Class Notes

Members of the dental hygiene Class of 1979 gathered for lunch at Redrock Canyon Grill in Oklahoma City in July, sharing both past memories and updates. A great time was had by all.

‘74

Darlene Weichbrodt, R.D.H., at age 66 conquered the Grand Canyon from rim to rim on foot taking the South Kaibab trail down and the Bright Angel trail back up.

‘80 Dennis Ray Gimlin, D.D.S., retired from the Army Reserve on March 1, but continues practicing part-time with the Pueblo Community Health Center, and working full-time as an analyst for the Missile Defense Agency. He completed his 11th marathon in 27 months in December in College Station, Texas.

48 The University of Oklahoma-College of Dentistry / 2020 Magazine ‘76 Ed Braly, D.D.S., was appointed to the Oklahoma Commission on Opioid Abuse in November, 2019. ‘79 Steve McCullough, D.D.S., was selected to be the Director of the American Board of Orthodontics from the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists at the American Association of Orthodontists annual meeting this year. He will become the president of the American Board of Orthodontics in 2026. ‘81 Jeff Baggett, D.D.S., celebrated 20 years of practicing together with Grady Lembke, D.D.S. (Class of 1999), and 13 years as the OKC Thunder team dentist. After practicing anesthesia at Deaconess Hospital since 1996, Doug Bayless, D.D.S., is now semiretired and working exclusively at The Oklahoma Kidney Stone Center at Integris Deaconess. He travels with his son, Sam, who is a senior at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Ronald Smith, D.D.S., recently retired from his private practice, Courtyard Dental, after 21 years. Before starting his own practice, he practiced with the U.S. Air Force and a large group practice. His nephew, David Smith, D.D.S. (Class of 2012) has taken over Courtyard Dental.

‘83 Roy L. Stevens, D.D.S., was appointed to the American Dental Association Council on Dental Education and Licensure Anesthesiology Committee where he will represent the ADA. He continues as editor-in-chief of The Pulse: The Newsletter of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology.

Sherry Paxson, R.D.H., was named dean of the School of Health Sciences at San Juan College in Farmington, NM.

Trent Yadon, D.D.S., considers himself blessed to have enjoyed a career in dentistry and plans to retire. David Brown, D.D.S. will be taking over his practice.

‘89 Kemie Houston, D.D.S., moved her office to 233 Stone Pointe Trail in Castle Rock, Colorado.

‘85 Debbie Ozment, D.D.S., gave a TEDx Talk at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, about reversing the treatment of chronic systemic inflammatory diseases.

‘87 Julia Bagley, daughter of Michelle Osburn, R.D.H., was accepted into the OU Dental Hygiene program, Class of 2021.

The Class of 1989, Drs. Joe De Hoogh, Jan Henry, Kevin Haney, Jeff Parker, Richard Brown, Joe Narde, Randy Haskins, Ray Coleman, Shelley Canada, Charles Towe, Greg Cox, Frank Miranda (adopted), Ron Shaw, Eric Hopkins, Don Schiess, Dayna Duke, Greg Brasher and Kurt Gibson celebrated their 30th anniversary since graduating.

‘95 John Hodge, D.M.D. (Class of 1995- Orthodontics), received the Meridian Star Readers’ Choice Man of the Year award in Mississippi.

Members from the Class of 1989, Drs. Shelley Canada, Dayna Duke, Eric Hopkins, Joe Narde, Joe De Hoogh, Don Schiess, Ron Shaw and Kevin Haney, gathered together at the 2019 Alumni Weekend Reunion Luncheon in the fall. ‘91 Twana Farley-Duncan, D.D.S., celebrated 25 years of private practice at Antlers Family Dentistry. She also became a grandmother to Joseph Gregory Werner in July. Her daughter, Kait, is a resident in Internal Medicine in Tampa, Florida, and her son, Caleb, is a second-year dental student at the OU College of Dentistry. Her stepdaughter, Sarah, started nursing school at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, this year, and stepson, Jack, is an engineer with BNSF railroad. Dr. Farley-Duncan’s husband, Jack, celebrated his retirement from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control and is becoming an amazing chef.

Sandra Windsor, D.D.S., moved her office to 5700 SE 74th St., Suite 400, in Oklahoma City.

‘96 After 23 years, Kellie Hopkins, R.D.H., has slowed down from working four days a week to two. Her three boys are grown and she and her husband have purchased a condo in the Dominican Republic and hope to start spending a lot more time there. She mentions that getting older has its perks.

Jeannie McGee Bath, D.D.S., was one of ten U.S. dental directors selected for Americares Charitable Dental Clinic Leadership Institute, a one-year program to learn about best practices to run a free and charitable dental clinic.

‘07 Gabriel Bird, D.D.S., completed and moved into his new building in the heart of Norman, downtown Main Street.

‘02 Rusty Wayt, D.D.S., and his wife of sixteen years, are on the move again from Ft. Rucker, Alabama, to Camp Zama, Japan, Tokyo. ‘04 Andrea Montgomery, D.D.S., married Mark Haddon, Jr. on May 4, 2019. Dr. Montgomery and her husband reside in Cache, Oklahoma, with their son, Luke Montgomery. Dr. Montgomery continues to practice in Lawton,

‘08 On The Cusp Pediatric Dentistry, the practice of Ryan Roberts, D.D.S., has expanded and opened its second location in Midtown Tulsa in April. The flagship location is designed to serve infants, children, teens and those with special needs.

‘13 In early 2019, Alejandro Romero-Delmastro, D.D.S., purchased the practice of Dr. Gary Breece in Enid, Oklahoma, now called Orthodontic Solutions. He now practices in Enid four days a week and maintains the position of clinical assistant professor at the college.

‘11 Dana Sparks, R.D.H., and her family welcomed Jackson Lee Sparks on Nov. 21, 2019.

‘12

Jordan Hansen, D.D.S., and his wife, Katrina, welcomed their fifth baby girl, Hazel Skye Hansen, in June, 2019.

Nicholas Jensen, D.D.S., and his wife added baby number five to the crew in February 2019. Miles joins his older siblings Katelyn, Jacob, Brennan and Maverick in New Mexico. Everyone is healthy and happy.

We want to know what you’ve been up to!

Submit your update for the next OU Dentistry magazine by emailing DentistryAlumni@ouhsc.edu.

Please include your full name, graduation year and the names of any others in your photo, should you choose to send one.

Lacey Kanipe, D.H., married her husband, Justin Kanipe, on April 19, 2019, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are currently residing in Jenks, Oklahoma and just adopted their first fur baby, Winnie.

‘15

Parul Ajmani, D.D.S., purchased an existing practice from Mike Dugan, D.D.S. this year and is practicing general dentistry in the OKC Metro area.

Daryn Lu, D.D.S., married Edith Quiñonez, R.D.H. (D.D.S. Class of 2021) on September 19, 2019, in a small, private wedding ceremony.