School of Dentistry Alumni Society

Katie Divine, DDS '13, MS

Divine received her DDS from the School of Dentistry in 2013. She completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry fellowship at Idaho State University before returning to the School of Dentistry to pursue an MS in Dentistry and a Certificate in Endodontics. Divine is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics and has served in full-time private practice since completing her residency in 2018.

Divine is an assistant adjunct professor at the School of Dentistry with a passion for mentoring future practitioners. She is also a leader in organized dentistry, having served or currently serving with the American Association of Endodontists, Foundation for Endodontics, Minnesota Dental Association and International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT), among other organizations. Divine is a prolific volunteer who leads the endodontics division of the Minnesota Mission of Mercy, spearheaded the inaugural Global Dental & Oral Trauma Day with the IADT, and has volunteered with Give Kids a Smile for fifteen years. She is committed to providing free care to underserved children and other populations in Minnesota and across the world. Divine’s research contributions include publications in the Journal of Endodontics, within the recently released Dental Pulp Revisited 3rd edition textbook and upcoming research with the Orofacial MRI Center at the University of Minnesota and within the field of dental traumatology. She will be inducted into the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy this October.

Kandis Garland, BSDH '98, MS '07, DHSc

Garland received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the School of Dentistry in 1998 and her Master of Science in Dentistry in 2007. She completed a Doctor of Health Sciences at A.T. Still University in 2025. Garland practiced dental hygiene for more than 20 years while also educating the next generation at the University of Minnesota, Idaho State University, Laramie County Community College and the Oregon Institute of Technology. She held roles including instructor, associate professor, associate professor, clinic coordinator, clinic director, OSHA/QA officer and health and safety coordinator.

An expert in infection control, Garland was instrumental to keeping dental practices safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was recognized by the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention as the Emerging Infection Control Leader in 2017. She is responsible for several peer-reviewed publications in Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, Decisions in Dentistry and the Journal of Dental Hygiene, among others, focused on infection control and risk mitigation. Today, Garland serves as program manager of dental hygiene at the College of Eastern Idaho, where she was tasked with developing the college’s dental hygiene program.

Scott Lingle, DDS ’79

Lingle received his Bachelor of Arts and graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Minnesota - Duluth, before pursuing his DDS. He worked in private practice from 1979 until his retirement in 2020. Lingle worked as a prosthetics instructor at the School of Dentistry from 1979 to 1981, a faculty member in the Triangle Implant Institute from 2007 to 2021 and a faculty member at the Rocky Mountain Dental Institute from 2010 to 2014. Lingle served as co-founder and director of the Great Lakes Implant Institute from 2014 to 2021. He has served as a dental legal consultant since 2005, and as an adjunct clinical instructor for the School of Dentistry since 2019. 

Lingle has held a variety of professional membership positions, including with the American Dental Association, the Minnesota Dental Education, the St. Paul District Dental Society and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He served as president of the Minnesota Dental Association from 2002 to 2003. He has provided lectures on implant dentistry to dental association gatherings, dental societies and study clubs, sharing his expertise in prosthetics using implants. Lingle’s accolades include membership in the Pierre Fauchard Honor Academy, fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantology and fellowship in the American College of Dentists.

In his personal life, Lingle remains diligently involved in his community as a volunteer dentist and a board member. He lives in White Bear Lake with his wife, Anne. He has two adult daughters. 

“As a 1979 graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, I was privileged to be a classmate and consider myself lucky to continue to be a friend and colleague of Scott’s,” said Michael Schafhauser, DDS ’79, in his nomination letter. “Scott was a pioneer in implant dentistry in Minnesota, and it has been my pleasure to work with him on prosthetic cases using implants since the early 1980s. His desire to share his knowledge in the field is unmatched.” 

Shelley Rice, GDH '84, BSDH

Rice completed the school’s Dental Hygiene program in 1984, later receiving her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from Minnesota State University. She worked as a dental hygienist in a variety of private practice settings from the completion of her program until 2014, also serving as a public health dental hygienist in the United States Army in Germany from 1987 to 1990. She has also held a variety of roles in software implementation, management and strategic training. Today, she serves as a lead digital dentistry trainer for Clear Choice.

Rice is passionate about mentoring dental hygienists, including students and those earlier in their careers. She served as a mentor to students in the BSDH program at the School of Dentistry, and currently serves as student liaison chairperson for the Minnesota Dental Hygienists’ Association. She was the association’s member of the year in 2023, was previously Vice President and currently serves as treasurer. 

Rice is active in her community, volunteering with Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics Special Smiles, the Yellow Ribbon Network and her church.

“Shelley is passionate about supporting dental hygienists, wherever they are in their career journey,” said Carol Dahlke, GDH ’84, BSDH ’07, MSDH ’10, in her nomination. “Most importantly, she is passionate about oral health, connecting the mouth and body together to discuss complete health dentistry. Shelley is a prime example of what a Distinguished Dental Hygiene Alumna represents.