The Center for Inclusive Excellence at the University of Iowa held its annual graduation reception on May 11. At this reception, fourth-year dental student Megha Puranam delivered the keynote address at the graduation reception.

Fourth-year dental students Chichi Adeleke and Megha Puranam both received awards at the Center for Inclusive Academic Excellence Graduation Reception. Adeleke received the Dean's Achievement Award, and Puranam received the Student Leadership Award. Puranam also delivered the keynote address at the reception.

Butali serves as a mentor to numerous other students and researchers, and on May 12, he received a Faculty Award recognizing those efforts. Butali’s students shared their appreciation with the Hawkeye Smile for their mentor.

At its annual Student Awards Ceremony, the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology presented awards to two dental students, Colton Curtis and Sydney Woods.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the second-most common form of musculoskeletal pain, affecting up to one-third of Americans. Iowa dental faculty are on the cutting-edge of TMD care and are leading the way in ensuring that dental students receive adequate and proper education for understanding, preventing, and treating TMD.

The dental equipment and supplies company, Dentsply Sirona, awarded Chris Barwacz a $160,000+ award to evaluate outcomes for a newly designed implant. The study will evaluate outcomes associated with dental implants, and it shows how a mutually beneficial relationship between the college and industry partners improves patient care.

An interview with Julie Reynolds, assistant professor in Preventive and Community Dentistry and a vocal supporter of the Dental Student Research Program. She regularly mentors current dental students in the program.

Leon Stanislav ('77 DDS) received the 2022 Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, American Dental Association, and Center for Disease Control Fluoridation Special Merit Award.

Phoenix Dental awarded Ariene Leme-Kraus and Marcos Vargas a $15,000 grant for their project In Vitro Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Potassium Oxalate Dental Desensitizer Formulas. This collaboration shows the value of academic-industry collaboration between the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and its industry partners.

For 34 years, Ana Diaz-Arnold (’84 G.P.R., ’87 M.S.) has been a fixture in the Department of Family Dentistry, teaching countless fourth-year dental students, mentoring and working alongside adjunct faculty, and treating her own patients, and as she retires in June 2022, her impact on the college and the dental profession in Iowa will remain long afterward.