Christine Hurley DerisoFive of our faculty members have been chosen to participate in the 2016 Authentic Women Leaders Pilot Program. The program, held October through December, promotes the growth and development of leaders, inspires women to advance their careers and helps cultivate an Augusta University community of academic female leaders. The participants are Drs. Regina Messer, associate professor in the Department of Oral Biology; Rhoda Sword, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation; and Nancy Young, assistant professor in the Department of General Dentistry. Also participating are Dr. Allison Buchannan, associate professor in the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, and Dr. Tara Schafer, interim chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.
Drs. Jan Mitchell, associate professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, and Scott De Rossi, professor in the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, were honored for Best Use of Results at the 2016 Student Learning Outcomes Honors Program. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools closely monitors student learning outcomes to help gauge teaching effectiveness and program improvement. Mitchell was cited for improvements in the Treatment Planning Board process, introducing training modules to reinforce particularly challenging material. De Rossi was recognized for implementing an Interprofessional Education Program in which dental and medical students teach each other physical exam techniques.
Drs. Ahmed Morsy Elsayed Zaher, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, and Kate Ciarrocca, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, received 2016 Faculty Research Grants from the DCG Office of Research and Research Advisory Committee. The $5,000 grants will advance the faculty members’ research. Hali Hall, a second-year dental student, and first-year students Scott Lowry and Zachary Patterson received Predoctoral Summer Research Awards. The students conducted research with faculty mentors over the summer.
The dental college of GEORGIA hosted the Marvin J. Reynolds Prosthodontic Resident Alumni Continuing Education Course June 15. Reynolds, the inaugural director of the Prosthodontics Program, and Dr. Marc Moskowitz, an alumnus of the program, presented lectures. Attendees included Dr. Dennis Piontek, DCG’s first prosthodontic resident.
Seal of Approval
The Dental College of Georgia recently introduced a new seal reflecting Augusta University’s recently updated nomenclature and branding. Components include a torch representing education and research; the Greek columns and pediment of the Old Medical College representing the heritage of the university’s Health Sciences Campus; 32 leaves representing the number of teeth in permanent dentition; eight sundial markings representing DCG’s residency programs; a serpent as a variation of the symbol of Aesculapius, the Greco-Roman god of healing; and the founding year of 1969. Says Dean Carol A. Lefebvre, “The symbolism reflects our history and our future as the sole dental college in Georgia. Our legacy of educating dentists will continue for generations, and the seal is a sustaining symbol of that effort.
Day of Service
The ANNUAL Augusta University Day of Service on Saturday, Sept. 24, gave hundreds of Augusta University “family” and friends the chance to make a difference in the local community at more than 30 sites around the CSRA. Several dozen DCG staff, students and faculty were among those who rolled up their sleeves for a good cause. Our volunteers did everything from make “fidget blankets” for dementia patients to pick up trash in a county park. No task is too small when your heart is committed to making a difference.
