The Office of Student Programs held its annual Faculty, Staff and Student Variety Show this March. Danita Johnson, Student Services Coordinator for the Office of Student Programs expressed the excitement and history behind the event, which just celebrated its 25th year.

“What began as a modest talent show hosted by Mr. John Cottrell and the SNDA/HDA organizations has blossomed into a beloved tradition highlighting the remarkable talents of our School of Dentistry community, including faculty, staff, and student acts,” Johnson said.

“Historically, performances have ranged from soulful singing to mesmerizing cultural dances, electrifying rock bands, and hilarious parody acts,” she continued, “At one point in time there were twelve acts gracing the stage, the afternoon was a testament to the incredible creativity and talent within our community. We are grateful to everyone who participated and attended, making this year’s Variety Show a success. We anticipate more years of celebrating our extraordinary community through the power of performance!”

Host: Francesca Anderson

Performers:
Anh Nguyen – “Pool” by Paramore
Sydney Bauer and Chickie Slane – “July” by Noah Cyrus
Andy Flanagin – “O Sole Mio” (My Sunshine) by Eduardo Di Capua
John Cottrell – “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton and “Here and Now” by Luther Vandross

To view photos from the event, click here.

The Annual UMKC Health Sciences Student Research Summit enables members of the UMKC health sciences community to display posters in a forum that highlights the health sciences research being conducted in the UMKC Schools of Science and Engineering, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Health Studies, Pharmacy, etc., and fosters research collaborations across disciplines and schools that will produce economic, health, education, and quality-of-life benefits for the greater Kansas City community.

Now in its 12th year, this exciting showcase held at Children’s Mercy Research Institute featured multiple UMKC School of Dentistry members, including Claire Houchen (OCS PhD) and Muskan Rawoot (BA/MD), of Bumann Lab, pictured above with Dr. Erin Bumann, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences.

View photos from the event by clicking here.

View the winners below:

Graduate

1^st Place (Poster 61)

Amber Sun, Mentor: Dr. Brian Do, Title: Breaking Barriers in Amniotic Fluid Embolism Management with Interventional Radiology

2^nd Place (Poster 6)

Amen Teshome, Mentor: Dr. Peter Koulen, Title: Utilizing in vitro retinal ganglion cell morphology analysis to study eye diseases.

Other

1^st Place (Poster 19)

Paris Yates, Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, Title: Is Ciclesonide a Safer Glucocorticoid Alternative in the In-utero Developing Brain?

Postgraduate

1^st Place (Poster 7)

Megan Hartle, Mentor: Dr. Mark Sawkin, Title: Patient Perceptions on Clinical Pharmacist Intervention within a Suboxone Clinic at a Federally Qualified Health Center

Professional

1^st Place (Poster 85)

Samuel Kim, Sruthi Sripada, Olivia Lyon and Dr. Patrick Weldon Mentor: Dr. Michael Moncure, Title:  is The Effects of National COVID-19 Hospital Protocol on Drain Use Post-Thyroidectomy: A Retrospective Analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database

2^nd Place (Poster  38)

Devin Davies, Mentor: Dr. Peter Koulen, Title: A Possible Role of the TLR3/4 signaling pathway in the Pathogenesis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

3^rd Place (Poster 37)

Devin Davies, Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Spears, Title: 31-year-old Male with Patau Syndrome: A Rare Case of Long-term Survival​

Undergraduate

1^st Place (Poster 30)

Shekhar Gugnani, Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, Title: Prenatal Exposure to Synthetic Glucocorticoids Leads to Long-Term Changes in Cardiac Function

The University of Missouri-Kansas City recognized staff across all academic units and various programs and departments at the 2024 Staff Awards ceremony in March. The ceremony recognized more than 200 employees who have shown an incredible commitment to their personal success, as well as the growth and success of UMKC.

During the ceremony, Bill Marse, director of biomedical communications at the School of Dentistry, took to the podium to introduce awardees and share his remarkable service milestone of 50 years at UMKC.

“I am fortunate to be in a position where coming to work is a choice,” Marse said. “It’s a very exciting, rewarding and enjoyable choice.”

School of Dentistry award winners include:
Patrick Dixon, Logistics Professional – 5 years of service
Anne Kipper, Office Support Assistant, Office of Student Programs – 5 years of service
Alec Zier, Executive Assistant, Dean’s Office and Staff Council President – 5 years of service
Jennifer Brown, Dental Assistant – 5 years of service
Amber Heffernan, Accountant, Rinehart Foundation – 20 years of service
Rosie Weaver, Administrative Assistant – 20 years of service
Vicki Van Noy, Administrative Associate, Purchasing/Accounts Payable – 25 years of service
Della Damon, Manager, Business Affairs – 30 years of service
Camren Jaramillo, Dental Hygienist – 35 years of service
Bill Marse, Director, Biomedical Communications – 50 years of service
Andrea Cady, Office Manager/Coordinator, Advanced Orthodontics, pictured above, far right – Series on Leadership Essentials Graduate
Jamie Charles, Business Office Support Assistant, pictured above, second from left – Series on Leadership Essentials Graduate
Tara Lane, Patient Liaison – Series on Leadership Essentials Graduate
Olujimi (Jimi) Sode, Senior Manager of Dental Admissions – Organizational Perspectives and Leadership Graduate
Roy Potter, Senior Technology Resource Manager, Biomedical Communications – Living the Values Award

Click here to read the full article from UMKC Today!

To view photos from the event, click here.

The Office of Student Programs hosted incoming dental students at its annual Welcome Reception on Friday, March 15. Members of the Dental Class of 2028 and their guests came together to celebrate the students’ acceptance to the UMKC School of Dentistry.

This event offers a chance for the students to bonding with their future classmates, pre-orientation. This also affords them the opportunity to learn about the road ahead, the financial aspects of dental school and the resources available to them from faculty, fellow students, and staff.

They had the opportunity to tour the building and attend a housing fair to visit with area property managers to learn about local rental opportunities.

The DDS Class of 2028 was selected from hundreds of applicants and we’re looking forward to having this talented, well-qualified and ambitious group of future dentists join us on their journey to the profession. See the overview below to learn more about this impressive class.

DDS Class of 2028 Overview
• 1062 AADSAS Applicants
• 170 Missouri Applications
• 85 Kansas Applications
• 212 Students Interviewed
• Math and Science GPA: 3.77
• DAT Score: 20.6
• 31 Reserved Admissions
• 6 Reapplicants

Class Demographics
• 2 Bi-Racial [BLK/WH = 1 ; AS/WH = 1] • 21 Asian
• 4 Black
• 9 Hispanic [HIS/BLK = 2] • 72 White
• 1 Did Not Report
• Age Range: 19 – 36
• 64 Female
• 45 Male
• 14 Legacy
• 16 First Generation College

States
• Arkansas:1
• Georgia = 1
• Hawaii: 4
• Illinois: 1
• Kansas: 32
• Missouri: 64
• New Mexico: 3
• Oklahoma: 1
• Kuwait: 2

View photos from the event here.

On March 7, the UMKC Women’s Council honored 69 women in graduate programs at UMKC with $98,322 in Graduate Assistance Fund (GAF) awards.

The UMKC Women’s Council is an organization of campus and community members who actively support the education of women graduate students by providing financial assistance and expanded opportunities to enhance and enable their educational experience and careers. This is done in part through their Graduate Assistance Fund, which financially supports women currently enrolled in graduate programs at UMKC.

The 2024 recipients for GAF awards from the School of Dentistry included Shiva Daneshmehr and Claire Houchen.

The mission of the UMKC Women’s Council is to “support women who will change the world while they pursue their goals as graduate students at the university.

Claire Houchen echoed that mission after receiving her awards, which included the Maxine N. Tishk Award, Patricia Brous Award and an additional award for outstanding merit.

“I’m very grateful to the UMKC Women’s Council for their support,” says Houchen, “which enables me to attend this conference where I will be able to share my research, hear from my peers, and meet colleagues in the craniofacial field as well as individuals from NIDCR. It’s important to me to advocate for women in science, and it feels especially poignant that this support comes from the Women’s Council. It is my hope that one day I can pass on the support I have received to the women in science who come after me.”

The award funds her travel to the AADOCR Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, where she is presenting her research on craniofacial development. Her project “seeks to identify the cause of birth defects in skull and jaw bones and to investigate novel minimally invasive therapies for children born with skull and jaw malformations.”

Fellow GAF and merit award recipient Shiva Daneshmehr, PhD Student and Research Assistant with Cox Lab, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, is working on “understand the basis of a common clinical condition, called craniofacial microsomia, that is characterize by pronounced facial asymmetry.”

From left, Dr. Rose Wang, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Dr. Erin Bumann, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Claire Houchen, PhD Student and Research Assistant with Bumann Lab, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and Dr. Sarah Dallas, UM Curator’s Distinguished Professor, Lee M. and William Lefkowitz Endowed Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences.

Congratulations to Shiva and Claire on their outstanding achievements!

On March 6, delegates from the UMKC School of Dentistry, including 27 students and three faculty, traveled to the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City for the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Dental Day. This event, which is attended by dentists throughout the State of Missouri, gives our students the opportunity to speak with their legislators about issues affecting the dental profession.

“This is one day, in a series of 364 other days where you could make contact, but this one day of physical presence, is needed each year to demonstrate the magnitude of the problem and to show the number of providers that insist on change,” says the MDA.

According to Dr. Wendy Weimer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences, most students met with at least three legislators each, bringing up points on change that “some of the more seasoned dentists hasn’t thought of. They were great ambassadors.”

Dr. Weimer stressed the significance of students attending the events, “It is important the students know how invaluable their voice is in changing our profession for the better.”

Faculty Attendees
Dr. Erin Bumann, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
Dr. Jared Gerhardt, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences
Dr. Wendy Weimer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Clinical Sciences

Student Attendees
Nik Wickerhauser
Sarah Godwin
Robert Ward
Van Hopkins
Ayden Henry
Hannah Sells
Angela Marulanda
Olivia Horton
Chandler Hill
Mary Inman
Layne Konneman
Hannah Ragsdale
Lauryn Allison
Allison Lawler
Claire Freeman
Megan Dart
Alexis Overton
Sophie Rosen
Anh Nguyen
Niyati Bhakta
Katie Roe
Dillon Trinh
Rebecca Otten
Kylee Townsend
Mackenzie Kortz
Alayna Wallace
Elizabeth Quinn

Photos courtesy of Dr. Wendy Weimer. Lunch for delegates provided by Greater Kansas City Dental Society.

Aspiring dental and dental hygiene students came together for an opportunity to learn about the UMKC School of Dentistry and the journey to get here at the 2024 Pre-Dental Symposium.

Attendees met with dental school admissions staff, faculty and current students while also being able to connect with other interested students to help support them along the application process.

Throughout the event, they participated in a number of interactive activities and hands-on projects including interview tips and practice, a dental school tour, a typodont tooth preparation and a radiology workshop.

In addition, the event offered enriching presentations to help guide attendees towards getting accepted into their respective programs.

View photos from the event here.

Each year, student and faculty volunteers join forces with TeamSmile and Kansas City’s professional sports teams to deliver dental care to disadvantaged children. On February 16, volunteers saw over 200 children at the Royal’s TeamSmile event at the Urban Youth Academy.

According to their website, “By partnering with professional sports organizations, we create an experience that develops bonds between children’s organizations, oral health professionals, surrounding communities, and the athletes that solidify the message that oral health care is vitally important to long-term health.”

Thank you to our student and faculty volunteers for taking your time to make a difference in the lives of children in the Kansas City area!

Student Volunteers:

• Hannah Ragsdale
• Bethan Castro
• Riley Katsev
• Matthew Wahle
• Kendell Cline
• Davis McCallister
• Sarah Godwin
• Sam Douglas
• Nicole Riggs
• Alex Cook
• Sophie Rosen
• Mackenzie Kortz
• Cole Anderson
• Jay Trivedi
• Tessa Travelute
• Halle Bucher
• Mackenzie Clark
• Ashlyn Harbaugh
• Lydia Winger
• Adison Basey
• Olivia Hombs
• Anastasia Krueger
• Alexis Parke
• Anna Daveline
• Riley Purdun
• Amy Schmiemeier
• Abby Loch
• Derick Lopez
• LillyAnn Swyers
• Jessica Woods
• Mahdi Banai Nejad
• Jamaica Lovan
• Madison Lara
• Anaisa Garcia-Flores
• Olga Besestre

Faculty Volunteers:

• Dr. Becky Smith
• Dr. CJ Ehrenberger
• Dr. Kim Bray
• Prof. Tanya Villalpando Mitchell

View photos from the event here.

As part of ASDA Diversity Week, students, staff, and faculty participated in a Multicultural Luncheon, supported by ASDA, Office of Student Programs, and Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, to celebrate and learn about the different cultures represented within the school and community.

Representatives provided perspectives on their cultures and history to create an opportunity for everyone in attendance to learn together. In addition, food representing a variety of cultures and ethnicities was enjoyed by all.

View photos from the event here.

Every February, National Children’s Dental Health Month brings together professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their families and caregivers.

For over 15 years, the dental school has participated in observing the event championed by the American Dental Association. A big part of the month includes Give Kids a Smile, which offers free dental care to children in the Kansas City area, 0 – 17 years old in need of dental exams, teeth cleanings, dental sealants and fluoride treatment. Kids are shown how important oral health care is in a fun, interactive environment.

Rather than spend a day giving kids smiles, this year, the school hosted Give Kids a Smile for a week to spread smiles to as many community members as possible.

View photos from the event here.