On Friday, June 5, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics held it's 2026 commencement ceremony to celebrate DDS and specialty program graduates.

When existing training materials fell short, Iowa faculty set out to build something better. In collaboration with IowaMADE and Protostudios, they developed a 3D-printed educational caries tooth that gives dental students a more realistic way to learn cavity treatment and restorative care.

At the spring meeting of Dental Student Research Group, Vi Phan received the award for 2026 Outstanding Dental Researcher. 

Dr. Teresa Marshall was named the 2025-2026 Student Research Mentor of the Year by the Iowa Chapter of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. This award was presented in recognition of her efforts to enhance student research at the College of Dentistry.

Senior Research Achievement Awards are determined based on a portfolio of research that is circulated to a group of electors. The electors select award recipients based on the scientific merit of projects, the significance and productivity of projects, the number of years of involvement in research, the originality of the research, and the student's professional conduct. Award recipients were selected in 2026: Jessica Fuessley, Saba Manafi, Vi Phan, Jeremiah Poppen, Christina Spencer, and Taylor Westphal.

Jeremiah Poppen (D4) was featured in the 2026 Dare to Discover Campaign for the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President of Research. Poppen's research investigates how dentists respond to emergencies in the clinic.

Sukirth Ganesan, associate professor and director of the Advanced Education Program in Periodontics at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, recently served as the open plenary session speaker at the 20th PHSU-PRI Annual Scientific Conference and fourth RCMI Symposium on Health Disparities in Ponce, Puerto Rico.