PDC 2015 Annual Report

Postgraduate Dental College

Postgraduate Dental College Students and Faculty Honored

Students and faculty of the Postgraduate Dental College received significant honors for their work recently.

·         Dr. Kraig Vandewalle, Col (ret) - Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry, AFPDS, JBSA Lackland TX, was awarded the Thaddeus J. Weclew Award, from the Academy of General Dentistry, given to individuals who have served selflessly in education, organized dentistry and in the dental profession.  This award was given to Col (ret) Vandewalle during the AGD Annual Session.

 

·         Maj Joseph Marconyak, Endodontics Resident, AFPDS, Keesler AFB, was one of 10 winners of the American Association of Endodontists Resident Research Award.

 

·         CAPT Joseph Molinaro, Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry, NPDS, was inducted into the International College of Dentists.

 

·         CPT Lee Cote, Assistant Professor of Periodontics, APDS, Ft Hood, won the first place award in the Joseph L. Bernier Awards competition in category 1 research on "Effects of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)b dosage on early cellular events in local bone formation in the critical-size rat calvaria defect model".

 

·         LCDR Teresita Alston, Periodontics Resident, NPDS, placed 1st overall in the 2015 NPDS Research Symposium competition; Award given by International College of Dentists.

 

·         LT Michael Andersen, Prosthodontics Resident, NPDS, received the 2015 Chief of the Navy Dental Corps Award for Excellence (Academic).

 

·         LT Marina Hernandez-Feldpausch, Comprehensive Dentistry Resident, NPDS, received the 2015 Dean’s Award for Excellence (Academic).

 

·         LT Jared Beck, Periodontics Resident, NPDS, received the 1st place award at Federal Dental Services Table Clinic competition.

 

·         CAPT Steve Hargitai, Professor of Orofacial Pain, NPDS, was elected as a Director of the American Board of Orofacial Pain on July 1, 2015 for a 5-year term.   In this capacity, he becomes a lead manager of the board's new recertification process.

 

2015 Annual Report

Thomas R. SchneidRetired Air Force dentist Dr. Thomas R. Schneid was named the new Executive Dean of the PDC, following a nationwide search. He succeeds founding Executive Dean, retired Army Major General (Dr.) Patrick Sculley, former Chief of the Army Dental Corps and Deputy Surgeon General.

The year 2015 was one of transition, growth and maturity for the Postgraduate Dental College (PDC). In just five and a half years, the PDC’s number of affiliated programs has grown to 19, with the newest program, Air Force Prosthodontics, matriculating its first two students in July. The University awarded Masters of Science in Oral Biology degrees to the first graduates from the Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland Endodontics and Keesler Comprehensive Dentistry and Endodontics programs, contributing to 2015’s total of 57 graduates, and bringing the total number of master’s degrees awarded to 181 since the College’s inception.

Members of the Naval Postgraduate Dental School make many vital contributions to USU’s unique curriculum. In 2015, Lieutenant Commander Jayson Huber and three of his residents participated in USU’s annual Operation Bushmaster, where they assembled Field Dental Units for casualty treatment and participated in the Mass Casualty Exercise. Huber and eight dental residents also provided lecture training and practical demonstration on commonly encountered dental emergencies to more than 100 students from the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN).

The PDC continues to emphasize high-quality research as a key component of its integrated curriculum designed to train tomorrow’s dental leaders and expert dental specialists with a scientific, evidence-based education. Residents and faculty authored or co-authored 40 publications; led 43 presentations at local, regional and national dental meetings; and received nine significant awards.

The PDC continued its collaboration with the GSN in support of dental resident research at the Army Postgraduate Dental School, providing critical faculty support to deliver a research methodology course for Comprehensive Dentistry and Endodontics residents at Fort Bragg for the second consecutive year.

Army Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Paul Colthirst returned to the Triservice Center for Oral Health Studies after completing a one-year fellowship with the Rand Corporation, bringing back a wealth of information on global health engagement.

Finally, Colonel (Dr.) Priscilla Hamilton, dean of the Army Postgraduate Dental School, retired after 30 years of honorable service. She received the USU Distinguished Service Award for her numerous significant contributions to the University mission.

Founding PDC Executive Dean Bids Farewell

Patrick SculleyRetired Army Major General (Dr.) Patrick Sculley describes himself as a “serial failure at retirement.” Fortunately for the U.S. military and USU, he has been a success at everything else.

Sculley was the founding Executive Dean of the Postgraduate Dental College in San Antonio, and later USU’s Senior Vice President for University Programs. He also provided critical leadership to USU in crisis situations, such as the internal review of institutional policies and procedures for students following the shooting at Fort Hood. Among other efforts, he led University teams to establish the strategic framework on standing committees on strategic performance and resourcing and was the key leader in establishing the University’s Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) affiliation.

The former Chief of the Army Dental Corps, General Sculley retired from the Army in 2002. He became Executive Director of Sigma Xi.  He was also employed by the Texas A&M Center for Applied Technology as the Director for Science and Technology and then for USU, where he led the establishment of the new Postgraduate Dental College. He built the college from its earliest stages to a thriving program of 186 students and 200 faculty members.

But USU keeps beckoning: the University continues to look to Dr. Sculley for advice and leadership on such issues as the METC affiliation, Middle States accreditation issues and the 2017 reauthorization issues.  He is also working with the new Executive Dean while fulfilling his role as Senior Vice President for University Programs.