S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

Family and Friends Association

The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston

Contents

Dental Prom 2014 The 2014 UTSD Dental

Prom is an annual

tradition held every

winter by the school's

Student Council in order

to celebrate the end of the fall semester. This great social event

featured music, dancing, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres at The De

Gaulle, a beautiful wine, champagne, and cocktail bar with the look

and feel of old Paris. This December, we had a record turnout with

over 240 people in attendance. Needless to say, with each

passing year, this tradition becomes better and better.

Letter from the President

Letter from the Dean

Membership Form

UTSD Student Council

PSI Omega Fraternity

White Coat

Fellowtrack

Class of 2018

Class of 2016

Class of 2015

DH Class of 2016

DH Class of 2015

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4,5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

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Family and Friends President’s Message

Greetings from the UTSD Family and Friends Association! Happy New Year 2015!!! What an exciting year this has been so far. Our class of 2015 has a little over 100 days left before graduation and they are very excited about the next chapter in their life. I have had the privilege to be President the last 2 years of my 4 years on the board and want to thank all the board members and our Dean, Dr. Valenza and Associate Dean, Dr Pierpont for an a wonderful 4 years. I have had the privilege of meeting and working with many of your daughters and sons. It has also afforded me the opportunity to work with an outstanding administration, faculty, and staff of UTSD. I have seen the dedication these people have to dental education and to making certain that your sons and daughters are successful. For the past 27 years, the Family and Friends Association has continued to support student activities and programs including the White Coat Ceremony for entering dental and dental hygiene students, the annual Dental Prom, Dental Olympics,

ASDA, TAWD, and other activities. When finances are requested by the Dental and Dental Hygiene organizations and classes, Family and Friends tries to help. Three years ago, the association helped furnish the new Student Lounge in their beautiful new building with industrial refrigerators and microwaves. This area is where our students can go and eat or relax during their hectic hours at school. We continue to maintain this lounge, and this year helped with the purchase of another industrial refrigerator and two more microwaves. As parents you may wonder what your students are up to, what is happening at the school or wanting to know more about UTSD. If you have not seen “UTSD eFlash!”, you need to check it out! It is a weekly update on what is going on in and around the school. The website for UTSD, https://dentistry.uth.edu has a lot of updated information for you to read. It took me a few years to find out on my own, so I am passing it on to you. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your generous contributions in the past and to ask for your continued financial support. The Family and Friends Association cannot exist without this continued support in order to sponsor activities that will benefit as many students as possible. We also are selling T-shirts, coffee mugs and tumblers. You can contact me via email to purchase. We are set up now to take credit cards for membership, T-shirts, mugs and tumblers. I have included our membership form in this newsletter. I hope you will take the time to continue with your support. One other topic is the snacks we do for the students during finals. This is funded by the parents themselves. We purchase snacks and drinks to help the students get some fuel so they can do their best. The students truly appreciate this and look forward to it. If you think you would like to help with the set up and/or monetary donations toward feeding them, please contact me and I will get you on board. Our wonderful parents step up to handle this year after year. Good luck to your sons and daughters as they continue in this wonderful world of dentistry. Pam Sowa President, 2014-2015

Officers for 2014-2015

Claire Dill Dr. Yolanda Franzen Dr Gary Frey Monica Grover Riplee Ganaway Karen Mactier Carol Nelson Sherry Noblett Michele Rooney Dr. Linda Sierra Dr. Bruce Smith Robin Stephens Miquette Uhrenholdt Dr. John Valenza Dr. Phil Pierpont

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Letter from the Dean

Dear UTSD Family & Friends, This year, our school will celebrate its 110

th year, having been founded in 1905 as the

“Texas Dental College. Wow! It was the first professional school in Houston and the first dental school in Texas, though the State Dental College in Dallas (later to be known as Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry) was a very close second. To entice dental students back then, our school’s catalog described the facilities and equipment as second to none: “The second floor is given up to a large infirmary hall. Tall windows on all sides assure an abundance of light and ventilation. Over each chair in the infirmary is an electric drop light, so that on dark days and late winter afternoons, the most difficult operations may be done.”

Houston was described in a way that makes us wonder today whether the writer had ever been here in August: “… The mild weather, with almost ceaseless Gulf breezes in summer, results in a temperature and atmospheric condition in which sunstroke is unknown.” The catalog promised that “board and lodging convenient to the college may be obtained for $3.50 to $4.50 per week.” The college collected annual fees of $155 from freshmen, $150 from juniors, and $160 from seniors for its three-year program. The minimum education required for admission was two years of high school. We look back and marvel at how much things have changed in 110 years, knowing that 2015 will look just as quaint in 2125 to those who will follow in our footsteps. I have no doubt, though, that those who teach and learn here in the future will be just as dedicated to excellence as those who pooled their own funds to organize the Texas Dental College in 1905. I want to thank the UTSD Family & Friends Association, as well as our students, faculty and staff, for a great 2014 and for what we will accomplish in 2015. Now almost 3 years into our new building and a wide range changes to curriculum, patient care and research, we have achieved some incredible goals that have improved our school in so many ways. Happy New Year, and remember, the best is yet to come! Sincerely, John A. Valenza, DDS William N. Finnegan, III Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Dental Sciences The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston

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A MESSAGE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY FAMILY & FRIENDS

ASSOCIATION

Dear Family and Friends, The University of Texas School of Dentistry Family & Friends Association is an organization of dental and dental hygiene parents, spouses, families and friends who want to support their student’s activities, programs and projects. New members are always welcome and encouraged to be as active as possible. The Family & Friends Association provides assistance for:

The Annual Open House and White Coat Ceremony

School of Dentistry Holiday Dance

Upkeep and improvements to the Student Lounge (future purchase of 4th refrigerator and microwave due to class size increase)

Dental School Olympics

Emergency Student Loans

Snacks, cookie, brownies, etc. during final exams

Graduation banquet for both Dental and Dental Hygiene (held separately)

Dental prom for Dental/Dental Hygiene

Freshman Bar B Que

ASDA (American Student Dental Association) plus many other organizations When parents and spouses find themselves considering membership, the question naturally arises: “What will I get for joining the association?” You’ll benefit by being connected to the UTSD community that is now your student’s home away from home. You’ll meet other UTSD parents and spouses and get the peace of mind that comes from having a resource for getting answers to questions or help when you wouldn’t otherwise know where to begin. You’ll be supporting your student’s school. If you need more information, please contact me at pwsowa@hotmail.com or 713-443-4571. I hope you will consider membership in the UT School of Dentistry – Family & Friends Association (Houston). Together, we can make our students’ lives a little easier. Please support us by signing up today and/or purchasing our Mugs, Tumblers or T-shirts. We now take cash, checks and credit cards. Sincerely, Pam Sowa, President UTSD Family & Friends Association

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT FORM

2014-2015 Please Check Your Preferred Activity: ___ Help with snacks during Finals for your student’s class (December and May only) (You do not have to live in Houston to help, but we need at least 2 people in Houston to help). ___ Help 2015/2016 White Coat Ceremony (Dental and Dental Hygiene) ___ Serve on the board (we meet approximately 3 to 4 times a year) ___ Help with the newsletter, ASDA Vendor Fair, student organizations when asked Membership Levels: ____ Family & Friends Membership $40 per person annually ($100 per family annually) Please note: We do not send out renewal notices; it will be the person’s/family’s responsibility. ____ Chairmen’s Membership (one-time dues) $101 to $200. Receive a mug or tumbler. ____ President’s Club Membership (one-time dues) $201 to $500. Receive 1 mug or tumbler and T-Shirt. ____ Dean’s Circle Membership (one time dues) $501 or more. Receive 2 mugs or 2 tumblers and 2 T-Shirts. To purchase T-shirts, coffee mugs and/or tumblers separately: T-Shirts $20 Coffee Mugs $10 Tumblers $15

PLEASE PRINT Your Name(s) ____________________________________________________ Family ________ Friend________ Address ___________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ______________________________________________________________ Telephone (Home)________________________ Cell ___________________ Office ________________________ Email address (please print) ______________________________________________________________________ Your Student’s name _______________________________________DDS______DH______ Class Year ________ We accept cash, checks or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express) Please make check to: UTSD Family & Friends Association Enclosed is my check for ______________ Please note level__________ Credit Card #__________________________________ Card Type ______ Exp Date _____ CVV#_____ Names as appears on card ________________________________________________ Zip code _______ Please mail to: UTSD Family & Friends Association Office of Student & Alumni Affairs Attn: Pam Sowa, President 7500 Cambridge, Suite 4120 Houston, TX 77054 For more information, please contact Pam Sowa, president, at pwsowa@hotmail.com or 713-443-4571.

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UTSD Student Council The Student Association of the UT School of Dentistry (more commonly referred to as the Student Council) serves multiple purposes and objectives including, but not limited to: 1. Promotion of student welfare 2. Provide opportunities for leadership development 3. Administer student affairs 4. Provide a forum for students to express their concerns to the administration and each other Our primary activities include, but are not limited to: 1. Monthly meetings with the administration and other student leaders to represent the student body of UTSD and address their concerns 2. Organizing and hosting the Dental Prom every winter 3. Organizing the Dental Olympics with both UTHSCSA and BCD every spring. 4. Hosting the Dental Olympics every three years. This year’s officers are: 1. Andre Nguyen - President 2. Alicia Bush - Vice President 3. Macey Cartrite - Treasurer 4. Hieu Pham - Secretary For the academic year of 2014-2015, aside from our normal monthly meetings, we hosted the annual Dental Prom, and will be preparing our fellow students to compete at the Dental Olympics in San Antonio (Spring 2015).

The Dental Olympics is a proud tradition shared between the three Texas dental schools. Each year, students gather at one of the participating schools for friendly competition in a variety of sports and activities. This event is a great opportunity for students to bond with their classmates, reconnect with old friends, and form new friendships as well. The 2014 Dental Olympics was organized and hosted by the UTSD Student Council. Last year, UTHSCSA took first place with BCD and UTSD following close behind, only a handful of points separating the schools.

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Psi Omega Dental Fraternity

During dental school, every semester with the Delta Upsilon chapter of Psi Omega is fun, but this fall semester was packed with so many great activities, fundraisers, socials, and even better, more new members. The Fall is one of our favorite times of the year because we get to meet our incoming first-years and introduce them to our Psi-Omega family and of course, our infamous Halloween party. Before school started this semester we held our annual meet and greet with the incoming dental students. They had the chance to learn what Psi Omega is about and also meet the upperclassmen that they will run into in the hallways in the coming years. Our Dirty Rush event always brings in new smiling faces and gives the current students a night off with free drinks and appetizers! A welcome week like no other, Psi Omega introduced the first-years with a whole week full of activities, lunch-and-learns, and a big karaoke social to top off the first Friday of the school year. This week brought out the current members, upperclassmen, the new first-years, and their dogs, too, when we had our friendly volleyball competition! Our fundraising this semester included collecting pop tops for Ronald McDonald House in October and in November (I mean MO-vember) we had our 3rd annual Movember fundraiser along with ASDA. Movember is very popular with our male students, most who you don’t even recognize after a week or so! Our own dean, Dr. Valenza, and other male faculty agreed to auction off their mustaches to be professionally shaven and all in the name of helping the Prostate

Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG. Psi-O offered Frito pies in exchange for donations towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation. We were impressed by how much our faculty and students donated, more than $500, and also with the sales of our Movember T-shirt. This semester was full of socials and lunch-and-learns. Some of the most memorable socials were our first-ever Bingo and Bonding night and a Retro Arcade Night. Sadly, no one hit the jackpot during bingo night, but we all won by getting to spend a Saturday evening together. Our members were treated to free food during our monthly lunch and learns, but besides gaining a few pounds from the food, they gained

knowledge about lasers and Implantology from our wonderful faculty. I can’t end this before telling The Frater about our wicked Halloween Party. A favorite among dental students, this year was no different. Of course, you’ll have your typical Tooth Fairy and Crown every year, but we had some pretty creative dental costumes, such as a set of 4 fabulous X-ray bitewings. The winners of our costume contest were the Ninja Turtles, all second-years who said they spent hours fabricating their costumes from papier mache. An exciting night off after all the exams in October is just what the doctor ordered, and we all agree! This semester was a busy one, but we made it through and had lots of fun while going through it. We cannot wait to share what we had in store for the Spring semester with y’all! Happy Holidays to everyone from our chapter to yours! Zelina Moncivais Recorder UTSD C/O 2016

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FAMILY & FRIENDS WHITE COAT CEREMONY

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FELLOWTRACK The FellowTrack is an active organization that has been meeting up monthly for dinner and 1 hour of CE credit. This organization is growing as more students are becoming aware of the many benefits of being part of the Academy of General Dentistry’s FellowTrack. Students are broadening their knowledge of dentistry as well as building connections with practicing dentists. The continuing education hours they earn while attending the meetings will count towards the 500 hours needed to earn a FAGD. This organization will continue to grow with the help and time commitment of Dr. Geno, Dr. Delattre, and Dr. Yammine.

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DDS Class of 2018 It has been an already astounding ride for the Class of 2018. With a semester under our belt already, we are on

our way and ready to take on the next one, one day at a time. The fall semester was a great one as so much was learned and new friendships were molded. Late night study marathons, Sunday afternoon wax-ups, early morning workouts in the gym, and weekend socials around the town, were all just a few of the main things that brought our class closer together.

Joseph (Psi O Joe) Farias said that, “The fall was a lot of fun; it had great activities that made for a good way to make friends and meet your future colleagues. We are trying to figure out dental school and find our groove, but with all the events and everything, it really makes it worth it. Seeing everyone every day and knowing they are going through that same grind as you and getting through it all just makes for great camaraderie that will only continue to strengthen in our time in dental school.”

It began with a few days of orientation in which all the nerves and anxiety were slowly eased by the kind and exciting welcoming. A few days later, we received our white coat and social media exploded with proud photos and captions of the excitement and professionalism felt from the new coat. The semester started out a bit slow in school the first two weeks, really allowing us to meet and get our feet wet with everything. After two weeks, the tests began. Not one week went by after that in which we did not take a test. Some weeks were super hard, and some weeks were just hard, but we found our way and couldn’t be happier about how much we have already learned and how many great people

(faculty and classmates) we have met. Ryan Jones stated that “On the first day, I was unsure of what to expect. There was new people, new classes, and basically a

new way of life. Throughout the semester, you start to create friendships amongst like-minded people. Sure, everyone is getting along, but you find the people you really build chemistry with, and these are the people that are going to help you formulate your perspective on school and even life outside of academics. By the end of the semester, you have pretty much figured out what works best for you and what it takes to be successful both in and out of the classroom. The first semester is designed to be an accommodating transition from your previous life to what will be expected of you in your years to come.”

The eagerness and motivation from the fall semester will carry on to the next one, and that to the next one, and so on, and so on. It has been a good start to the journey, and it’ll only continue to get better and better for us young and willing future dentists. Denver Diefenbach UTSD Class of 2018 President

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DDS Class of 2016 Friends & Family, As we begin the spring semester, it is astonishing to look at the many firsts we have experienced as a class. Since the White Coat Ceremony in August, we have been greeted with a new building, signifying our entrance into a field, which, for many of us, has been a life-long dream. A new curriculum greeted us as well, focusing on systems-based learning and evidenced-based dentistry. We have all been very excited by the way classes have been combined and scheduled to complement one another and maximize our learning. We have also begun to work on our hand skills as we entered Dental Anatomy Lab. While the work has been hard, our class has bonded in a way that will form lasting relationships even after the completion of our time at UTSD. In addition, there are even more friendships that have the potential to form due to the increase in our class size to 103! We are all incredibly grateful for the donations that went to make this and the new building possible. We have arrived in a state-of-the-art environment in which we can excel. As spring semester kicks off, it holds many exciting opportunities. We will be able to study Head & Neck Gross Anatomy. While the course will be challenging, we plan to honor the memory of those who have donated themselves to science by fully applying ourselves to learning the intricacies of the human body.

Yet dental school isn’t just about studying, we’ve discovered many of Houston’s hotspots and bonded during a number of activities including the recent end of the year party affectionately called Dental Prom. Many of us have also joined one or more of the clubs and associations UTSD has to offer, including the Psi Omega and Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternities, Texas Association of Women Dentists, the Hispanic Student Dental Association, ASDA, and the newly formed Alpha Omega dental fraternity. Our class would like to say thank you to the family and friends who have helped us to succeed as we adjust to life in a new dental school. Your love and support pushes us to excel and makes UTSD the wonderful new

home that it has become. C/O 2016 Officers

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DDS Class of 2015

This year has been very exciting for Student Council and the Class of 2015. We are currently seeing patients

almost full-time, participating in various off-site rotations, preparing for our National Boards Part II and the WREB exam,

and anxiously awaiting graduation in May! We have been rapidly increasing our experience treating patients and have

enjoyed the many learning opportunities these experiences have offered.

As members of Student Council, we have worked hard to represent our class’s needs and interests to the

administration. We are planning our Senior Banquet and Party and are looking forward to all the fun that Spring will

bring! We are proud to announce that we were recently named class champs at ASDA’s Girls’ Arm Wrestling

Tournament for the fourth consecutive year! We also attended the GHDS October General Meeting, thanks to the

generous sponsorship by many local dentists, and enjoyed meeting practitioners from the Greater Houston area and

getting to see organized dentistry in action. This has been a wonderful year so far, and we look forward to graduation

and joining the ranks of the many proud alumni from UTSD.

SAVE THE DATE: Graduation May 22, 2015!

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Dental Hygiene Class of 2016 On August 11, 2014, a group of forty students walked into the dental school, our soon-to-be second home for the next two years, to start the first milestone of the dental hygiene program. We were all anxious and filled with thousands of nerves because we didn’t know what to expect. We’ve heard the stories; “You all will soon become a family,” “You will be giving up a lot these next two years,” “First semester is one of the hardest.” You take all of this in but can’t relate to it until you face it yourself. It didn’t take long until we all started understanding and believing all of the statements that were told to us.

Within a week, all of us classmates started to become really close, just like a family. We see each other five days a week and spend time together studying even after all classes are over for that day. We all started to connect and began to push each other with positivity in order to get through each week. The tests don’t ever get easier, so our spirits have to be raised; we do that by leaning on each other. The song “Lean on Me” couldn’t be a better fit for this program. Together we have already conquered nine weeks of the semester, put on a bake sale to raise funding for our class, and planned upcoming events such as Thirsty Thursday and a holiday party. It’s a team effort for all that we do.

These next two years are about our class of 2016 joining forces to persevere through all hardships that may be thrown our way while also coming together to help our community in every way possible. It’s about having fun and enjoying this amazing opportunity we have received. Although times are stressful right now, it is a great feeling to be surrounded by the people who are going through the exact same as you. As class president, I want to see my class excel in everything that they do. I want all forty students to be walking across the stage in May of 2016. As long as we have each other, there is nothing that we won’t be able to achieve. “Lean on me, when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on!” – Bill Withers

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Dental Hygiene Class of 2015 We are the Dental Hygiene class of 2015, and are getting so excited to graduate in May. We continually participate in health fairs and screening events, because we love teaching the children how to care for their teeth! Also, in order to fund our graduation banquet we have been trying to raise as much money as we can. We have designed several T-shirts, koozies, and successfully hosted several bake sales. We are very close to our goal, needing approximately $2000. Any help will be appreciated !

SAVE THE DATE: Graduation May 22, 2015

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014

Questions or Comments?

This newsletter was made possible thanks to the contributions

of classes and organizations. If there is anything you would

like added or if you have any other comments, please contact

me, Dr. Linda Sierra, at drljsierra@yahoo.com. If you are

interested in becoming a Family and Friends Association

member, please print and send the form on page 4.

Thanks!