponsored with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.Infection Controlfor the Dental OfficeDr. Ronnie Myersdate Fri. Jan. 6, 9 a.m.-Noon. 3 CreditsSatisfies the CE requirement mandated by theNew York State Board of Dentistry.andCPR Re-certificationMike Caffrey, EMTdateFri. Jan. 6, 1-4 p.m. 3 Credits.$145 per session, $275 both sessions.Save-THE-Date: May 25-26, 2012CE in Venice, Italy, with Dr. Dennis Tarnow.For further information and online registrationwww.dental.columbia.edu/CEtel: 212-305-7124 or email: dentalce@columbia.edu.46 primus | SUMMER 2011

alumnieventsFall 2011SeptemberThurs. September 15 Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery5:30-7:30 p.m. Alumni Reception at thePhiladelphia, PA AAOMS Annual MeetingOctoberMon. October 17 1852 Society6:30-9:30 p.m. Donor Recognition DinnerNew York, NYNovemberTues. November 1 Columbia Visiting Professorship:12:00-1:00 p.m. Contemporary Issues in DentistryNew York, NY With Dr. Elizabeth Mertz, UCSFformerly Percy T. Phillips programSun. November 13 Periodontal Alumni Reception5:30-7:30 p.m. at the American Academy ofMiami, Florida Periodontology Annual MeetingWed. November 30 Alumni Reception at the6:00-8:00 p.m. Greater New York Dental MeetingNew York, NYSpring 2012JanuaryFri. January 27 Alumni Luncheon at the12:00-1:30 p.m Yankee Dental CongressBoston, MAMarchFri. March 23 Thomas Cangialosi Annual Meeting9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. of the Orthodontic Alumni SocietyNew York, NYSat. March 31 Alumni Luncheon at the12:00-1:30 p.m. Nation’s Capital Dental MeetingWashington, DCMayFri. May 4 Class Reunion Day 201211:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. honoring classes ending in 2’s and 7’sNew York, NYSat. May 26Pediatric Dentistry Alumni Reception6:00-8:00 p.m. at the American Academy ofSan Diego, CA Pediatric Dentistry Annual SessionConnect with CDM!Visit www.dental.columbia.edu/alumni for networkingand career resources, including dental job listings andthe Columbia Online Directory.Update your contact info to receive announcements ofevents in your region.Follow CDM on social media for up-to-the-minute newson and off campus.

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