Arrivals:

New faculty in the department include a DPH program alumnus, Dr. Julie Reynolds (2013), who works in health policy research at the UI Public Policy Center, Dr. Xi Chen whose research focus is on geriatric dentistry/end-of-life care, Dr. Hong Chen, who has expertise in Temporomandibular joint disorders and does research and sees patients in this area.  In addition, two new clinical faculty, Drs. Rohit Nair and Jhanvi Desai, teach in the Geriatrics and Special Care Dentistry Clinic and treat patients in the Faculty General Practice.  Other new department faculty include:  Dr. L. Brendan Young, who teaches behavioral health and communications; Dr. Jin Xie, who directs the Biostatistics Unit and is Associate Dean for Research at the College of Dentistry; Dr. Earliang Zeng is an Associate Professor with the College of Dentistry’s Biostatistics Unit. 

Departures:

In the time since our last newsletter, one of the past directors of the DPH program, Dr. Howard Field, passed away in November 2019, at the age of 82.  Dr. Field stayed active to the very end of his life, as he passed away about a week after taking a cruise through the Panama Canal.  He also rode a segment of RAGBRAI in the years immediately before his death, and continued to ski and play golf through 2019.  Dr. Field was DPH program director in the 1980s, and was a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health.  His easy-going manner and dedication to his students are fondly remembered – he will be missed. 

Two other former leaders in our department, Drs. Jed Hand and Ray Kuthy, retired, in 2017, and 2021, respectively.  Dr. Hand served as DPH program director, and later, Department Head of Preventive & Community Dentistry during the 1990s, before becoming the Executive Associate Dean of the College.  Dr. Kuthy served as Department Head from 1999 to 2011.  Both are enjoying retirement and playing lots of golf.

Finally, Dr. Leo Marchini recently left the department to take the position of Department Head of Restorative Dentistry at Case Western University in Cleveland.

Departure and Arrival:

Dr. Michelle McQuistan left us in 2019 to take a position as Associate Dean for Students at the East Carolina dental school.  After about a year, she decided that Iowa was a better ‘fit’ for her and her family, and came back to the College of Dentistry, where she serves as department faculty and the College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer.