Life, Full Circle Coming Home - School of Dentistry

Dean Gremillion discusses the future of the dental school with Dr. Arturo Méndez, acting head of the
Department of Prosthodontics.
Life, Full Circle
Start with the facts.
Within hours after Hurricane Katrina, nine major levee breaks
poured 18 million gallons of water into the city of New Orleans,
a city that had survived 286 years of
hurricanes. A complete breakdown of
communication and infrastructure
followed.
It would be weeks before the floodwaters
could be pumped out. One of the hardest
hit areas was City Park, home to
LSUSD, the only dental school in
Louisiana.
For weeks, the school’s 300,000
square feet of clinic, research, classroom
and office space sat in fetid waters
that destroyed the mechanical, electrical,
telephone and security systems. Everything
located in the basements and first floors
was ruined, including years of patient
Some students at the spring TGIF are, from left, (bottom row) Kim Huynh,
Emmanuel Enime, Clare Maddox and Daniel Raymond. Middle row, Michelle
Swift, Nina Jayakrishnan, Sarah Raymond, Elizabeth Russell and Laura Feucht.
Back row, Michael Irby, Mac Tanvishut, Phong Pham, David Balhoff and
Coming Home
Native Son Named New Dean
Henry Gremillion, DDS, MAGD, a Louisiana
native, 1977 graduate of the LSU School of
Dentistry (LSUSD), clinician and researcher, has
been appointed the new dean of LSUSD. He will be the sixth
dean since the founding of the dental school in 1968.
Dr. Gremillion was recruited from the University of Florida
College of Dentistry (UFCD), where he was the Parker E.
Mahan Endowed Professor of Orofacial Pain in the Department
of Orthodontics and a member of the dental staff of Shands
Teaching Hospital. He also served for 17 years as the director
of the UFCD Parker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center and its
fellowship program in craniomandibular dysfunction. In
2005, he was appointed associate faculty at the Dawson
Center for Advanced Dental Education. He has been a
member of the associate faculty of the L. D. Pankey Institute
for Advanced Dental Education since 1986.
continues on page 25
records. Cars and trucks parked around the horseshoe drive soaked in
12-foot water, bobbing like toys in a bathtub.
Since its founding in 1968, the school has educated 4,258 dentists,
dental hygienists and dental laboratory technicians. Today, 75 percent of
the dental health care provided to the citizens of Louisiana is provided by
a graduate of LSUSD. Canceling the academic program was not an
option. Yet, with the epic destruction, some people worried out loud that
the school’s 37-year tradition of patient
care, education, research and outreach
might come to an end.
Before the Storm
Enormous goodwill had been generated
by the school over the years. Fourth-year
student David Balhoff experienced that
goodwill in a personal way. He was
president of the Student Government
Association (SGA) in August, 2005.
“On the Friday before the storm, I felt
so good about the future,” he said. “The
new semester had just started and SGA
had reinstituted TGIF (Thank Goodness
It’s Friday). As I looked out on the crowd,
Darren Hess. continues on page 2
Dental Connections Fall 2008

Life, Full Circle continued
I saw about 200 students and faculty relaxing and having a good time.
The event felt like a success.” David would later remember the irony of
that peaceful experience as the violence and chaos unfolded.
For five long, hot, fear-saturated days,
they stayed at their posts and fulfilled
their oaths as doctors.
Altogether, over a million people from a three-state area were displaced
because of Katrina. This included the 786 faculty, staff and students of
LSUSD. Communication was difficult or nonexistent as cell phones and
computer servers went down.
Conditions were beyond desperate at Charity Hospital in downtown
New Orleans where seven oral surgery residents rode out the storm. For
five days, they were surrounded by water and violence and cries of the
sick. For five long, hot, fear-saturated days, they stayed at their posts and
fulfilled their oaths as doctors.
Thing of Beauty
Let’s move on to a different set of facts and insights.
Two weeks after the storm, Dr. Jim Weir, chairman of the Department
of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and assistant dean of admissions,
stood on the threshold of a conference room on the campus of LSU in
Baton Rouge. In hindsight, he
was standing on the threshold
of the school’s new beginning.
Amid all the uncertainty, he
had a moment of great clarity.
“There sat the dean (Dr. Eric
Hovland) working on his laptop.
He was two inches from the
head of David Balhoff, who
was working on his own laptop,
and David was two inches
from Dr. Andrieu (associate
dean for academic affairs). I
don’t know what they were
working on. It didn’t matter.
What I saw was the depth of
their commitment. It was a
thing of beauty. I knew we
were going to make it.”
Within days, that nucleus of
faculty, staff and students
would grow and eventually
accomplish what no other
dental school in America had ever done: the reinvention of dental
education in the wake of one of the worst natural and manmade disasters
in history. For this historic achievement, LSUSD would receive a national
award from the American Dental Education Association (see
photo and story on page 4).
186 Heroes
Ironically, one of the first problems was one of success: of the 320
dental and dental hygiene students enrolled, 318 continued. How does
a dental school with no facilities continue the clinical education of 68
residents, 61 fourth-year dental students and 76 first- and second-year
dental hygienists? “You call your friends,” said Dr. John Ritchie, associate
professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials,
who led the intense effort to contact alumni around the state for help.
Within five weeks, all seniors were placed with mentors. Altogether,
186 dentists and surgeons contacted by LSUSD faculty have served as
teachers/mentors/instructors during the last three years. “The dentists
often said it was an honor to help their alma mater. Their willingness to
help kept me motivated. To me, they are heroes,” Dr. Ritchie said (see
preceptor story on page 5).
Transformation
The goodwill among the national dental community soon multiplied
as help poured in from around the country. Donations of equipment,
supplies, materials and money valued at about $4,000,000 enabled the
transformation of vacant storage buildings into a brand new, state-of-theart
dental school on the south campus of LSU in Baton Rouge. Construction
crews led by the late Dr. Randy Malloy (see tribute on page 35) and
Dr. Michael O’Brien, both in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery, worked around the clock. The attitude among faculty and staff
was “whatever it takes.”
After three months, the payoff began. The first phase opened with a
45-chair clinic, labs, classrooms and office space. The second phase
added a combined simulation and preclinical laboratory, a dental lab,
and additional lecture halls. The third phase added a state-of-the art 78chair
clinic that is now the permanent clinic in Baton Rouge (see story
on page 13).
Parallel to these stunning
achievements was the work of
Dr. Sandra Andrieu on the
curriculum. While the world
was falling apart, Dr. Andrieu
worked miracles to bring students,
teachers, classrooms and materials
together.
The cumulative effect of all
these initiatives meant that dental
education would continue, the
students would not miss a year.
As a result of the donations,
improvements were accelerated
in the areas of paperless clinic
management and patient-centered
comprehensive care. As an
example, the software company
Axium Academics donated their
software, valued at $500,000,
which enabled the transition
from paper to paperless in three
weeks, a process that normally takes six to nine months (see story on
page 22).
As rising waters engulfed the city, residents from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery wait
for help on the rooftop of Charity Hospital.
Without a Home
The post-Katrina world also meant major disruptions in family life,
especially for those whose homes were destroyed. Many things can be
measured in life. How do you measure the stress of not having a home?
Dr. Clifton Dummett, then chairman of the Department of Pediatric
Dentistry, was rescued from the roof of his home in New Orleans East.
continues on page 3
Fall 2008 2 Dental Connections

Life, Full Circle continued
Dr. John Gallo is director of clinical education.
He and his wife, Dottie, then lived in a small room of a cruise ship for
several months and then in a FEMA trailer (see tribute on page 34).
Lynn Pittman, Dr. Hovland’s administrative assistant, lost her home in
the Ninth Ward, and for nearly six months commuted 240 miles roundtrip
from her temporary home in central Louisiana to the temporary
home of the dental school in Baton Rouge.
How do you measure the toll on family life?
Because of Saturday classes, student Darren Hess was not able to visit
his family in Arkansas for four semesters.
As director of clinical education, Dr. John Gallo has the stressful job
of overseeing all the student clinics. Add to that the stress of seeing his
home in Lakeview totally destroyed, the tension of relocating his wife
and two small children to Houston, and the grind of commuting to and
from Houston every weekend for two years. Multiply that with the anxiety
of dealing with insurance adjusters, contractors, grant money and worry
about the future. It’s hard to grasp what Dr. Gallo has been through.
When Dr. Hovland looks back on that time, he sees vivid images that
paint the picture of many heroes. “I think of people like (police) Officer
Judy LaBorde, Director of Publications
Editor / Writer / Photographer
Joanne Courville, Director of Community Affairs
Producer / Contributing Writer
Susannah Richard, Creative Director Multi-Media
Art Director
1100 Florida Avenue • New Orleans LA 70119
Phone 504-941-8371 • Email jlabor@lsuhsc.edu
“Dental Connections” is a publication of the
LSUHSC School of Dentistry.
Davis who stayed behind and took care of our school. I can remember
the dedication of Drs. Sandra Andrieu and Larry Bates (coordinator of
student instruction) who worked 18 hours day to reinvent the dental
curriculum in the middle of chaos. I’ll never forget the dramatic images
of our OMS residents rowing a boat near Charity Hospital to rescue a
man who had a heart attack,” he says. “In my own darkest hours, I kept
going because of the inspiration of those around me.”
Facts and Future
Perhaps the most significant fact of all is that eight months after the
storm, all 61 students in the dental class of 2006 graduated on May 11,
2006, the day they were scheduled to graduate. “Every one of those
students passed their state and national boards,” said Dr. Weir.
“Every one of those students
passed their state and national
boards,” said Dr. Weir.
Two years after Katrina, a press conference was held to announce the
official return of the dental school to New Orleans (see story on page
14).
As the new school year began, students returned and soon the student
clinics were operating at capacity. Repairs to the first floor entrance are
complete. The clinics now provide services five days a week.
There is still much work that needs to be done. Repairs to the roof are
a recurring problem. The two main auditoriums are under construction.
In a fitting break with the past, the old barracks have been demolished.
Faculty
The biggest challenge is faculty recruitment and retention, which is an
ongoing challenge for all 58 dental schools in America. It is estimated
that about 400 faculty positions are vacant at any one time. At LSUSD,
that has been exacerbated by the loss of 30 percent of the faculty since
the storm.
The good news is that Dr. Henry Gremillion has started his tenure as
the school’s sixth dean. Also, Dr. Likith V. Reddy, who was recruited
from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, has been selected as
the new chairman for the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
He will replace Dr. John Kent, who remains on the faculty. More good
news is that a total of 20 faculty have been hired since 2005 (see story on
page 6).
Full Circle
Now we move to our latest set of facts.
In the spring of 2008, the SGA staged its first TGIF since Katrina.
There is no doubt that LSUSD has changed and yet it remains the same.
David Balhoff, the former SGA president, who attended the TGIF, was
preparing for another graduation. This time it was to celebrate the end of
his two-year orthodontic residency.
He talks to Darren Hess, who was the 2008 SGA president. A crowd
of about 150 faculty, staff and students relax and enjoy themselves. Not
as many as the 200 folks who showed up in 2005, but it’s a good crowd.
The turnout says that life is good. Life had become predictable enough
to celebrate something as simple as the end of the work week. It was a
glimpse of life renewing itself, full circle.
Dental Connections 3 Fall 2008

LSUSD Receives
National Recognition
There is no greater honor than to be applauded by one’s peers.
That is why the William J. Gies award from the American Dental
Education Association (ADEA) is so special.
Amid two standing ovations, the LSU School of Dentistry was honored
at the 85th annual ADEA conference in Dallas on March 29, 2008. The
school was presented the award for Outstanding Innovation—Dental
Education Institution. The award recognizes the two-year achievement
that re-created the dental school in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, which shut down the school’s facilities in New Orleans.
Using abandoned metal buildings next to a cow pasture on the south
campus of LSU, the faculty and staff of the dental school built two new
teaching clinics, along with an oral surgery suite, lecture rooms and
laboratories. Classes and clinical rotations resumed five weeks after the
storm. “We didn’t miss a beat,” said Dr. Eric Hovland, who was dean at
the time, “and we graduated every senior.”
The Gies award is named in honor of Dr. William J. Gies, a pioneer in
dental education, who was one of the founders of the Columbia University
School of Dental and Oral Surgery. The award honors contributions that
“It has been an
honor to serve.”
Editor’s note: Dr. Eric J. Hovland served as dean from 1993 to 2008.
He is now on a six-month sabbatical under the auspices of ADEA.
Upon his return, he will spearhead public health initiatives.
Ivividly remember my first day as dean over 15 years ago. I walked
into a vacant dean’s office. Not really knowing anyone at the school,
I sat down and thought, “Where do I begin?”
It was easier than I thought as I was warmly welcomed throughout the
state. I remember the wonderful reception Aimee and Chip Simon
organized at their home so I could be introduced to the Louisiana dental
community. After a few weeks, I quickly realized our school had the
potential to be one of the very best.
Working very hard over the next 15 years, we hired exceptional faculty
who brought excitement and strength to our school. Our research
endeavors expanded exponentially, and by 2003, the school was awarded
over $15 million in federal research contracts. Our teaching programs
were “cutting edge” with patient simulation equipment, new products
and techniques.
Thanks to many of you, our fundraising efforts were very successful,
allowing us to accomplish so much more. The area of which I am most
proud was the development of a positive, respectful and supportive
environment for our students. We, in every measure, became one of the
best and most well-respected dental schools in the nation.
Then came Katrina, which devastated our school and caused the loss
of a significant number of faculty and staff. Those who remained—
dedicated staff, energetic faculty, innovative administrators and committed
students—helped the school not only survive, but excel. Because we met
the challenge to develop a temporary school in Baton Rouge, our students
support
global oral
health and
education
initiatives.
ADEA
members
include all
U.S. and
Canadian
dental schools
and many
allied and
postdoctoral
dental
education
Attending the awards ceremony: (front row), Dr. Robert Sergent, Dr. Janet Leigh,
Dr. Eric Hovland, Lynn Pittman, Dr. Vincent Liberto and Dr. Alan Ripps.
Middle row, from left, Dr. Stephen Brisco, Dr. Sandra Andrieu, Dr. John Gallo
and Dr. Randy Malloy. Back row, from left, Dr. Larry Bates, Rebecca
Pousson, Dr. Ben Record and Dr. Chet Smith.
programs, corporations, faculty and students. It is considered the voice of
dental education. Its mission is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental
education community to address contemporary issues influencing
education, research and the delivery of oral health care for the benefit of
the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research,
advocacy, faculty development, meetings and communications like the
Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions
services AADSAS and PASS.
graduated and advanced on time.
None of this would have happened
without the extraordinary support of
Louisiana dentists, dental organizations
and the dental industry. I was never
more proud of our profession.
We returned to New Orleans over a
year ago and are now positioned and
ready for future growth. It is a good
time to bring in new leadership as the
school rebuilds.
Looking over the last 15 years,
I have many special memories. The
first being the many friends I have
made in Louisiana. I remember the
editorial I wrote for The Times-
Dr. Eric Hovland served as dean of
LSUSD from 1993 to 2008.
Picayune in which I bragged that Louisiana is not last in everything.
In fact, we are first in dental education and offer quality dental care in
this state. That is still true today. I want to thank all of you for your
exceptional support during my tenure as dean.
As I reflect on my years in dentistry, I have been very blessed. I married
the girl I love. I have children who make me so proud. I have been able
to teach what I always wanted—endodontics. I have had the opportunity
to lead an exceptional dental school at LSU. And I have been part of a
remarkable story of perseverance, courage, commitment, and character
by many in the recovery and rebuilding of our school after Hurricane
Katrina.
It has been an honor to serve as your dean.
Fall 2008 4 Dental Connections

Katrina Chronicles
Preceptors Provide Vital
Clinical Education
Cyndi Nguyen, DDS ’97, has devoted her life and her dental practice
to peace and healing. When the visitor enters her 7,500 square
foot office, right off from busy Highland Road in Baton Rouge,
one leaves behind the hectic pace of the street and enters a world of
harmony. The transformation is immediate and dramatic. Color,
textures, shapes and sounds surround the patient with care.
Creating a comfort zone has always been important to Dr. Nguyen
because she has seen first hand how calloused life can be. In 1975, during
the bleak time that came to be called “the fall of Saigon,” her family fled
their native South Vietnam and headed for America. After years of war
and chaos, the family was eager to pursue the American dream. She
watched them struggle with an unfamiliar language and culture. She
learned from their example that the best way to face disappointment is
with determination. After decades of constant challenges, she evolved
into an accomplished and compassionate young woman, ready to face
the world.
In 1993, she entered dental school at LSUSD where she met fellow
student, Toi. They married shortly after her graduation. In 1997, they
opened a dental practice in Baton Rouge which has become one of the
largest in the city, with 16 operatories. She’s worked hard, very hard, for
all the good things in her life. And, she has consistently supported her
community and those who have helped her along the way.
No Hesitation
That is why when Dr. John Ritchie, director of the preceptor program,
called her in 2005 and asked if she could quickly adjust her practice to
teach and mentor fourth-year dental student, Michael Favaloro, she said
“yes.” No hesitation.
“I didn’t see this as a disruption,” she said. “I saw it as a chance to give
back to the school that has given so much to us.” So, Michael was
included in all staff meetings. He was trained on digital x-rays, endodontic
therapy, surgical procedures and the latest in dental technology. “He
enjoyed having a personal dental assistant and someone to schedule his
List of Participating Preceptors
Dr. Shannon Allison
Dr. Kellie Axelrad
Dr. Gray Bailey
Dr. Daniel Bankhead
Dr. Johnny Barksdale Jr.
Dr. Aubrey Baudean
Dr. Johnny Bear
Dr. Mary Beilman
Dr. Neal Boudreaux
Dr. Darrell Bourg
Dr. Henry Bradford III
Dr. David Brannan
Dr. Astrid Bratcher
Dr. Carl Breaux
Dr. Shawn Briggs
Dr. Allison Brigham
Dr. Charles Brigham
Dr. Steven Brooksher
Dr. Christopher Brown
Dr. Harry Brown
Dr. Krista Bruns
Dr. Robert Bruns
Dr. Lauren Burger
Dr. Mary Ann Butler
Dr. Daryl Byrd
Dr. David Carlton Jr.
Dr. David Carlton III
Dr. Michael C. Casadaban
Dr. Sandra Catchings
Dr. Barry Cazaubon
Dr. Clay S. Chandler
Dr. Huiying Chen
Dr. Gary Chumley
Dr. Willie Collins
Dr. Tom Colquitt III
Dr. Randal Comeaux
Dr. Gwendolyn Corbett
Dr. Mark Coreil
Dr. Marianne Cruse
Dr. Nelson Daly
Dr. Sally Daly
Dr. Eric Day III
Dr. Rob Delarosa
Dr. Tim Delcambre
Dr. Ross DeNicola
Dr. Ross Dies
Dr. Russell Dimarco
Dr. E. Don Donaldson Jr.
Dr. Jill Donaldson
Dr. Patrick Dooley
Dr. Cyndi Nguyen at her office in Baton Rouge.
patients,” said Dr. Nguyen. “And, the ladies in the office enjoyed having
him around, too,” she said with a smile.
On Fridays and Saturdays, he also made her facilities available for
training the LSUSD dental hygienists. The patient pool came from the
Baton Rouge Community Health Care Clinic where Dr. Nguyen
served as a volunteer dentist.
After graduation, Dr. Michael Favaloro went into practice in Lutcher.
Since then, she has continued mentoring senior dental students. Robert
Carlson was the next student. Upon his graduation he became the
newest associate to join her practice.
186 Dentists
Altogether, 186 dentists from around the state served as preceptors
and mentors following Katrina. Their eagerness to help their alma mater
meant that the dental school could continue clinical training while the
New Orleans campus was inaccessible. “These are the real heroes,” said
Dr. Ritchie. “It was gratifying to see how much they wanted to help.”
Dr. Nguyen’s involvement in organized dentistry and dental education
does not stop with the preceptor program. She is now serving on the
board of directors of the alumni association and has served for five years
as a class ambassador. She is a member of the Academy of General
Dentistry, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Greater Baton
Rouge Dental Association, Louisiana Dental Association, American
Dental Association and the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation.
In addition, both Dr. Cyndi Nguyen and her husband, Dr. Toi Nguyen,
are members of the Committee of 100 at LSUSD. “Whenever I can,
I encourage my peers to support the school,” she said.
Dr. Dick DuBois
Dr. Paul Dugas
Dr. Lige Dunaway
Dr. Kevin Finley
Dr. André Frugé
Dr. James Frugé
Dr. Thomas Foster
Dr. Randall Foto
Dr. Charles Foy
Dr. Terry Fugetta
Dr. Sean Gaffney
Dr. Carol Galliano
Dr. Phil Gastinel
Dr. Scott Gatewood
Dr. Randy Gauthreaux
Dr. Jonas Gautier
Dr. Dov Glazer
Dr. Bradley G. Gottsegen
Dr. Marshall I. Gottsegen
Dr. William Grand
Dr. Patrick Guidry
Dr. Wilton Guillory Jr.
Dr. John Guillot
Dr. Jimmy Hammock
Dr. Paul Hargis
Dr. Catherine Hebert
Dr. Douglas Heller
Dr. Mike Hennessee
Dr. Ronnie Hermes
Dr. Teri Hernandez
Dr. Mike Hiller
Dr. David Hilton
Dr. C. Grady Hornsby Jr.
Dr. Craig Hovic
Dr. Johnnie Hunt
Dr. James Jeansonne
continues on page 23
Dental Connections 5 Fall 2008

Life Goes On: New
Faculty Come Aboard
Twenty full-time faculty have joined the LSUSD since Hurricane
Katrina. These 20 have been educated at the finest universities in
America and around the world.
Biographical Sketches
Dr. Catherine Badell graduated in 2000 from Santa Maria University
in Caracas, Venezuela, with a DDS degree. She earned a certificate in
periodontics at LSUSD in 2006 and is assistant professor in the
Department of Periodontics. She is a diplomate of the American Board
of Periodontology.
Dr. Bharathi Balagam graduated in 2002 from the Indian Institute of
Chemical Technology in India with a doctorate in chemistry. She did
postdoctoral training at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and
at the City University of New York from 2004 to 2007. She is a research
associate in the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biology.
Dr. Marco Brindis graduated in 1998 from the Universidad
Intercontinental in Mexico City, Mexico, with a DDS degree. From
2000 to 2001, he did a fellowship in dental implants in Vitoria, Spain.
In 2007, he obtained a certificate in prosthodontics from LSUSD. He is
assistant professor in the Department of Prosthodontics.
Dr. Philip L. Carruth received his B.S. in pharmacy from Northeast
Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe). After
receiving a DDS from the University of Tennessee in 1970, he
completed a one-year hospital internship at the Veterans Administration
Medical Center in New Orleans and a two-year general practice
residency at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Diego.
With 40 years of military and civilian service, Dr. Carruth retired from
the Veterans Health Administration in 2006 as chief of the Dental Service
at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in New Orleans. In
2000, he retired as colonel from the Dental Corps of the Army Reserve.
In 2007, he became assistant professor in the Department of
Prosthodontics after being a member of the part-time faculty since 1982.
Dr. Liang Chen graduated in 2005 from Tulane University with a
Ph.D. in chemistry. He then trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford
University. In 2006, he joined the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials as a research associate.
Dr. Danielle R. Davis, a 2003 DDS graduate of Meharry Medical
College School of Dentistry, obtained a certificate in general practice,
also from Meharry. She is assistant professor in the Department of Oral
Medicine and Radiology.
Dr. Guangqing Guo received a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry in 2002
from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in
Beijing. With a focus on dental materials, he joined the Department of
Among the 20 new faculty hired since Hurricane Katrina are, from left, Drs. Archontia Palaiologou, Heeje Lee, Catherine Badell, Janice Townsend and Tom Spranley.
continues on page 7
Fall 2008 6 Dental Connections

Dr. Likith Reddy
Named New Chief of
Oral Surgery
Likith V. Reddy, M.D., DDS, is the new chairman of the
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He succeeds
Dr. John Kent.
Dr. Reddy is the first department chairman to be recruited by the dental
school since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina forced the school to relocate
to Baton Rouge for two years. He is the second chairman in the
department’s 35-year history.
Dr. Reddy comes from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center
where he headed the residency program in Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery and was assistant clinical professor in the Department of
Surgery. He also served on the Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Board
at the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center.
He earned a DDS in 1995 from Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland. This was followed by a general practice residency in hospital
dentistry at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.
For the next seven years he was affiliated with the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas
continued from page 6
Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials
in 2007 as research associate.
Dr. Luis Infante graduated in 2002
from the Universidad Americana in
Managua, Nicaragua, with a DDS degree.
Previously he was awarded an associate
degree in dental laboratory technology
from Bates Technical College in Tacoma,
Washington. In 2004, he obtained a
certificate in advanced education general
dentistry at LSUSD. In 2008, he obtained
Dr. Luis Infante
a certificate in prosthodontics, also at
LSUSD. He is now assistant professor in
the Department of Prosthodontics.
Dr. Heeje Lee received a DDS degree in
1997 from the College of Dentistry at
Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.
In 2000, he received a certificate in
endodontics from Samsung Medical Center,
also in Seoul. In 2007, he was awarded a
certificate in prosthodontics from the
University of Rochester Eastman Dental
Center in Rochester, New York. Also in
Dr, Bharathi Balagam
2007, he was appointed assistant professor
in the Department of Prosthodontics at
LSUSD.
Dr. Leneise Lynn was named assistant professor in 2007 in the Department
of Endodontics. She also serves as director of undergraduate endodontics.
In 1994, she graduated from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine
with a DMD degree. In 2002, she was awarded a certificate in endodontics
from the University of Alabama. In 2003, she earned a doctorate in
biomedical engineering, also from the University of Alabama.
Dr. Archontia Palaiologou graduated from the National University of
where he completed
an internship
in oral and
maxillofacial
surgery, received
an M.D., completed
an internship
in general
surgery and was
awarded the residency
certificate
in oral and maxillofacial
surgery.
In 2005, he became
a diplomate
of the American
Board of Oral
and Maxillofacial
Surgery.
Dr. Reddy’s
research interests
are maxillofacial
injuries and adult
sleep apnea. Since 2003, he has given 71 scientific presentations and authored
15 journal articles and textbook chapters.
Athens, Greece, with a DDS degree. She subsequently obtained a certificate
in periodontics at LSUSD and a master of science degree at LSU Health
Sciences Center. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology
and assistant professor of periodontics.
Dr. Likith V.
Reddy is the new
chairman of the
Department of Oral
and Maxillofacial
Surgery (see story
above).
Dr.Tobias Rodriguez
received a Ph.D. in
microbiology and
immunology from
the University of
Michigan in 2007.
An instructor and
researcher in the
new Department of
Oral Biology, he is
assisting in the
restructuring of the
basic science
curriculum within
the DDS program.
Dr. Joseph So
graduated from
Temple University in
Dr. Marco Brindis, right, demonstrates preparation of a first
molar for an all-ceramic crown to dental student Anh Nguyen
in the simulation lab.
2001 with a DMD. He then completed the program in advanced education
in general dentistry at Temple University in 2002. He obtained a certificate
in prosthodontics from the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New
York, in 2006. In 2007, he was appointed assistant professor in the
continues on page 24
Dental Connections 7 Fall 2008

Faculty in Motion
CityBusiness Magazine has chosen Professor and Associate Dean of
Academic Affairs Sandra Andrieu, Ph.D., among its “Women of the
Year.” She will be recognized at a special event
on November 21. The award is given each
year to 50 women whose contributions to the
community have set the pace for the region’s
future.
Dr. Andrieu has received many accolades
during her 30-year career. She was recently
named a fellow in the Hedwig van Ameringen
Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine SM
(ELAM) Program for Women. This is a huge
Sandra Andrieu, Ph.D.
honor as ELAM is the only in-depth program
in America focused on preparing senior
women faculty at schools of medicine,
dentistry and public health to move into positions of institutional leadership
where they can effect positive change.
In the 77-year history of medicine at LSU, only three professors have
ever been chosen for the ELAM honor. ELAM is a core program at
Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.
She is on the board of directors for the American Dental Education
Association (ADEA) where she is also a member of the Outcomes Assessment
Taskforce.
Dr. Andrieu is leading the accreditation process now underway at
LSUSD.
The Department of Periodontics has two new diplomates: Catherine
Badel, DDS, assistant professor, and Archontia Palaiologou, DDS, M.S.,
also an assistant professor. Dr. Badell is a 2006 graduate of the LSU postgraduate
periodontics program.
A diplomate is a periodontist who has made
significant achievements beyond the mandatory
educational requirements of the specialty and
who is certified by the American Board of
Periodontology. A diplomate also must pass
comprehensive written and oral examinations
covering all phases of periodontal disease and
treatment, including dental implants.
Robert Barsley, DDS, J.D., professor in the
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology
Catherine Badell, DDS
and director of the Dental Health Resources
Program, was elected to a one-year term as vice
president and membership chairman of the American Academy of
Forensic Sciences at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The
academy is a nonprofit professional society organized in 1948 devoted
to the improvement, administration and achievement of justice through
the application of science to the processes of law.
Dr. Barsley is a 1987 graduate of the Loyola University
School of Law in New Orleans. He currently serves as an
appointed magistrate judge in Ponchatoula, Louisiana,
where he resides.
Gerard J. Chiche, DDS, Helmer Professor and former
chairman of the Department of Prosthodontics, was
honored as the recipient of the Greater New York Academy
of Prosthodontics Foundation Distinguished Lecturer
Award. The award is given to the best dental educator at
the national level, based on feedback from dentists attending
conventions as well as dental educators.
Robert Barsley, DDS, J.D.
This summer he presented at the American
College of Prosthodontists Esthetic Continuum
in Seattle. The two-day conference is a collaboration
with the University of Washington School of
Dentistry.
He also served as program chairman for the
22nd Quintessence International Ceramics
Symposium which attracted nearly 1200 attendees
from 41 countries. As part of the symposium, a
banquet was held to honor Allan Rappold,
DDS, for his years of dedication to prosthodontics
at LSUSD. Forty-eight members of the
Department of Prosthodontics attended the banquet.
Dr. Chiche is a renowned oral health professional and author of two
acclaimed textbooks on dental esthetics. One of the books, the bestseller
entitled “Esthetics of Anterior Fixed Restorations,” is a classic that has
been translated into eight languages.
He played a key role the fundraising efforts of the Academy of General
Dentistry following Hurricane Katrina (see story on page 29).
Paul L. Fidel Jr., Ph.D., director of the Center for Excellence in Oral
and Craniofacial Biology and associate dean for research, started a major
international collaboration with the School of Oral Health Sciences at
Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Guy’s
Hospital in London. The research is funded by a multi-year $2.5 million
grant from the National Institutes of Health entitled “Immune Dysfunction
and Candidiasis in HIV Infection.” The focus is to study the immune
dysfunctions that occur in HIV-infected persons that create a high
susceptibility to oral candidiasis (yeast) infections, commonly called
“thrush.”
Janet Leigh, BDS, DMD, professor and chair of the Department Oral
Medicine and Radiology, has been awarded the 2008 ADEA/Sunstars
America Inc. Harry W. Bruce Jr. Legislative Fellowship by ADEA.
The program provides in-depth training in the federal legislative
process and increased understanding of policy issues related to dental
education and research. Fellows form a cadre of dental faculty and
administrators to work with federal and state legislators. They serve for
one year, spend three months in Washington and receive a stipend from
Sunstar Americas, Inc.
Arturo J. Méndez, DDS, M.Sc., has
been named acting head of the Department
of Prosthodontics. He is also director of
the implant clinic and professor in the
department. He has been a full-time
member of the faculty since 1978. His
main field of interest is implantology.
Laurie F. Moeller, DDS, associate
professor in the Department of
Prosthodontics, is the winner of the coveted
Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching
Award, the highest honor
in teaching given by the
LSU system. It is named
after Dr. Copping, a former
dean of LSUSD, chancellor
of LSUHSC and president
of the LSU System. The
award was established to
recognize faculty who are
excellent teachers, demonstrate
a lifelong quest for discovery
and inspire their students.
Gerard J. Chiche, DDS
Arturo J. Méndez, DDS, M.Sc.
Janet Leigh, BDS, DMD
Fall 2008 8 Dental Connections

Faculty in Motion
continued
An outstanding teacher from each of the six schools that make up
LSUHSC is given the Copping award each spring.
Benjamin Record, DDS, director of General Practice Residency and
assistant professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology,
and Jeevan Yenuganti, DDS, an assistant professor in the Department of
Oral Medicine and Radiology, were two of 36 new and prospective dental
educators who completed the ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and
Learning (ITL), an intensive faculty development program.
The program is a collaborative venture of ADEA and the Academy for
Academic Leadership. ITL is held in partnership with the University of
Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
The program’s goals are to enhance the effectiveness of dental educators
and increase the likelihood they will have successful academic careers.
The program includes intensive training in teaching methods and course
planning, as well as guidance in how to succeed in the academic environment.
It is designed and led by nationally recognized experts in dental and
higher education curriculum and leadership.
Vincent Liberto, DDS, director of continuing education and acting
chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, has been inducted into the
Hall of Fame of St. Stanislaus College, his high school alma mater
located in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Dr. Liberto is a graduate of the class
of 1951. As he accepted the Hall of Fame honor, Dr. Liberto was
surrounded by the applause of 175 friends and relatives.
Since 2003, he has also been assistant dean at LSUSD. Among his
many awards and honors are the Outstanding Service Award from the
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Outstanding Faculty Award
from the LSU School of Dentistry Alumni Association, and The
Outstanding Contributions to the Art and Science of Dentistry Award
from the Louisiana Chapter of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He
previously was selected Honor Dentist
of the New Orleans Dental Association.
The Louisiana Dental Association
named him to receive its Distinguished
Service Award.
Golden Apple Awards for teaching
excellence were presented to Tobias
Rodriguez, Ph.D., instructor in the
Department of Oral and Craniofacial
Biology; Suzanne K. Farrar, RDH,
MSHCM, assistant professor in the
Vincent Liberto, DDS, right,
accepts the Hall of Fame award
from Brother Ronald Hingle,
president of St. Stanislaus College.
Chancellor Larry Hollier and
Laurie Moeller, DDS
Department of Comprehensive Dentistry
and Biomaterials, Program in Dental
Hygiene; Mark Winkler, DDS, M.S.,
Ph.D., associate professor in the
Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials; Kenneth R.
DuBois, DDS, clinical assistant professor
in the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials; Chet A.
Smith, DDS, associate professor in the
Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials, and David
Vela, B.S., CDT, associate professor in
the Department of Prosthodontics.
Students in dentistry, dental hygiene
and dental laboratory technology
select the winners of the Golden Apple Awards. The purpose is to
recognize, encourage, and document superior teaching. A total of six
awards are given: one for each of the four dental classes, one for the
dental hygiene program, and one for the dental laboratory technology
program.
Promotions
John D. Dagate, DDS, has been
promoted to associate professor in
the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials.
Suzanne K. Farrar, RDH,
MSHCM, has been promoted to
associate professor in the Department
of Clinical Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials/
Program in Dental Hygiene.
Sheri Granier Sison, RDH,
MDH, has been promoted to
clinical assistant professor in the
Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials.
Janet E. Leigh, BDS, DMD, has
been promoted to professor in
Department of Oral Diagnosis
and Radiology.
Charles McCabe, DMD, has
been promoted to clinical associate
professor in the Department of
Periodontics.
Chet Smith, DDS, has been
promoted to associate professor in
the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials.
Sotirios Vastardis, DDS, M.S.,
has been promoted to associate
professor in the Department of
Periodontics.
Terrence E. Walsh, DDS, has
been promoted to clinical
professor in the Department of
Orthodontics.
John D. Dagate, DDS
Suzanne K. Farrar, RDH, MSHCM
Charles McCabe, DMD
Terence E. Walsh, DDS
Dental Connections 9 Fall 2008

Accreditation
Assures Licensure
In the world of dental education, accreditation is the ultimate report
card, the pinnacle of peer review. But why should a dentist practicing
in suburbia or in a small town in Louisiana care about the academic
concerns of his or her alma mater?
“Because full accreditation informs the public that the dental school
continues to meet the educational standards of excellence expected by
the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and that we are
committed to continuous improvement of the programs offered by the
school, for the benefit of the graduates and, ultimately, the patients
we treat,” says Dr. Sandra Andrieu. She is leading this exacting and
comprehensive review for the second time in her 30-year career at
LSUSD. It’s a full-time job on top of her full-time job as associate dean
of academic affairs and professor in the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials. It’s also a project that requires lots of knowledge,
patience and 14-hour days. “The practical benefits of accreditation happen
every time a practicing dentist hires a graduate of LSUSD. Everyone
needs to trust that the graduate is competent in specific areas and has
been educated on the best practices in the dental profession,” says
Dr. Andrieu.
Dr. Andrieu proudly states that “LSUSD has maintained full
accreditation, even through the overwhelming challenges presented by
Hurricane Katrina. Led by the Self-Study Steering Committee, the
administration and faculty are committed to continuing that status
through the upcoming accreditation process.”
Dr. Keith Fabre demonstrates amalgam carving to the freshman operative dentistry class.
National Licensure
The review occurs every seven years and is voluntary. All 58 dental
schools in America will go through the process because it is essential for
national licensure. LSUSD was originally scheduled for a full review in
2006. This had to be changed because of the upheaval caused by Hurricane
Katrina. Six months after the storm, five representatives from CODA
toured the school’s interim campus in Baton Rouge and were surprised
with what the school had accomplished. As a result, the dental school
received a perfect report with no recommendations or suggestions.
Drs. Lawrence I. Goldblatt, Sandra Andrieu and Pamela Zarkowski during the
mock site visit this spring.
Massive Preparation
Now the full review is underway and for more than a year, a massive
preparation phase has been underway in anticipation of the crescendo
event, a four-day site visit in March of 2009. The preparation began with
the formation of a steering committee led by Dr. Andrieu. Their charge
is to conduct a self-analysis using the standards of CODA which operates
under the auspices of the American Dental Association. This self-analysis
will result in a self-study report to be submitted to CODA this autumn
for review by the evaluation team that will visit in March. The programs
in dentistry, dental hygiene, dental laboratory technology and the majority
of the advanced dental education programs are being reviewed.
“The practical benefits of accreditation
happen every time a practicing dentist
hires one of our graduates.”
This exhaustive process has required the faculty to spend hundreds of
hours identifying, describing, collecting, examining and documenting
every aspect of dental education and practice at the dental school. Given
the turmoil of Hurricane Katrina and the two-year relocation of the
dental school to Baton Rouge, this is no easy task.
The CODA standards are used to guide program administrators,
faculty and staff in developing and maintaining acceptable quality in
both dental and dental-related educational programs. These areas include
outcomes assessment, administration, curriculum, faculty, financial
support and physical facilities.
“It’s a healthy process,” said Dr. Andrieu. “It helps us revisit our
programs, review them with a critical eye and make improvements to
better serve our graduates and the public.”
Hard to Believe
Because the process is so enormous and significant, a mock site visit,
comparable to the actual accreditation site visit, was held this past May.
In this crucial step, leaders from the national dental community function
as “tough cops” giving feedback so that corrections can be made before
the 2009 review. The mock site visit was conducted by two wellrespected
leaders of the national dental community: Lawrence I. Goldblatt,
DDS, MSD, dean of the Indiana University School of Dentistry, and
continues on page 30
Fall 2008 10 Dental Connections

The Rebirth
of Research
The good news about research is that all three floors of laboratories
that have been dormant since Hurricane Katrina are being rebuilt.
The even better news is that research at the dental school has
begun a dynamic rebirth that includes an international collaboration, the
establishment of a new Department of Oral Biology, the founding of an
institute to research infectious diseases, the continuation of the Center of
Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology and a highly successful
Research Day/2008.
Leading this maverick march to the future is Paul Fidel, Ph.D., associate
dean for research, director of the Center for Excellence in Oral and
Craniofacial Biology, and professor in the Department of Microbiology,
Immunology and Parasitology.
Collaboration
When Katrina destroyed irreplaceable tissue samples and greatly
reduced the patient population in New Orleans, Dr. Fidel knew he had
to be flexible and innovative to continue his NIH-funded research into
oral candidiasis (yeast) infections, commonly called “thrush.” He began
discussions with Dr. Maeve Coogan who is with the School of Oral
Health Sciences at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South
Africa, about a possible collaboration. Dr. Coogan has a large patient
population with oral thrush and the ability to enroll and collect specimens.
It took nearly two years to complete the paperwork and approvals.
Samples are shared with Guy’s Hospital in London, so the collaboration
involves researchers on three continents.
The study began in May. Findings will be presented in 2009 at the
Sixth World Workshop on Oral Health in Bejing, China.
The new [department] will allow the
school to have more control over the
content of basic science curriculum
which is one of the top priorities
of dental schools nationwide.
New Department
The word “department” is so widely used that it’s easy to lose sight of
its significance in a university setting. “Department” is a key organizational
unit. It is through a department that faculty are hired, grants are
awarded, state funding is allocated and fundamental decisions about
teaching are made.
The new Department of Oral Biology is a big step forward for the
dental school. It will allow the school to have more control over the
content of basic science curriculum which is one of the top priorities of
dental schools nationwide.
It will enable the hiring of faculty who meet the specific goals of the
dental school. This will have an enormous impact on the potential and
focus of biomedical research. The plan is to recruit 18 faculty over the
next six years consisting of basic scientists in the LSU School of Medicine,
as well as from outside the LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC).
Tobias E. Rodriguez, Ph.D., is the first new faculty to be hired by the
department. In May, after just one year of teaching, he was named a
recipient of the Golden Apple award. The award is given by the students
for excellence in teaching.
Infectious
Disease
Dr. Fidel is the
principal investigator
who will lead the
South Louisiana
Institute f o r
Infectious Disease
Research. This new
initiative is funded
through a $3.3
million grant from
the LSU Board of
Regents. It is a
collaboration with
Tulane University
Medical Center.
Dr. Paul Fidel, left, with Elizabeth Lilly, research associate, in one
of the newly renovated research labs.
The concept for this special funding is to rebuild the research institutions
which were destroyed by Katrina and which are the source for high wage
jobs vital to the region’s economic recovery. The institute has three key
components: educational, research and commercialization. The goal of
commercialization is technology transfer.
The institute will build upon research strengths in fungal diseases,
HIV/SIV, sexually transmitted diseases, vaccine development, respiratory
diseases, oral diseases and biodefense-emerging infections.
Center of Excellence
The scope of the center is broad. The objective is to foster research
across LSUHSC and around the world. It has established collaborations
with faculty in the Departments of Pharmacology; Physiology; Cell Biology
and Anatomy; Internal Medicine; and Microbiology, Immunology and
Parasitology.
In 2004, the center was awarded an NIH Center of Biomedical
Research Excellence (COBRE) grant for $10.7 million to develop junior
faculty into independent researchers. Thus far, the COBRE funding has
provided $1.2 million for new scientific equipment and laboratory
renovations. The monies provide research support for 11 faculty and pay
for the partial salaries of 21 faculty and staff. Nine new jobs have been
created at the dental school.
Research Day
The synergy of all these developments could be seen and felt at the
2008 Research Day Awards presentation, hosted by Dr. Fidel and
Dr. Janet Leigh, chairman of the Department of Oral Medicine and
Radiology. The turnout was good and enthusiastic, filling the fourth
floor breezeway. Twenty posters were presented. The winning poster in
the student category was entitled, “Corrosion of Cu-Containing NiTi
Orthodontic Arch Wires.” The winners were Ben Foster, David Guidry,
Julie Cheuk and Dr. Nikhil Sarkar.
Research can sometimes seem abstract and intangible. Research Day
was high energy and tangible, one of many signs that research at the dental
school has entered a new era.
Dental Connections 11 Fall 2008

Delta Dental Gives $700,000 Since Katrina
$340,000 will be Used to Renovate the Main Auditorium
In the last three years, Delta Dental Insurance
Company has donated over $700,000 to LSUSD. This
sum includes $312,000 in direct aid to the 312 dental
students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Each student
received a check for $1,000 that was personally presented
by Dr. Marilynn Belek, DMD, executive vice president
and chief dental officer of Delta Dental of California.
The company’s most recent gift is $340,000 which will
be used for a total renovation of the large auditorium.
Repairs to this auditorium address a critical need as the
space is used for student lectures, graduation activities,
continuing education courses, alumni events, faculty
development workshops and special presentations.
“It’s difficult to express how much we appreciate the
incredible support of Delta Dental over the past three
years,” said Dr. Eric Hovland, who was dean at the time of
the gifts. “All of us—faculty, staff and students—are
extremely grateful.”
The dental school facility in New Orleans was built 40
years ago and the auditoriums have never been fully
renovated. In addition, further decay and mildew occurred
during the school’s two-year vacancy following Katrina.
The auditoriums require upgrades to enhance seating
comfort, upgrade multimedia technology, improve
auditorium acoustics and enhance the overall appearance of the space.
Public funds were available to renovate the two smaller auditoriums.
For the large auditorium, private funds were needed. Dr. Belek,
graciously agreed to underwrite the $340,000 cost.
The company also gave a $25,000 grant to help in the school’s recovery
after the storm and a $35,000 unrestricted educational grant. “The
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is no longer front page news but still
greatly affects many people, said Dr. Belek. “That’s why we continue
Lobby has New Look
and Fresh Purpose
Progress is evident around the campus with a number of significant
repairs and renovations. The patient lobby and reception areas on
the first floor of the clinic building have been rebuilt. Central
sterilization is in its new location. Roof repairs continue. The bookstore
has moved to spacious renovated space next to the library.
The two smaller teaching auditoriums are currently being renovated
and should be completed by year-end. The school’s largest auditorium
will undergo renovations once the smaller auditoriums are complete.
The research infrastructure is making a strong comeback with the
refurbishing of the basic science laboratories on three floors in the clinic
building.
The first floor of the administration building will eventually be
comprised of a full-service cafeteria and a wireless student lounge. The
One of the first photos taken following the reopening of the school is this view of the administration, which houses
the auditoriums under renovation.
to assist this future generation of Louisiana dentists and to help them
complete their training.”
The Delta Dental consortium includes affiliates in California, Iowa,
Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin, Arkansas
and Colorado. The Delta Dental Plans Association provides dental
insurance to about 46 million Americans.
first floor of the clinic building will soon be used as a patient reception
area and for new patient oral health care screenings.
Fall 2008 12 Dental Connections

Dr. Benjamin Record
Ben Record Named
New Clinic Director
Benjamin Record, DDS, director of the General Practice Residency
(GPR) Program and assistant professor in the Department of
Comprehensive Care and Biomaterials, has been named the first
director of the school’s 78-chair dental satellite clinic in Baton Rouge.
The clinic, located on the south campus of LSU, has served 11,491
patients since opening in the autumn of 2005.
The clinic was built in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to continue
the clinical education of the dental and hygiene students. The evolution
of the clinic from interim to permanent means that more services are
now available to the working poor and underserved populations in the
Baton Rouge area.
Dr. Record earned his DDS in 2003 and received his certificate in
GPR in 2005, both from LSUSD.
The clinic was part of a cluster of buildings that housed the dental
school until 2007, when operations returned to New Orleans. “Baton
Rouge was very, very good to us after the storm,” said Dr. Record. “LSU,
Earl K. Long Hospital, members of the Louisiana Dental Association,
the Greater Baton Rouge Dental Association and countless other dental
and medical professionals opened their arms during a tragic time in our
school’s history. Fortunately, we were able to get the funds to permanently
support the clinic.”
Continuous Rotation
Dental students and residents rotate through the dental clinic continuously.
Predoctoral students provide exams, extractions, and restorative fillings.
Dental hygiene students provide oral cleanings.
Residents provide implants, crowns, bridges and removable prosthetics.
GPR and pediatric residents address more difficult and comprehensive
cases. This includes extraction of wisdom teeth, minor oral surgery,
periodontal surgery, treatment of special needs and medically compromised
patients. Intravenous and moderate sedation are available for qualified
patients.
GPR Expansion
“The clinic provides quality and affordable care while training our
students in a more advanced practice model,” said Dr. Record. “It also
has allowed us to expand our GPR Program to train more residents and
bring access to care to the people of this state.”
The GPR Program is a one-year/optional second-year hospitalbased
residency which offers a unique opportunity for an advanced clinical
and didactic experience in a university hospital environment. The
program’s objectives are to educate dentists to function as a part of a
hospital team, and to gain competency in diagnosing and rendering
comprehensive and preventive dental treatment for the medically
compromised patient.
Before Katrina, discussions were underway about expanding the GPR
program statewide. “We envisioned a five- to 10-year plan, slowly growing
the program to 20 or more residency positions,” said Dr. Record. “The
storm accelerated that whole process so that in just three years we now
have 14 residents in five cities. Baton Rouge is our first new clinic and
has proven to be a great place to train in conjunction with Earl K. Long
Medical Center.”
A-dec Donates Dental Chairs to Baton Rouge Clinic
Tim Palmer and Ben Malone, both A-dec managers, with
Dr. Eric Hovland.
continues on page 31
When LSUSD was struggling to reestablish its operations in Baton Rouge following
Hurricane Katrina, many corporations rallied behind the school’s efforts to
continue its educational and clinical programs. One company whose generosity
was critical in helping LSUSD continue its clinic programs was A-dec, one of the largest
dental equipment manufacturers in the world. A-dec representatives initially loaned new
state-of-the-art dental chairs and equipment to establish the permanent dental clinic on the
LSU South Campus. In March of 2008, A-dec’s representative, Alan Grobey, notified the
school of their decision to donate operatory equipment valued at $629,000 to the permanent
satellite clinic. “We are so grateful to A-dec for their overwhelming support,” said former
Dean Eric Hovland. “Without such support, we would have been hard-pressed to sustain our
clinical educational program following the storm.”
Dental Connections 13 Fall 2008

A Milestone
Graduation
In the big book that might be called “Life After Katrina,” one of the
most satisfying chapters is the graduation of the Class of 2008. This
is the class that started routinely in 2005. At the standard new
student orientation, a speaker told the class that dental school was not a
sprint but a marathon. “Little did we know that our experience would be
more like a triathlon than a marathon,” said Darren Hess, then SGA president,
at the 2008 commencement.
The harmony before the storm quickly gave way to evacuation,
flooding, relocation, dorm rooms on a cruise ship, classes at varied
locations and uncertainty about the future. The school first relocated to
the Pennington Biomedical Research Facility in Baton Rouge and then
to the LSU South
Campus. “Students,
faculty and staff drove
into Baton Rouge
from all over south
Louisiana,” Hess said.
“We were carpooling
from Lafayette,
New Orleans, and
everywhere in
between.”
When the school
relocated back to
New Orleans in
2007, some students
continued to
commute since they
had permanently
moved to other
areas of south
Louisiana.
Hess told the
commencement
gathering that the
most important lessons learned had to do with resilience and relationships.
“I believe that the friendships formed will last a lifetime,” he said. “No
matter where we go or what we do, if someone says something can’t be
done, we can remember the marathon that turned into a triathlon. We
can be inspired by the people who helped us get through it and the day
we crossed the finish line.”
Doctor of Dental Surgery
(Editor’s Note: * denotes C. Edmund Kells Honor Society, ** denotes
Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Dental Society and + denotes Student
Government Association)
Degrees were awarded to Lauren Leigh Ardoin, Stephen Fernand
Babin Jr., Jimmy Anthony Babineaux Jr., Joshua Don Beaver*, Chad
Christopher Biggio, Michael Joseph Boudreaux, Jonathan DeWeese
Bowling, Patrick Daniel Briese, Robert Henry Carlson, Blake Alan
Comeaux, Steven Craig Cummings, Eva Marie Daigle, Nicholas Martin
Darby, Mark Andrew De Simone, Gerald Darr DeJean II, Stephen James
Delahoussaye, Brian Michael Duvernay*, Timothy Stewart Fontenot,
Rae Ann Gauthier, Tara Ann Gilpin* **, Jeremy Gordon Graham, James
Eryk Hargrove* **, Jamie Nicole Harold, Eric Wallace Hayes, Robin
Meaux Hebert, Glenn Michael Hendrix, Darren Heath Hess* ** +, Sarah
Mae Khani +, Dustin Mitchell Kidder, Ashley Michelle Landry, Janelle
Unhae Lee, Michael Joseph Marcello II* **, Shelly Astugue Montegut,
Michael Nguyen, Christopher Aaron Olson* **, Reena Suresh Oza,
Heidi Stansbury Paridon, April Jenell Parker, Asha Damodar Patel,
Sapna Arvind Patel, Ali Pourian, Alice Elizabeth Russell* **, Steven
Arthur Swan, Kumjohn Tanvishut, Justin Earl Tarver*, Ryan Christopher
Terry, Kenneth To*, John Edward Trahan II*, Stephen George Trahan,
Julia Phung Trieu* **, Heber Cutler Tuft +, Jonathan Brock Turgeon,
Bridgette Michelle Vidrine, Eric Nathaniel Vondenstein, Athena Anh
Vu, Kenneth Craig Wilkinson Jr., and Lindsey Raquel Williams.
Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene
(Editor’s Note: ** denotes magna cum laude and ˚˚ denotes degree conferred
at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette)
Degrees were awarded to: Katie Sue Allan, Lynette Marie Alleman,
Tiffany Elise Allen, Jeanine Marie Babin, Christina Rose Bender, Lyndi
Michelle Boggs**,
Metoq’ua DZN
Branson, Cimberly
Nicole Burns, Kristi
Elizabeth Charpentier,
Megan Ann Daigle,
Anh Tuyet Thi Dang,
Nina Contreras
Drago, Megan
Michelle Edwards,
Beth Alison Fernandez,
Lisa Galatas Flick,
Kellen Alexis
Frisch**, Dayna
Michelle Gioe, Ashley
Elizabeth Glaser,
Kelyn Anne Griffin,
Laura Earles Higgins,
Tuyen Kim Hoang,
Kay Goodrich
Hoffman, Cigi Tanya
Judd, Raven Nicole
Labry˚˚, Joy Lucy
Lanie˚˚, Leryn Lynn
LeBlanc˚˚ **, Lauren Amanda Leday˚˚, Danielle Elizabeth Mabile,
Lisette Marie Martinez, Kasey Leigh Murphy, Diana Kim Nguyen,
Kenna Marie Payne, Keri Kristine Richardson, Lauren Elaine Robinson,
Ashley Marie Rojas, Lauren Jenee Smith, Kayla Michelle Stevens, Letitia
Lynn Stockman, Hannah Kristine Venable˚˚, Karen Cecelia Walker and
Sharon Renée Young˚˚ **.
Bachelor of Science in Dental Laboratory Technology
Graduates are: Kim Huynh, Timothy Steven Lynde, Michelle Marie
Mailhos, Chi Diem Pham, Cuong Phu Pham, Phong Thanh Pham and
Catherine Elizabeth Taunton.
Associate of Science in Dental LaboratoryTechnology
Graduates are: Dustin Nelson Good, Dung Quoc Ly, Phuong Uyen
Huynh Tai, Ny Thanh Tran and Cuong Viet Truong.
Fall 2008 14 Dental Connections

Graduation Caps
40 Years of
Advanced Education
Forty years ago in 1968, LSUSD accepted its inaugural
class of dental students for the DDS program. What is
not so widely known is that during the early, formative
years, advanced education also started at the dental school.
In 1968, the Departments of Endodontics, Prosthodontics,
Operative Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral
and Maxillofacial Pathology were founded. One year later, the
Departments of Pediatric Dentistry and Oral Medicine and Radiology
were started. The year 1970 saw the founding of the
Departments of Orthodontics, Periodontics and General
Dentistry. In 1976, the Department of Biomaterials was established
and, in 1995, merged with the Department of
Operative Dentistry. In 2006, the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry was formed from a merger of the Departments of Operative
and General Dentistry.
Graduates
Continuing the 40-year proud tradition of advanced education, 24
residents received certificates as follows: Drs. Blair Gremillion and
Daniel Lester in the Department of Endodontics, Drs. Michael Bird,
Chadha Retirement
Mention the name J.M. Chadha and what comes to mind is the
Department of Orthodontics at LSUSD. The department is
his “baby,” as he is fond of saying. That’s because 38 years ago,
which equates to two years before the first graduation at the dental
school and the opening of the clinic building, Dr. Chadha founded the
Department of Orthodontics and started building it into one of the
finest orthodontic learning centers in the country.
His trailblazing work has resulted in LSUSD having one of the highest
percentages of graduates achieving diplomate status in the nation: 66
percent versus 53 percent nationwide. “My source of inspiration is the
accomplishments of my students,” Dr. Chadha said.
A native of India, Dr. Chadha received his DDS and M.S. from the
University of Iowa. He received a certificate in pediatric dentistry from
Harvard University where he also completed a clinical fellowship in
orthodontics. He then went on earn a certificate of orthodontics from
the University of Iowa.
He has been cited for special honors by the University of Iowa, Royal
Dental College in Denmark, OKU, Sigma Xi, the International College
of Dentists and the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation.
In June, Dr. Eric Hovland presented him with the LSUHSC Distinguished
Service Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the
advanced education program as assistant dean.
Reflecting on his long and illustrious career, he said that “students were
my priority.” He developed a rigorous program focused on growing young
minds as well as the orthodontic profession. He emphasized peer feedback
through daily case presentations by the students. He taught the value of
self-reflection, honest assessment and the quest for constant improvement.
MAKING HISTORY. The School of Dentistry awarded Certificates of Advanced Education on June 20th to the
24 residents completing the advanced education training in the dental specialties of endodontics, general practice
residency, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and prosthodontics. Most of the residents
began their training the year of Katrina and their graduation is now part of the dental school’s historic recovery
from the storm.
Victor Caronna Jr., Brandon Hagler, Damion Hew, Nazafarine Mahroo,
Beatriz Robles and Rinku Parmar in the General Practice Residency
Program. Certificates were awarded to Drs. George Fisher, Christopher
Haggerty, Walter Jackson, Anush John, Mark Josephs and Jeremy King in
the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Drs. David Balhoff,
Jonathan Chapman, James Hall and Katia Lemke in the Department of
Orthodontics; Drs. Bhavini Acharya, Ruchi Arora and Yunus Langha in
the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Drs. Paul Child Jr. and Luis
Infante Gonzalez in the Department of Prosthodontics.
Dr. J. M. Chadha is surrounded by alumni and wellwishers who presented him with an oil portrait
on the occasion of his retirement after 52 years of dentistry.
Because of the financial burdens that students face, he strove to
provide stipends for his residents and tuition exemption.
His unique style of high expectations and caring earned him a loyal
following through the years. Alumni and friends have raised over $1.5 to
establish the J.M. Chadha Endowment in Orthodontics. Many gathered
last June at the black tie alumni dinner to honor him on the occasion
of his retirement after 52 years in dentistry, 38 of them at LSUSD.
“Life has been wonderful to me at LSU and I’ve made some good
friends.” Then, with that famous tongue-in-cheek humor, he said, “I’m
not going to abandon this place completely. All I ask is for a few things,
like free parking.”
Dental Connections 15 Fall 2008

OKU and Kells
Honor Top Students
Recognizing top performing students as well as faculty who represent
the highest standards of teaching is germane to academic
excellence. The founders of LSUSD knew this and even before
the first class graduated in 1972, Theta Kappa, the local chapter of
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society, was
established. Current members and new inductees were honored at a
banquet held on April 17, 2008, in conjunction with the C. Edmund
Kells Honor Society.
New alumni members are Tara Gilpin, Eryk Hargrove, Darren Hess,
Michael Marcello, Christopher Olson, Elizabeth Russell and Julia Trieu.
Dr. Robert Sergent and Dr. Toby Cheramie were recognized for their
contributions to the art, science, and literature of dentistry and inducted
as faculty members. Dr. Edward Ireland became a life member.
Honor students from other dental classes invited to the OKU banquet
were Lindsey Brown, Jamie Toso, David Guidry, Ben Foster, Son
Nguyen, Eric Hebert, Ashley Lestrade and Erin Maturin.
The Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence award was presented
to Lindsey Brown. The purpose of
this award is “to recognize a rising
junior dental student at each
component chapter school who
has demonstrated scholarship,
character, and the potential
promise for advancement of
dentistry and service to humanity.”
The 2008 officers are Elizabeth
Strother, president; Dr. William
Garbee, president-elect; Dr. Tetsuo
Nakamoto, vice-president;
Dr. Laurie Moeller, secretarytreasurer;
and Dr. Chet Smith,
past-president.
Kells Honor Society
Every profession has its pioneers,
those whose inventions and
innovations raise the bar of professional excellence. In New Orleans,
much is owed to the legacy of Dr. C. Edmund Kells Jr. He was born in the
city, educated in New York and trained in his father’s dental practice in
New Orleans. He also visited famed inventor Thomas Edison and the two
shared observations about their experiments.
Dr. Kells’s breakthroughs include the use
of x-rays and the automatic electric suction
cup. He advanced treatments for the
preservation of teeth. He is credited with 30
patents, published two textbooks and
authored 200 journal articles. When cancer
required the amputation of one of his arms,
he devised dental tools that could be used
with one hand so he could continue to practice.
His long shadow lives today in the C. Edmund
Kells Honor Society which was founded at
LSUSD. Membership is accorded to
students who excel academically throughout
OKU Honor Dental Society new alumni inductees: Christopher Olson, Tara Gilpin, Michael
Marcello, Elizabeth Russell, Eryk Hargrove, JuliaTrieu and Darren Hess.
New OKU faculty members Dr. Toby Cheramie. far left, and Dr. Robert Sergent, fourth from left.
OKU officers, from left, are Elizabeth Strother, president; Dr. Chet Smith, past-president; Dr.
Laurie Moeller, secretary-treasurer; and Dr. Tetsuo Nakamoto, vice president. Dr. William Garbee,
not pictured, is president-elect.
New members in Kells Society, class of 2009, from left, Ian
Fontenot, Lindsey Brown, Alan Puckett, Cecilia Chan and Brittany
Jones.
their dental school career. The top 10 percent of sophomores, 15 percent
of juniors and 20 percent of seniors are inducted each year.
Kells Society members from the class of 2008 are Josh Beaver, Brian
Duvernay, Tara Gilpin, Eryk Hargrove, Darren Hess, Michael Marcello,
Christopher Olson, Elizabeth Russell, Justin Tarver, Kenneth To, John
Trahan and Julia Trieu.
New inductees from the class of
2009 are Ian Fontenot, Brittany
Jones, and Aaron Mangum. New
members from the class of 2010
are David Barton, Benjamin
Foster, David Guidry, Kelly
Milstead, Son Nguyen and Scott
Sicard.
Each year members of this
student-led society select a faculty
member whom they believe best
represents the values and
dedication to dentistry embodied
by Dr. Kells. The 2008 Kells
Society honorary faculty member
is Dr. Ross DeNicola, clinical
assistant professor in the Department
of Comprehensive Dentistry and
Biomaterials.
Current officers are Cecilia Chan, president; Alan Puckett, vicepresident,
and Jamie Toso, secretary/treasurer. Dr. Paul Armbruster is
faculty advisor.
New members in Kells Society, class of 2010, from left, Kelly
Milstead, Son Nguyen, Scott Sicard, David Guidry and Benjamin
Foster.
Fall 2008 16 Dental Connections

Across the Campus
Scholarships Recognize
Academic Performance
In this time of post-Katrina, it was calming when the school year
returned to its normal ebb and flow. In that context, we continue
the time-honored practice of presenting scholarships to our highest
achieving students.
Pierre Fauchard Academy
The name Pierre Fauchard stands for the highest ideals in dentistry.
He literally wrote the book on dentistry, authoring the first textbook in
1728. He revolutionized dentistry by a strict
adherence to the scientific method and then
sharing his knowledge and techniques. Both
were unheard of practices in his time.
Each year the Foundation of the Pierre
Fauchard Academy pays homage to the founding
father of dentistry by awarding a scholarship
to a rising senior dental student who
demonstrates the greatest leadership potential.
Pierre Fauchard award
recipient Anna Kate Milburn
Tracy Helm Scholarship
Anna Kate Milburn is this year’s winner of the
$1,500 scholarship.
Laurie E. Higgins is
the winner of the Tracy
Helm Scholarship
which is given each
year to a second-year
dental hygiene student
based on communication,
patient management
skills, outstanding
interpersonal relationship
qualities, grade point
average and financial
Bill Helm, Laurie E. Higgins and Richard Helm
need.
Tracy Helm was a
dental hygiene student at LSUSD. She graduated in 1993 and later died
in an automobile accident. In 1997, Bill Helm, Tracy’s father, established
the Tracy Helm Scholarship Fund. Bill and his son, Richard, personally
presented the $600 scholarship to Laurie.
Lindsey Brown Lydia “Jamie” Toso
OKU
Scholarships
Lindsey Brown and
Jamie Toso, both
senior year dental
students, have been
awarded the Excellence
in Academic
Achievement
scholarships given
annually by Omicron
Kappa Upsilon
(OKU), the national dental honor society. The purpose of OKU is to
encourage and reward students who have the qualities necessary for
the successful practice of dentistry, including intelligence, character and
leadership. The scholarship winners each receive $500.
LAMMICO
Scholarship
Winner
First-year dental
student Obialunamma
Agubuzu (Obi) is the
2008 winner of the
LAMMICO $6,000
scholarship. LAMMICO
is a malpractice
insurance company
based in Metairie. The
scholarship is given
annually, based on
Scholarship winner Obi Agubuzu is flanked by LAMMICO
representatives Kathy Terry and Chammy Allen.
academic accomplishment and financial need. Obi was born in
Washington, D.C., and then raised in Louisiana and Ethiopia. She
speaks three languages and graduated from the International Community
High School in Ethiopia in 2002. She later graduated from Cornell University
with an overall grade point average of 3.97 and 4.0 in the sciences.
Baldridge
Scholarship Winners
Twenty top-performing dental students have been selected as recipients
of the 2008 Baldridge Scholarships. Each will receive $1,500 for the
current academic year. Five students are chosen from each class based on
outstanding academic performance. First-year students are selected
based on undergraduate grade point average and scores on their
entrance exams.
The scholarships are awarded annually. Funding comes from a generous
gift bequeathed to the dental school by the late Dr. Carl Baldridge, a
dentist in the Baton
Rouge area who was also
well-known as a rancher.
Dr. Baldridge also
funded two endowed
chairs in the LSU Health
Sciences Center, one to
fund research through
the Center of Excellence
of Oral and Craniofacial
Biology and the second
in the Department of
Neurology.
First-year winners, from left, Ashley Altazin, Katie Medine,
The fourth-year Mohammed Ismail, Nicole Thieler and Anthony Walker.
students are Lindsey
Brown, Cecilia Chan,
Aaron Forrester, William Puckett and Lydia Toso. Third-year winners
are David Barton, Benjamin Foster, David Guidry, Son Nguyen and
Kevin Williams. Second-year class winners are Jared Harris, Michael
Maher, Erin Maturin, Ruby Nhan and Joshua Parker. First-year winners
are Ashley Altazin, Mohammed Ismail, Katie Medine, Nicole Thieler
and Anthony Walker.
continues on page 29
Dental Connections 17 Fall 2008

White Coats and the
Ideals of Dentistry
Just weeks after the start of their dental education, the 60 members
of the class of 2012 donned white lab coats and publicly proclaimed
their oath to the profession of dentistry. The purpose of the annual
ceremony is for each student to personally commit to the highest ideals
of the practice of dentistry, beginning with the fundamental concepts
of integrity and
“service over self.”
The tradition of
taking professional
oaths goes back
6,000 years, to
the origins of the
Hippocratic oath
as the ethical
underpinning of
medicine. The
specific oath
used at LSUSD
was written by
the faculty.
Class
Facts
The 60 freshmen
were chosen
from a field of
250 applicants,
according to
Dr. Jim Weir,
assistant dean for admissions. “Fifty-four are from Louisiana, four from
Arkansas, one from California and one from Texas,” he said. “During the
admissions process, each was scrutinized based on grades, scores on the
entrance exams, recommendations from teachers, perceptual ability, score
on chalk carving test, personal attributes like ethics, professionalism,
Summer Program continued
Enrichment Program. She heard about the program when Dr. John
Ritchie, program director, gave a talk to the members of the LSU Minority
Student Pre-Professional Society.
She always knew she wanted to work with people in one of the medical
professions. The idea of dentistry appeals to her because of positive
experiences she had as a child. “I loved the stickers. I loved how wearing
braces improved my smile. There’s a lot of happiness when you help
someone get a bright smile.”
leadership and people skills and motivation to become a dentist.”
There are 37 men and 23 women in the class, with an average age of
24 years. They come from 27 different Louisiana cities and 22 colleges.
The grade point average for the class is 3.6 and their average score on the
Dental Admissions Test was 19 which is the 86th percentile.
Freshman Class
Members of the class are Obialunamma Agubuzu, Ashley Altazin, Jason
Alvarez, Renee Bourgeois, Matthew Brady, Joshua Brandner, Bryan
Broussard, Jeremy Brown, Haley Bui, Zachary Bulmanski, Erin Carter,
Danielle Causey, Danielle Decou, Chase Dronet, Michael Farrar, Chad
Gustafson, Jeffery Hennigan, Hung Hoang, John Hobgood, Thomas
Holman, Andrew
Hood, Stuart
Huntsman,
Mohammed Ismail,
Cole Johnson
Catrinel Jordan,
Richard Keech,
Khaliq Khan, Kevin
Kidder, Ian
Landesman, Kallie
Leyser, Chase Martin,
Ryan May, Mary
McClendon, Jacob
McInnis, Katie
Medine, Alexis
Nacchio, Danny
Nguyen, Khuong
Nguyen, Quynh
The Nguyen, Thu
Nga Nguyen, Jin
Park, Matthew
Parker, Jay Patel,
Joshua Patella,
Phillip Petitto,
Blake Price, Elise Puissegur, Keleigh Quimby, Richard Rathke, Jennifer
Rome, Russell Schafer, Elizabeth Schauf, Brian Schmidt, Charles Staples,
Nicole Thieler, Jessica Tingstrom, Celeste Toups, Steven Vutera Jr.,
Anthony Walker, Myung Yoon, Omar Yousuf and Mohammad Zadeh.
Taking their oath are, from left, first row, Ashley Altazin, Jason Alvarez and Renee Bourgeois. Second row are Michael Farrar and Chad Gustafson.
No Fear
She didn’t know what to expect in the summer program. What she’s
learned is, “there are a lot of excellent teachers like Dr. (Shawky)
Mohamed. The whole program gives you a good idea of how things really are.”
Learning the language of dentistry has given her a lot of confidence,
she says, as well as learning about the different dental specialties. “The
other day we shadowed the clinicians in endodontics and pedodontics
and that was a lot of fun.
I hope the dental school
keeps doing this because it
sure is worth it.”
As to Tosha’s personal
ambitions, she says
“dentistry is what I want to
do and I am going to do it.”
No doubt. No fear.
“What’s there to fear?”
she asks with a dismissive
wave of the hand. “Getting
into dental school? If I
don’t make it the first try,
I’ll just keep on trying.”
Dr. Shawky Mohamed demonstrates waxing techniques to
students Ashley Benton and Christopher Reed.
Dental Connections 19 Fall 2008

W I T H S I N C E R
...we recognize our corporate sponsors who responded to the school’s immense needs following the devastat
3i Implant Innovations
3M
Academy of General Dentistry Foundation
Accudent Dental Lab
American Academy of General Dentists
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation
American Association of Endodontists Foundation
American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Association of Orthodontics
American Association of Orthodontics Foundation
A-dec
American Dental Association Foundation
American Dental Hygiene Association Institute for Oral Health
American Dental Education Association
American Student Dental Association
Anonymous
Axium Academics, Inc.
Biomet 3i Implant Innovations
Biomet Microfixation / Walter Lorenz Surgical, Inc.
Boyd Industries
Brasseler USA
Campus Federal Credit Union
Continuing Dental Education Baton Rouge
Criticare
Delta Dental
DENTSPLY Caulk
DENTSPLY Prosthetics / Trubyte
DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties
East Baton Rouge Parish Dental Association
Elsevier
GC America
Gillette Company
Harvest Technologies Corporations
Incisive, LLC
International College of Dentists Foundation
Fall 2008 20 Dental Connections

E G R A T I T U D E
ion of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Our remarkable recovery is testament to your generosity. Thank you.
Ivoclar-Vivadent
Jersey Shore Medical Center
Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation
KERR Sybron Dental Specialties
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Louisiana Academy of Continuing Dental Education
Louisiana Academy of General Dentistry
Louisiana Dental Association
Metalift, LLC
Midmark Corporation
New Orleans Dental Hygiene Association
Nobel Biocare USA
North Pennsylvania Periodontics Association
Northwest Endodontics
Patterson Dental Corporation
Pfisterer-Auderer Dental Lab
PhotoMed International
Proctor & Gamble Professional Oral Health Company (Crest/Oral-B)
Psi Omega Foundation
Schick Technologies
Seattle Study Club
Significance Foundation – Blatchford Foundation
Southwestern Society of Orthodontists
Sullivan-Schein Dental
Sunstar Butler
SciCan
Straumann
Stryker Instruments
Synthes
Ultradent Products, Inc.
United Concordia
Virginia Dental Association Relief Foundation
Whip Mix Corporation
Wichita District Dental Society
Zimmer Dental
Dental Connections 21 Fall 2008

Something So Right:
The Story of Axium Academics
Everything changed with Katrina, including something so simple
and essential as reaching for a patient’s record. Flooding destroyed
thousands of patient documents, the lifeline of clinical management.
It was a devastating setback for the dental school which led to a dramatic
transformation from traditional paper to sophisticated digital recordkeeping.
Some say the speedy change was miraculous. Others call it the paradox
of destruction: new growth from old.
All agree that the key person in this turn of events is an unusual man
of business, Ted DeVries. He is a world traveler, corporate executive,
builder of a children’s home in Thailand, humble worker in a homeless
mission. But we’re getting ahead of our story.
“The world should be a better place
because we have walked through it.
And we believe you lead by example.”
In the summer of 2005, DeVries, president of Axium Academics, had
been in talks with representatives from LSUSD about purchasing his
company’s software. This would be a major purchase for the dental
school, at least $500,000. A lot of thinking and planning would be
necessary. Many discussions would have to take place. In other words, a
great deal of time would transpire before any changes could take place.
No Big Deal
DeVries first learned of Katrina while he was in Europe. Yes, he could
see from the television images that it was a bad storm but he also
thought it was no big deal, just another example of the media exaggerating
a problem.
All that changed the next day when he saw photos of people stranded
on rooftops, waiting and watching, hopeless and helpless, while helicopters
and film crews recorded their misery. “I couldn’t believe this was happening
in America,” he said.
Shortly afterward, a colleague called and talked about Katrina and the
opportunities to make lots of money because of the damage. “I know
Team Axium, from left, Rachel
DeVries, Ted DeVries, Robin Schell,
Ryan Brandon and Joanna Rossi.
business is business but it made me mad to think people would be taking
advantage of other people at their time of need.”
Big Request
Shortly after that, he got a call from Rebecca Pousson, who was
working with clinical operations at LSUSD. “Ted, we’ve got a big request,”
she said. “We lost our records. We’re in bad shape. We need your software
but we don’t have the money to buy it. Can we use your software? Then,
sometime in the future, we’ll buy it.”
His response was immediate, “Rebecca, I won’t let you just use the
software. I’ll give it to you.” Just like that, a gift worth a half a million
dollars. What kind of person does that?
“The core value of our company is that we have a responsibility to our
community,” he said. “The world should be a better place because we
have walked through it. And, we believe you lead by example.”
So, after making this huge gift, which was so essential to reestablishing
the school in Baton Rouge, DeVries assembled a training team of five
people. He paid their airfare from company headquarters in Vancouver,
Canada, to Baton Rouge. He absorbed all their living expenses for three
weeks. In fact, he personally came down during the last week.
Thus began the intense training that enabled the dental school to
transition from paper to paperless in a matter of weeks, not months, as is
usually the case.
He credits this to the attitude of faculty, staff and administration of
the dental school. “In an emergency, you can do a lot quickly. The
attitude of everyone was ‘we’ve got to keep this going.’”
Commitment of the Heart
He learned a lot about the leadership of the dental school. “They were
on the front line, sleeves rolled up,” he said. “They worked shoulder to
shoulder with the staff, taking the pulse of a problem to resolve it
quickly.”
As to the faculty and staff, “you could see their commitment was a
commitment of the heart. Some didn’t know where their loved ones were.
Some no longer had a home. Yet they drove hundreds of miles commuting
to Baton Rouge in order to bring back the dental school. You can’t pay
people enough money to do that. That’s a commitment of the heart.”
His most vivid memories came during his drive through the streets of
New Orleans. “Seeing with my own eyes the symbols written on the
outside of houses, knowing they meant the number of bodies. We were
shocked. We did not talk. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”
These are strong words from a man who has traveled extensively
throughout first and third world countries, a man who cares enough
about children to build a home for them in Thailand, a man who rolls
up his sleeves once a month to work at a homeless mission in Vancouver.
When he first became involved at the mission, his objective
was to help the homeless person. “Then I began to notice
that often it’s only four or five bad decisions
that separate me from the person I’m
helping. That’s it, just four or five bad
turns. When I paid attention to what
that person could teach me, I realized
I was the one being helped.”
Editor’s note: In 2006, the
American Dental Education
Association presented Ted DeVries
and Axium Academics with its
Presidential Award.
Fall 2008 22 Dental Connections

Raising the Bar
Dentists Become Advocates
Laws matter. That’s why advocating to elected officials about issues
vital to dental health is part the mission of local, state and national
dental organizations.
At the national level, Janet Leigh, BDS, DMD, professor and chair of
the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, was selected as one of
50 representatives of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
from 25 states who visited more than 90 Congressional offices to educate
members of congress and their staff. Their purpose was to discuss issues
affecting access to oral health care and funding for dental and craniofacial
research. These activities were part of the annual AADR-ADEA Advocacy
Day, hosted jointly by the American Association for Dental Research
(AADR) and ADEA. The 50 representatives came from academic dental
institutions, dental research and patient advocate groups.
Specific issues that members discussed with their representatives were
the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008,
funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR), and legislation to
prevent the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services
from implementing several
directives that would reduce
funding and impede access to
Medicaid and the State
Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP).
Deamonte Driver was a 12year-old
boy in Maryland who
died in 2007 as a result of
untreated dental problems.
Robert Barsley, DDS, J.D.,
joined a large delegation (see
photo) from the Louisiana
Preceptor List continued
Dr. Louis Joseph
Dr. Scott Keys
Dr. Thomas Kiebach
Dr. Scott Kogler
Dr. Chad Lacour
Dr. Dwight Landry
Dr. Tal Lanius
Dr. Bobby Leach
Dr. Sam Levatino
Dr. Robin Levy-Bookman
Dr. Ronald Liuzza
Dr. Wendy Maes
Dr.. Hector Maldanado
Dr. Mike Malone
Dr. Ronald Marks
Dr. Lisa Mathews
Dr. Greg May
Dr. Pam McClaine
Dr. Georgia McDonald
Dr. Hugh McKnight
Dental Association
(LDA) for its annual
Dentists’ Day at the
legislature. Members
were briefed on public
health issues including
the LDA’s public
affairs campaign to
broaden public, media
and governmental
awareness of the benefits
of community water
fluoridation. This
advocacy led to the
subsequent passage of
legislature to bring fluoridated water to everyone in Louisiana. It is part
of a public affairs program initiated by the ADA in 2007. For more
details, go to www.healthysmileslouisiana.org.
Alan H. Ripps, DMD, M.Ed., professor in the Department of
Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials, demonstrated the
breakthrough technology in making dental crowns in one day. The
demonstration was part of “LSU
Day at the Legislature” in April.
The procedure, which used to
take two appointments, can now
be done chairside in one visit of
about two hours using digital
imagery. The crowns are also
highly accurate.
Schools and divisions from
throughout the LSU system set
up displays and exhibits in the
lobby of the state capitol in
Baton Rouge to educate
lawmakers.
A strong delegation from the Louisiana Dental Association that included Dr. Robert Barsley (front row,
right) successfully advocated for fluoridation during “Dentists’ Day at the Legislature.”
Dr. Robert McMinn
Dr. Daniel Megison
Dr. Cindy Miciotto
Dr. Mark Milam
Dr. Michael Montalbano
Dr. Ken Morgan
Dr. Bobbie Morris
Dr. Garrett Morris
Dr. Andy Murphy
Dr. Guy Murphy
Dr. Thomas Nash
Dr. Gregory Nassif
Dr. Paul Neumann
Dr. Cyndi Nguyen
Dr. Toi Nguyen
Dr. Brian J. Olivier
Dr. Steve Norris
Dr. Stephen Ortego
Dr. Larry Oubre
Dr. Richard Owens
Dr. Troy Patterson
Dr. Bryan Pearson
Dr. R. Bruce Phillips
Dr. Walter Shep Platt
Dr. John Portwood
Dr. Robert L. Regan
Dr. Gil Rew
Dr. Daniel Richardson
Dr. Steve Ripple
Dr. Melissa Ritter
Dr. Joey Roberson
Dr. Robert Rockefeller
Dr. Byron Rome
Dr. Robert Rooney II
Dr. Curtis Roy
Dr. Jessley Ruff
Dr. Aimee Russo-Mounger
Dr. Christopher Saal
Dr. Charles Sampognaro
Dr. Gayle Sanchez
Dr. Glenn Schmidt
Dr. Chuck Schof
Dr. Alan H. Ripps demonstrates new crown technology with
students Lynda Harhad and Darren Hess.
Dr. Catherine Schwab
Dr. Roberta Shaklee
Dr. Robin Shannon
Dr. Pamela Shaw
Dr. John Shepard
Dr. Denis (Chip) Simon III
Dr. Rachelle Smith
Dr. Tessa Smith
Dr. Kirk Soileau
Dr. Kristy Soileau
Dr. Jeffrey Snitzer
Dr. Robert Spatafora
Dr. Kenny St. Romain
Dr. Mike Stacey
Dr. Glenn Steen
Dr. Gray Stephens
Dr. Ross Stephens
Dr. Ronnie Sylvester
Dr. Doug Talley
Dr. Les Tarver
Dr. Bridget Thibodeaux
Dr. Dennis Thompson
Dr. Jim Tomaszewski
Dr. Brent Toups
Dr. Tooley M. Towns
Dr. Kenneth Versman
Dr. Roger Vitter
Dr. Mike Walker
Dr. Bill Wayman
Dr. Robert Westerman
Dr. Matt Whitehead
Dr. Jay Whitley
Dr. Ryan Wicker
Dr. Francis Wiggins
Dr. Paul Wood
Dr. Lisa Wyatt
Dr. Cheng You
Dr. Greg Zeringue
Thank You.
Dental Connections 23 Fall 2008

Alumnus of the Year
Randy Green
Randy Green, DDS, graduate of the class of 1978, was named
Alumnus of the Year at the annual alumni reception held at the
Plimsoll Club. The award was presented by Dr. Eric Hovland
who cited Green’s consistent and stalwart support for LSU, the LSU
School of Dentistry, the school’s alumni, the dental profession and the
community.
He has been in private practice in Metairie for 30 years. He became
involved in
organized
dentistry upon
his graduation
and has served
as president of
the LSUSD
Alumni
Association
and the New
Orleans Dental
Association.
He has been
chairman of
Dr. Randy Green, right, pictured with newly appointed Dean Henry
Gremillion at Alumni Day 2008.
New Faculty continued from page 7
In his first year of teaching, Dr. Tobias Rodriguez was chosen
by his students for the Golden Apple award for excellence
in teaching. Dr. Eric Hovland made the presentation.
the New
Orleans Dental
Conference,
Department of
Prosthodontics.
Dr. Thomas Spranley,
a 1983 LSUSD graduate,
is assistant professor in
the Department of
Comprehensive Dentistry
and Biomaterials. From
2006 to 2008, he was a
member of the parttime
faculty in the
Department of
Comprehensive Dentistry.
From 1986 to 1992, he
was in the Operative
Dentistry Department.
Dr. Janice Townsend,
originally from Hickory,
North Carolina, finished
dental school at
Marquette University
in Wisconsin. After
completing pediatric training at Ohio State, she received an appointment
from LSUSD as assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric
Dentistry.
Tuan Vuong, CDT, a 2002 LSUSD dental technology graduate, works
in the central lab and is certified in ceramics.
Dr. Yapin Wang obtained a doctorate in 1996 from Zhejiang University
and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry in China. She
director of the board for the Louisiana Dental Association and the director
of the board of governors for the New Orleans Dental Association. He
has been liaison to the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry.
He currently is chairman of the LSU Health Sciences Center Foundation
where he represents the interests of the dental school. He has worked as
an ambassador of the school among his peers. He is a member of the
school’s major annual giving program, the Committee of 100, and he has
helped to involve others in the school’s mission.
For 27 years, he has been a member of the American Dental Association,
“He’s a natural-born leader...
whatever he does, he does at 100 percent.”
the Louisiana Dental Association and the New Orleans Dental Association.
He is also a member of the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the
International College of Dentists.
“He’s a natural-born leader,” says Angela, his wife of 33 years, whom
he met at LSU. “Whatever he does, he does at 100 percent,” she says,
“And he’s always doing something.”
That “something” definitely includes LSU football. When his beloved
Fighting Tigers play in Tiger Stadium, Randy can be found, up at
daybreak, preparing a feast for the 80 guests who regularly come to his
tailgating parties.
Mention that his daughter, Courtney, is a former member of the
Golden Girls at LSU and he beams like a proud poppa.
He and his wife, Angie, have completed a major renovation of a new
office suite overlooking Lake Pontchartrain in Metairie. They are also
planning Courtney’s wedding set for January.
subsequently completed postdoctoral training
at Southwestern University, Wyoming
University and the National Research
Council of Canada. Currently, she is an
associate researcher in the Department of
Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials.
Dr. Zezhang Wen obtained a doctorate
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
in molecular microbiology in 1998. He
worked as a postdoctoral fellow for three
years at the University of Rochester Center
for Oral Biology in Rochester, New York.
From 2001 to 2008, he worked as a
researcher and assistant professor in the
Department of Oral Biology at the University
of Florida. He is assistant professor in the
Department of Oral and Craniofacial
Biology.
Dr. Alika Yu graduated from the University
of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in
1994 with a DDS degree. This was
followed by a two-year general practice
residency at Buffalo General Hospital.
In 2006, she obtained a certificate in
prosthodontics from LSUSD. She is
assistant professor in the Department of
Prosthodontics.
Dr. Philip Carruth
Dr. Yapin Wang
Fall 2008 24 Dental Connections

Raising the Bar
Alumni Elevate Dentistry
Gerald I. Drury, M.S., DDS ’79, is chairman of the American
Board of Periodontology. He received his certificate in periodontology
from LSUSD in 1979. He is a clinical professor of advanced
periodontics at the University of Southern California and practices in
Hermosa Beach, California.
Eric Geist, DDS, M.S. ’79 and ’84, is president of the American
Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery which is celebrating its 61st
anniversary. He served six years as a board examiner for the American
Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American
Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, a fellow of the American
Dental Society of Anesthesiology, a fellow of the American College of
Coming Home continued from front page
Coming Home
Dr. Gremillion serves as a consultant to the Malcolm Randall
Veterans Administration Hospital, the United States Army, Navy,
and Air Force
on temporomandibular
disorders and
orofacial pain,
and to the
American Dental
Association’s
Council on
Dental Practice.
Dr. Gremillion
began his
professional
career practicing
general dentistry
in Cottonport,
Louisiana, from
1977 to 1989.
He was named
Cottonport
Citizen of the
Year in 1989.
He also served
Dr. Henry Gremillion
on the City
Council.
Earlier this
year, the Academy of General Dentistry honored him with the
Thaddeus V. Weclew award for his “exceptional contributions to the
art and science of dentistry and for promoting the principles and
ideals of the academy.” In 2000, he also received the LSUSD
Alumnus of the Year award.
Since 2002, he has been co-investigator in four research projects
with funding in excess of $3,000,000. In the last two years, he has
authored seven scientific articles and textbook chapters. He
succeeds Dr. Eric Hovland, who served as dean for 15 years.
Dentist, a fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Dental Honor Society, and a
fellow of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Dr. Geist is in private practice in Monroe.
Jack Kent, former chairman of OMS, pictured here with Eric Geist, keynote speaker at the
2008 Advanced Education graduation.
Randy Green, DDS ’78, is the new chairman of the board of directors
for the LSU Health Sciences Center Foundation. His term started in
October.
Earlier this year, he was chosen as Alumnus of the Year (see story on
page 24).
Jason Parker, DDS ’01, was named by the Louisiana Dental Association
to receive this year’s New Dentist
Award, which is given to
outstanding contributions of
time and talent for the betterment
of mankind.
According to the LDA, he has
worked tirelessly to advocate for
dental care for children, including
the “Give Kids A Smile” project
and the Operation Blessing
Medical Volunteer Corps. He
played a major role in the ADA’s
documentary entitled “Hurricane
Katrina and Dentistry.” He is
one of 25 pediatric dentists
from around the country to
participate in the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Foundation’s Healthy Smiles,
Jason Parker, DDS, received the New
Dentist Award presented by the LDA.
Photo courtesy of David Tompkins.
Healthy Children Leadership Institute II at the Kellogg School of
Management.
Dr. Parker is in private practice in Metairie and Slidell.
Sherrod “Shade” Quin, DDS ’79, the current president of the Alumni
Association, has recently joined the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials in a part-time capacity as clinical assistant
professor. He is in private practice in McComb, Mississippi. For several
years, he served in medical missions to Honduras.
Dental Connections 25 Fall 2008

Reconnecting at Reunions
“You never know how important
Class of 1973
Left to right:
Drs. Wayne D. Pierce,
Michael D. Daigle,
David M. Ring,
William A. Ward,
Dean L. Manning,
Joseph Anzelmo,
Francis Rinaudo Jr.,
Roger S. Lee and
Edward J. Boos
Class of 1978
Back, left to right:
Drs. Edward E. Levy
III, John R. Hebert,
Robert E. Spatafora,
and Ronny M.
Simmons
Front, left to right:
Drs. Johnny M.
Hollier, Randolph D.
Green, Thomas P.
Sagrera and C.A.
“Buddy” Brice
Class of 1983
Back, left to right:
Drs. John H. Watts,
Andrew G. Murphy,
Carl T. Turpin Jr.,
Dennis S. Norris, Mark
W. Garon and John A.
“Chip” Davis Jr.
Center, left to right:
Drs. Marshall Hawkins,
Robert L. Lamb, James
M. Cotton, Glenn E.
Hummel, Lindy V.
Bollen Jr., Gabriel F.
Daroca III and Jack F.
Rowley Jr.
Front, left to right:
Drs. Ann K. Laurent,
Laura D. Hastings, Kathy
J. Krook, Peter H. Nasser
Staying connected with classmates over
the years and decades can have surprising
and huge consequences, according to
Randy Green, DDS ’78, who has maintained
ties during the 30 years since graduation. “For
the two months following Hurricane Katrina, I
was not able to see my patients due to damage
to my office. In that emergency situation, I was
able to tap into my network of ’78 classmates.”
Ultimately, seven colleagues took care of his
patients until he could. “It’s a lot of fun to go
to the class reunions, but you never know how
important your classmates can be until you ask
for help during the tough times.”
He said there’s a special cohesion among his
original class of 60 and noted that 32
attended the reunion dinner at Arnaud’s
Restaurant last spring.
In keeping with tradition, the classes of
1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1998, and 2003
celebrated reunions in conjunction with the
Louisiana Dental Association/New Orleans
Dental Conference annual session in early
April. Most reunions were held at Arnaud’s
Restaurant in the French Quarter, allowing
classes to mingle in a common area prior to
breaking off into individual private rooms.
The food was exceptional and the mood
was uplifting. Many had not seen their former
classmates for years. They reminisced about
their dental school experience, shared Katrina
stories and became connected all over again to
their alma mater. In addition to the reunion
continues on page 27
2009 Alumni
Reunion Plans
Plans are underway for 2009
reunion celebrations, tentatively
scheduled for Friday and Saturday
evenings, April 3 and 4, in New
Orleans in conjunction with the
LDA/NODA Conference (April 2-4,
2009). If you graduated from the LSU
Dental School in 1974, 1979, 1984,
1989, 1994, 1999 or 2004 and would
like to serve on your reunion planning
committee, please contact the Office of
Community Affairs at (504) 619-8597
or jcourv@lsuhsc.edu.
Fall 2008 26 Dental Connections

your classmates can be.”
celebrations, class members collectively
donated $34,950 to help in the school’s
rebuilding effort. Historically, class gifts have
been instrumental in helping the school in a
number of areas: enhancement of facilities,
student development activities, faculty
programs and community outreach efforts.
Congratulations to the Dental Class of
1983 for raising the most funds—$8,483.
And special thanks to all of the reunion
coordinators for helping to make their
reunions and collective class gift efforts a
success!
Class of 1993
Left to right: Drs. Kenneth F. Markle and Nelson D. Daly
Continuing
Dental
Education
Courses
Continuing education courses
sponsored by LSUSD are an
efficient way to stay up-to-date
with new thinking, techniques and
technologies in your field.
For a complete schedule of upcoming
continuing education courses, go to:
https://www.lsusdce.org
Class of 1988
Back, left to right:
Drs. James E. Pope
and Eric T. Perkins
Center, left to right:
Drs. Wallace G.
Serpas, Joan M.
Garvey and Keith R.
Kyler
Front, left to right:
Drs. G. Pat Stuckey,
Ingrid L. Chen,
Matthew D.
Sanderson and Cleve
T. Brown
Class of 1998
Back, left to right:
Drs. Gwendolyn C.
Corbett, Ryan P.
Matherne, David M.
Ellis, Christopher C.
Cosse
Center, left to right:
Drs. David M. “Trey”
Carlton III and Jason
D. Parker
Front, left to right:
Drs. Elizabeth H.
Guerrero, Shelly K.
Fallin and Claudia
Erin Hannah
Class of 2003
Back, left to right:
Drs. Michael R. Rabel
and Benjamin R.
Record
Front, left to right:
Drs. Brian Connell,
Kenneth D.
St. Romain Jr., Rupa
Jolly and Jennifer L.
Banquer
Dental Connections 27 Fall 2008

FORE a Great Cause: LSUSD Golf Classic 2008
Team members Fred McMullen, DDS ’87, daughter Anna Mc-
Mullen, Paula Karam, DDS ’87 and Buddy Quinn, DDS ’78.
Over the past
eight years,
alumni and
friends have raised
over $100,000
through the LSUSD
Golf Classic to
support student
activities. The
proceeds offer
students the
opportunity to
present research
across the country,
provide dental care
through externships
in underserved areas, and participate in organized dentistry. Expanding
student involvement in externships and dental research exposes them to the
varied opportunities available in the field of dentistry. It also offers the
opportunity for students to enhance their clinical skills.
This year’s tournament was held at Tamahka Trails Golf Club in
Marksville, Louisiana, on May 2, 2008. Special thanks to Drs. Fred
McMullen, Buddy Quinn, Brent Toups and all of our sponsors who
continue to make this event a success!
In addition, we appreciate Patterson Dental for sponsoring the hole-inone
prizes. Thanks also to Delta Dental and Campus Federal Credit
Union for contributions to the golfers’ gift bags.
Platinum Sponsor $5,000
• Ameritas Life Insurance
Corporation
Gold Sponsors $2,500
• Campus Federal Credit
Union
• Delta Dental of California
• Patterson Dental
Corporation
Silver Sponsors $1,250
• Dr. Melvin “Butch”Procell
• Dr. Troy Bostick
• Dr. Stephen Searcy
• Dr. Brent F. Toups
Bronze Sponsors $500
• ADCO Companies, Ltd.
• A-dec
• Dr. F. Ralph Dauterive
• GM Cable Contractors, Inc.
Course clowns Drs. Nelson Daly, Brent Toups, Brad Davis and
Mr. Ward Blackwell strike a pose at the Eighth Annual Golf
Classic in 2008.
Mark Your Calendar for the 2009 Golf Classic!
Please make plans to join your fellow alumni and friends for our 9th Annual Golf Classic on Friday, April 17, 2009,
at Tamahka Trails Golf Club, located at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana.
For more information, email ccastr@lsuhc.edu or call (504) 941-8120.
Helping Out and Staying Connected
Providing high-level patient care requires
good communication skills on the part of
dental providers. Using those skills to help
their alma mater is central to the role of the board
of directors for the alumni association. Alumni
representatives come from both the dental school
and dental hygiene programs. They engage other
alumni in conversations about the mission of the
dental school and initiatives to fulfill that
mission. They also serve as a voice and advocate
for dental education in Louisiana.
Getting to know you. On his third day as dean,
Dr. Henry Gremillion, fifth from left, welcomes some of the
board of directors of the alumni association. From left, Dr.
Fred Mullen, Dr. Harry Goza, Dr. Shade Quin, Susan
Parker, Gremillion, Dr. Scott Byrd, Dr. Nelson Daly, Dr.
Marlon Henderson, Dr. Cyndi Ngyuen, Dr. Darlene Bassett
and Sheri Sison.
Fall 2008 28 Dental Connections

AGD is Part of
“Silver Lining”
The adage that “every cloud has a silver lining” took on special
significance for LSUSD when the international dental community
stepped forward after Katrina and gave $4,000,000 in money,
goods and services to help with the reestablishment of the school.
A compelling example of this spontaneous giving was the Academy
of General Dentistry (AGD), a professional association of more than
37,000 general dentists from the United States and Canada. Shortly
after the storm, organizers of a two-day continuing education seminar
decided to design the event to include a fund-raising variety show to
benefit LSUSD. At this one event, $10,000 was generated “to restore
the foundation of higher learning for our dental students,” said Julie
Ann Barna, DMD, MAGD, president of the AGD Foundation.
“We specifically designed and developed the variety show to benefit
the LSU School of Dentistry so its doors could be reopened as soon
as possible,” said Robert Westerman, DDS, organizer of the seminar.
In addition, the AGD Foundation launched a fundraising campaign
among its members and, as a result, contributed another $36,274 to
the LSU Dental School. Altogether, the AGD gave LSUSD $46,274
in three separate gifts after Katrina.
Leaders of the organization
also raised money so that 108
grants could be given to individual
dentists impacted by the
hurricanes of 2005. Dental
associations from Texas, Georgia,
Illinois, Alabama, Marilyn,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York
and Pennsylvania contributed to
this effort, along with hundreds
of individual donors.
AGD was founded in 1952
and has since grown into the
world’s second largest dental
association with headquarters in
Chicago.
Julie Ann Barna, DMD, MAGD, is president
of the Academy of General Dentistry
Scholarships continued
John Lapez scholarship award
recipient Thong Tran.
John Lapez Scholarship in
Dental Lab Technology
Thong Tran, a second-year student at the
LSU School of Dentistry in Laboratory
Technology, was the recipient of the $800
Lapez Scholarship. The scholarship is funded
by contributions to the LSU Health Sciences
Center Foundation from friends of John Lapez
and gifts from previous award recipients. The
award recipient, selected by the Dental Laboratory
Technology Department, is honored for
responsibility, leadership and citizenship,
technical aptitude, academic ability and
financial need.
Pre-Dent Society
Pre-Dent Students
Support Mission Work
Chase Dronet, Class of 2012, right, presents a check for $3,749 raised earlier this year by
members of the Pre-Dental Society at LSU in Baton Rouge. He is with Dr. Jim Weir,
admission director. Chase was a member of the student organization at that time. Its
purpose is to inform students interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. The money is
dedicated to the mission work undertaken each year by the senior class of LSUSD.
ADA Foundation Scholarships in
Dental Lab Technology
Linda Tran, a second-year dental lab technology
associate degree student, and Cuong Truong, a
third-year dental lab
technology bachelor
degree student, are
recipients of the 2008-
09 ADA Foundation
Dental Laboratory
Technology Scholarship
Program. The maximum annual award is
$1,000 and is used to defray school expenses
ADA Foundation award
recipient Cuong Truong.
such as tuition, fees, books, supplies and living
expenses.
ADA Foundation award
recipient Linda Tran.
Dental Connections 29 Fall 2008

Life of the Party
Dean Henry Gremillion at the “Chill and Grill” with the event organizers, all of
whom are patient care coordinators. From left are Lisette Wands, DH ’75, Sue
Bagley, DH ’85 and Rebecca Ferran, DH ’78. The event was started after
Hurricane Katrina to bring together the dental school employees who were living
in trailers in Baton Rouge.
Accreditation continued from page 10
Pamela Zarkowski, MPH, J.D., interim vice president of academic affairs
and provost of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry.
They provided guidance and recommendations for the self-study report
and the upcoming site visit. Faculty, staff and students participated in
the mock site visit and faculty retreat held afterwards.
“It’s hard to believe what you have been through (because of Katrina),”
Dr. Goldblatt told the faculty at the retreat. “The stories that we heard
and the pictures that we saw are other worldly. Yet, you seem not to have
missed a beat. What a remarkable gift you have given to the dental
community. You should be positive and proud of your school.”
Key to Understanding
Dr. Goldblatt went on to explain that “the key to understanding
Virginia Angelico-Tatum, DDS ’78 and Joe Tatum,
from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, celebrated their 15th
wedding anniversary at an elegant party held at the
Plimsoll Club overlooking the Mississippi River in
New Orleans. The 450 guests included three children,
eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. Guests
came from 10 states and as far away as Sweden and
Lithuania. Several of her ’78 classmates
were in attendance.
Chowing down, south Louisiana-style, at the annual crawfish boil are, from left, Bob Buissson, Colleen Finley, Kim
Huynh and Tim Lynde.
James Briggs, DDS ’77 hosted 550 guests at his 18th
annual Easter egg hunt. The site was his five-acre
country home in Covington, which features four
major buildings including a conservatory. Guests came
from five states and five countries. The event has
grown from 100 to 3,500 Easter eggs. It is meant to
bring together patients, family and friends from every
walk of life. Dr. Briggs’s country home was featured as
the cover story for the Christmas, 2007, edition of
“Gambit” newspaper. For more photos of the event
and history of Dr. Briggs’s home, go to www.northhousehomeandgardens.com
Pictured at the reception welcoming the inaugural class of 15 for the
Summer Enrichment Program are Stephen C. Brisco, DDS ’86,
Carolyn M. Harris, DDS ’86 and Hugh V. McKnight Sr., DDS ’78.
Alumni Day 2008 TGIF partygoers Elsa Hodges, left, with Jamie and
Bob Leaman, right.
accreditation is that it allows dentists to control their profession by
controlling what is being taught and expected in dental schools. By
controlling dental education, we control what it means to be a dentist.
Otherwise, those responsibilities go to the Department of Education and
we lose control.”
During the 2009 visit, a team appointed by CODA will review the
self-study report and evaluate the school’s various programs on site to
determine compliance with accreditation standards. The CODA team
then prepares a written report which, along with the institution's written
response to the report, is reviewed by a committee prior to final action
by CODA. The site team will include members of the dental profession,
the educational community, employers, practitioners, the dental licensing
community and public members.
Fall 2008 30 Dental Connections

Pediatric Outreach
Giving Kids Something
to Smile About
Children are vulnerable. How that vulnerability shows up in dental
health can have major consequences for overall health. According
to the American Dental Association, 51 million school hours are
lost every year due to dental problems.
Dental caries is the most prevalent
infectious disease among children
in America. Dental pain affects the
child’s ability to speak, eat, sleep or
concentrate.
LSUSD faculty and students are
major players in pro-active
programs to reach out to children
and parents.
In conjunction with the ADA’s
national initiative called, “Give
Kids A Smile,” faculty and students
taught 75 preschoolers and parents
at the Wilcox Academy of Early
Suzanne Farrar with pediatric patient,
Amani Pittman.
Learning how to prevent cavities
and keep smiles healthy. Games
were used to show how choosing
certain foods can make teeth
happy or sad. The kids and parents were also taught brushing and
flossing techniques and were given free toothbrushes.
Baton Rouge Director continued from page 13
Workforce Shortage
A dental hygiene educational program is also in full operation. This is
in response to a survey by the Louisiana Health Care Provider Workforce
Commission that identified dental hygiene as a workforce shortage area.
Hygiene students receive lectures via distance learning from faculty and
facilities in New Orleans. Lectures are interwoven with clinical training at
the Baton Rouge clinic. A similar program exists in Lafayette.
Currently, 12 dental hygiene students are in the two-year program and
the inaugural class of six will graduate in May, 2009. Carrie Mason,
RDH, M.Ed., director of the dental hygiene program, was the catalyst for
establishing the program in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Record is quick to give credit to others who have helped to ensure
the continued success of the Baton Rouge clinic. “None of this would have
been possible without the committed support from our dental assistants,
front desk staff, and our great part-time faculty including Drs. Roy Chutz,
Larry Bates, Ernest Beier, Ross DeNicola, Hugh McKnight and
Tim St. Romain,” he said. “They bring a wealth of dental experience to
our students who can, in turn, immediately apply what they’re learning.”
Dr. Record’s short-term goal is to enhance the predoctoral and
resident clinical training programs. Long-term, he hopes to expand
pediatric dentistry for the underserved, an effort generously supported by
a $25,000 gift from Proctor & Gamble Crest / Oral B.
In addition, he plans to launch an oral health prevention program in
concert with area schools and organizations, and work with dental
organizations to develop a top-notch program in continuing education.
“We think we can entice our colleagues with a continuing education
course followed by an LSU sporting event,” he said.
That educational
effort was followed
by the Outreach
Dental Sealant Day
in April. A team that
included Dr. Robert
Musselman, Dr.
Teresa Perkins and
two residents
examined and
diagnosed 60 fourth
grade students from
George Cox
Elementary School.
In total, 140 sealants
Dr. Janice Townsend, assistant professor in pediatric dentistry,
with Jacob Nope at the summer community screening. She
also spearheaded screenings in New Orleans’ Eighth Ward and
Central City.
were placed by senior dental hygiene students.
Sealants are a safe and highly effective means of preventing pit and
fissure cavities, according to the Consensus Conference of the National
Institutes of Health, and are considered underused in both private and
public dental health care delivery systems.
This summer, the pediatric dental faculty conducted two free screenings
for children 13 years and younger to determine if their oral health needs
can be met in the student pediatric dentistry clinic. Parents were later
informed if the child was accepted as a patient in the teaching clinic and
assigned to a dentist.
According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and
the ADA, the rate of tooth decay in children aged two to five years has
increased by 15 percent for the first time in years and continues to rise.
This is in contrast to the overall improvement in America’s oral health.
In addition to outreach activities, LSUSD provides oral health care
at deeply discounted rates in the student pediatric dental clinic. For
more information, call (504) 941-8196 or (504) 941-8201.
Tiger Tracks
It All
Comes
Back to the
Purple &
Gold
John Milazzo, CEO of
Campus Federal Credit
Union, at the reactivation
of the ATM in the
administration building.
The company has been
a consistent supporter
of LSUSD and the
alumni association.
Campus Federal, based
in Baton Rouge, was
founded during the
Great Depression by
seven professors at LSU.
Dental Connections 31 Fall 2008

Twenty-One Years after his Death
The Teachings of
Dr. Wirth Live On
Chet Smith was a 24-year old dental student in 1987 when his life,
both personally and professionally, changed fundamentally
because of his one of his professors, Dr. F. Harold Wirth, who
taught at LSUSD from 1974 until his death in 1987.
Dr. Wirth was known around campus
for his jovial manner and trademark
greeting, “How’s your PMA?”
That’s positive mental attitude.
“I knew him for only six months, the last six months of his life,” said
Smith, now assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive
Dentistry and Biomaterials. “What I learned from him in that short
period of time has served as my compass for living for the last 21 years.
Dr. Wirth was a teacher in the purest sense.”
PMA
Dr. Wirth was known around campus for his jovial manner and trademark
greeting, “How’s your PMA?” That’s positive mental attitude.
He developed a comprehensive approach to dentistry and living that
centered on balancing the key areas of work, play, love and worship. He
believed that trust, the priceless ingredient in any relationship, is the
natural result of sincerely caring about the patient. From trust comes quality
which leads to excellence,
culminating in career
satisfaction, compensation
and contentment.
On the day of his death, he
told an audience at LSUSD
attending a continuing
education class that “there
will always be free enterprise
private practice for the caring
dentist who constantly seeks
excellence for his patients
through the exercise of great
care, skill and judgment. For
those of you who are concerned,
do not worry because people
will seek you out.”
Background
Dr. Wirth graduated from
the Tulane School of
Dentistry in 1929, the last
class to do so. He struggled
to develop his practice
during the hardscrabble
years of the Great
Depression. It was during
this time of deprivation
that he contemplated
the underpinnings of
joy and happiness that
eventually led to his
philosophy of life and
dentistry.
Over a career that
spanned 58 years, he
was accorded just about
every honor bestowed
in dentistry, including
the Gold Award from
the Pierre Fauchard
Academy. He lectured
extensively throughout
the United States,
Canada, Europe, Japan
and Thailand.
Legacy
Shortly after Dr.
Dr. F. Harold Wirth
Wirth’s death, a dedicated group of former students formed the Wirth
Committee, headed by Dr. Bruce LeBlanc. “We pledged to raise money
and to use those funds in innovative ways to continue the legacy of
Dr. Wirth,” said Dr. LeBlanc. Committee members include Drs. Emmet
Zimmerman, Jerry Tully, Mike Robichaux, Mike McKenzie and Frank
Herbert.
The committee set up the F. Harold Wirth Memorial Fund and their
first initiative was to develop continuing education courses based on the
Wirth philosophy. Most recently, a classroom on the second floor of the
Adminstration Building was renovated and upgraded to include the
latest in technology. The room, called the F. Harold Wirth Room, was
dedicated during Alumni Day. “Dr. Wirth loved the LSU Dental School
and he loved teaching,” said
Dr. LeBlanc. “Dedicating a
classroom is the perfect way
to honor him.”
The Wirth Memorial
Fund was sponsor of this
year’s Alumni Day.
Looking to the future,
members of the Wirth
Committee are in discussions
with student leaders
and faculty as to how to
bring the teachings of Dr.
Wirth to the current
student body. After all, most
of the students were not
even born when Dr. Wirth
could be heard telling his
colleagues, “I am full of
vim, vigor, vitality, good
health, well-being, good
At the ribbon cutting for the Wirth Room on Alumni Day 2008 are his daughters, Mrs. Claudia Dinwiddie and
Mrs. Sybil Lawson (both front center). With them are, from left, Dean Henry Gremillion, Dr. Michael Schuster
(keynote speaker for Alumni Day and student of the Wirth philosophy) and Bruce LeBlanc, who headed the effort
to form the Wirth Committee.
cheer and happiness. How
are you?”
Fall 2008 32 Dental Connections

In Memoriam:
Dr. R. Jack Cassingham
Dr. R. Jack Cassingham, professor emeritus of the Department of
Periodontics, born on November 6, 1931, passed away on
October 31, 2007, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, after a brief illness.
“He was a pioneer in advanced education at LSUSD,” said former dean
Eric Hovland. “Dr. Jack, as he was fondly known, came to the dental
school when it was just two years old.” Dr. Hovland continued, “In
fundamental ways, he established the tone, the vision of what periodontal
education would become in Louisiana.”
Dental Health Care Innovator
After 10 years in private practice, Dr. Cassingham returned to the
Indiana University School of Dentistry to obtain a master’s degree in
periodontics. He served as chair of the Department of Periodontics and
director of the periodontics graduate program at Creighton University in
Nebraska from 1970 to 1974, before launching the postdoctoral program
in periodontics at LSUSD in 1974.
While Dr. Cassingham relished the opportunity to teach generations
of dental students, his influence extended to the citizens of Louisiana
through championing the cause of water fluoridation in Jefferson Parish
and serving as the president of the New Orleans Dental Association and
Louisiana Dental Association. His professional honors also include the
Honor Dentist Award from the New Orleans Dental Association and the
Distinguished Service Award from the Louisiana Dental Association.
He achieved the honor of a diplomate of the American Board of
Periodontology. He was distinguished as a fellow of the International
College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists and the Pierre
Fauchard Academy. He was president
of the Louisiana Chapter of the
International College of Dentists,
delegate to the American Dental
Association and as a member of
the Council of Dental Therapeutics
of the ADA.
Dr. Jack was well known for his
down-to-earth teaching style. He
frequently would spice his lectures
and clinical rotations with what
he termed his “Old Indiana
Sayings,” to further get his point
across. His most often repeated
was, “The lack of alternatives
clears the mind marvelously.”
For his contributions to
LSUSD and the dental profession,
Dr. Allen Copping honored
Dr. Jack Cassingham as professor
emeritus in 1994.
Dedicated Husband
Dr. Jack Cassingham married
his high school sweetheart, Mary
Louise Holt, after their graduation
from Indiana University. She was
a frequent collaborator with Jack
Mary Louise and Dr. R. Jack Cassingham
in his dental research and is an accomplished scholar in her own right.
She was valedictorian at Kokomo High and summa cum laude graduate
of Indiana University. She later graduated at the top of her class at Loyola
Law School in New Orleans while rearing four sons. Dr. Cassingham
credited his wife for his successes, proclaiming, “Mary Louise has been
my partner in all that I have accomplished.”
“Our hope is that this chair will
attract national and internationally
known periodontists to Louisiana.”
Honored Parent
Dr. Cassingham’s devotion to dentistry and 20 years of service to
LSUSD was immortalized through the R. Jack and Mary Louise
Cassingham Chair in Periodontics. In 2004, their four children
contributed to honor their parents with the first endowed chair in the
Department of Periodontics. This financial commitment enabled the
dental school to apply to the State of Louisiana Board of Regents for
matching funds. The total funding for the endowed R. Jack and Mary
Louise Cassingham Chair is now in excess of $1,000,000 and will be
used to strengthen the school’s recruitment of faculty in periodontics.
“My brothers, Jack, Guy, Lee, and I wanted to give our parents a gift
that would provide a lasting legacy to the 40 years my dad devoted
to dentistry and to the consistent support he received from my mother,
as well as the love and devotion our parents expressed to us and their
grandchildren,” said Dr. Scott Cassingham, the eldest son and a graduate
of the LSU School of Medicine. “Our hope is that this chair will attract
national and internationally
known periodontists to
Louisiana.”
Dr. Cassingham also served on
the board of the Aurora United
Methodist Church and participated
as a delegate in the annual
statewide conference meeting.
During his sons’ tenure in Boy
Scouts, Dr. Cassingham, who,
himself, was an Eagle Scout
himself, frequently served on
many troop committees and
served as Cub Scout, Boy Scout
and Explorer Scout leader. He was
active in the Masons as well as the
Scottish Rite and their social
counterparts, the Grotto and the
Shrine.
Dr. Cassingham often quoted
Will Rogers saying, “A stranger
was just a friend he hadn’t met
yet.” He strove to help and improve
the lives of all those around him.
His family and all those who
knew him will miss him.
Fall 2008 33 Dental Connections

Tribute
Dr. Clifton O.
Dummett Jr.
February 14, 1944 – September 13, 2006
Dr. Clifton O. Dummett Jr., national lecturer, professor and head
of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, died in September of
2006, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. “Cliff was quiet,
unselfish, a wonderful teacher,” said Dr. Eric Hovland, dean at the time.
“He was kind, honest and popular with the students and his colleagues.”
Courage is the common thread woven through the chapters of his life.
He and his wife, Dottie, were stranded on the roof of their home in New
Orleans East following the flooding of Katrina. They were rescued by
boat and then left to fend for themselves on the interstate. Ultimately,
they made their way to southern California and the home of his father,
the renowned Dr. Clifton O. Dummett Sr. He is professor emeritus of
the University of Southern California School of Dentistry.
True to his Word
In his first telephone call to Dr. Hovland after the storm, Dr. Dummett
said, “if you find a place for us to live, I’ll be back on the first available
plane.” True to his word, when space became available on the cruise ship
docked in Baton Rouge, he and Dottie returned. They lived in that tiny
room for months.
He developed a brain tumor and went through two operations. Still,
he was in school everyday, never complaining, always showing dignity
and courage, taking care of his students and his school.
“We are a much better school because of Cliff and we miss him
deeply,” said Dr. Hovland.
He graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, in 1965,
where he received a bachelor’s degree in
biology with a minor in chemistry. A track
star while at Earlham, he tied the school’s
record to date for the 200-meter dash. He
was then accepted to the Indiana University
School of Dentistry, where he received a
DDS in 1969. In 1971, he received a
master’s degree in dentistry, also from the
Indiana University School of Dentistry,
along with a certificate in pediatric
dentistry with a minor in oral pathology
and education.
Dr. Dummett was presented with the Pediatric
Dentistry Award in Indiana. He was also a
fellow of the United Cerebral Palsy
Education and Research Foundation. In
1975, he was named a fellow of the
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
(AAPD).
He was installed into the honorary dental
fraternity, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, in
1978, and served as president of the LSUSD
Theta Kappa Chapter. In 1980, he
received a master’s degree in education
Clifton O. Dummett Jr., DDS, M.Ed., FACD
from the University of New Orleans School of Education, where he
majored in curriculum and instruction.
Recruited by LSUSD
Before coming to LSUSD, he was the coordinator of dental research at
Children’s Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, and the director of pediatric
dentistry services at the Charles R. Drew Neighborhood Health Center
in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Dummett was recruited to come to LSUSD in
1974, and quickly moved up the academic ranks to tenured professorship
in 1982.
“Cliff was quiet, unselfish,
a wonderful teacher...he was kind,
honest and popular with the
students and his colleagues.”
He was chief of the Pediatric Dentistry Section at Charity Hospital in
New Orleans from1974 until 2005, when Charity Hospital was
devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Dummett was also the coordinator
of postgraduate pediatric dentistry from 1978 to 2006, and department
head from 2000 to 2006.
Dr. Dummett was elected to serve as president of the New Orleans
Section of the American Association of Dental Research in 1977,
president of the Louisiana Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in 1986, and
trustee member-at-large of the Board of the AAPD from 1993 to 1996.
He became a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry in
1980 and, in 1993, achieved the status of Fellow in the American
College of Dentists. He also had licenses to practice dentistry in the
states of Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Ohio.
He lectured nationwide and was a highly sought after speaker on
pediatric dentistry. He was a founding faculty member of one of the
longest running continuing education
courses in pediatric dentistry, “Comprehensive
Review in Pediatric Dentistry.”
He traveled widely lecturing internationally
and at many American dental meetings.
Dr. Dummett enjoyed sailing and joined
the New Orleans Yacht Club in 1979 as its
first African-American member. Racing his
sailboat was his favorite hobby. Cliff and his
crew were “First in Fleet” in the Great Lake
Race two times, most recently in 2004.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years,
Dorothy Maynard Dummett, his mother,
Lois Dummett, and his father.
At the request of his wife and to honor his
legacy, LSUSD and the Louisiana Academy of
Continuing Dental Education have established
an Annual Memorial Continuing Education
Course in Pediatric Dentistry. In addition, the
Clifton O. Dummett Jr. Scholarship has been
established at Earlham College.
Fall 2008 34 Dental Connections

Tribute
Dr. Randolph B. Malloy
September 14, 1945 – June 12, 2008
When the news came that Dr. Randy Malloy passed away, a
palpable sadness quickly spread throughout the dental
school. Employees comforted each other in the hallways
saying, “He was such a good man.”
“He represented everything that is good about our profession and
everything we hold dear,” said Dr. John Kent, longtime friend and chairman
of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS). “He set
the highest standard.”
“To know him was to love him,” said Dr. Michael O’Brien, also in the
Department of OMS and another longtime friend.
Beyond measure, he was a devoted family man, teacher, researcher,
doctor, surgeon, mentor and friend to all.
In the Beginning
Dr. Malloy grew up in Iowa, home of soybeans and corn fields and
hardworking people. “My brother wanted to be a highway patrolman,”
said his sister, Cinda Petrie, at the memorial service held on June 19. The
overflow crowd chuckled. “Our parents saw his keen intelligence and
directed him elsewhere.”
That elsewhere was a long career in
academia that began at the University
of Iowa and the University of Iowa
College of Dentistry where he
received a DDS with honors.
At that point, he headed south to
LSU Health Sciences Center
(LSUHSC) to pursue research on an
NIH fellowship. In 1975, he received
a doctorate in anatomy. He then
contributed to the early, formative years of LSUSD, according to Dr.
Sam McCluggage, chairman of the Department of Cell Biology and
Anatomy, who shared that special time with Dr. Malloy.
He went on to serve in the United States Air Force at Wilford Hall
USAF Base in San Antonio, Texas. He returned to LSUHSC as an
assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and
completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at LSUSD/
Charity Hospital New Orleans.
For 21 years, he was a private practice oral surgeon in Lafayette,
Louisiana, and maintained part-time appointments in both departments.
In 2003, Dr. Malloy returned to LSUHSC full-time as associate
professor and head of the Department of Dentistry at Charity. He also
had appointments in the Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy,
and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the LSU Schools of Dentistry and
Medicine.
He married Tyrona deValcourt and their love produced two daughters
and three grandchildren who were the apples of his eye.
And then Katrina
When the devastation of the storm made the dental school homeless,
Dr. Hovland named Dr. Malloy the project manager for building the new
interim school in Baton Rouge. Such a thing had never been done and had
to be done NOW. Dr. Malloy was the perfect person for “mission impossible.”
He arranged for
a trailer to live in
and had it parked
right next to the
job site. He knew
he needed a strong,
solid partner and
Dr. Michael O’Brien
was perfect for the
job. Together they
made the impossible
a reality. In three
incredible months
of nonstop work,
the dental school
was open in Baton Rouge.
“He was the finest educator I have ever
known...he is leaving an extensive and
profound legacy that will extend way
beyond the people in this room.”
Randolph B. Malloy, DDS, Ph.D.
Dr. Malloy was the “go to” guy for everything. He made it work. He
was the rock.
In 2006, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the
American Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).
The award is presented only when
there is a deserving recipient. In
truth, every aspect of Dr. Malloy’s
life was distinguished.
He accomplished several research
projects and was the research mentor
to numerous residents in various
dental specialties. He was a diplomate
of the American Board of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons and the national Dental Board of Anesthesiology.
He had been a member of several local, state, regional and national committees
associated with the American Dental Association and the
AAOMS. In 2007, he was named the LSUSD Assistant Dean for
Advanced Education and Hospitals.
“He was the finest educator I have ever known,” said Dr. Mark
Durham, prosthodontics fellow, at the memorial service. “He is leaving
an extensive and profound legacy that will extend way beyond the people
in this room.”
“After being in his presence for three minutes, you felt like you knew
him for 30 years,” said Delores Bradford, his administrative assistant.
At the memorial service, it was standing room only in the big auditorium.
“Randy would have loved this,” said Cinda Petrie, his sister. “And then
he would say, ‘okay, let’s get back to work.’”
Survivors include his wife Tyrona deValcourt, their children Kessler Reed,
Kylee and Chad Courville, three granddaughters Piersen and Kendall Reed,
Amielle Courville, and his loyal canine companions Kaese, Raven, and “Big”
Marilyn, all of Lafayette. He is also survived by one sister, Cinda Petrie, and
her husband David, one niece, Andrea Storjohann, all of Marshalltown,
Iowa, and one nephew, Phillip Petrie, of New York City, New York. He was
preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Alice Malloy, of State Center,
Iowa.
Dental Connections 35 Fall 2008

True Colors
Chip Simon: A Chip off the Old Block
It could safely be argued that of the more than 58,000,000 people
who watched LSU win the BCS title in 2008, none is a more loyal
fan than Dr. Denis “Chip” Simon ’72. His loyalty goes back to the
time before he was born, when his father attended LSU and the games at
Tiger Stadium.
In the intervening years, Chip has been there when the team won and
he’s been there when the team lost. He was there in a major way when
the very survival of the LSUSD hung in the balance.
When the levees failed, when New Orleans came to a grinding halt,
when the campus of his alma mater sat in fetid water, Chip sprang into
action. As president of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE)
Foundation, the charitable arm of the AAE, he was in a unique position
to make things happen. He knew who to call, what to say.
“We could not allow the disruption of dental education. The
consequences for the people of Louisiana would have been disastrous,”
said Chip, who has practiced endodontics in Baton Rouge since 1983.
Within days, the AAE Foundation committed $30,000 to help equip a
new dental clinic for the school on the LSU South Campus in Baton
Rouge. Think about that for a minute. A collection of generic storage
buildings had to be quickly reinvented into classrooms, laboratories,
clinics and offices. There was no time to waste. Action was the only
thing that mattered.
“Chip has always been there to help,” says Dr. Billie Jeansonne, acting
head of the Department of Endodontics. “Over the years, he’s been part of
our gratis faculty. Whatever we’ve asked of him, he’s been there to help.”
The taste of victory is sweet for Dr. Chip Simon ’72 and his associate, Dr. Gwen Corbett ’98.
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Fall 2008 Dental Connections