United States

California, Northern Section

Fellow Marc Geissberger was selected by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) as a Fellow in their Leadership Institute, a distinctive year-long program of intensive leadership development, organizational theory, higher education management, team and network building coupled with other aspects of personal and professional growth. The ADEA selects promising dental faculty from across the country for this elite training program. Dr.Geissberger is Chairman of the Restorative Dentistry Department at UOP’s Art Dugoni School of Dentistry. He is Treasurer of the Dugoni School of Dentistry Alumni Association, President of OKU Supreme Chapter, and a PFA Fellow (Dental World, Sept/Oct issue, p. 11).

This is the seventh year of the ADEA program, which has accepted 17 faculty for the 2006-2007 class. They will meet four times during the year in Maine, California, Washington, DC, and at the ADEA Annual Session.

Georgia

Past PFA President Heber Simmons reported that past PFA Vice President Jay McCaslin has passed away from cancer. Dr. McCaslin was a dynamic PFA Trustee from Region III who gave up his PFA rise to our Presidency to become President of the American College of Dentists.

Illinois

PFA Fellow Cal Akal passed away last November. He was a 1950 graduate of Northwestern University Dental School before entering the Army and serving in Nuremberg, Germany. He then practiced for 38 years in Bensonville, Illinois. Besides being a Fellow in PFA and ICD, he also served in the Lions and the American Legion. Dr. Akal had designed, equipped, and implemented the first nursing home dental clinic in the Chicagoland area. He introduced the “Cad Cam” to use in the Chicago MidWinter Meeting. He was an insurance consultant to Delta Dental.

This February 7, the University of Illinois School of Dentistry hosted their 20th annual Clinic and Research Day. PFA Fellow USC Dean Harold Slavkin gave the keynote speech on “Emerging Opportunities for Dental Research and Education.” Over 80 oral and poster presentations by the students and faculty were on exhibit or presented.

Michigan

International Trustee Joseph Harris (Region IV) reported holding their annual Michigan Dental Association Meeting last January at the Marplex Hotel in Lansing. The PFA Section held their meeting at this time and presented their Instructor of the Year Award to the University of Detroit-Mercy’s Dr. Walter Lim. Dr. Lim is a clinical assistant professor in Restorative Dentistry at UDM. Born and raised in the Philippines, he received his DDM degree from the University of the Philippines College of Dentistry in 1995. He then earned his Certificate in Prosthodontics (2001) and his Master of Science in Dentistry (2002) from the University of Indiana School of Dentistry. He completed his dental program and was mentored into a teaching position at UDM in 2004.

The Section also hosted their annual Breakfast Meeting during the Detroit District Dental Review last year in Dearborn at the Hyatt Hotel; 52 Fellows attended. Six new members were inducted into Fellowship and our PFA International President-elect, James A. Englander, was honored with their “PFA Man of the Century” Award. The Section sponsored the lecture given by Dr. Jack Turbyfill at the Detroit Dental Review entitled “The Wonderful World of Prosthodontics.”

The Michigan Section has published their second 4-color Section newsletter under Chair Joseph Harris, who also serves as PFA Region IV Trustee.

Their Spring Breakfast Meeting will be held during the Michigan Dental Association’s Annual Session in Detroit on Saturday, 5 May, at 7 a.m. The Section will also be sponsoring the Oral pathology lecture by Dr. John Svirsky during the MDA Session.

Minnesota

Past PFA President Michael Perpich was honored last year by the Minnesota Dental Society with their Dentist of the Year Award.

Nevada

The Community Coalition for Oral Health (CCOH) of Nevada announced their 2006 Award recipients at the Art of the Smile Gala at the Las Vegas Art Museum last October. UNLV Professor Raymond D. Rawson received the Oral Health Advocate of the Year Award, which recognizes significant achievement in advancing oral health policy or legislation in Nevada during the year.

Fifteen new members were inducted into Fellowship at the annual PFA Awards Banquet held in Las Vegas. Also honored with the Nevada Section’s Dentist of the Year Award was Dr. George McAlpine, a Loyola University School of Dentistry graduate as are Nevada Chair William Rohel, PFA Secretary General Richard Kozal, and Editor James Brophy.

Pennsylvania

Past President Nicholas Saccone has had to undergo leg and then knee surgery. He is doing well in recovery at Mercy Hospital of Scranton as of this date.

Dr. Judith McFadden, General Chairman of the Philadelphia ADA Session, received the PFA 2006 Dentist of the Year Award presented by PFA Chair Frank A. DiNioa at the Pennsylvania Delegates and Alternates Luncheon last April during the 138th Annual Session of the Pennsylvania Dental Association. This was reported in their Pennsylvania Dental Journal, vol. 73, #4, July/August issue, p. 35.

Wisconsin

Fellow Eva Dahl of Onalaska was elected President of the 2900-member Wisconsin Dental Association. Dr. Dahl, a fourth generation dentist, maintains an endodontic practice after earning her dental degree at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1976 and her Certificate in Endodontics there in 1982. She has served on the Wisconsin Dental Examining Board and currently serves on the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure. She has received awards from the WDA and the University of Iowa Alumni Association as well as The American Association of Women Dentists’ Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award in 1997 for her lifetime service.

Dr. Monica Hebl of Milwaukee was selected as the WDA’s President-elect. She earned her dental degree from Marquette University, was the only private-practice dentist to serve on the Governor’s Task Force to Improve Access to Oral Health Care in 2004–05. Dr. Hebl has served as President of the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association, Trustee for WDA’s Region 3, and has been a seven-time ADA Delegate. She has been honored with two WDA Pyramid of Pride Awards.

Dr. H. Michael Kaske of Twin Lakes is to serve as WDA Vice President. He, too, is a graduate of Marquette Dental School, past President of the Burlington Dental Society, and WDA Trustee for Region 4. Dr. Kaske is a Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Dr. Michael Donohoo, a general dentist in Milwaukee, was re-elected WDA Speaker of the House of Delegates. Also a graduate of Marquette Dental School, he has served as 1994-95 GMDA President, 2002-03 WDA President, seven times ADA Delegate.

Dr. Dennis Engel, a general practitioner from Mequon, was elected to a third term as WDA Editor with time off (2002-03) to be WDA President. He is past President of the AADE (2004). He is currently the ICD Wisconsin Editor.

Dr. Constantine Stamatelakys, a periodontist in Greenfield, is immediate past WDA President and a graduate of Marquette University School of Dentistry.

The December 2006 issue of the Wisconsin Dental Journal (p. 6) lauded the outstanding contributions the Mentoring Program has been making in the Wisconsin dental profession. Fellow Gene Shoemaker was particularly cited for soliciting corporate sponsorships for student participation in the program. Braden Dental Center, Dr. Neil Peterson, Dr. Ahmad Eslami, Dr. Bob Karczewski, Dr. Richard Tonelli, Dr. Gene Shoemaker, Dr. Ron Stifter and Dr. Bryan Gapson were thanked for being this year’s program sponsors. Fellow John Moser, Chairan of the Mentor Advisory Group was mentioned for continuing to make the program so viable to the students. This is the 12th year of the programs success that currently has 80% of all the Marquette University School of Dentistry students involved.