News - School of Dentistry

Charles A. “Scotty” McCallum, former UAB president, remembered

UAB’s third president, former Vestavia mayor provided “visionary leadership and dedication to our institution and our community.”

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Tom Willis – A Lifelong Learner

Each year, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry graduates enter the field ready to put the knowledge and techniques learned over the previous four years to work. But for Dr. Tom Willis, who graduated from the School of Dentistry in 1977, the school provided him with much more than just dental skills.

Celebrating 31 years of service to the school

Dr. Madelyn Coar has been a valuable part of the School of Dentistry and the Department of Endodontics.

2020: The year in photos

Each year, UAB’s official photographers capture tens of thousands of images as they document the incredible variety of events and personalities that make up our community. Here are some of our favorite photos of some of the most dramatic months in UAB history.

Alumni Spotlight: The Orthodontist Who Never Graduated College – Dr. Paul Sproul

Dr. Paul Sproul, an orthodontist at Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates, has a master’s and a doctorate degree, but never actually graduated from an undergraduate program.

Mazer named Fellow of International College of Dentists, USA Section

Raquel Mazer, DMD, MS, MPH, has been honored as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, USA Section, within the district encompassing Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. She was sponsored by Dr. Toni Neumeier.

Student group carries on tradition of service

The Student National Dental Association (SNDA) chapter at UAB has a proud history of award-winning service.

Alumni Spotlight: Todd Chastain – A Family Man (with a House Divided!)

Dr. Todd Chastain is a big believer in family.

Celebrate UAB virtual commencement Dec. 11-12

UAB’s virtual commencement kit has everything Blazers need to celebrate online and at home, including a custom Spotify playlist, craft and food ideas, and digital goodies.

Alumni Spotlight: A Man of Service to Others, Dr. Ralph Kurry Wyatt

It doesn’t take long after meeting and speaking to Dr. Ralph Kurry Wyatt (‘73) to realize he is a fantastic storyteller, and he does not like to be bored.

Necessity is the mother of invention: Dentistry’s CE program launches virtual lineup amid pandemic

The courses and speakers were set. The contracts for venues were signed. The brochures were printed and ready to send. UAB School of Dentistry’s continuing education program was geared up for a busy, yet normal spring. That is, until the pandemic changed everything.

School’s fellows serve, empower vulnerable populations

Since the inaugural Alabama Schweitzer Fellows class kicked off in 2016, UAB School of Dentistry fellows have made the most of their time in the prestigious program. Though they use different tactics, their projects have one thing in common: improving oral health and overall health in vulnerable populations.

Alumni Spotlight: The Talented Dr. Kimbell

For more than thirty years, members of the UAB School of Dentistry Class of 1988 have gotten together in the heat of August to play in the Terry Barrett Golf Invitational, named after Dr. Terry Barrett, a fellow classmate who passed away in 1999. Dr. Frank Kimbell attends the tournament every year.

UAB School of Dentistry Alumnus’ Hound Dog Brings Joy to Patients

If Elvis Presley is the King of Rock and Roll, then Presley Pruitt is the Queen of the Dental Office.

How the Alumni Association Makes a Difference

I had the privilege of handing out t-shirts to third and fourth year students last Friday with Alumni Association President Bruce Camp, Dean Russ Taichman, and Alumni and Special Events Coordinator Abby Vinson.

Alumni Spotlight: Spreading the UAB School of Dentistry Legacy in Georgia

“I’m sorry, I have to step out for a moment,” Dr. Coggin interrupted. “We have a patient who is apparently refusing to receive their injections from anyone other than me. I’ll be right back.”

COVID-19 rate among dentists less than 1 percent, UAB co-written report finds

A national report co-written by a UAB dentist found that dentists who were assumed to be at increased risk of COVID exposure had a less than 1 percent infection rate of COVID-19.

Call it destiny

Dr. Kumar Patel (’03) traveled across multiple continents to claim the UAB School of Dentistry as his alma mater. Patel is originally from Ahmedabad, India but he calls London his home town because that’s where he spent his formidable years and “…discovered myself as a person.”

Zhang’s paper featured as leading edge research

A recent paper by Ping Zhang, DDS, PhD, Professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has been selected for the ‘Frontline Science’ section and featured as leading edge research in the October, 2020 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (JLB).

First Comes Love, Then Comes… Dental School!

Charles Crowder met Kristen Flowers at a fraternity party in 1995, when the two were undergrads at Birmingham-Southern College.

UAB research funding from the National Institutes of Health tops $300 million

UAB stands 22nd in the nation in research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Cumbus Receives UAB’s Highest Alumni Honor

Dr. Ben Cumbus (’72) of Montgomery, Ala received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UAB National Alumni Society.

Blazing a trail: School’s staff council completes successful inaugural year

When a newly reestablished School of Dentistry Staff Council kicked off in July 2019, the group quickly went to work developing initiatives to support and engage staff school-wide. That was before COVID-19 brought its activities to a halt.

Alumni Spotlight: Making History at the School of Dentistry – Dr. Karen Clements-Crunk

In 1965, Karen Fox walked into her first day of classes at the University Of Alabama School Of Dentistry in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the only woman in the room. In fact, she was the only woman in her entire class of 52 students.

New student group receives national chapter award

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) Student Chapter was recently named national chapter of the year.

Cyprès named associate provost, Robinson to serve as School of Education interim dean

School of Education Dean Autumn Tooms Cyprès, Ed.D., has been named associate provost for lifelong learning, effective Oct. 1. She will lead a university-wide strategic review of UAB’s continuing education efforts. Michelle Robinson, DMD, senior associate dean in the School of Dentistry, will become the interim dean of the School of Education.

UAB sets enrollment record for fifth year in a row, all-time high for retention

UAB tops 22,500 students for the first time, featuring its highest retention rates in the history of the university.

Dean's Message: So close…

Written by: Russell S. Taichman, D.M.D., D.M.Sc.

In March 2019, I had an opportunity to see the future. So close, but no cigar.

School of Dentistry alumni share ‘The Minor Details’

Mark Abere, DMD, (’19) recently launched The Minor Details (TMD), a blog which he titles “a culmination of minority experiences in dentistry, retold to educate and inspire.”

UAB adapts to extraordinary circumstances, holds annual SHPEP program virtually

With UAB in limited business operations, its annual Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) was held virtually in 2020.