Building Networks

AS THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2023 GET READY to celebrate their commencement, it is a pleasure to have this opportunity to congratulate them on their accomplishments and welcome them into our remarkable network of Penn Dental Medicine alumni. The bond with Penn Dental Medicine, created through a shared educational experience, is truly an invaluable resource to draw upon throughout a dental career, and I encourage our soon-to-be graduates to stay connected to each other, to our incredible international alumni network, and to our School as they move on.

Over this academic year, we’ve continued to build and strengthen our networks in the local community and around the globe. We officially dedicated our newest community care site as part of Woods Services, serving individuals with disabilities (see story, page 2), and we are building ties globally through exchange agreements with schools in South Africa and Tanzania (see story, page 4). In addition, we have launched an exciting new partnership with Cochrane Oral Health with our Center for Integrative Global Oral Health now the home of the Cochrane Oral Health Collaborating Center at Penn Dental Medicine; this new Center places the School squarely at the forefront of the oral-health-evidence-synthesis field globally (see story, page 22).

In this issue, we also highlight the growth of our academic programs and student research over the past three years under the leadership of Dr. Esra Sahingur, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Student Research (see story, page 33). And, we hear how some alumni, students, and faculty are using social media to educate and inspire others (see story, page 10).

Now that we are back to gathering in-person, I look forward to welcoming you to upcoming programs here at the School. On June 5-9, our new Cochrane Oral Health Collaborating Center will present a conference on how to conduct and publish systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and the 6th Penn Periodontal Conference will be held July 24-28. I hope you will join us or plan a visit back to Penn Dental Medicine soon – my door is always open.

Stay well and stay connected.

Partnering to Advance Evidence-Based

New Center places the School at the forefront of the oral-healthevidence-synthesis field globally

Advancing Research & Education

Dr. Esra Sahingur moving new academic programs forward, along with student research

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL: Vol. 19, No. 2

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine www.dental.upenn.edu

Dean: Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD

Vice Dean of Institutional Advancement: Elizabeth Ketterlinus

Associate Dean for Leadership Giving: Maren Gaughan

Director, Publications: Beth Adams

Contributing Writers: Beth Adams, Juliana Delany, Debbie Goldberg, Katherine Unger Baillie

Photography: Mark Garvin, Kevin Monko, Eric Sucar Office of Institutional Advancement: 215-898-8951

Penn Dental Medicine Journal is published twice a year by the Office of Communications for the alumni and friends of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. ©2022 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Penn Dental Medicine. We would like to get your feedback — address all correspondence to: Beth Adams, Director of Publications, Robert Schattner Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 240 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6030, adamsnb@upenn.edu