People
The School of Dentistry community is great because of our people: the faculty, staff and students who work their hardest and achieve excellence. We would like to honor some of the people in our midst who achieved great things this year.
Faculty and staff showed their commitment to research community service and excellence in care.
Michelle Arnett, RDH, MS, BS, assistant professor of dental hygiene, received the ADEA President Centennial Award for Oral Health Education for Allied Dental Faculty. A one-time award presented to one dental school faculty and one allied dental faculty member in honor of the 100th anniversary of the American Dental Education Association, the Centennial Award honors a mid-career faculty member who is considered a “game-changer” in the field, having made and continuing to make an impact on oral health education. Arnett joined the School of Dentistry in 2018, after ten years in clinical practice and her pursuit of a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene. She teaches periodontology, communications and clinical applications III and IV, and her research focuses on motivational interviewing and periodontology. “I believe that my research will change how dental professionals support individuals through communication approaches to achieve better oral and general health,” she said. She sees the award as motivation. “This award only fuels my fire to do more,” Arnett said. “It is the ultimate affirmation that I am making an impact, and my duty as an educator and researcher is to continue with my work as an educator and a mentor.” Read more about Arnett's ADEA President Centennial Award.
Molly Cruitt, MA, communications manager, Maureen Lovestrand, director of communications, and Sysouk Khambounmy, graphic designer for University Printing Services, received a Maroon Award from the University of Minnesota Communicators Forum for the 2021 edition of Dentistry Magazine. Maroon and Gold Awards represent “the best of the University’s communications and marketing projects for work that exemplifies the University’s core values.” Dentistry Magazine received one of seven Maroon awards for writing. “This award is an honor, and speaks to the dedication and excellence of our school’s faculty, staff, students and alumni,” said Cruitt. “I’m so proud to have the opportunity to share their stories and offer a glimpse into the heartbeat of the school.”
Angela Hastings, DMD, director of the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, received a $150,000 Clinical Dental Education Innovations Grant through the Minnesota Department of Health for Minnesota Community Care’s East Side Dental Clinic. DDS and Dental Therapy learners see unhoused individuals, immigrants, low-income patients and others without the resources for proper dental care. Hastings used the grant to purchase eight iPads to enhance translation services, and fund digital and telehealth efforts to train students and improve patient care. “I have extensive experience in utilizing teledentistry and digital equipment in public health settings, and I wanted to share that knowledge with students and increase their awareness on creative ways of decreasing barriers to care,” she explained. “Intraoral cameras and 3D scanners are becoming the norm, and it’s important to expose our students to this technology. This grant allowed East Side to modernize their equipment, purchase materials and instruments that will create more efficiency for providers and produce better overall health outcomes.” Read more about Hastings' MDH grant for East Side Dental Clinic.
Kim Mansky, PhD, professor of orthodontics and director of the Minnesota Craniofacial Research Training Program, received a $650,760 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to implement the Minnesota Craniofacial and Oral Health Research Experience (MnCORE). The program brings diverse undergraduate learners to the school to explore research and basic sciences for a ten-week period in their sophomore or junior year of college. Learners receive supervision and mentorship from a faculty member. Mansky hopes to “encourage more students from underrepresented backgrounds to apply to graduate school, and I think the best way to expose them to what the School of Dentistry offers is to invite them here to see the great environment we have.” She hopes the program will contribute to diversity in education and research. “People with different experiences bring new views and thoughts, and help us find new ways of looking at things. We also know that in medicine and dentistry, there are a lot of underserved populations. Increasing diversity in the workforce will better prepare us to serve all people and understand the issues underserved communities face.” Read more about Mansky's NIH grant for MnCORE.
Erik Solberg, DDS, adjunct associate professor of prosthodontics, obtained Diplomate Status in the American Board of Oral Implantology/ Implant Dentistry this year. The highest level of competence in implant dentistry, Diplomate Status is awarded by the American Board of Oral Implantology/ Implant Dentistry to certify knowledge, ability and proficiency in implant dentistry based on performance on written and oral board examinations. Diplomates must excel in knowledge and skills in the surgical, restorative and post-operative care aspects of implant dentistry. Solberg loves implant dentistry because “it is the best tooth replacement option available, and it can truly change the lives of some of the patients that struggle with tooth loss.” He finds “the body’s ability to heal after implant placements fascinating.” Solberg is proud of the accomplishment, which took ten years of effort. “Receiving the letter stating that I had passed the exam is a moment that will be forever ingrained in my mind,” he said. “I am so pleased to join this group of six other Minnesota dentists who have earned Diplomate status, and I look forward to advancing my practice in the years to come.” Read more about Solberg's Diplomate Status.
Alyssa Domico, DMD, Molly Erdman, DDS, and Amelia Volkert, DDS (not pictured), residents in the Division of Orthodontics, received second place in the Resident Case Display competition at the American Association of Orthodontists 2023 Annual Session. Hosted by the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, the case display invites residents to submit a binder with case records, a work file detailing the case and 3D printed models. Approximately 60 to 70 cases are submitted each year and are on display for conference attendees. “Our program is always striving for excellence and provides our residents with a high-quality education, and I think our second-place finish illustrates this,” said Domico. “We had a great team on this case, which was seen by a handful of residents, orthodontic team members, the oral surgery team and a restorative dentist. Everyone played an integral role in providing a fantastic result for this patient, and I am thankful to have gained this experience as a graduating resident. Erdman shared that “it was an honor to be recognized in the competition. I feel it represents the hard work and dedication our faculty provide in teaching us sound clinical skills and biomechanics to achieve ideal outcomes.” Read more about Domico, Erdman and Volkert's competition.
Emily Kahnert, DPT, CCTT, physical therapist and PhD candidate who specializes in physical therapy for TMD and orofacial pain, received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the University of Minnesota and a Promotion of Doctoral Studies II scholarship from the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. Kahnert studies physical therapy as a solution to head, neck and joint pain caused by TMD, and her clinical work takes place in the school’s TMD and Orofacial Pain Clinic. For her dissertation, Kahnert is running a clinical trial to compare the results of in-person and virtual physical therapy for patients with TMD. “Given its ability to improve access to care and the lack of existing evidence about telerehabilitation effectiveness in this population, we wanted to see if virtual PT is as good as our in-person standard,” she explained. The Dissertation Fellowship honors the University’s top PhD candidates by providing fiscal support for them to complete their dissertation with protected research time, and the scholarship will provide additional funding to support the dissertation. “These awards will allow me to focus my clinical time on patients who are research participants, and devote additional time to analysis and writing,” she explained. “Very rarely do we get this kind of opportunity to step back, analyze and assess different overarching aspects of our day-to-day work. The possibilities feel endless, and I’m excited to build upon the experience I have gained doing this work.” Read more about Kahnert's fellowship for a telerehabilitation study.
Parandis Kazemi, MS/DDS ’25, received an American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Student Research Fellowship for her project, Investigating the downstream substrates of p38α in Monocytes. She received the award, which encourages dental students to pursue careers in research, based on a proposal she presented at the AADOCR’s Annual Meeting in March 2023. The fellowship provides support for dental students to complete a research study in basic or clinical research related to oral health and present their findings at a future conference. Kazemi proposed a study using Kinase assay linked with proteomics (KALIP) to identify novel p38α targets in osteoclasts and better understand the kinase’s role in inflammation and periodontitis. She looks forward to diving into her research project and making a difference. “Seeing my name on that list alongside other fellows from prestigious institutions was encouraging. The fellowship will provide the resources and encouragement to help me continue my research,” she said. “There may be drawbacks and disappointments, but every bit of progress counts when it comes to research. We accumulate knowledge slowly as we move toward bigger scientific discoveries. I’m excited to see where this research can lead.” Read more about Kazemi's AADOCR student research fellowship.
Flavia Saavedra, DDS, PhD ’23, received a Dental Clinical Research Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, a competitive program that invites researchers to the NIDCR for two to three years to focus on an area of research important to the fellow. Saavedra researches periodontal disease and inflammation that does not subside with the removal of dental plaque. “I ultimately want to open my own laboratory to study the immunological processes that contribute to progression of inflammatory conditions of the oral mucosa,” she explained. “At the DCRF, I will have the opportunity to continue developing my immunology research skills, but also the chance to translate research findings into therapy for treating chronic inflammatory conditions that affect the oral mucosa.” Saavedra looks forward to gaining a new perspective, and is grateful for the mentorship that got her to this point. “I want to express my gratitude to all the people that invest their time and efforts into building the next generation of dentist scientists: the Oral Biology program, MinnCResT, and more,” she said. “I appreciate the professionals that are actively mentoring, helping and training graduate students.” Read more about Saavedra's NIH dental clinical research fellowship.
Rosemary Skriver, BSDH ’22, MDT ’23, received the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s Sigma Phi Alpha Undergraduate Journalism Award for her research on providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Skriver is the first Dental Therapy student to receive a national award for her writing. As part of the hygiene curriculum, students are assigned a literature review that focuses on a medical condition and its impact on dental health. They are encouraged to submit those reviews for a chance at the Division of Dental Hygiene’s Top Paper Writing Award, which Skriver received in 2022. After the win, faculty encouraged her to expand her review into a study, pursuing the Sigma Phi Alpha award and eventual publication. “I chose to conduct original research investigating the level of knowledge and attitudes of dental, allied oral health and nursing students on patients with Alzheimer’s Disease,” she said. “I believe that age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease have an important impact on the healthcare system, and that my research has shed light on the topic and reinforced the need for integration and collaboration between healthcare professions students.” In addition to being proud of her own accomplishment and her research efforts, Skriver is excited to show what Dental Therapy learners can do when it comes to research. “I think it shows that dental therapists are not only improving society’s oral health through clinical practice, but also through our involvement in research,” she said. Read more about Skriver's ADHA Sigma Phi Alpha Journalism Award for research writing.