DENTAL HYGIENE Grandmother’s Career

Justin Curis during a dental hygiene appointment with his grandmother Joyce Ann Miller.

DENTAL HYGIENE

Hygiene Student Follows Grandmother’s Career Path

When Joyce Ann Miller sat down in a dental chair at the School of Dentistry one day last semester, the hygiene student who greeted her was easy to recognize, even behind his surgical mask. A 1959 graduate of the school’s Dental Hygiene Program, Miller said she was thrilled that her grandson, Justin Curis, was the attending hygienist. His decision to follow in her career path, and do so at the same school, didn’t surprise her because she had heard him talking about it since he was in middle school. The second-year DH student will graduate next spring, 63 years after his grandmother received her BSDH. “My grandmother really inspired me to go into this career,” Justin said. “I remember going to the dental office and being excited to see her. She was kind, caring, gentle and passionate about treating her patients. I have met several patients of hers who mentioned that she changed their lives. I want to provide my patients with that same excellent care where they are no longer scared to come to the dentist but excited to see me and seek dental care.” Miller, who lives in Saginaw, Michigan, said returning to the dental school to be treated by her grandson brought back lots of memories, including how equipment and procedures have changed significantly. She remembers developing radiographs in a photographic dark room; today imaging is digital on a computer. Students in her time needed to ensure that the motor and belt on the beltdriven polisher were in working order; today high speed handpieces are much simpler to operate. And then there was the lack of personal protective equipment in her day, illustrated by a photo taken in 1958-59 of her treating a patient while wearing neither a mask nor gloves. Miller practiced in the Saginaw area for 54 years, retiring in 2013. More than half of those years were with Dr. Arthur Kettelhohn, about 11 years were with Dr. Robert Puszykowski (DDS 1977) and the rest were as a substitute in various other practices in the area. “I chose dental hygiene to make a positive impact on my patients and allow them to live a healthier life,” she says. Justin has similar goals. “I am receiving the training and education that will prepare me to be an amazing hygienist,” he said. “And not only be great at my job, but it will also allow me to carry the Wolverine dental hygiene blood in my family into the future.”

Joyce Ann Miller with a patient at the dental school during her training in 1958-59.

Awards & Scholarships

Pauline Steele Student Leadership Award

This award was established by the U-M Dental Hygiene Alumni Association in 1968 to honor Pauline Steele, the second director of the Dental Hygiene Program, from 1968-1988. It recognizes a senior dental hygiene student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities. 2021 Recipients: Maysa Sawabini (BSDH 2021) was president of the U-M chapter of the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA) and found innovative ways to provide community outreach projects despite COVID-19. Jessica Saunders (BSDH 2021), the senior class president, was cited for her steady leadership style that motivated her class to work together through the pandemic to keep everyone on track to graduate on time.

Wendy Kerschbaum Emerging Leadership Award

The U-M chapter of SADHA established this award in 2012 in honor of Wendy Kerschbaum, Director of Dental Hygiene from 1988-2012. This award recognizes a first- or second-year SADHA member who exhibits a strong commitment to the dental hygiene profession and demonstrates leadership within the organization. 2021 Recipient: Kristen Reamer (BSDH 2022) demonstrated an unwavering and commendable commitment to serving others during the pandemic.

Kathy Yee SPIRIT Award

The Dental Hygiene Program established the SPIRIT Award in 2016 to honor the memory of Katherine Yee, a faculty member from 2011-2016 who died of ovarian cancer in 2016. SPIRIT refers to the qualities Yee was remembered for – courage, positive attitude, desire to give and the ability to support and bring out the best in others. 2021 Recipient: Lindsey Fox-Berry, a 2021 graduate of the Degree Completion E-Learning Program. The award is given to a second-year degree-completion student who demonstrates a commitment to enriching the lives of others and advancing the profession of dental hygiene. Activities that demonstrate these characteristics include professional involvement, community service, mentoring and volunteerism.

Christine P. Klausner Graduate Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship Award

Christine (Chris) Klausner, an alumna, was a clinical associate professor of dentistry in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine who died of ovarian cancer in 2010. Graduate students who receive this award must demonstrate academic performance, membership in both the American Dental Hygienists Association and the American Dental Education Association, along with a commitment to leadership in dental hygiene education, service and research. 2021 Recipient: Anne Marie Wang, who earned her MSDH in 2021.

Maysa Sawabini Lindsey Fox-Berry

Jessica Saunders Anne Marie Wang

Taylor Schrock

Kristen Reamer

Drs. Laurie McCauley and Jessy Grizzle Endowed Dental Scholarship Fund

The endowment was created in 2014 to support both dental and dental hygiene students. The fund has grown enough that the inaugural DH scholarships were awarded in 2021, one for a degree completion student and another to an entry-level student. Applicants must be in good academic standing and submit a personal statement discussing why they chose dental hygiene and their career goals. 2021 Recipients: Taylor Schrock, who will graduate with a BSDH in 2022, and Lindsey Fox-Berry, a 2021 graduate of the Degree Completion E-Learning Program.