News

February 26, 2021  |  Throughout February, UMSOD celebrated Black History Month in recognition of African-American heritage and the valuable achievements and contributions of the African-American community.

February 12, 2021  |  The UMSOD Student National Dental Association (SNDA) has won a 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Diversity Recognition Award.

October 22, 2020  |  UMSOD's new Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader (CDHL) program was designed for college graduates who already have a background in the sciences but want to delve specifically into the health care realm.

August 7, 2020  |  Sue-ning Chu Barry, PhD, one of the first two women to reach the rank of full professor at UMSOD, died July 14, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She was 87.

August 3, 2020  |  UMSOD's Student National Dental Association was named SNDA’s 2020 Chapter of the Year (large chapter category) in recognition of its exemplary fundraising, community service, and outreach.

July 22, 2020  |  Katherine Ong, DDS ’20, is a recipient of a 2020 Student Leadership Award presented by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation.

July 20, 2020  |  The popular webinar gives applicants insider tips on applying to dental school.

June 30, 2020  |  After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of a number of end-of-year events, the DDS Class of 2020 found itself with a surplus in its treasury fund.

May 26, 2020  |  Joanne Block Rief, DDS ’86, found a way patients can maintain good oral health even without regular visits.

May 18, 2020  |  UMSOD celebrated the Class of 2020 with a video that included congratulatory remarks by Dean Mark A. Reynolds, UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, and many others.

April 7, 2020  |  View Dean Reynold's important video message about the coronavirus pandemic.

April 3, 2020  |  Plagued by migraines? A treatment that’s ancient in its origins can help, according to new research from David A. Seminowicz, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences.

March 23, 2020  |  Valli Meeks, clinical professor in the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at UMSOD, is a recipient of the 2020 William J. Gies Award Achievement – Dental Educator.

February 25, 2020  |  From Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, the College of Diplomates (COD) of the American Board of Endodontics held its 10th annual Board Review Course and Scientific Update in Baltimore.

January 6, 2020  |  Janette Harro, A UMSOD researcher, has developed an experimental vaccine that protects against the bacterium that accounts for one-third of deadly healthcare-acquired infections.

November 27, 2019  |  Anmar Janabi, BDS, MSD, a second-year endodontics resident at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, has patented a smart assistant device for suctioning patients.

October 28, 2019  |  New research from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) finds evidence that points to physical differences among groups

September 30, 2019  |  David Seminowicz, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, has received a $1.4 million award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

September 26, 2019  |  University of Maryland School of Dentistry Professor Richard Manski shares insights on oral health during POLITICO Live forum in Washington, D.C.

September 13, 2019  |  Brittany Bergeron, (DDS ’13) is the current AAWD president. Lauren Aguilar Wronsky (DDS ’15) was just recently voted president-elect for 2021.

August 30, 2019  |  Justin Maxell, a 2005 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, takes on pre- and postgame announcing duties for four Nationals games to be broadcast on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MA

August 27, 2019  |  Mary Beth Aichelmann-Reidy, DDS, division chief of periodontics and a clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), will receive the American Association of W

August 6, 2019  |  In June, Thumbigere Math received the 2019 Sigmund Socransky Young Investigator Award at the AADR/IADR conference held in Vancouver, Canada.

July 26, 2019  |  This July at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), 15 local middle-school students got hands-on experience in dentistry at the Planet Smilez Discovering Dentistry Camp.

July 3, 2019  |  The University of Maryland, Baltimore opens a series of community events to share the expertise of its scientists and clinicians specializing in chronic pain research.

June 18, 2019  |  On June 12, a University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) orthodontics resident had a starring role on the national political stage.

June 6, 2019  |  The University of Maryland, Baltimore welcomes researchers, practitioners, and educators from nine nations to a summit sponsored by UMB’s Center for Global Education Initiatives.

May 29, 2019  |  Norman Tinanoff, DDS ’71, MS, is the 2019 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award.

May 24, 2019  |  Katherine Bell was awarded the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence on May 7.

May 17, 2019  |  Pawlak’s love for late grandfather who was interred by Nazis now feeds her passion to bring better oral health to children.

May 14, 2019  |  Fourth-year student Linda Powers received the Do Good Award at the University of Maryland College Park Alumni Association’s first annual Maryland Awards.

May 2, 2019  |  The Symposium is a culmination of years of collaboration between the University of Maryland Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University

April 15, 2019  |  Bashayer Baras, BDS, received top honors for her project proposal of a root-canal sealer.

April 3, 2019  |  Two separate delegations from University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) traveled to Washington, DC, on February 26, to lobby for pediatric dentistry and research.

March 25, 2019  |  Fourth-year student Alenna Monet, who served as the 2017-18 president of UMSOD’s chapter of the SNDA, discusses the chapter’s success.

March 21, 2019  |  West Baltimore students receive treatments, learn skills during the UMB CURE Scholars Oral Health Promotion Program at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

March 13, 2019  |  The University of Maryland School of Dentistry holds 2019 Mission of Mercy in Baltimore in partnership with United Way of Central Maryland and supporters.

March 13, 2019  |  Fourth-year student Tara Sheehan won first place in the student essay competition, and third-year student Mazda Mansouri placed third in the poster competition with his submission

February 28, 2019  |  A new paper co-authored by UMSOD faculty seeks to raise awareness dental erosion, an oral health condition that is difficult to diagnose and is increasingly appearing in young populations

February 21, 2019  |  Last December, Marina Schmidt became the first student to graduate from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry’s accelerated Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate to Master’s of Public Health Program.

February 7, 2019  |  Carl Driscoll, DMD, earned the 2018 Educator of the Year Award from the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) annual conference.

January 30, 2019  |  An expanding interprofessional collaboration is facilitating oral health care for prenatal patients at the Western Penn Women’s Health Center at the University of Maryland Baltimore.

January 22, 2019  |  Ivan Fried has been teaching at UMSOD for more than 35 years. In his last semester, he reflects on the changing artistry of dentistry and the challenges posed by each generation of students in

January 16, 2019  |  Three UMSOD students spent two weeks at XJTU COS last October observing and exchanging ideas. The experience offered them a firsthand view of the school’s clinics.

January 14, 2019  |  Valli Meeks, DDS, MS, RDH, associate professor in the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, helped shaped the curriculum and provide supplies for the University of Rwanda.

December 21, 2018  |  A breakthrough against a ‘superbug,’ Clostridium difficile, is achieved by a scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children in collaboration with researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

December 18, 2018  |  Rear Adm. Timothy L. Ricks, DMD, MPH, chief dental officer and assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service, guest-lectured the D1 and senior dental hygiene students.

December 14, 2018  |  Professor Robert K. Ernst, PhD, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) was awarded a five-year, $6.4 million contract from the NIH.

December 5, 2018  |  Vivek Thumbigere-Math, BDS, PhD, he received the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Joseph Lister Award for Young Investigators during the AADR Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

November 30, 2018  |  Dan Yang’s winning poster presentation examined two different mechanisms of inducing and evaluating pain response in an animal model.

November 28, 2018  |  Dr. Jin Y. Ro, MA, PhD, received a two-year, $425,000 R21 federal grant earlier this fall on the heels of the five-year, $1.8 million R01 grant renewal he received in April.

November 19, 2018  |  Rania Younis, BDS, MDS, PhD, was part of a multdisciplinary team featuring nine other researchers that won the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) Sparkathon competition.

November 13, 2018  |  Congratulations to UMSOD’s Christine Ferrell, DDS ’05, an orthodontist who practices in West Chester, Pa., and Ellen Im, DDS ’06, a pediatric dentist and orthodontist based in Poway, Calif.

October 26, 2018  |  Kathryn Pawlak, DDS '18, was recently awarded scholarships from the Hispanic Dental Association and the Dental Trade Alliance.

October 16, 2018  |  Vineet Dhar, BDS, PhD, clinical professor and chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, won the ADA and AADR's Evidence-Based Dentistry Mid-Career Award

October 8, 2018  |  Meeks was recognized for her outstanding work directing the state’s first dental clinic for Marylanders with HIV/AIDS and no insurance, as well as outreach efforts in Rwanda.

September 14, 2018  |  Established with a $1.5 million gift, and titled Frederick G. Smith, MS, DDS and Venice K. Paterakis, DDS Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the position receives a matching grant.

August 31, 2018  |  Leslie Grant, DDS '86 has had a career filled with milestones. Underpinning her success is a desire to help others and loyalty to the people and institutions who have supported her along the way.

August 29, 2018  |  Eighteen senior dental students performed extractions while 20 junior students assisted in various capacities.

August 14, 2018  |  Surya Joseph, DDS, MBA, was awarded the American Association of Orthodontics’ (AAO) Charles J. Burstone Research Aid Award grant of $5,000 for her the study of new ridge preservation methods.

August 8, 2018  |  Radi Masri, DDS, MS ’01, PhD ’05, has won the American College of Prosthodontists’ (ACP) 2018 Distinguished Service Award.

August 3, 2018  |  The award, presented during the NDA’s Annual Convention, held July 11-15 in Orlando, Florida, is given to the chapter that excels in fundraising, community service and new initiatives.

July 31, 2018  |  Dr. Hanae Saito will examine whether the two types of bacteria that appear in regular periodontitis, aerobic and anaerobic, also materialize within the screw hole of an implant.

July 26, 2018  |  As a result of the cumulative success of his lab, Huakun Xu, PhD, MS, has won International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Isaac Schour Memorial Award.

July 16, 2018  |  UM School of Dentistry Professor Mark E. Shirtliff, PhD, who held a secondary appointment in the School of Medicine, is the victim of a rafting tragedy.

July 5, 2018  |  UMB students, staff, and faculty collaborate to cultivate a love of science, technology, engineering, and math among West Baltimore students in the CURE Scholars Summer Program.

July 5, 2018  |  Kuei-Ling Hsu, DDS, received a one-year grant awarded by Colgate to help study the molecular mechanisms of advanced tooth decay in socially disadvantaged youth.

June 14, 2018  |  The “Best Dentists” List, which was published in the June issue of Baltimore Magazine, features multiple alums in nearly every specialty.

May 31, 2018  |  The class of 2018 included several students who had a significant impact on the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) community and beyond.

May 18, 2018  |  University of Maryland School of Dentistry graduate Courtney Miyamoto, DDS, creates video for commencement, highlighting the UMB experience.

May 11, 2018  |  Norman Tinanoff, DDS ’71, MS, is the 2018 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) Evidence-Based Dentistry Service Award.

May 9, 2018  |  The adoption of glucose meters in dental practices will enable screening for diabetes and prediabetes, and will also help safe guard patients who require insulin.

May 3, 2018  |  After implementing a multi-part strategy to engage students through fundraising, advocacy, wellness initiatives, and community service, the UMSOD ASDA chapter successfully raised its profile.

April 6, 2018  |  Vanessa Benavent, DDS ’09, MSD, FAGD, recently was listed as a 2018 American Dental Association’s (ADA) 10 Under 10 awardee for 2018.

April 3, 2018  |  Maryland Lt. Gov. Rutherford attends launch of the school’s collaboration with DrFirst, developer of a mobile app that offers prescription drug monitoring queries as part of the e-prescribing workflow

March 29, 2018  |  Devon Allison, PhD '17, DDS '19, has displayed exceptional skills as both a researcher and clinician. She will get an opportunity to further her career through a ADEA/Crest Oral-B Scholarship.

February 21, 2018  |  Indirect Pulp Therapy (IPT) has a 94.4 percent success rate, but third-party reimbursement issues may be preventing its use in practice.

February 13, 2018  |  As a student at UMSOD, Derek Blank dedicated his time to serving others. Now, as the owner of a private practice, he's continued this compassionate approach.

February 7, 2018  |  Due to her outstanding leadership and public outreach, D4 student TIffany Otto has won the 2018 UMB Outstanding Student Award.

January 30, 2018  |  As a result of the cumulative success of his lab, Huakun Xu, PhD, MS, has won International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Isaac Schour Memorial Award.

January 16, 2018  |  The website for Bethesda Magazine recently published several short profiles of Bethesda dentists, many of whom are UMSOD alums.

January 9, 2018  |  Robert Bray, DDS '73 received the 2017 Eugene and Pauline Blair Distinguished Service award for meritorious service from the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF).

December 21, 2017  |  The intersection of chronic pain and stress was the focus of the third annual symposium at the University of Maryland Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research (CACPR)

December 14, 2017  |  Howard Strassler, DMD, has taught at UMSOD for nearly 40 years and is an acclaimed author and educator. A forward thinking approach to technology has buoyed his efforts.

December 4, 2017  |  Grant support from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMD) will allow the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) clinic to expand its treatment of the elderly.

November 9, 2017  |  Darien Weatherspoon, DDS '10, began his career at an accounting firm, but the desire to have greater impact on the lives of others drew him into dentistry

November 6, 2017  |  Robert Ernst, PhD, was named the University of Maryland, Baltimore 2017 Researcher of the Year during the Founders Week Gala.

October 24, 2017  |  During the course of two days, nearly 950 patients received free dental care provided by 275 University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) volunteers.

October 6, 2017  |  Deborah Cartee, RDH, MS, an assistant professor and junior clinical coordinator in the dental hygiene program at UMSOD, is living proof of the role a great mentor can play.

September 8, 2017  |  Compassionate treatment from a fellow alum motivated Lida Radfar, DDS '10, to become a dentist and dedicate her career to helping underserved populations in Maryland.

August 25, 2017  |  The mantra of "pay it forward" has driven the UMSOD chapter of the Student National Dental Association to major success for two straight years.

August 9, 2017  |  Deborah Jastrebski the founder of Practice Without Pressure, a nonprofit that trains clinicians how to care for patients with special needs.

August 3, 2017  |  Intensive, eight-week program allows students to pair with faculty mentors to develop research.

July 21, 2017  |  Feng's research has discovered a potential breakthrough on combating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

July 18, 2017  |  Dedication and attention to detail have driven Jesse Goldman to excel as both a musician and dentist.

July 10, 2017  |  As the current president of the Florida Dental Association, Eggnatz is looking to address the mode of delivery, cost of care and the quality of care that needs to be maintained for the public.

July 7, 2017  |  University of Maryland School of Dentistry volunteers mark 22 years of service to athletes with intellectual disabilities who compete in Special Olympics Maryland.

June 30, 2017  |  Marion Manski, RDH '88, MS '04, won the Irene Newman Professional Achievement award for individuals who advance the art and science of the dental hygiene profession.

June 28, 2017  |  Baltimore Magazine's annual Top Dentists list recognizes many UMSOD alums, faculty, and Dean's Faculty, including several top vote-getters in their respective fields.

June 9, 2017  |  One hundred and twenty-nine dentistry students received their doctoral hoods, and 20 dental hygiene students received their pins during the Honors Convocation held Friday, May 19.