Senior and junior dental hygiene students and one of their professors volunteered at the Special Olympics at the Special Smiles tent, on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Jefferson City, Missouri. They provided dental screenings and oral hygiene instructions to athletes at the day-long event. Volunteers included Vi Tran, Lauren Hills, Jaden Greenwood, Madison Hoffman, Cameron Nhotharack, Lilly Swyers and Professor Ashley Hobbs.
Alumni
Clinical care
The UMKC school of dentistry serves the community by holding nearly 60,000 patient visits each year, in addition to conducting thousands of oral health screenings at metro area schools and providing dental services to community health centers throughout Missouri and Kansas. Continue reading
GEHA Solutions helps school welcome most diverse class
GEHA Solutions has increased its scholarship commitment to UMKC School of Dentistry by $70,000 in 2023, helping the school welcome its most culturally diverse incoming class ever.
The Lee’s Summit-based company is contributing a total of $220,000 in scholarships created to fund opportunities for students representing historically marginalized communities. Last year, GEHA Solutions contributed $150,000. This year’s funding includes eight $20,000 scholarships for incoming dental students, six $5,000 scholarships for incoming dental hygiene students and $30,000 to support 15 student fellowships for the Students Training in Academia, Health and Research (STAHR) program. Continue reading
New position in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
THE UMKC SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY welcomed Makini King, Ph.D., as its assistant dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in March of 2023. Prior to joining the school, King served as assistant vice chancellor in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at the university level.
King is a proud alumna of UMKC, where she received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is a licensed psychologist in both Missouri and Kansas, and enjoys using her skills at the School of Dentistry. Continue reading
New student services coordinator
The UMKC school of dentistry Office of Student Programs welcomed Deja Lamb to the team as its newest Student Services Coordinator. Her responsibilities include advising dental hygiene applicants on admissions and program requirements. She also helps coordinate the STAHR and Kuwait dental programs. Lamb graduated from Northwest Missouri State University. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and is glad to be home.
New faculty
The Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine welcomed Sumita Sam, D.D.S., as a clinical assistant professor. Sam is a board-certified oral-maxillofacial pathologist and a recent graduate from the University of Florida.
In memoriam
Class Notes
Classes of the 1960s
Vaugh Dale Rigby (D.D.S. ’63) retired in 2016 and loved all of his 53 years serving people. He still enjoys riding his snowmobile at 90 years old in the beautiful Utah mountains through the wonderful snow. Continue reading
Q&A: Hal Hale
Alumnus Leads Dental Honor Organization
Hal Hale (D.D.S. ’88) spent the last year as president of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Founded in 1936, the Pierre Fauchard Academy is an international dental honor organization that recognizes and develops leadership in the dental profession. Continue reading
Alumni achievement award recipients
The UMKC Alumni Awards annually recognize outstanding alumni for their lifelong commitment and contributions to the university, the School of Dentistry, the Dental and Dental Hygienists’ Alumni Associations and the dental profession. This year’s awardees were recognized at a campuswide UMKC Alumni Awards celebration on March 10. Continue reading