When Howard Cowen (’76 DDS, ’95 MS) joined the University of Iowa College of Dentistry faculty in 1982, he served as the Director of the Geriatric Mobile Dental Unit, which provided care to elderly patients across the state starting in 1979. Throughout his career, Cowen has focused on making sure that underserved populations receive the highest quality dental care, and has helped to shape the educational offerings to dental students in the field of underserved populations.

The approval of the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR) specialty by the American Dental Association (ADA) in 1999 can be largely attributed to two individuals: Axel Ruprecht, former professor, UI College of Dentistry’s Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine; and Mel Kantor, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

Our sincerest thanks to Ida Rose (’99 DDS) for her generous gift establishing a new scholarship in support of underrepresented students in the College of Dentistry.

For almost 20 years, Ann Synan has been a committed advocate for dental patients, especially those who face barriers limiting access to care. As a result, she has become a fount of institutional knowledge in all things in the college, but especially so with patient care. The University of Iowa Dental Alumni Association and the College of Dentistry are proud to recognize Ann Synan’s contributions with the 2022 Honorary Recognition of the Year Award.

The University of Iowa Orthodontics Clinic is announcing the beginning of the Tom and Karin Southard Excellence fund, which is a fundraising campaign to support teaching, research, and service within the orthodontics department. The goal is to raise 1.5 million dollars to support teaching and development within the orthodontics department.

Because his teaching and mentoring has made a significant impact at Iowa and in Dental Public Health, the University of Iowa Dental Alumni Association and the College of Dentistry have selected John Warren as the 2022 Educator of the Year.

The University of Iowa Dental Alumni Association and the College of Dentistry are proud to recognize Rebecca Slayton as the 2022 Alumnus of the Year.

At the All-College Meeting on August 15, Kyungsup Shin was presented with the James H. and Hermine E. McLeran Faculty Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has shown a commitment to dental education through excellence in teaching and an emphasis on patient-centered care. Kyungsup personifies these attributes as he guides his students to achieve their highest potential in the classroom, clinic, and laboratory.

The college is proud to announce the appointment of Aaron Cho, as the next department head of prosthodontics at the University of Iowa. Cho will start this new role beginning on August 29, 2022.

For Iowa dental students, their fourth-year curriculum simulates aspects of a private practice environment. This experience successfully prepares Iowa graduates to practice dentistry independently. The approximately thirty adjunct faculty in Family Dentistry are the engine for Iowa’s success. These faculty members mentor fourth-year students as they go from novice clinical beginners to competent and independent clinicians.