DCG Summer 2017

DCG The Magazine of The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University

STEEPED IN TRADITION

Seal, Class Ring Enhance Growing Body of DCG Symbolism

[ SUMMER 2017 • VOL. 1 • NO. 1 ]

Word of Mouth

Fiercely Focused

The Goldstein Legacy

Front

WOODWORKING, INFLATABLES …

AND GOATS

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ental school is challenging. When life threw in a series of personal challenges on top of it, Billy Brinson, a dental student from Swainsboro, Georgia, found he had to be more resourceful than most to meet them.

It started back in high school, when Brinson had his own woodworking shop, a hands-on activity that perhaps foreshadowed his interest in dentistry. “I feel like I was put here to serve others and make an impact on their lives, and there’s no way I’d rather do that than by working with my hands,” says Brinson. He wanted to bring his expertise to dental school.

But his dream was deferred when his dad asked him at age 19 to take the reins of the family hardware store. Brinson was happy to help, but he knew a bigger world awaited him.

In 2008, he built a three-bedroom house for his soon-to-be wife, Mandi. “My dad and I did all the wiring, framing, roofing, insulation, plumbing . . . everything,” he says. But he and his wife had lived in it only two years when Mandi’s father died of cancer. With a heavy heart but a characteristically pragmatic outlook, Brinson sold his house and used the proceeds to finance his dental education.

But even bigger hurdles awaited. The Brinsons’ first child, Bentley, was born with a capillary malformation on his face, necessitating several surgeries. Then came daughter Blakely, who was born with hip dysplasia and a heart defect. As Brinson juggled dental school with these daunting challenges, he continued his building projects and began a business supplying inflatables for parties and other events. “The income helped get us through,” he says.

Most recently, the family acquired a tribe of goats from which they plan to produce and sell milk products. Today, Brinson is in the homestretch of dental school, and both children are doing beautifully.

Blakely, who her parents feared might never walk, took her first steps at age 10 months, a milestone that helped correct her dysplasia.

Her heart defect seemed to miraculously self-correct as well. Her doctors still can’t explain the stunning turnaround. At age 3, she loves gymnastics and ballet. The children delight in their new “pets.”

After graduating next spring, Brinson looks forward to starting a private practice in a dentally underserved community. Says Brinson, “I’ve learned to stop predicting the future, but if it’s meant to be, the Lord will get me there.” DCG

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FIRST LOOK

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Billy, Blakely, Bentley and Mandi Brinson walk the goats.

Photo By Phil Jones ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 1

CONTENTS Front FIRST LOOK........................................................................................ 1 WORD OF MOUTH............................................................................ 4 ON THE CALENDAR.......................................................................... 5 3 QS .................................................................................................... 6 IMPACT ON GEORGIA...................................................................... 7

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FROM THE WIRE................................................................................ 8 ANSWERS ALONG THE WAY......................................................... 11 ON THE HORIZON.......................................................................... 12

Back SECRET LIVES................................................................................... 34 COMMUNITY OUTREACH.............................................................. 36 THROUGH THE LENS...................................................................... 38 CLASS NOTES.................................................................................. 42 VALUE ADDED................................................................................. 43 EXPERTISE IN ACTION.................................................................... 44

24 DCG [The Magazine of The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University] Dean Carol A. Lefebvre, DDS, MS Provost Gretchen B. Caughman, PhD Vice President, Division of Communications and Marketing Jack Evans The Dental College of Georgia Communications Coordinator Debbie Conley

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Features STEEPED IN TRADITION................................................................. 14 An alum’s pride and creativity join to create The Dental College of Georgia’s first class ring, the latest in a long history of important traditions.

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WELCOME TO WASHINGTON...................................................... 20 Dr. Drew Ferguson (’92) took his love of service from West Point, Georgia, to Washington, D.C., without losing sight of his small-town values or his ties to the DCG.

FIERCELY FOCUSED........................................................................ 24 Dr. Becky Paquin is an alumna, a faculty member and a student, but according to those who know her, the best is yet to come.

THE GOLDSTEIN LEGACY.............................................................. 28 The Goldstein family’s legacy can be felt in all corners of The Dental College of Georgia, and at the center of it is Rita Goldstein, who turned heads and hearts throughout her long and fruitful life.

DENTAL CARE THAT RUNS THE GAMUT..................................... 30

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A colorful and entertaining pediatric/orthodontic waiting room on the second floor of the DCG building leads patients from infancy through adulthood to a wide range of clinical services provided by faculty clinicians and residents of the college’s dental programs.

Executive Editor Karen Gutmann Editor/Writer Christine Hurley Deriso Assistant Editor John Jenkins Art Director Tricia Perea Senior Photographer Phil Jones

DCG, the magazine of The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, is published twice a year by The Dental College of Georgia and the Division of Communications and Marketing. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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WORD OF MOUTH

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BIGSTOCK

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DEAR READERS WE’RE GUESSING you are doing a lot of double takes these days.

If you were among the hundreds of alumni who visited us in April for Alumni Weekend (and we sure hope you were), you saw firsthand how dramatically the DCG landscape is changing. Our building is now a stone’s throw from two new Augusta University residence halls and the cuttingedge resources of the adjacent Harrison Education Commons. We continue to grow to serve our students’ needs. DCG is expanding right along with the campus, continually adding new programs, facilities, equipment and innovations to ensure a second-to-none education for our students and excellent treatment for our patients.

Of course, we also recently changed our name to better reflect the breadth and scope of our role as Georgia’s sole dental college, and we have introduced a new seal to complement the name change. We are very proud of this visual symbol of our college

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and are excited to move forward with our strongestever identity and sense of purpose. Along those lines, our students spearheaded the creation of a class ring, which is available both to students and alumni. How proud you’ll feel to recognize your fellow classmates at a glance wherever you travel. And how pleased we are to make this available to you.

The magazine you’re reading has received a facelift as well. The new design offers the same great content you’ve come to expect – feature articles about our exemplary students, residents, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as documentation of DCG news and events. But the new look, echoing our other changes, provides a larger landscape to publicize our critical mission in leading the state’s commitment to excellent oral health.

The magazine has grown both physically and conceptually, providing new sections that guide you through our advances on campus, statewide, nationally and internationally.

We hope you enjoy the changes and welcome your feedback for ongoing improvement. Let us hear from you!

This is your magazine, and we want to do you proud. DCG

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FROM THE DEAN

Dr. Carol A. Lefebvre Dean, The Dental College of Georgia 706-721-2118 clefebvr@augusta.edu

ON THE CALENDAR

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AUGUST

WHITE COAT CEREMONY

This event for rising second-year students celebrates their role as patient care providers with the provision of their first white coat.

Other activities that day include an ethics and professionalism seminar for third-year students.

AUGUST 16

SEPTEMBER 23

NOVEMBER 4

WELCOME BACK CEREMONY

FAMILY DAY

DAY OF SERVICE

DCG faculty, administrators and guest speakers welcome new students and award scholarships to all four classes in this annual celebration of community, scholarship and school pride.

Dental activities included in this university-wide event rolling out the red carpet for families of first-year students include tours, presentations and hands-on experiences in the dental simulation lab.

DCG volunteers will roll up their sleeves to spruce up grounds, make repairs, serve meals and otherwise reach out to their fellow community members as ambassadors of our university during this annual AU-wide event.

For more information: 706-721-2832 or DCG_Deans_Office@augusta.edu • augusta.edu/dcg ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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CAROLE HANES

DCG ASSOCIATE DEAN Carole Hanes for over 30 years has been one of the most visible – and friendly – faces on campus.

She is pivotally involved in the life of every dental student, from admission through graduation. She also pores through almost a thousand applications every year, conducting exhaustive research and interviews to identify the best candidates for a dental education.

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What quality do you seek above all others in dental school applicants?

The short answer is honesty. But three other characteristics are critically important: a good work ethic, resilience and compassion. During interviews with applicants, we try to ask the right questions and offer hypothetical situations to help ensure a good fit. I believe we do a good job, because we have amazing students.

How has dentistry changed most significantly during your career?

The technological changes have been huge. Advances such as microscopic endodontics, implant dentistry, digital radiography – these things have really transformed what we’re able to offer our patients. But the way dentistry is practiced has changed substantially as well. It’s gone from being a oneon-one cottage industry to multiple models for how dentistry is delivered, including corporate careers and group practices. We’re also seeing more emphasis on areas such as esthetic dentistry.

Dr. Carole Hanes (right) talks to a student.

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Can you cite a single experience at DCG that best exemplifies why you love your job?

There are hundreds, but one comes to mind almost immediately: After graduation one year, a student came up and said, “Dr. Hanes, I need you to hear this.” He played back the phone message I’d left offering him a spot in the dental class four years earlier. He said, “I’d listen to it on the tough days, and it’s really kept me going.” That means a lot. When [dental students] leave, I feel like I’m sending them out into the world with a tiny bit of me in each of them. They’re amazingly bright and caring people. That’s why I enjoy doing it every day. DCG

VIDEO Learn more about Carole Hanes at magazines.augusta.edu.

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IMPACT ON GEORGIA

] TODD STONE

[ GEORGIA IS OUR CAMPUS

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or years, students in DCG dental programs have had the opportunity to obtain a wealth of clinical experience through rotations in clinical sites around the state, experiences that have significantly enhanced the scope of their dental education and practice.

Many of those sites are in rural Georgia, including the Albany Area Primary Health Care Clinic in southwest Georgia, which offers medical and dental treatment to residents in an identified dentally underserved area.

“Many of our patients can’t afford specialists, so we try to keep everything inhouse,” says Clifton Bush, chief operating officer of the clinic’s dental services. “The students get a wide variety of experience in different procedures, including root canals, crowns and surgical extractions in addition to basic dentistry.”

As the state’s only public academic medical center, Augusta University has long been committed to the health of all Georgians, no matter where they live. That commitment was recently bolstered with the establishment of a Center for Rural Health at the university, one of the recommendations of a task force on rural health convened in 2016 by AU President Brooks A. Keel. The center will serve as a resource for education and training for rural health care providers and hospital CEOs across Georgia.

The clinic in Albany, which offers services on a sliding-fee scale, includes two full-time dental offices (Glover Dental Center and West Albany Dental) as well as two school-based clinics. Dental students rotate throughout all of them, exposing them to a diverse patient population and an extensive range of oral health needs, according to Ketarya Hunt, DCG director of community-based education.

For instance, the operation includes an HIV clinic. “Our HIV clinic has over 1,100 patients, so the students who help treat them gain extensive insight into a patient population

Clifton Bush observes Dr. Shayla Browner (DMD ‘15) and hygienist Ashley Scott (BS Dental Hygiene ‘12).

they might not normally encounter very often,” Bush says.

Hunt concurs. “The different sites offer lots of variety, and the students work closely with the clinic’s dentists, nearly all of whom were recruited from the student rotation program,” she says.

The five dentists and three hygienists on staff note that the students are tremendously helpful in ensuring prompt and comprehensive care for

their patients, many of whom would be unable to afford or access dental care without it. “The dentists have years of experience, which makes them great mentors,” Bush says, “and since the students are in the midst of their education, they share vital information as well.”

Patients offer high praise to both the staff and students alike. “The friendliness and customer service we offer make a big impact,” Bush says. DCG ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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FROM THE WIRE

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DCG BUILDING TURNS 5

RESEARCHERS AWARDED PATENT FOR KIT

THE DENTAL COLLEGE of Georgia celebrated the fifth anniversary of its IN 2011, professional tennis player Venus building Sept. 30. The facility has housed Williams dropped out of the U.S. Open and treatment for nearly 25,000 patients a year revealed to the world that she had been since its doors opened in September 2011. diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, “This is a valuable patient care Sjogren’s syndrome. resource to our community,” Researchers at Augusta said Dean Carol A. Lefebvre, University recently obtained adding that as the DCG a patent for a predictive, students’ and residents’ diagnostic and prognostic kit training ground, its benefits READ MORE AT that will help address issues extend far beyond Augusta.

JAGWIRE.AUGUSTA.EDU surrounding Sjogren’s.

“As the only dental college Sjogren’s syndrome is an in Georgia, we prepare our autoimmune disease in which students to provide skilled the body’s immune system, for and compassionate oral health unknown reasons, attacks the cells care in communities throughout which produce saliva and tears. The Georgia and beyond. It’s hard to believe results are dry eyes, dry mouth and even it’s been five years since we moved into our tooth decay, and if left untreated, Sjogren’s beautiful facility.” The anniversary coincided syndrome can progress to arthritis and, in rare with the replacement of former signage by cases, lymphoma. Patients also experience the new AU logo and DCG name. fatigue, nausea and pain.

The disease affects approximately 1 percent of the population, according to Dr. Babak Baban, associate professor in the DCG and the Medical College of Georgia. It also affects more women than men, and kept Williams away from her sport for almost two years.

Baban is an immunologist interested in finding cures for autoimmune disease. He partnered with Dr. Mahmood Mozaffari, AHMAD BHATTI, who earned his degree professor of oral biology at DCG, and from The Dental College of Georgia this Dr. Rafik Abdelsayed, professor of oral spring, was honored at the 2017 Pierre biology and pathology at DCG, to study Fouchard Academy meeting as the recipient of Sjogren’s syndrome. the academy’s 2016 national scholarship. The “We noticed that there are a few meeting was held in Greensboro in February.

Two DCG faculty members were also honored: Dr. DJ Pannu received the 2016 PFA Excellence in Dental Education Award, and Dr. Douglas Cleveland received the 2017 PFA Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award.

DR. ALLISON BUCHANAN HUNTER, Also at the meeting, two DCG students associate professor in the Department of Oral presented their research. Kevin Shepherd, Health and Diagnostic Sciences, has received a third-year student, shared his findings the 2017 Omicron Kappa Upsilon Charles regarding the effects of toothpaste Craig Teaching Award. She is the first DCG and toothbrush types on denture base faculty member to receive the national award. abrasion, and Scott Lowry, a second-year The award honors young dental student, presented the microbiological educators who use new and innovative effects of periodontal treatment on techniques in teaching the art, science and patients with hyperglycemia. literature of dentistry. Eligible candidates The PFA was founded in 1936 to must be full-time educators in a dental cultivate leaders in the dental profession. school accredited by the American Dental

STUDENTS/FACULTY HONORED AT PFA MEETING

biomarkers which increase in the patient’s tissue and salivary glands when a person has Sjogren’s syndrome,” Baban said. “We worked on these biomarkers and looked at blood circulation and noticed that there is an increase in circulation systemically when the biomarkers increase.”

The team presented their data to Augusta University’s Office of Innovation Commercialization. At the time, the research was in the preliminary stages, but it showed that Sjogren’s could be detected in the blood in the early stages.

The team developed a method that would diagnose the disease with a simple finger prick.

The protocol can also determine susceptibility to the disease, if a person has it and how treatment will affect each individual.

The next step was to submit a patent application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Almost three years later, the USPTO approved the application, and a patent was issued.

Now, the team will focus on further advancement to develop a kit with the ultimate goal of parterning with a pharmaceutical company to produce the kit.

Baban, Mozaffari and Abdelsayed are excited that their work is receiving recognition.

“It’s a great feeling to see that your efforts have been recognized not only by the university but by the federal authority,” Baban said. “This patent means they see the importance of the discovery and are recognizing it.

HUNTER RECEIVES OKU AWARD

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Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Buchanan, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial radiologist, is a DCG alumna and completed residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she also earned a master’s degree. She teaches both at the pre- and post-doctoral levels and researches cone beam computed tomography and digital radiography.

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NEW NAME REFLECTS BROAD SCOPE

THE DEPARTMENT of Oral Rehabilitation has been renamed the Department of Restorative Sciences to better reflect the scope and breadth of its services, according to Dr. Kevin Plummer, chairman.

“We researched other institutions and asked for insight from faculty, students, alumni and administrative staff in translating the department’s broad mission into a name,” he said.

The Department of Oral Rehabilitation was established in 1992 when two departments were joined to address curricular and other changes during a period of rapid growth for the dental college. The new name, Plummer said, better denotes its role as the college’s largest department (37 full- and part-time faculty), responsible for over 50 percent of the predoctoral dental curriculum.

TEXAS UNIVERSITY HONORS SHARAWY

DR. MOHAMED SHARAWY, professor in the Department of Oral Biology, has had a charitable gift named in his honor at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Dentistry. The donation will help fund patient care, treatment programs, research, professional education and scholarship.

Sharawy, who earned his dental degree at Cairo University in Egypt, earned a PhD in anatomical sciences from the University of Rochester as a Fulbright Scholar. He is a founding DCG faculty member and has mentored dozens of national and international PhD students.

He has extensively researched bone and implants and is co-editor and contributor to Orban’s Oral Histology. He has authored over 100 original research papers and over 200 abstracts. He is president of the state of Georgia’s Anatomical Board and is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Research Foundation.

STUDENTS HOLD TOURNAMENT THE CROWD was all smiles on Jan. 28 for the Augusta University Student National Dental Association’s (SNDA) inaugural basketball tournament to benefit A.R. Johnson Magnet School’s Essentials of Dental Science Program.

Students, faculty and staff from A.R. Johnson and The Dental College of Georgia community participated in the tournament, raising more than $1,500. The money raised will allow SNDA to purchase new equipment, furniture and supplies for A.R. Johnson’s dental lab. The lab gives high school students the opportunity to be exposed to the dental

field in hopes of gaining more applications for dental assisting, dental hygiene and dental school programs.

The SNDA is a national organization dedicated to promoting and increasing minority enrollment and retention in dental schools across the U.S. The SNDA is also committed to improving delivery of dental health to all people with an emphasis on minority communities and the medically underserved.

Special thanks to tournament winners and second-year DCG students Jackson Griffeth, Carlisle Vason and Kevin Shepherd.

STUDENT ELECTED TO ASDA POST A DCG STUDENT was elected Speaker of the House of Delegates for the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) during the national organization’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, in March.

Abby Halpern, currently finishing her last year of dental school, brings a substantial amount of background knowledge and experience with ASDA to her new position as House Speaker. Prior to the election,

she spent two years on ASDA’s Council of Advocacy and served as president of ASDA’s Georgia chapter.

The ASDA House of Delegates also elected a new president and two vice presidents during the national conference. Each group member chosen for a leadership role will serve their peers and endeavor to uphold organizational values for the next year.

LUNCH BOX LESSONS A SUCCESS ON FEB. 8, 22 DCG students volunteered for Lessons in a Lunch Box, an oral health literacy initiative developed by the Children’s Oral Health Institute and created to combat dental neglect and oral abuse among children.

Taking advantage of National Children’s Dental Health Month, the volunteers delivered special lunch boxes to 154

first- and second-grade students at LamarMilledge Elementary School. The lunch boxes contained floss, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Organized with the help of Dr. Carole Hanes, the event was well-received by the students, and school officials have reported an uptick in their student’s oral care after the presentation.

PARTNERSHIP ADVANCES CARE THE DENTAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA has partnered with the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, a public institution with a dental college based in Puebla, Mexico, to share visits, programs and consultations advancing the dental profession.

The relationship began in April 2016 when university representatives attended a

continuing education course taught by Dr. Mario Romero, DCG assistant professor of restorative sciences, and invited him afterward to collaborate with their prosthodontics program. They have since exchanged visits and lectures, and Romero hopes to conduct his continuing-education course at the university annually or semi-annually. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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FROM THE WIRE

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RESIDENT AIDED BY TOOTH FAIRY NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY is Feb. 28, and whether your kids believe in the legend or not, the tooth fairy is one of the dentist’s helpers to teach children about proper oral hygiene.

The tooth fairy legend is believed to have originated in the United States during the early part of the 1900s as a way for parents to celebrate the loss of a child’s baby teeth.

Children traditionally place the tooth under the pillow at night and awaken the next morning to find money left by the tooth fairy.

Although it is hard to understand why the fairy would want teeth, rumor has it that these fairies are constructing their queen a castle from the cleanest and best cared-for teeth, which might explain why these tiny tooth collectors always leave the child a token of their appreciation.

In an effort to extract more details about the alluring myth of the tooth fairy, pediatric dental resident Ken Sellers shared a story of how his mother and the tooth fairy helped one of his patients stay calm during her visit to The Dental College of Georgia.

“I will never forget my 2-year-old patient that needed to have a tooth extracted, but was too young to be sedated,” Sellers said. “As I gently wiggled out the tooth, I could tell the pressure made her uncomfortable and she started crying.”

With a bit of quick thinking and a little help from Sellers’ mom, the tooth fairy helped calm the child’s fears and discomfort.

“I called my mom and pretended that I was asking the tooth fairy to tell my patient that everything would be okay,” Sellers said. “My mom, being such a great sport, played along and spoke to the little girl while pretending to be the tooth fairy. The little girl immediately stopped crying. In fact, she ran to her parents when we finished and told them about how she had just spoken with the tooth fairy! She was so excited and had forgotten completely about her scare in the dental chair.”

Whether or not parents talk to their kids about the tooth fairy, Sellers says there are so many fun ways to get kids excited about daily dental hygiene.

CELLS HELP INFECTION RATES THE MOUTH is widely considered the most contaminated part of the human body, yet babies have surprisingly low infection rates following cleft lip and palate surgery.

Now, researchers have the first evidence that one reason may be the presence of what they call the SWAT team of immune cells.

They examined lip tissue removed during cleft lip repair of 13 babies at Children’s Hospital of Georgia. They found innate lymphoid cells, or ILCs, a type of immune cell that functions like a natural antibiotic to recognize and attack invaders like bacteria.

In the average mouth, where hundreds of types of bacterium have been documented, there is plenty to target.

“ILCs are newly discovered as one of our immune cells, but they are really old.

We had just missed them,” said Dr. Babak Baban, immunologist in the Department of Oral Biology at The Dental College of Georgia and in the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

“Their presence helps explain why we don’t have more surgical site infections than we do,” said Dr. Jack Yu, professor of pediatric plastic surgery at MCG. Scientists began to report about ILCs in 2008 and 2009 and their ability to defend against infection and aid wound healing.

Like our natural killer cells, they are essentially born ready for action. Other, socalled adaptive immune cell types need to be educated on what to attack, typically by exposure to it, and develop receptors and a memory for these so-called antigens, said Baban, the study’s corresponding author.

The need for this education leaves babies with immature adaptive immune systems for their first few months of life, said Baban, which is when levels of ILCs appear highest.

While present throughout life, it’s early on that ILCs appear particularly vital: “When you knock these guys out, you are dead,” Yu said of attempts to create animal models in which the fast-reacting cells had been removed. Conversely, levels seem to drop with age, possibly as adaptive immune cells mature and take on some of their responsibility, Baban said.

Yu has been doing cleft lip and palate repair for nearly 25 years, and he and

Baban decided to team up to explore the surprisingly low rates of surgical site infection considering the amount of bacteria found in even the cleanest, healthiest mouth. While the bacteria count would support infection rates more like 5-7 percent, rates today are under 1 percent, said Yu, a study coauthor.

Their research found all three types of ILCs – types 1, 2 and 3 – in the lip tissue, but mostly type 2, which is more good news since these cells typically function like the director of the SWAT team, Baban said. “Type 2 cells basically dictate to the other cells how they should behave, how they should function,” he said of the always-hierarchical immune system.

While they were the first to document ILCs in the mouth, the researchers weren’t really surprised to find the cells there. Shortly after birth, fast-acting ILCs appear to populate babies, particularly concentrating on the alimentary canal, which is the path that food follows and where their maturing immune system is housed, said Baban.

The cells gather in barrier surfaces like the mucosal lining of the intestines, airways, as well as skin, the body’s largest organ, and any place that comes in contact with outside substances from food to water to other humans, Baban said.

The researchers’ current and future studies include comparing cell numbers in young and older healthy mice. Baban also is looking at the potential role of these cells in a range of disorders from gum disease to melanoma and traumatic brain injury with the long-term goal of giving patients doses of these cells to better combat their disease. This will include identifying which ILCs naturally fight which infection and/or disease. A dose of these cells may even one day replace an antibiotic before surgery and help combat the epidemic of antibiotic resistance, Baban said.

Dr. Erika Simmerman, a surgery resident at MCG and Augusta University Health, is the study’s first author.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology also are collaborators. DCG

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ANSWERS ALONG THE WAY

] PHIL JONES

[ KARYN STOCKWELL When Dr. Karyn Stockwell (’82) helped launch the state of Georgia’s Mission of Mercy in 2011 – a huge undertaking requiring the coordination of hundreds of volunteers – she relished the opportunity to improve access to dentistry for society’s most vulnerable citizens. Stockwell, a family dentist in Kennesaw, Georgia, who was named The Dental College of Georgia’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus, shares a few of the principles that have guided her commitment, dedication and altruism through the years: > SEIZE THE CHANCE to topple barriers.

When I went to Career Day in high school, I met with a dentist who told me what a great career this would be for a woman. There weren’t many women dentists around at the time, and I liked the thought of forging new ground. I like science, I like working with my hands and I tend to be a little bossy – ask my sister. (Laughs.) I knew I wanted to be my own boss, so dentistry has been a perfect fit for me. > GIT ’R DONE, and never say never.

When I became involved in Georgia’s Mission of Mercy (a community-based event offering free health care to the uninsured and under-insured), my fellow volunteers and I wanted to “git ’r done.”

I’d been involved in mission trips but was eager to serve people in my own backyard, so to speak. I really wanted to bring care to people who need it, a passion I shared with some 60-odd people who agreed to serve as committee members. I’m also very involved with organized dentistry and really recommend that kind of involvement to dentists just starting out. Early in my career, I’d look on in awe at colleagues involved in organized dentistry and think, “I could never do that.” Well, never say never. Organized dentistry is how you improve things not just for your patients, but for society as a whole.

> PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PATIENTS. I’ve watched my patients grow up, and I now treat their children in my practice (Stockwell Family Dentistry). I’ve known some of my patients their whole lives, and it shows in our relationships. My goal is to inspire one of them to eventually pursue a dental career. > AND PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FELLOW PROFESSIONALS. Dentists are a great bunch of folks. They care about

their patients, and they care about the profession. They have fun with it. We enjoy our jobs, and we love going to work every day. I wish everybody could know what that feels like. > ENJOY THE JOURNEY. My advice to today’s dental students is to live their passion, get involved and enjoy the journey.

They’re the ones who will shape the future of dentistry. DCG

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MASTERING METASTASIS

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he first question on many patients’ minds after a cancer diagnosis is the one they most dread to hear answered: Has it spread?

The spread, or metastasis, of cancer from one organ or other body part to another can indicate the aggressiveness and potential danger of the tumor, and health care professionals do everything possible to keep it from happening. Dr. Yong Teng, assistant professor of oral biology in The Dental College of Georgia, is among those on the front lines gleaning genetic and cellular clues that may unlock the mysteries involved in metastasis.

Teng, who joined DCG last year after serving on the Medical College of Georgia faculty, has devoted his career to analyzing the central regulators in cancer progression and metastasis. Says Teng, whose current research is funded by the Department of Defense, “My studies have identified several novel cancer targets and dissected their genetic contribution to various aspects of cancer predisposition, development and progression in a variety of cancer types, including head and neck cancer.”

His studies laid the groundwork for a multipronged approach to the most comprehensive analysis possible of potential contributing factors, including analyses related to cell and molecular biology, genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, protein chemistry and animalmodeling techniques.

He has also developed novel ways to use stapled peptides – chains of amino acid compounds with a synthetic brace – to target intracellular control points in cancer cells that cannot be modulated by current therapies. Enhanced drug delivery is also on his radar.

Says Teng, “I hope my research helps elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the central regulators of metastasis and build a foundation for novel cancer therapies.” DCG

Dr. Yong Teng uses zebrafish in his cancer research.

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PHIL JONES

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Features

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PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES/RINGS COURTESY OF JOSTENS

STEEPED IN TRADITION Seal, Class Ring Enhance Growing Body of DCG Symbolism

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Michael Ridlehoover stands behind Luz Rodriguez and Brent Johnson, as they look at class rings during a Jostens ring order event.

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DR. MICHAEL RIDLEHOOVER has boundless pride in his alma mater’s internationally renowned reputation.

By Christine Hurley Deriso Thanks to him, he and his fellow alumni can now demonstrate that pride everywhere they go.

‘OUR OWN IDENTITY’ Ridlehoover, who graduated from DCG in May, met with Dean Carol A. Lefebvre a couple of years ago to pitch an idea close to his heart. “We’d just changed our name [to The Dental College of Georgia],” he says, “so I thought it would be fitting to have our own symbol and own identity.”

The symbol Ridlehoover had in mind was one that would enable DCG alumni to recognize each other at a glance, helping cement bonds with old friends and forge instant connections with new ones. “I wanted us to have a class ring,” he says.

Lefebvre loved the idea and immediately set it in motion, forming a committee to draft a design. She had previously also formed a committee to create a seal for the newly renamed college, and Ridlehoover was appointed to sit on both.

Ridlehoover, an Augusta native, drew on several sources of expertise as he served on the committees. For instance, he’s always been an avid woodworker. “I was self-taught, basically through trial and error,” he says. “I like the challenge of imagining something, then making it become a reality.”

He’s had professional experience with design as well. “I’ve done some graphic design in the past,” he says.

In designing both the seal and the ring, he drafted several ideas.

Then he and his fellow committee members passed the concepts along to students, seeing what they liked and incorporating their feedback and ideas.

RING OF UNITY First to be unveiled was the seal, with components including a torch representing education and research; the pediment of the Old

Medical College representing the heritage of the university’s Health Sciences Campus; 32 leaves representing the number of teeth in permanent dentition; eight sundial markings representing DCG’s eight residency programs; a serpent as a variation of the symbol of Aesculapius, the Greco-Roman god of healing; and the founding year of 1969.

Next came the ring design. Ridlehoover and his fellow committee members realized it would be challenging to incorporate the image onto such a small surface. “We knew the ring design had to incorporate the official seal,” he says, “so we took the main elements from it and simplified them to a form that would look good on a ring.”

Committee members and the rest of the DCG community were thrilled with the result, which debuted this spring.

CEMENTING THE BOND “I think it’s so fitting that students took the reins on this project,” says Lefebvre. “They’re the ones who will benefit throughout the rest of their careers as they share with the world a tangible symbol of their profound pride in their alma mater.

And because of their efforts, every future graduate will benefit as well.”

Associate Dean Carole Hanes concurs. “We’ve never had that kind of a symbol before. The students are very enthusiastic about it and were very involved in creating it.

It’s a focal point that will hopefully stay with us forever.”

Says Ridlehoover, who began an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency with the Air Force in St. Louis upon graduation, “This is a way of instilling traditions. Not only students, but alumni as well can purchase the ring. I want to be able to see someone I don’t know at, say, a dental meeting in Seattle, and by glancing at the ring know he graduated from the DCG. I hope the tradition will become so entrenched that every student will buy one.”

Lefebvre and her faculty take great pride that as the college, now 48 years old, continues to evolve, its symbols and traditions are growing as well. “Traditions and rituals play a large role in establishing a sense of community, a sense of family, and we love knowing we’re helping to create a rich reservoir of memories,” she says.

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TRADITIONS CREATE COMMUNITY DAVID RUSSELL

THE NEW CLASS RING joins other traditions and rituals that bring the DCG family together and create community and continuity throughout the college’s history.

We showcase a few of them on these pages.

>> FAMILY DAY

This is a university-wide fall event, “but we put our own spin on it,” Carole Hanes says. Events for family members of first-year students include tours, presentations and hands-on experiences in the dental simulation lab. “This takes place during our new students’ first semester, so the visit enables family members to visualize their child in our dental environment,” Hanes says.

<< IMPRESSIONS PROGRAM

>> WHITE COAT CEREMONY

This summer ceremony for rising second-year students celebrates their role as patient-care providers with the provision of their first white coat. “It’s a symbol of their entrance into the profession,” says Hanes.

“Families attend and share in the milestone, and the students recite and sign a copy of a dental pledge that they write themselves. Then, they’ll repeat this pledge at graduation three years later.

This ceremony is all about professionalism and ethical behavior.”

ANTHONY CARLIE/STORIES -2-TELL

The DCG chapter of the Student National Dental Association hosts this event for prospective students interested in a dental career. Select high school students and college undergraduates spend a Saturday participating in mock interviews, tours and hands-on simulation. “It’s a nice opportunity for people who think they might be interested in dentistry to see what it’s really like,” Carole Hanes says. “It’s a huge help to them and also presents a great recruiting opportunity for us. We’re always on the lookout for the best and brightest.”

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MATT LINDLER MATT LINDLER

ANTHONY CARLIE/STORIES -2-TELL

<< TALENT SHOW

Members of the DCG community bring their inner hams to the stage in the winter to display their skills in areas including music, dance and comedy. “It’s a great time for our students, faculty and staff,” Hanes says. “We’ve had guitarists, pianists, singers, stand-up comedians – just a remarkable demonstration of the immense talent within our community. It’s such a fun evening.”

> >

HOODING CEREMONY

This event, honoring graduating seniors, generally takes place on the same day as the university-wide commencement ceremony. “It’s a welcome-to-the-profession ceremony and really, really special,” Carole Hanes says. During the ceremony, the students are led in by a faculty member they have chosen to receive the Judson C. Hickey Award, named in honor of the DCG founding dean. The award honors the faculty member senior students deem has been the most influential during their education.

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WELCOME TO

WASHINGTON

REP. DREW FERGUSON brings his small-town values to Capitol Hill.

By Christine Hurley Deriso Dr. Drew Ferguson is no stranger to working at a breakneck pace, but it’s hard to imagine a heavier – or headier – schedule than the one he’s endured the past few months.

Ferguson, a 1992 graduate of The Dental College of Georgia, began his tenure in January as a congressman representing Georgia’s third district in the House of Representatives.

DEEP ROOTS He’d certainly gotten his feet wet in politics, having served as mayor of his hometown, West Point, Georgia, for eight years. But was that adequate preparation for one of the most high-profile and action-packed congressional sessions in U.S. history?

“There’s no way to be fully prepared for Washington,” Ferguson says with a laugh about life inside the Beltway. “But I was more than ready to come represent my district and do everything possible to make sure the American dream is alive and well for every citizen.”

And although he works inside the Beltway, he stresses that his heart lies in his district.

“I was born and raised in West Point, Georgia,” says Ferguson, a fourth-generation resident. “I don’t consider myself a Washington insider. I’m here to do a job and represent my district, but West Point is home. My heart remains in Georgia with my family and neighbors.

Nothing can change my roots.”

Government is always a rough-and-tumble affair, but Ferguson acknowledges that his foray into federal politics comes at a particularly divisive and tumultuous time in the life of the country. At press time, for instance, the Washington Mall was filled almost daily with citizens protesting various aspects of the Trump administration.

But Ferguson takes the hubbub in stride. “It’s the American way to voice your opinion,” he says. “Those are the kinds of freedoms I’m here to protect.”

TOPPLING BARRIERS His positions, which closely align with those of the Republican Party he represents, include reforms in taxation, welfare and – particularly close to his heart – health care. “I know from my years practicing dentistry that the most vital relationship in health care is the relationship between the practitioner and the patient,” he says.

“I want to do everything possible to remove barriers that block the practitioner’s ability to serve his or her patients’ best interests.”

He is also making his mark in areas including economic development and the infrastructure. Soon after coming to Washington, Ferguson was appointed vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management as part of his work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

And nothing is a higher priority, he insists, than ensuring Continued on next page

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF DREW FERGUSON FOR CONGRESS

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Drew and Buffy Ferguson

Americans’ well-being as they pursue their dreams. “The most important job of the federal government,” he insists, “is to keep its citizens safe.”

His hometown, he says, provided the best possible training ground for his current opportunities.

BACK ON ITS FEET When Ferguson was growing up, West Point housed a textile mill that provided middle-class incomes, solid benefits and job security for thousands of residents. Their incomes infused vitality, dynamism and diversity into the community; downtown alone was dotted with dozens of small businesses. Ferguson recalls an idyllic childhood filled with close, supportive relationships – including a connection with his dentist, Dr. Evan Martin, who took on a mentoring role.

It was Martin who encouraged Ferguson to pursue a dental career.

Ferguson followed his advice, enrolling in the DCG after completing three years of undergraduate education at the University of Georgia and qualifying for early admission.

Once he earned his dental degree, there was no question about Ferguson’s next step: He hung his shingle in West Point.

“I very much wanted to serve my community,” he says.

But as his career flourished, the town floundered. “The community was suffering tremendously. The textile mill that had supported it for generations had closed down,” says Ferguson, noting that droves of jobs and small businesses disappeared. “I felt very passionately about helping my community get back on its feet.”

He threw his hat into local politics and, in 2008, was elected mayor of West Point. Shortly before his election, Kia Motors had signed on to open a plant in the community, an economic shot in the arm that added thousands of jobs to the area. Ferguson capitalized on the boon by courting still more corporate prospects. The heightened economic activity attracted noncorporate newcomers as well. For

instance, in 2012, West Point became the home of Point University, a private, Christian liberal-arts university that has added long-dormant youthful energy to the community. The college has approximately 1,500 students in addition to dozens of staff and faculty.

“Educational facilities like this provide many new opportunities for citizens of West Point and surrounding areas,” says Ferguson, who is clearly delighted to click off many new signs of life in the area, including several downtown restaurants.

A LARGER STAGE Ferguson was more than happy to continue his service to the city as long as its residents registered their approval at the ballot box.

But in 2015, as he was in the midst of running for reelection, a new opportunity presented itself. A U.S. Congressional seat opened with the announced retirement of Rep. Lynn Westmoreland. Ferguson ran for the seat and narrowly edged out Mike Crane in a hotly contested Republican primary. After besting his Democratic opponent, Angela Pendley, Ferguson was headed to Washington.

Despite his arm’s-length embrace of his new digs – wife Buffy and their four children remain in West Point, where Ferguson generally spends his weekends – he considers himself “privileged” to help affect progress on a national level. He maintains close ties to dentistry – Ferguson, who delivered DCG’s 2016 Hooding Ceremony Address, is an honorable fellow of the Georgia Dental Association, a fellow of the American College of Dentists and an enthusiastic DCG supporter, as well as adjunct faculty member – and he considers his highest calling to bring his small-town values to a larger stage.

In fact, his biggest surprise upon entering the Beltway was his observation that so many of his colleagues share that calling. “I was really gratified to learn how many good people there are on Capitol Hill,” he says. “There are a lot of exciting things going on in Washington, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” DCG ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 23

PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES

The Nightmare, 1790–91 by Swiss painter Henry Fuseli ( Johann Heinrich Füssli, 1741 – 1825) Goethe Museum, Frankfurt

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A U G U S TA

UNIVERSITY

FIERCELY FOCUSED A DCG ALUMNA’S TO-DO LIST just keeps growing, along with her degrees.

By Christine Hurley Deriso It’s mid-afternoon on a Wednesday two weeks into the new year when Dr. Becky Paquin cheerfully takes time out of her day to sit down for a conversation.

The normal rhythms have just begun creeping back into the schedules of Augusta University faculty and students after the winter holidays, so the timing isn’t ideal, particularly considering that Paquin is both a faculty member and a student. She has patients to treat, students to mentor, forms to complete, papers to finish – she’s earning her MBA at Augusta University while serving on The Dental College of Georgia faculty – but you’d think she had all the time in the world.

Paquin, soft-spoken and genial, is preternaturally focused on whatever task is at hand – and even though this task, an interview for her college’s magazine, is voluntary and inconvenient, she is wholeheartedly present and engaged.

“I’ve kept a day planner since I was 5,” Paquin says with a laugh, and no one even glancingly familiar with her schedule – or her personality and work ethic, for that matter – would suspect her of exaggerating.

In addition to teaching and earning her MBA, Paquin also managed to squeeze in several other accomplishments and accolades recently, including being named co-recipient of the 2016 Connie L. Drisko Resident Professionalism Award, completing the 2017 Authentic Women Leaders Pipeline Program and being named one of Augusta University’s 2017 Jag20, a group of alumni who have distinguished themselves early in their careers (see page 27 ).

Continued on next page Research Fall 2015

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The latter is a particularly fitting honor, considering that Paquin’s already accomplishment-packed career has barely even begun.

BROADENING HER HORIZONS After earning an undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Georgia, Paquin, a native of rural Calhoun, Georgia, was eager to pursue her love of dentistry. “I’ve planned a career in health care since high school,” she says. “I had a great interest in anatomy, and I wanted to help people. My classmate’s father was a dentist, and I thought it was a great mix of technical skills and medicine. I minored in Spanish in college anticipating being able to treat and understand a greater number of patients.”

But almost as soon as dental school began, she knew she wanted to broaden her expertise even more. “I was drawn to surgery,” she says.

“I was looking for the greatest impact and the ability to do the most complex procedures. The medical aspect was very exciting to me.”

So while completing her degree, she arranged to enroll in the Medical College of Georgia as a third-year student immediately after graduation, planning to optimize a career in oral surgery with both dental and medical degrees.

But as her graduation date approached last spring, she decided to delay medical school just a tad.

CONSTANTLY CHALLENGED “I was asked if I would serve on the dental faculty for a year, and I was happy to,” she says. “I feel like I’m helping out a faculty that has been very good to me. Plus, I love being in an environment where I’m constantly challenged to learn and always seeing new cases.”

It didn’t hurt that the slight delay also enabled her to extend a particularly fulfilling part of her life. “This is a very tight-knit community,” she says of DCG. “The people who taught me are now my colleagues, and they’re a great group of people to work with.”

They wholeheartedly return the sentiment. Says Dr. Mark Stevens, chairman of the DCG Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Becky exemplifies the definition of a true health care professional.

She’s tremendously compassionate and demonstrates outstanding maturity and surgical skills for someone so early in their career. She has unlimited potential.”

Paquin has made quite an impression on her students as well.

Says Kari Candela, a rising senior, “The first time I met her, here was this bubbly blonde who had somehow found out I was a vegan.

She’s vegan too, and she’s invited me over several times for potluck.

It was so awesome to bond with her. Anytime I’m nervous about a procedure, she’ll say, ‘Kari, you’ve got this.’ She has so much confidence in people, it’s amazing.”

Once Paquin completes her medical degree, projected for 2019, she will begin in earnest a career treating the most anatomically complex part of the body: the head and neck. “Oral surgeons manage such a wide variety of things,” says Paquin. “The field deals with medicine, surgery, anesthesia – lots of things that straddle the fence between medicine and dentistry. In fact, I think the segmentation between dentistry and medicine is a holdover from long ago. It would be great if it could be done away with at some point.”

She hopes her newly acquired MBA will further bolster her effectiveness, particularly considering that she plans to stay in academic medicine. “When you’re in a health care field, you don’t necessarily get a lot of training in teamwork and management,” she says. “Since I’d like to remain in academia, I ideally see myself heading a program or department someday.”

GIVING 100 PERCENT Paquin, who worked her way through undergraduate and dental school, also continues to incorporate her loves of yoga, running, reading and travel into her schedule.

“Some nights, I get only two hours of sleep, but that’s not very common, so I manage just fine,” she insists.

Says her boyfriend, Jonathon Marks, “She is one of the most, if not the most, indefatigable people I’ve ever met. She is laser-focused on getting things done. I dare anyone to compare their schedule to hers.”

Her secret? “I keep a really tight schedule and focus on what I’m doing very specifically,” Paquin says. “But it never feels like a grind.

I’m a very curious person. There are very few things I don’t find interesting.”

And although she’s the first member of her family to pursue higher education, she attributes much of her success to her loved ones’ examples. “While neither my parents nor my brothers went to college, I believe there are impacts beyond educational interests that I have gleaned from my family,” she says. “I cannot ignore the importance of working hard. I was raised by a single mom with three children. She worked double shifts as a waitress six to seven days a week. I think that she demonstrated to me the importance of showing up, giving 100 percent and not feeling sorry for yourself.”

STEP BY STEP Her mother, Debbie Causey, glimpsed Paquin’s extreme drive and intelligence early on, characteristics she says were honed by the

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struggles of their working-class family. For instance, Causey remembers tinkering under the sink with her children one day in an attempt to fix a plumbing problem that was sorely testing their do-it-yourself expertise. Yet the expense of a professional plumber was not an option.

Says Causey, “Becky told me, ‘When I grow up, I am not going to live this way, Mom, and neither are you.’ There was a determination to change her future.”

But even more motivating, Causey says, was Paquin’s desire to change the future of others – particularly those who struggled even more than her own family. “When Becky got braces, it was a real struggle financially,” Causey says. “But we found a way to make it happen. The day she got her braces off, she started crying and said, ‘This means so much, because there are so many kids who need braces and can’t afford them. I want to help them.’ All her life, she’s gone step by step trying to make the world a better place.”

GENUINE TO THE CORE Paquin says empathy is only one of the values she learned based on her family’s struggles.

For instance, she appreciates the responsibility and self-reliance her mother cultivated in Paquin and her siblings, if only because of necessity.

“My brothers and I spent a fair amount of time taking care of ourselves growing up, which I believe taught us to be independent in thought and in action,” she says.

Says her father, Michael Paquin, “Early on, Rebecca recognized that great success is not handed to you and has to be pursued. She’s always shown an intense commitment to her goals.”

Her resilience came in particularly handy during her undergraduate years at the University of Georgia. Says Paquin’s mother, “She’d spend every weekend studying while her friends were partying and having a good time. But I told her it would pay off, and even then, she knew that herself. She’s put so much effort into what she’s achieved.”

Paquin’s friends and colleagues couldn’t agree more. For instance, Dr. Mike Dugan, one of her MBA professors, says, “In my 37 years of college teaching, she’s one of the best students I’ve ever had. She’s genuine to the core. A student of her quality is what makes teaching at Augusta University special.”

Paquin laughs that her day planner comes in handier than ever these days. But even as she checks off one box after another on her to-do list, she’s exhilarated by the prospect that the list will continue growing. Says Paquin, “There’s so much more to know.” DCG

MORE TO KNOW: BECKY PAQUIN n Dr. Becky Paquin is one of seven members of The Dental College of Georgia community who recently completed the 2017 Authentic Women Leaders Pipeline Program. The Augusta University course provides two months of lectures, presentations, workshops and other activities aimed at cultivating women’s leadership skills. The goals are to inspire participants to advance their careers while creating a community of academic women at the university.

The other DCG participants in the inaugural class, and those who completed the pilot program, were Amara Abreu, Martha Brackett, Allison Buchanan, Regina Messer, Stephanie Perry, Tara Schafer, Orris Knight-Sims, Lisiane Ferreira Susin, Rhoda Sword and Nancy Young. n Dr. Becky Paquin was one of the three members of The Dental College of Georgia community to be named a 2017 Jag20 honoree.

Jag20 members are Augusta University alumni under age 40 who exemplify their alma mater’s core values of collegiality, compassion, excellence, inclusivity, integrity and leadership. The other DCG honorees were Dr. Ryan Fulchi (’10), a general dentist in Savannah, Georgia, and Dr. Emily Hahn (’16), a periodontist in Watertown, New York.

To nominate someone to be a Jag20 honoree, contact Callie Cosper at ccosper@augusta.edu.

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SUBMITTED PHOTO/STAFF ILLUSTRATION

THE

GOLDSTEIN LEGACY Recently Deceased Philanthropist Turns Heads and Hearts

By Christine Hurley Deriso CALL HER RITA “People used to always tell me that my mother was gorgeous, at every age,” says the youngest of her five children, Dr. Adam Goldstein, a 1987 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia.

His cousin, Dr. Ronald Goldstein, agrees. “Rita was a stunningly beautiful woman whose presence attracted attention just by walking into a room.”

But physical beauty was only one attribute.

More importantly, says her son, “she was warm, funny, sweet, an amazing artist, a philanthropist ... and she was really, really strong.”

His mother, Rita – and everyone called her Rita – died Feb. 1 at age 90 in her home of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She left behind a legacy of stunning generosity, tirelessly using her gifts and talents to improve the human condition, according to the many who knew and loved her. One of the chief beneficiaries of her philanthropy was The Dental College of Georgia.

“It would be impossible to overstate the impact of the Goldstein family and its matriarch, Rita, on our college,” says Dean Carol A. Lefebvre. “We owe so much to the family’s vision, dedication and generosity.”

Rita’s long marriage to Dr. Marvin Goldstein, an orthodontist, civil rights activist, philanthropist and businessman who died in 1997 at age 80, was characterized by a deeply committed partnership, both as husband and wife – they raised five highachieving children – and as fellow humanitarians.

RITA ATLAS GOLDSTEIN WOLFSON, a vivacious and beautiful woman who drew second glances everywhere she went, never took her charisma for granted. Instead, she used it to turn heads and hearts toward causes for which she was passionate.

LIFELONG HUMANITARIANS The New York Times eulogized Goldstein upon his death, citing his distinction as the owner of Atlanta’s first integrated hotel, The American. The hotel “became a haven for black people turned away by other establishments and for civil rights workers,” the newspaper reported. “Among them was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who held meetings there with his top aides even before the hotel opened [in 1962].”

When the Ku Klux Klan picketed the hotel, agitating for separate water fountains for blacks and whites, Goldstein reportedly responded, “Then we won’t have any water fountains.”

Rita, who was raised in Washington, D.C., by parents stressing an unwavering commitment to the Judaic principle of giving back, was right by his side in that and every other endeavor – including his diligence in helping establish the Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine, the growth and sustenance of the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in Atlanta and in bringing a public dental school to Georgia.

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Goldstein had earned his dental degree from Emory University in Atlanta, but he strongly championed public education and was on the forefront of convincing the Georgia Legislature of the need for a first-rate yet affordable dental education in his home state. “He was one of the first to recognize the need and worked very closely with [Dr. Judson C.] Hickey to make it happen,” says his nephew.

Hickey, of course, went on to become the founding dean of the school, which opened in 1969.

DEBT OF GRATITUDE Says Lefebvre, “A dental education requires cutting-edge facilities and equipment, as well as extremely small faculty-student ratios to ensure mastery of highly complex procedures. This is a costly proposition and one that wasn’t an easy sell, even in a state that had no public dental school.

We’re here today precisely because of the persistence and persuasion of leaders like Drs. Goldstein and Hickey, and we’re now the only dental college in the state. Every citizen owes an enormous debt to their efforts.”

As the Goldsteins’ activism intensified, so did their influence. The couple hosted luminaries including Georgia governors and Israeli prime ministers at their home and hotel in Atlanta. “A highlight of her life,” read Rita’s obituary in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “was the invitation from President Carter to her and Marvin to come to the White House for the Camp David Mideast Peace Signing. Rita met many world leaders, including Eleanor Roosevelt and President Clinton.” Rita co-chaired the United Jewish Appeal North America World Assembly in Atlanta and received the Friends of the Hebrew University’s Woman of Valor Award.

But despite their global reach, the Goldsteins never wavered in their support of one of the causes closest to their home and closest to their hearts – the success of the dental college they helped launch in Augusta. In 1978, Goldstein founded – and personally funded – DCG’s Marvin C. Goldstein Lecture Series, ensuring that the brightest minds internationally would share their wisdom and expertise in Augusta. When he died, Rita established an endowment for the lectureship, ensuring its continuation in perpetuity.

VOLUMINOUS CONTRIBUTIONS Says her nephew, “The lectureship draws the best speakers nationwide and internationally in dentistry, and hundreds of dentists attend annually. This year, for instance, one of the leading ceramists in the world, Dr. Ed McLaren, was the guest lecturer. This is the caliber of speaker we’re able to attract; it’s a Who’s Who of dental educators. Marvin presented a sculpture – a Frabel burning bush – to every speaker, and after he died, Aunt Rita would come to Augusta to make the presentation. She enjoyed it immensely.”

Rita and her family also created the Dr. Marvin C. Goldstein Endowed Chair in Orthodontics at DCG, a chair currently held by Dr. Eladio DeLeon.

As voluminous as the family’s contributions have been, Rita’s loved ones say their most enduring memories of her legacy will be personal ones.

Says her son, “Mom’s sculptures grace homes in every community she lived in, and she gave away paintings she made to anyone who came to visit.”

Her grandchildren remember her generosity on the Sabbath and for social service needs in Israel.

Says her grandson, Jared Goldstein, “She taught me that when you give to charity, you don’t give a token; you give according to your means. She was the most philanthropic person I ever knew.”

And the most fun.

“She made sure our home was filled with family and friends every Sunday and every summer,” her son says. “I’m talking 50, 60 people. And when she wasn’t with the people she loved, she wrote them the most wonderful letters. Her letters made you feel that you were special and the most important person in the world.”

Says her nephew, “She was the matriarch of the family. She brought everyone together. She was just amazing.”

And few things, Rita’s loved ones say, gave her more pride than the dental college she and her husband helped bring to fruition. “She was very, very proud,” her nephew says, “that it became one of the finest schools in the country – one of the finest in the world.” DCG

PHOTO GALLERY View family and historical pictures at magazines.augusta.edu.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES The field of dentistry continues to reap huge benefits from the Goldstein family’s legacy.

Dr. Ronald Goldstein wrote the all-time bestselling consumer book on cosmetic dentistry, Change Your Smile: Discover How a New Smile Can Transform Your Life (Quintessence Publishing Company). The book, translated into 12 languages, is now in its fourth edition.

Dr. Ronald Goldstein also wrote the first complete textbook on esthetic dentistry, Esthetics in Dentistry (Wiley), and is currently publishing the fourth edition of the definitive text, for which several DCG faculty members contributed chapters.

DCG has honored his achievements with its Ronald Goldstein Center for Esthetic and Implant Dentistry and Ronald Goldstein Resource Room, which houses, among other items, his extensive Coca-Cola collection.

Marvin C. Goldstein Lecture Series. For 20 years, until his death in 1997, the family patriarch sponsored an internationally renowned dental clinician to share clinical expertise at this annual event. His widow provided a generous gift to ensure its continuation.

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Inside The Dental College of Georgia pediatric dentistry and orthodontics waiting room.

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DENTAL CARE THAT RUNS THE GAMUT

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iggles and happy chatter fill the air as kids leaf through picture books or play wall-mounted video games.

The décor – vivid primary colors and loopy geometric shapes – infuse the room with fun and vitality.

Housed in the Dental College of Georgia Building on Augusta University’s Health Sciences Campus, this idyllic playroom is part of the pediatric dentistry and orthodontics waiting room. Patients in both departments receive a wide range of clinical services from faculty clinicians and residents of DCG’s dental programs.

The pediatric dental clinic serves children from infancy through adolescence, providing primary and comprehensive oral health care. Services include preventive care – sealants, cleanings and ongoing education for both children and parents to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles – as well as in-depth treatment for patients with more extensive needs, according to Dr. Tara Schafer, interim chairman of the department.

“Most of our patients actually look forward to coming to the dentist,” says Schafer. “We provide a fun, safe and relaxed environment. And we continually strive to exceed our patients’ expectations by constantly improving our services with enthusiasm, teamwork and creativity.”

Patients in the orthodontic practice range from babies only a few months old who might undergo surgery for lip or palate repair to adults seeking aesthetic services like teeth restoration or realignment. “The majority of our patients are still adolescents,” says Dr. Eladio DeLeon, Marvin C. Goldstein Chair of Orthodontics and director of the Orthodontic Residency Program. “But across the country, there is a new interest in aesthetics, and adult patients now make up about 25 to 35 percent of our practice.”

While serving their patients, faculty members simultaneously impart their expertise to DCG students. The pediatric dentistry department’s two-year residency provides specialized pediatric training in clinics and hospitals locally and throughout the state and are a constant presence on the volunteer scene, opening their doors – or taking their skills on the road – to treat underserved populations.

The orthodontics department offers a highly selective 30-month residency program to nine top students, three from each year.

“Our residents have the advantage of an interdisciplinary experience — from orthognathic to restorative to periodontic care — and the opportunity to serve patients who run the gamut from infancy through adulthood.”

“It’s a real privilege to serve such a vital role in both the community and the state,” says Schafer, noting DCG’s status as Georgia’s sole dental school. “Our services provide lifelong dividends. It’s impossible to overstate how fulfilling this work is.” DCG ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 33

PHIL JONES

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ANA LUZ THOMPSON DAY JOB: Chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene SECRET LIFE: Painter THE MOUNTAINS, the valleys, the colors, the contours …

This is what Ana Luz Thompson, chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene, admires about … teeth.

Yes, teeth. Thompson, who joined the faculty in 2002 after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Augusta University, finds beauty in this most unlikely of subjects, and nothing gives her more pleasure than capturing their essence on a canvas.

“I like the shape and curves of teeth, especially the molars,” says Thompson, who has a joint appointment in the College of Allied Health Sciences and The Dental College of Georgia. “I know every little crevice, and I’ve wished before that I could help students better visualize and navigate through all their features. They’re like landscapes.”

Thompson, a native of Mexico, has always loved art, but it was her particular eye for human dentition that moved her toward the avocation. “I have a collection of 12 paintings of teeth,” she says. “I try to put them in different environments and add new perspective to them. One looks like mountains. Another is a beach setting; I think of occlusion (the way upper and lower teeth fit together) as the perfect relationship, so I made it romantic.”

Dr. Connie Drisko, the college’s dean during the early years of Thompson’s tenure, was an avid art lover and collector, and she was tirelessly devoted to the dental school’s esthetic appeal. She solicited artwork for the new building, and part of Thompson’s collection is among the pieces on display. (Visit the second-floor Pediatric Dentistry/Orthodontics waiting room for a better look.)

Thompson, who took several art courses at Augusta University to refine her skills, works mainly in oil, but enjoys acrylics and ceramics as well. “I use a spare bedroom as a studio, and I have everything set up so that anytime an idea comes, I’m ready to put it on canvas.”

She doesn’t hesitate to revise a piece or even paint over it if the mood hits her. “I like to change things around until I’m happy.”

Thompson noted that one of her greatest joys as an artist is having her work displayed on campus, the institution that set her professional dreams in motion. “I began working here in the 1990s before I got my degrees, and it was such an honor to come back years later as a member of the faculty,” she says. “It’s such a privilege to have my paintings displayed here. This is my alma mater. This is my home.” DCG

PHOTO GALLERY View a selection of paintings close up at magazines.augusta.edu.

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BRIGHT SMILES, VITAL CARE

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miles abounded as more than 160 children were bused to The Dental College of Georgia Feb. 3 for the college’s annual participation in Give Kids a Smile Day. The event, sponsored by the American Dental Association, takes place in dental schools and practices nationwide on the first Friday in February to treat medically underserved children and highlight the importance of access to quality dental care.

“We do this every year in hopes of helping these children find a dental home to help care for their dental needs on a regular basis,” says Dr. Tara Schafer, interim chairman of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

This year, the children at the DCG event were bused from the Augusta-area schools of Rollins Elementary, Monte Sano Elementary and New Holland Mennonite School.

Says Dean Carol A. Lefebvre, “It’s a highlight of the year to have these fresh young faces fill our building during Give Kids a Smile Day, and we always hope to have some aspiring dentists by the end of the event. We share not only our skills, but our enthusiasm for the profession of dentistry. It’s a great opportunity for us to serve the community in a very direct and personal way. It’s very fulfilling to host this event.”

In addition to providing treatment and referrals, Schafer says, the event enabled dozens of faculty members and area dentists an opportunity to come together for a common cause while providing a vital training ground for dental and dental hygiene students.

Procedures provided included 148 cleanings, 138 fluoride treatments, 204 sealants, 18 fillings, six stainless-steel crowns and 24 extractions.

Nationwide, the event has served more than 5.5 million children since being launched in 2003. More than 10,000 dentists across the country participate annually.

“We could not do this without our faculty, residents, students and staff,” Schafer says. “They care about the well-being of the children in their care and will do whatever it takes to get them here on Give Kids a Smile Day.” DCG ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 37

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TALENT/VARIETY SHOW Instrumentalists, singers, dancers and even a stand-up comedian were among the many members of the DCG community taking the stage for the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2017 Talent/Variety Show held in February.

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TABLE CLINIC DAY DCG students and residents presented their research during the annual DCG Table Clinic Day Feb. 15. Keynote speaker Dr. Mary MacDougall, associate dean for research and director of the Institute of Oral Health Research at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, discussed the interface of dentistry and genetics.

ALUMNI WEEKEND Hundreds of alumni returned to campus for Augusta University's 2017 Alumni Weekend April 28-30 to catch up with classmates and colleagues and enjoy many events, including the Marvin C. Goldstein Lecture by Dr. Edward McLaren, a world-renowned ceramist, and a reunion reception.

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DCG seniors celebrated the culmination of four years of rigorous study during their May 12 Hooding Ceremony. The students are formally welcomed into the dental profession during the ceremony, which takes place the morning of Commencement.

The DCG proudly welcomed our newest members to Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national honorary society begun in 1914 to encourage and recognize dental students who exhibit academic and scholarly distinction.

SENIOR PICNIC Soon-to-be-graduating seniors enjoyed gathering with family, friends and faculty in one of several end-of-year events to celebrate accomplishments and share good times before dispersing to start the next phase in their dental careers.

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CLASS NOTES

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1973

FLASHBACKS BILLBOARD MAGAZINE’S TOP TUNE “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,” Tony Orlando and Dawn

OSCAR-WINNING FILM The Sting

ON CAMPUS DCG awarded its first Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees to 13 dentists in June.

IN THE NEWS Richard Nixon is sworn in for a second term as President of the United States.

U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ends with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.

The first handheld mobile phone call is made by Martin Cooper of Motorola in New York City.

Federal Express officially begins operations.

The Sears Tower in Chicago is completed.

Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched.

A patent for the ATM is granted to Donald Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain.

The Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs is televised to an estimated viewing audience of 90 million.

Henry Kissinger starts his term as United States Secretary of State.

OPEC doubles the price of crude oil.

1970s

Dr. Melvin Baker (’74) has been elected to the Oxford, Georgia, City Council. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry and Newton Medical Center Board of Directors.

Dr. Ken McMillan (’74) led a group of nine DCG students on a mission trip to Haiti over spring break. Other participating alumni include Drs. Philip Koch (’74), Marlon Murrell (’74), Ken Hutchinson (’82), Wendy Cardenas (’13) and Charles Major (’14).

Dr. James A. “Jimmy” High, who completed an orthodontics residency at the DCG in 1975, is a retired orthodontist in Statesboro, Georgia, and was named the 2017 Citizen of the Year by the city’s two Rotary Clubs.

1990s

Dr. Louvina A. Rainge (’90; DCG Distinguished Alumna, 2016) was recognized by Georgia Southern University College of Science and Mathematics as a 2017 Distinguished Alumnus. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgia Southern in 1983.

Center in Augusta, Georgia, in June. In the new space, the practice is able to offer sedation dentistry and same-day crown service.

2010s

Dr. Ken Sellers (’13) will join Dr. Ron Fields (’12) in private practice at Southland Children’s Dentistry in Albany, Georgia, upon completion of his pediatric residency at DCG. Dr. Thomas Bryan (’15) practices general dentistry at Bryan Dental Associates in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Dr. Stephanie Fransoso (’15) has been inducted into the Greenbrier Athletics Hall of Fame in Columbia County, Georgia.

She graduated from Greenbrier High School as its all-time leading scorer in soccer with 113 goals.

Dr. Grayson Griffis (’15) opened Griffis Southern Dental Care in Waycross, Georgia, after spending a year SHARE YOUR NEWS. working in public health at EMAIL US AT Compassionate Care Dental DCG_DEANS_OFFICE Clinic in Vidalia, Georgia. @AUGUSTA.EDU

2000s

Dr. Jamie De Stefano (’01; Certificate in Periodontics, ’12 ) was selected by the Class of 2017 to receive the Judson C. Hickey Excellence in Teaching Award. The class selects the faculty member who had the most impact on them over the four years of dental school.

Dr. Amish Naik (’08), who completed a general practice residency at DCG, has received a Mastership Award from the International College of Oral Implantologists.

Dr. Clint Baughm (’09), who completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at DCG, has received a Fellowship Award from the International College of Oral Implantologists.

Drs. Alan Myers (’10) and Eliza Myers (’09) opened a new dental office in Fury’s Ferry

Dr. Bridget Lyons (’15) was recently invited to compete on the Team USA Cross Country team in Boca Raton, Florida, and is currently training for the Olympic trials for the 2020 Olympic team. While an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, she ran the second-fastest time in UGA history for the 10,000-meter event.

Several alumni have recently joined the DCG faculty: Dr. Courtney Babb (’10) was in private practice in Augusta, Georgia, until she joined the faculty of the Department of General Dentistry in 2016.

Dr. Monica Chana (’14) completed a general practice residency in 2015 and recently joined the faculty in the Department of Oral Health & Diagnostic Sciences.

Dr. Jackie Delash (’15) completed a general practice residency in 2016 and has joined the faculty of the Department of Restorative Sciences. DCG

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Travis Garnto with daughter Laney and wife Susan

GIFT HELPS TURN STRESS TO SUCCESS

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ravis Garnto and his wife, Susan, had just celebrated the first birthday of their adorable daughter, Laney, in 2015 when another milestone grimly presented itself: Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Garnto, a native of Wrightsville, Georgia, had recently left his job in environmental engineering to pursue a dental career. “I grew up loving science, and I’ve always been a tinkerer,” says Garnto. “My wife was a dental hygienist, and she thought dentistry would be a natural fit.”

Considerable sacrifices would be necessary, but the couple was committed to making it work. Garnto enrolled in The Dental College of Georgia, a commitment that proved to be just as tough as he’d been warned it would be. “The classes are not only extremely difficult, but hands-on,” he

says. “The curriculum comes at you like a waterfall. You’re just trying to get up to the top without being washed away.”

And only a year into dental education, his wife’s cancer battle began. Not only was Garnto in the thick of his studies, but he was researching lights for polymerizing composites with his mentor, Dr. Frederick Rueggeberg. His plate couldn’t have been fuller.

As daunting as it was for Garnto to support his wife while caring for a baby and completing his degree, he credits the DCG community for easing his plight considerably. “They’ve all pitched in and helped us in so many ways,” says Garnto.

“The faculty, my classmates, the staff – I’m just more thankful than I can say. They’re like family.”

Garnto’s burden was eased in another way as well. He has amassed several scholarships in dental school, and in his senior year, he

was named the recipient of yet another: the Dr. Hudson J. Powell Sr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship fund was established in 2014 to memorialize a 1978 DCG alumnus who died of cancer after practicing dentistry in Statesboro, Georgia, for 35 years.

Says Garnto, who graduated in May with Distinction in Research, “The scholarship financially allowed me to complete my degree during my wife’s treatment. It was such a relief to have less of a financial burden than I would have otherwise.”

Garnto now practices in south Georgia at the Dental Center of Vidalia, and Susan is cancer-free. Their lives, he says, couldn’t be better. “Nothing beats doing what you love for a living,” he says. “And I’m the first member of my family to go to college, so I hope I’m serving as an inspiration for my daughter, nieces and nephews.” DCG ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 43

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Dr. Mike Pruett meets with Hugh Morton.

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DISTANCE DOESN’T MATTER

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hen two of Hugh Morton’s teeth decayed several years ago, he never dreamed the problem would be potentially life-threatening.

Morton, a 77-year-old retired communications specialist who lives in Beverly Hills, Florida, with wife Margie, lost several teeth in his youth, necessitating a replacement with a bridge. When the bridge failed around 10 years ago, Morton learned that a couple of teeth underneath had decayed. “Before I knew it,” he says, “one of the teeth was infected, and the infection went to my hip prosthesis.” Three hip surgeries followed, and Morton was left with a noticeable gap in his teeth.

A retired friend of his, Dr. Joseph Konzelman, recommended that Morton seek treatment from Dr. Mike Pruett, his former colleague at The Dental College of Georgia.

Morton was willing to travel the 400 miles to Augusta to seek relief.

Pruett changed Morton’s smile – and his life – with implants, titanium posts positioned beneath the gums to support fixed replacement teeth. “They’re almost like my real teeth,” Morton says. “I eat anything I want, and I’m extremely pleased with my smile and the function.”

Pruett, director of the DCG General Practice Residency, is thrilled that his expertise proved such a turning point for Morton.

“I enjoy managing challenging cases,” says Pruett, who has lectured worldwide about implants and other advances in oral rehabilitation. He is also gratified that his discipline has so much more to offer his patients than was true when he graduated from the DCG in 1992.

“Things have changed so much,” he says, citing innovations such as bone grafting and computer-aided design and manufacturing – software used to both design and manufacture implants. “CAD/ CAM enables patients to come in with a tooth and leave with a tooth” rather than wait for a crown after a tooth has been pulled, Pruett says. “If the patient had to wait, the gums could shrink or more bone could be lost. This is a great way of preserving what’s already there.”

“I’m just so pleased with my treatment,” says Morton. “Dr. Pruett’s skills, his humor, his dedication to his work – it’s just been a wonderful experience.”

Says Pruett, “I really enjoy the opportunity to make such a dramatic difference in people’s lives.” DCG

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