The University of Iowa College of Dentistry has appointed Dr. Cris M.P. Vidal, DDS, MS, PhD, as the new Departmental Executive Officer of Operative Dentistry.

Dr. Jeremy Bobera (’22 DDS, ’25 MS) has been named a recipient of the 2025 Balint Orban Award at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology, held this year in Toronto.

In one of the largest gifts in the history of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Catherine Miller-Geroy and Gary Geroy have made a commitment to endow a chair in the Department of Prosthodontics in honor of Miller-Geroy’s father, Dr. Thaxter “Thax” Miller (’54 MS, ’54 PROS).

Robert Bowers and Anvita Maharishi, assistant professors in the Department of Family Dentistry, received a CRISP grant to study national trends in materials used for full coverage dental restorations. Their research will analyze data from 18 dental schools to assess the shift toward all-ceramic materials and inform updates to dental education and licensure standards.

A patient expecting to wait weeks for a dental crown is surprised when the procedure is finished in a single afternoon. For Victor Feitosa, moments like this show how digital dentistry is reshaping care—and why he is excited to be teaching at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics.

Aline Petrin, assistant professor of orthodontics, received a CRISP grant to complete genetic screening of patients with Van der Woude syndrome. Her study will help clarify how genetic mutations influence disease severity and support future research into epigenetic factors that shape cleft phenotypes and guide individualized treatment strategies.

Olujitan receives Fellowship to support final stages of her dissertation by providing protected time for research and writing.

The College of Dentistry welcomes Derek Smith as Director of the Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology and associate professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry. Smith’s research applies statistical methods to oral health and cancer care. He brings extensive experience in clinical research, graduate education, and national guideline development to his new role.

On the first Sunday of September, the Iowa American Student Dental Association (IASDA) hosted a barbeque to kick off the new academic year. This is the second year that IASDA has hosted the event.

Garland Hershey, Eric teDuits, and Sara Stuefen, were recognized as Iowa's Educator of the Year, Alumnus of the Year, and Rising Star Awardee on September 12, 2025 at The Graduate Hotel in downtown Iowa City.