The Univeristy of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for the college. She will join the college in June.

Michael Chavez, a DDS/PhD student, was named a 2024 Dare to Discover students. Chavez is researching ways to harness the power of mineralized tissues. These mineralized tissues possess an inherent capacity for repair and regeneration. Chavez is aiming to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of mineralization to pave the way for new and innovative treatments.

Third-year Iowa Dentistry student Jorge Ceballos comes from a family of medical professionals—but his future in the medical field was never guaranteed. Ceballos is a recent immigrant from Cuba, and if it weren’t for a chance encounter with an Iowa Dentistry alum and scholarship support, Jorge’s career path might have taken a different turn.

Third-year Iowa Dentistry student Jorge Ceballos comes from a family of medical professionals—his mother is a nurse, and he has uncles, aunts and cousins who are doctors and dentists. However, his future in the medical field was never guaranteed. Ceballos is a recent immigrant from Cuba, and if it weren’t for a chance encounter with an Iowa Dentistry alum, Jorge’s career path might have taken a different turn. 

Karin Weber-Gasparoni is passionate about supporting new caregivers and improving oral health for underserved populations. Her collaborative clinical research initiatives are transforming oral health care for toddlers and infants in Iowa, and are laying the foundation for changing how oral health care is provided for the youngest of us.

Azeez Butali is a global leader in cleft lip and palate research and the world’s foremost expert in the genetics of these conditions in African populations. As part of his research mission, he has also spearheaded the formation of a diverse, international network of researchers in Africa and the US to develop, refine, and apply their findings for the benefit of African populations and their genetic descendants. 

As Iowa Dentistry continues to flourish for the benefit of our State, it requires continuous support from our Hawkeye community to recruit and retain faculty, support student wellness and success, build for the future, and transform clinic technologies.

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is pleased to announce the 2024 Seed Grant Awards. This is the fourth year of the seed grant program, and these grants fund innovative projects from early-career investigators or established investigators who are developing a new line of research.

Dr. Chonghwa Kim started in the Department of Family Dentistry on Dec. 29 after several years in South Korea.

Kandyce Larson, Brooke McInroy, Tessa Heeren, Elizabeth T Momany and Peter C Damiano, 2023