IN THE BEGINNING

The Class of 1959-61:

Five smiling faces (they all had received funding) arrived revved up and ready to jump the hurdles of this evolving course of study. Peter Betz (deceased) decided that after 2 years in Seattle, a person could handle only so much rain so he established a practice in Reno Nevada. He died in November 1987 of Huntington’s Disease. Peter’s UW classmates and colleagues from UCSF established a Memorial Fund in his name. Donations can be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. The next three decided that if the Forty Niners could strike it rich in the Californian hills, all they had to do was sift through the pathogens in perio pockets to find their pot of gold. Harold Itokazu, a restless soul, began his odyssey in Hawaii. He traveled east to New York to attend dental school at Columbia University and then west to Seattle before turning south to stake his claim in San Francisco’s promising periodontal scene. Over the years he has been one of 10 periodontists who meet on a quarterly basis to talk shop and socialize. Harold now divides his time – six months in Hawaii and six months with his daughter and grandchildren in the lower 48. He is still alert, lucid and vertical enough to play golf, although he admits that he sometimes has trouble keeping track of the number of strokes he took on any given hole. Robert John (deceased) practiced in Belmont and Redwood Shores. He was a part-time Associate Prof at UCSF for 12 years. Bob was very active in the Bay Area’s dental organizations. He served as President of the San Mateo County Dental Society, and was a trustee to the California Dental Association and on the Board of The Dental Insurance Company. He was Chairman of the CDA’s Annual Meeting and Chairman of the Northern California Section of the American College of Dentists. He was named a Fellow of the Pierre-Fauchard Academy. Bob died from the complications of Parkinson’s Disease in June 2007. Married for 54 years, he and Lois had the pleasure of nurturing two children, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Their son Steve is a periodontist in San Mateo. Oregonian Gil Oliver headed to Oakland bent on making a go of it in private practice. He still enjoys practicing two days a week, but as is the case with many dedicated people he found time to teach Perio at UCSF for 30 years. When organized dentistry beckoned, he became a member of the Executive Council and Treasure of the AAP between 1972 and 1980. Gil was recognized by his peers and elected to Fellowship in both the American and International College of Dentistry. He was the 1998 President of the Contra Costa Dental Society. He and Ann also have been busy at home raising five children whose careers have covered the waterfront as dentist, hygienist, architect, attorney and mom. What more could they want? Nine grandchildren of course. Their beach-house on the Marin Coast and their condo in Kona Hawaii are well used. Walter McFall had a longing for a hill – Chapel Hill. Walter can look back with great satisfaction at a lifetime of teaching, administration and research in that institution – a job well done! One of his first assignments was to establish what soon would be affectionately dubbed “UDub Perio East” at UNC. He designed the curriculum, prepared all of the documents to gain approval for the graduate program and assumed the position of Director. Walter had dozens of publications based on his clinical research. He was a co-author of a text for dental hygienists that generated enough heat to merit four editions. His sharp mind and wit made him a popular Prof who enjoyed entertaining the grad students. In addition to teaching a slew of courses and being a member of a long list of committees at UNC, Walter belonged to a host of local, state and national dental organizations, and played a leadership role in many. For his efforts in the AAP (he was a member of 20 committees and the Chair of several) he was given The Fellowship Award in 1991. Walter and Charlotte now live quietly and focus their attention on grandchildren instead of graduate, pre-doctoral and dental hygiene students. In The Sixties Chubby Checker and the Twist soared to the top of the charts. “West Side Story” (1961) and “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) illuminated the start of the decade by winning Oscars. The Seattle World’s Fair with its landmark Space Needle opened in 1962. The Beatles created a sensation on the Ed Sullivan Show. Hippies and the counterculture lifestyle were sparked in part by the turmoil in Viet Nam. The period was punctuated by the assassinations of JFK, Bobby and MLK. Those years also ushered in an explosion of interest by general dentists for the field of Periodontics. Clinic space at UW would soon become a premium. A Post-Doctoral Program in Endodontics received approval and its students vied with their Perio contemporaries for a chair to treat patients. There were some old lockers three floors below that opened over a drain in the floor carrying human waste. Coats were hung in a hurry! In the library/conference room that abutted the clinic learning became contagious with the potential for mayhem omnipresent. Innovative concepts were bounced around like ping-pong balls and outrageous insults that were hurled among the grad students resonated down the corridor. And yet through it all there was an incredible sense of comradeship. When the hubbub ended everyone headed out wearing a smile in search of coffee or something slightly stronger.

The Class of 1960-62:

Bee Braden (deceased) was a “senior citizen” when he decided to learn more about pyorrhea. In the brief 10 years he practiced, this outstanding and ethical clinician created the gold standard for periodontists in Seattle. He retired in the serenity of Sydney BC. Phil Crumley can be described as “multitalented”. That never seems fair when some of us have difficulty walking and chewing gum at the same time. He not only practiced periodontics, but he played a mean cornet and was the leader of “The Natural Gas Jazz Band”, a San Francisco based ensemble of business men and professionals that has entertained audiences around the world. The band, which has numerous recorded albums to its credit, is still active in its 38th year. That impressive total still pales to the 52 years he has spent with the true love of his life Virginia. Alex Drennan returned north of the border to practice in Vancouver BC where he earned Fellowship in the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. But he never forgot his links to UW. For 20 years he traveled down I-5 to teach two days a week. Severe budget cuts resulted in drastic faculty reductions in the early 1980ties or we still might be welcoming this genuine, thoughtful individual to our clinics. Walter Hall enjoyed a successful academic career. He was the Chairman of Periodontics at Oregon, Washington and University of Pacific. He wrote seven Perio texts and spoke or taught in 27 countries. Spain seemed to be a favorite destination; Walter had five six month stints there. He somehow still found the time to help others. He is a member of Area V Board of Developmental Disabilities and was President of the American International Youth Student Exchange Program for 21 years. Walter is an avid angler, and he and Francella love the opera and symphony, traveling, gardening and viniculture. Herbert Hyman finished the program and was awarded a NIH Professional Research Fellowship to spend a year in Norway with Jens Waerhaug. He then opened a practice in Southern California and taught part-time at USC for 40 years. That certainly defines “dedication” as does his support for the Los Angeles Opera, Symphony and Art Museum. Herb and Judith are regulars at these events and they love to travel. Keith Karren displayed ingenuity as a student by designing the front surface photographic mirror system so popular for case documentation in dentistry. He would live on the royalties and practice Perio as a hobby. But before cutting the UW umbilical cord Keith spent a short time as the dental officer at University Hospital and clinical professor in Periodontics. Years of practice in the Salt Lake region followed. He was involved in the Western Society of Periodontology and the Salt Lake District Dental Society rising through the ranks to the Presidency in each organization. Keith has been challenged of late by a myelodysplastic condition that has flirted with leukemia. Mild chemotherapy seems to have things under control and Keith can still be found on the golf course. He also enjoys fishing and admits that he has caught more fish than he has had rounds of par golf. He and Carol have been happily married for an eternity and have seven children, 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren to carry on the torch.

The Class of 1961-63:

By this time the major kinks had been ironed out and excellent relationships had been cemented with several basic science departments in the Health Science Center. An exciting environment for the students existed thanks to extended visits by Cliff Ochsenbein, John Pritchard, D. Walter Cohen, Bob Gottsegen and Harry Bohannan. Jim Easley and classmate Marty Mendelsohn shared the first Balint Orban Memorial Prize for periodontal research. Jim taught in the department for several years before entering private practice. He was a co-founder of the Washington State Society of Periodontology and was a tireless worker in local, state and national dental and periodontal societies for over three decades. His efforts with the AAP earned him a Fellowship Award. He also made an impact as a certified dental consultant involved with dental insurance matters for 40 years. But dentistry didn’t consume his life. Jim was the founder of the Puget Sound Garden Railway Society. He circled the globe to meet other devotees in the search of new ideas for buildings, bridges, tunnels and rolling stock. His expertise was widely recognized and he was presented with the National Model Railroad Association’s Golden Grab-Iron Service Award. When he and Lydia downsized to a “retirement community” Jim’s main concern was what to do with the exquisite railroad layout in their backyard? Within three weeks he had organized his new neighbors into an eager labor force and an elaborate railroad sprung to life among the community’s gardens. Sailing, skiing, hiking and biking are still favorite pastimes. They both are enjoying life although Lydia spent the first part of 2008 recovering from back surgery. Mel Knight must have been distracted while he was completing the questionnaire because it was blank. Don’t ever interrupt a senior citizen when he/she is on a mission. Perhaps Miriam called him to look at one of Utah’s stunning sunsets. It is known that their son Jeff inherited gingival genes and after finishing his Perio training at Oregon joined his dad’s life-long crusade to eradicate putrid periodontal pathogens. The record will also reveal that this father and son team share office space in Salt Lake. Marty Mendelsohn had been a pre-doc student of Poppa Saul’s at Columbia (1952-56) and when Perio beckoned in 1961, UW seemed a natural and comfortable choice. He teamed with Jim Easley to win the Orban Prize. Marty then joined forces with Herb Hyman in California and the pair became a dynamic duo for an amazing 38 years. Recently Marty has switched from reading dental journals to attending classes in The Classics, Philosophy, History and Economics at UCLA. Gardening and sculpturing are other favorite activities. During Marty and Golda’s 53 years of marriage (which Marty claims is the best decision he ever made; UW Perio and practicing with Herb was number two). They raised four children and now are trying to keep up with 11 grandchildren. Roy C. Page was the fourth member of this talented class. It did take Roy seven years to complete his studies. He earned a PhD in Experimental Pathology at UW and studied at the Medical Research Council Laboratory in London. He returned to the University of Washington and became the Director of the Center of Research in Oral Biology and the Regional Clinical Dental Research Center. Throughout his illustrious career Roy has sought to understand the pathogenesis and clinical management of periodontal diseases. To this end he has nurtured countless graduate students and collaborated with hundreds of people. A prolific writer Roy has over 300 publications in journals, text books and monographs to his credit. He has made presentations throughout the world. He was the Editor in Chief of The Journal of Periodontal Research (Ha! How do you think he got all of those papers published??). He was elected President of both the American and International Associations for Dental Research (AADR & IADR). Roy has received numerous prestigious awards that include the Distinguished Scientist Award from the AADR (an honor only awarded to someone every 3-6 years), the Basic Science Award from the IADR, the Gies Award and a Citation of Merit from the AAP, and the Norton M. Ross Award for Clinical Research from the ADA. Loyola of Chicago granted him a Doctor of Science honoris causa. Roy maintained a part-time private practice in periodontics for 40 years. But his greatest accomplishment occurred in 1998. He became an instant grandparent of six little smiling faces thanks to his marriage to Pat Norfleet of AAP fame. The opera and gardening occupy Pat and Roy’s free time. This unique individual who did so much for the profession, the university, the school and the department finally called it a day at the end of May 2008. Roy can’t be replaced, but he left a foot print that won’t be forgotten.

The Class of 1962-64:

Gordon Anderson headed to San Mateo. After a short stay he relocated to Grants Pass Oregon and found his little piece of Heaven. Thanks to a sterling reputation for his profession proficiency and charming personality Gordon soon became well known in the community. Indeed he was elected Mayor of the city – a position he would occupy for eight years. This polished politician then flashed his pearly whites and with Marilynn at his side hit the campaign trail in earnest. His prize was a seat in the Oregon State House of Representatives for four more years of public service. Bill Dahlberg is among the most gifted people to emerge from the Program. He had a head start having completed an Oral Surgery residency with the USPH prior to coming to Seattle. Dozens and dozens of grad students can attest to his clinical acumen and surgical skills. As a member of the AAP, he worked tirelessly on many committees and was a lexicographer par excellence who was chiefly responsible for two editions of the Glossary of Periodontal Terms. For his countless contributions to the Academy, he was awarded an AAP Fellowship. Summers found Bill and Helen plying the tranquil waters off the west coast of BC and with the change of seasons he headed to the snowy slopes. But fate struck an unkind blow. He was an innocent victim in a car accident on Steven’s Pass that left him unable to practice thanks to a bad back. Bill still found his way to the seminars and Grad Clinic on Fridays until heart problems derailed him. On January 12, 2008 he entered the hospital for a double bypass. Regrettably a cascade of serious therapeutic “complications” has made this year one the family would sooner forget. But you gotta be tough to get old and Bill Dahlberg is one tough hombre. On a positive note, Bill was well enough to attend the graduation party held in June for this year’s Perio class. There he received a plaque as UW’s recipient of the AAP’s 2008 Educator Award. Stephen Miller moved to New Hampshire and hasn’t been heard from since. The locals talk in hushed tones about an eerie apparition, a secretive yeti, seen in the shadows during a full moon on Mt Washington (the highest US peak east of the Mississippi). Could it be that Stephen became disoriented while skiing at Tuckerman’s Ravine and has become “The Ghost of Sleepy Hollow”? Larimiro (Larry) Recalde stayed in Seattle for one year. He returned to Paraguay to practice. He was last seen panning for oro along the Paraguay River where he discovered some pre-Colombian artifacts that can be traced back to the semi-nomadic Guaranispeaking tribes who were fierce warriors. It has been speculated that they may have traveled to West Texas and that some of the designs of the Indian artifacts in Robert L. Johnson’s trove of ancient collectibles were influenced by these South American people. Larry Ringle’s last known resting place was in Clearwater Florida. The questionnaires kept getting returned and telephone calls were answered by disconnected messages. It’s a pity because all who knew him say he is a neat guy! Fumio Shibata OKU finished the program in great style and found his way to San Francisco. For the next 30 years Fumio coupled private practice with teaching at UCSF. He served as the Chairman of Peer Review for the California Society of Periodontology and was an instructor in CPR for the San Francisco Dental Society. He spread his wings as a Community Emergency Response Team member for major catastrophes. Fumio has numerous non-dental interests. He traded his surgical instruments for a paintbrush and gained enough fame to merit a one-man show in San Francisco. Fumio plays the guitar and enjoys fishing, hiking, biking and landscaping. Ear surgery forced him to drop SCUBA diving from the list. He and Emily Emi now spend much of their time as devoted grandparents to five youngsters scattered throughout California.

The Class of 1963-65:

Five started in September and three survived to begin Winter Quarter. Shakespeare would have called it “the winter of our discontent”. Periodontists would have wondered if this was an anomaly or an aberrant abrasion that led to acute attrition, erosion, eruption, extraction and eventual evulsion. Even one of the three who remained was on a fast track. Wally Mann had been accepted as a one-year student so he could hustle back to the University of Alabama to teach before becoming the Dean at the University of Mississippi. He remains the only UW Grad Perio alumnus to reach that academic pinnacle and become top Dawg at a dental school (for the record there is no truth to the adage that those with questionable clinical skills turn to teaching and those who can’t teach became deans). Neil Basaraba (deceased) was one of a series of outstanding graduates from the University of Alberta to take specialty training in Seattle. He taught at UW for a couple of years and contributed a chapter to the popular text “Periodontal Diseases” that emanated from the department. He established a highly respected practice in Vancouver BC region. A free spirit Neil loved helicopter skiing and was once swept down a mountain buried in an avalanche. A companion was killed. In spite of a split pelvis he calmly explained that he knew he was A-OK when he finally came to a stop, looked up and through a hole in the snow saw blue sky. Neil died in September 2005 leaving his bride of 50 years Shirley and three children Bob, Gary and Gail. Paul Heins spent his adult life in dental school. For about 10 of those years he hung out at UW where the students gave him rave teaching reviews. Their only regret was they could never find him to give him an award. He then was named the first Chairman of Periodontics at the University of Florida. Among Paul’s accomplishments was the creation of a graduate program in the discipline at that institution. From South East to Far East he flew as an exchange professor at Tokyo Dental College, Chiba Japan. He also had a sabbatical with Jan Egelberg at Loma Linda. Paul retired in 2004, and he and Joyce returned to Puget Sound. He has been a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, climbed Mt Rainier and at age 72 backpacked 200 miles in the Cascades (aided by an entourage of 12 Sherpa and three dozen yaks). During quiet moments Paul likes to paint and to soar solo among cumulus clouds in a biplane with his boa trailing in the wind.

The Class of 1964-66:

R. M. Bradley has led an interesting life. Originally from England Robert completed Periodontics and then earned a PhD in Biological Sciences at Florida State in 1970. A two-year Post-Doc at Oxford in Fetal Physiology followed. In 1972 he joined the faculty in the Department of Oral Biology in the School of Dentistry at Michigan. Six years later Bob received a joint appointment in the School of Medicine. He has served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Biologic and Material Sciences in the Dental School and now is Professor of Physiology in Medicine. Along the way he was a Visiting Researcher at UC Irvine. In his productive career he has published a slew of papers, earned a handful of awards, been a reviewer for 13 scientific journals and chaired several NIH grant review committees. He currently is the Principal Investigator and an Investigator in two research projects dealing with taste. They are funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Stanton Canter excelled during his stay at UW. He then found his way to Woodland Hills California where he and Janet have enjoyed fun in the sun. He is the co-creator of a Nobel esthetic abutment and the co-creator of the Nobel Institute for Communication and Case Acceptance. He has patents on his implant inventions. Stan has thrown himself into non-dental pursuits as a founding member of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the founder and principal sponsor of the Foundation for Respect and Tolerance in the Czech Republic. He is an ardent collector of judaica and rare religious books. Gardening, painting and travel are favorite pursuits. Ron Fabrick (deceased) was a dedicated alumnus who made a name for himself in Chicago. He retraced his steps to Seattle several times to visit his son and invariably would stop by the dental school to say, “HI!” He would attend the morning seminar and offer sage advice (he always denied it was for tax purposes). Ron was honored by the American Dental Society of Europe for the educational help he contributed over the years. Aggressive prostrate cancer may have defeated him physically, but it never broke his spirit. He was a class act. Lamar Pearson set sail for Jacksonville Florida where he had been in general practice for eight years after a stint in the army during the Korean conflict. He almost didn’t reply to the questionnaire because he thought he was “vanilla” and had done nothing of importance. What could be more important in our field than treating patients fairly and well thanks to a solid background in restorative dentistry and periodontics? Isn’t that what we are all about? He and Susan have focused on family life raising two fine sons who are married with children. Lamar retired 15 years ago, but has kept busy. They enjoy their church membership and traveling. A trip to Europe was particularly rewarding because Lamar had an opportunity to use his knowledge of German. They are members of a country club with an excellent fitness center where they try to stay in shape. He acknowledges that one cannot hold back the sands of time and that while all his systems are in good working order he has lost some stamina and can’t do the physical labor he once could. I don’t understand why? He’s only 79! Ralph Yuodelis has lamented for years that “he was only one man”. In spite of that handicap he still managed to accomplish a “fair bit”. He enjoyed a charismatic career of productive presentations, awesome authorships, laudable leadership, tantalizing travels, and splendid sabbaticals. The international acclaim gained by UW’s marriage of the graduate programs in Periodontics and Prosthodontics surely is a tribute to Ralph’s training in and mastery of these two disciplines. He is a co-author of two well-recognized texts – “Periodontal Diseases” and “Contemporary Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry”. He is a Past President of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics and a Fellow of both the American and International College of Dentists. Ralph was given the University of Alberta’s 1998 Distinguished Alumnus “Outstanding Achievement Award” and named the University of Washington Dental Alumni’s 2002 “Distinguished Alumnus”. He currently is Professor Emeritus of Restorative Dentistry and Director Emeritus of Graduate Prosthodontics at UW. Indeed Ralph set a record for retirement dinners thrown by his frenzied fans. He also survived a series of significant surgeries. His two bionic knees have worked well. He was on the table not once, but twice, for 12-hour back surgeries. He has so much metal holding his spine together that airport security teams go on high alert to prevent passenger panic when all of the alarms sound. The only blemish in an otherwise rewarding life is that he still can’t beat Nan, his bride of over 50 years, in golf. But then he is “only one man”!!!

The Class of 1965-67-68:

By now there were two official portals of entry into Grad Perio. Saul restricted entrance into the 18-month certificate program to “seasoned” applicants. The three-year funded graduate program was open to applicants with potential interest in teaching and research. For the next few years the clinic buzzed with frenetic activity and Dr. Schluger excelled in farming people out to some rather esoteric classes. Under the guise of educational objectives it really was a subterfuge to free up clinic space. Joe Atkins and classmate Harley Sullivan conducted an innovative study on free gingival grafts. Their coup de grâce was three landmark publications on the subject. Joe then ambled on to Glendale Arizona where he and Judy became “well known” in the community. In addition to managing a successful practice, Joe became President of the Arizona Society of Periodontology and wrote a chapter on mucogingival surgery for Paul Baer’s textbook. He coached high school baseball teams. Judy and Joe made a good team. She was President of Glendale Babe Ruth Baseball (BRB) while he was State Commissioner of BRB. He possessed an esoteric calculus for handicapping horses and was featured in the publication “Horizon Arizona” and on a PBS special “small time thoroughbred horse owner”. Way to go Joe!! He was an Elder in his Lutheran Church and a member of the Glendale Arts Commission that focused on promoting Arizona artists. But the couple’s life was not only in Camelot. Judy has been coping with a mucoepidermoid carcinoma and Joe had colon cancer. They must be doing well because he sent his regrets for not attending the 50th. They had made prior plans to visit Germany. Michael Buckland taught at the University of North Carolina for three years before entering private practice in Winston-Salem. He continued to teach one day a week at UNC for another eight years. In 2004 Bucky retired from practice and started a new career in woodworking. Even here there is a dental influence. His three-legged stools resemble inverted maxillary molars and the supports for his park benches are fashioned after mandibular molars. His favorites are rural mailbox posts designed like implants that can be screwed into the ground with ease. These creative genes have been passed down to his two sons. Eric has a PhD in Physics. He is President and CEO of an exciting start-up company BIOPTIGEN. Marc is an EMMY winning director of TV shows. His latest is “My Name Is Earl”. Bucky and his wife B. J. just celebrated their 25th anniversary. They have four grandchildren ranging in age from almost three to 21 who occupy their proud grandparents’ free time. David Dinner practiced Perio with flair – first in Lake Tahoe and then Reno. His resiliency was tested by three marriages. His reward was two wonderful daughters and three grandchildren. The quality of his artistic talents has been demonstrated by several one-man shows in first class art galleries. One entitled “Colors of the Heart” enjoyed a four-week run in Big Sur California. When David said, “Au Revoir” to Perio, he packed up his paint brushes and moved to Kauai where the sounds and scenes and scents and a spectacular surfer named Kim can envelope a person. Now more mellow, but still alert (lap swimming, tai chi, and political activist for environmental and sustainability issues), he completed massage school and gained craniosacral certification. He owns a massage and yoga business at Hanalei Bay Resort and has a craniosacral practice in his home overlooking Kalihiwai Bay. Life is sweet! Alfred Goodman went to Texas to cut gums and is still at it 41 years later. As with most people in the field his emphasis has changed from pyorrhea to implants. An avid art collector, his focus has evolved to “Mid Century” art and furniture. Texans seem to spawn dynasties, and Al and Joyce are no exceptions. They have had 48 years of togetherness to work on it. Instead of Periodontists they concentrated on the legal profession. Son David and his wife Patricia Americk are lawyers. So are daughter Laura and her husband Preston Towber. Son Steve became a builder (periodontists and attorneys need offices), but he married attorney Maxine Dachslager. Now Alfred and Joyce can relax, spoil their seven grandchildren, send them home and let the legal system straighten things out. Michael Grossman has been a pioneer. He was one of the first UW grads to become Board Certified in Perio. In 1985 he co-founded the first PPO in California. Ten years later he founded First Dental Health (a PPO Network Management Company), which holds the only retail discount healthcare license granted by The California Department of Managed Healthcare. He still practices a ½ day each week to pay the bills; during the other 4½ days he serves as CEO of First Dental Health. He is CEO Roundtable and Healthcare Committee of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. Michael and Margaret live in La Jolla. Donald Keene and Carolyn call Port Orange Florida home. A political pundit in the profession, Don has been President of Volusia-Flagler Dental Association, President of Central District Dental Association (11 counties) and President of the Florida Association of Periodontists. He has made presentations at the AAP meetings, the Southern Academy of Periodontology, and in Argentina and Brazil. Don earned OKU in dental school and later was elected to The American College of Dentists. He has been on dental/medical mission trips to Jamaica, the Caribbean Islands and South America. An avid golfer he developed back problems thanks to the growth of a schwannoma in the L-2 region of the spinal cord. That demanded a six-hour operation to remove the neoplasm. Unfortunately degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and right hand forced Don to throw in the towel and retire from practice. Son Greg attended dental school at Florida. Tom Pallasch braided Pharmacology and Periodontics, and had an exemplary career for 34 years at USC as Chairman of the two disciplines – pills and pyorrhea. He certainly was a fertile and creative writer in both dental and medical circles. Tom focused on infectious diseases, antibiotics, microbial resistance and statistics of clinical trials. To date he has authored about 100 peer review and 200 non-peer review publications, three books and 15 chapters for texts. He was a co-author of the 1997 and 2007 American Heart Association guidelines for the prevention of infective endocarditis and several other AHA publications. Tom has spent 40 years in the trenches of malpractice litigation as an expert witness. He considers his biggest achievement was eliminating lawsuits against dentists for causation of infective endocarditis. He has been well recognized for his contributions to the profession. He was elected to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Faculty of 1000 in Medicine. The Huskies and Trojans may do battle on the gridiron and basketball court, but over the years Tom has maintained an affection for UW’s Perio Program. He happily accepted invitations to return to Seattle to give day-long presentations on Pharmacology to the grad students. In 2001 he moved to Alexandria Virginia where he lives and continues to write in Pynchon-like seclusion. In progress are three book chapters on infectious disease, four papers on statistics and two more on antibiotic resistance. His hobbies are learning, his three kids and four super grandchildren. Ron Rott, a 1980 Diplomate of the American Board, practiced high quality periodontics for 40 years in Sacramento. He is now retired. He has been an elder in Fremont Presbyterian Church and has led a full and satisfying life outside the dental office. Ron was elated by the two weeks he spent in Jamaica on a Medical/Dental mission in February 2008. Ron feels this Christian service is the most rewarding experience he has had and he intends to return. He and Kathy have raised two wonderful daughters. An outdoor enthusiast he has traveled to many parts of the world to fish and hunt. He trains dogs. Ron is a renowned bird fancier’s bird fancier who housed over 50 rare birds (including giant scarlet macaws and cockatoos) in his aviary. With that in mind he played a mean game of tennis (two or three times a week at lunchtime for 35 years), but avoided badminton so he wouldn’t have to hit a shuttlecock. And don’t even think about fly fishing if feathers are used. And yet this ornithologist loved nothing more than to head to the hills with his Labs to shoot ducks, pheasants and doves. Hum! Harley Sullivan gained early success and national recognition for the three articles on Free Gingival Grafts. After finishing the program he taught at Penn for a couple of years before returning to Seattle to practice. New pursuits beckoned. Rumor has it he created a productive fish farm in Talent Oregon. Now he can be found (with difficulty) with his wife Nancy on a ranch in his home state of Texas. Roy Thordarson established a private practice in West Vancouver BC. Ten years of practice and one back surgery later led him to consider a different line of work. Roy had been active in the profession, teaching, mentoring study club members, lecturing on the provincial and national scene, and serving on committees. So a switch to organized dentistry was not too much of a stretch. Happily he has had a productive and well respected 20-year second career as Registrar and CEO of The College of Dental Surgeons of BC. He has been an active volunteer with Option Youth Society, The Salvation Army and The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Search and Rescue. Fortunately his back “Ain’t Misbehaving” too much. He lists skiing, running, tennis, sailing and woodworking among the activities he enjoys with his wife Nancy.

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The Class of 1966-68-69:

Class size continued to increase. The entering group consisted of four certificate students and six students with grant support (one of whom was working toward a PhD and another who officially was in Oral Biology). Niels Johansen inherited Viking genes. He explored the Pacific coastline with a reckless restlessness before deciding that his Valhalla lay on a 20-acre piece of property perched on the highest hill overlooking Santa Rosa California. He made forays as far north as BC where he plundered pathogens in pockets of patients with pyorrhea. Having broken his wrist while building a Canadian castle, Niels returned to warmer climates in Sacramento where he hoped to earn a Degree in International Law. His passion for Periodontics resurfaced and over the years he has given presentations on the national stage and local arena. Niels has mentored over 150 study club members; his current practice focuses on implants. In his free time he and Brigit patiently prune their Santa Rosa grape vines in their roles as Monarchs of Merlot Mountain. Their Viking ancestors would be impressed; Northern Scandinavia was hardly the place to grow grapes. Tom Merchant practices in Portland Oregon where for the past 40 years he has been heavily involved in a variety of organizations, committees, study clubs, proxy fights and foreign aid. During that stretch he “never missed a meal and never dodged a bullet.” Volunteer work, golf, fly fishing and travel head his list of favorite activities. He has three kids and four grandkids who are all good citizens of the earth. He has lived his life with great gusto! Jerry Owings is in good health in Boynton Beach Florida. He retired from 37 years of practicing Periodontics at the end of December 2006 and now is practicing Real Estate on a limited basis. His latest tip is that the real estate market in Florida is still declining so if you have some spare cash he has some hot deals. He does gain great pleasure at home propagating tropical plants. The layout has been featured in “Better Homes and Gardens” and is a popular stop on the community’s annual Gorgeous Garden Tour. John Ruud opened a new dental office in Wenatchee WA on April’s Fool Day 2008 at the tender age of 79 years young. That’s not unexpected for this frontiersman who raced sled dogs for 15 years and is a Past President of the International Sled Dog Racing Association. He raised hogs, owned a slaughter/packing house for ham and bacon, and was a Purina Food Salesman. He was in the cherry and apple orchard business, and has a U-Pick raspberry farm. John and Alice live on an 1800-acre farm with cattle and horses, and 600 Dahlia plants. Professionally John made his mark with innovative ideas in the early days of free gingival grafts, described a “Craniomandibular Vascular Syndrome” and developed a rational treatment protocol for TMD. John has practiced with the philosophy that occlusal equilibration and centric relation are the basis for every successfully achievement in clinical dentistry with the exception of exodontia. Joe Swartz motored down I-5 to Portland where he began a great mix of private practice and teaching as an Associate Professor at the Oregon Health Science University School of Dentistry. He retired from private practice in 2002, but has maintained a 40% teaching commitment. And the students are delighted. His sterling efforts have been recognized by the Distinguished Teaching Award and The Best Teacher of the Year Award in 1974 and 1990. When the AAP introduced its Educator Award in 2005 to recognize outstanding teachers at each US dental school, Joe was selected by his peers as OHSU-SOD’s first recipient. He has published in J Perio. He has lectured in most western states, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico, and has mentored several Perio Study Clubs. He also played an important role in organized dentistry serving as President of the Multnomah County Dental Society and the Oregon Society of Periodontists. Joe has been a booster of the Oregon Zoo and an active member of Congregation Neveh Shalom. Through it all he has held hands with his long-time bride Susan. He still works out four times a week jogging and weight lifting, and displays a fascination for astronomy and a green thumb for gardening. Ah but it is two daughters and their children that really bring a sparkle to Joe and Sue’s eyes. Ray Levitats became Israel’s first American-trained periodontist. He planted the seeds of the UW mystique at the Hadassah Dental School. As time passed he added implants to his teaching schedule. His only disappointment was the lack of well-educated colleagues (especially in the early years) with whom he could consult on complicated cases. He and Eileen have four adult children and at last count 10 grandchildren. Ray has a special interest and talent in photography resulting in numerous exhibitions and published books. His search for that perfect photo has led to world-wide travel to exotic locations including the base of Mt. Everest. Paul Rhodes may have had his mesmeric matrimonial moments, but he is a clinician’s clinician who detects a need and finds a solution. He designed the Rhodes Back Action Chisel that is still popular 40 years later. He created “Time for Perio” – the leading EMR for Periodontics. Paul also founded The Dentists Insurance Co, which is considered the number one dentist-owned professional liability company in the US. This summer “The Personal Report” by David Schwab Ph.D. and Paul became an on-line newsletter focusing on business and digital technology info for periodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. These latter activities currently consume Paul’s attention. He received a Special Citation from the AAP for his many contributions to the Academy. Paul is talented (and crazy) enuf to build big sailboats and then, reliving the exploits of Zeng He, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, sets off on his own odyssey. An aficionado of haute cuisine he enjoys gourmet cooking and listening to soft jazz to create a mellow mood. Leonard Tibbetts certainly has been a good-will ambassador for UW’s Perio Program. After completing his three years he taught at LSU from 1969-71. He then moved back to The Lone Star State to begin private practice and carve his niche in the national scene. He rubbed shoulders with some of the most respected periodontists of that era – Charley Finley, Cliff Ochsenbein and John Pritchard. He became an astute clinical observer and was a co-author with Ochsenbein and Laughlin on the well-received article on the lingual approach to osseous surgery. Len has been a champion in the use of conscious i.v. sedation in Periodontics and is grateful to Dennis Shanelec for introducing him to the use of microsurgery in practice so that he might share that technique with others. Named a Schluger Visiting Professor, Lennie made several trips to Seattle to help the graduate students. He has a long history of involvement in organized Periodontics. He began with the SW Society of Periodontists and then served on a slew of committees with the AAP including a six-year stint on the Board of Directors before making the climb (that included three Special Citation Awards and The Fellowship Award) to the Presidency in 1994. The capstone of this remarkable service in the Academy was the 2002 Gold Medal Award. Leonard also was the founding President of the AAP Foundation. In non-dental matters he was active in the Rotary Club for 22 years and “pinch hit” as Mayor Pro-tem of Arlington TX for five years. Back problems struck, but spinal fusion surgery has returned him to full function. He is able to garden, enjoy SCUBA diving and hunt quail on their spread in Texas. On weekends you just might find him perched on his MasseyFerguson tractor plowing the back 40. If you have 30 minutes you should ask Mary Jane to show you photos of their grandchildren. David Simpson was funded by a UW School of Medicine grant and earned a PhD in Experimental Pathology in 1971. He then spent two years at the US Naval Medical Research Unit in Bethesda. That led to a career (1973-2002) on the faculty at UNC School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill. David assumed the Directorship of Grad Perio in 1979; from 1987 until 1994 he was Department Chair. Along the way he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Although he retired from the fulltime faculty in 2002, he maintains a 2-day per week private practice in Raleigh. He attributes his success to staying out of trouble, staying married to Suzanne by staying out of trouble, going to church to learn how to stay out of trouble, raising two kids who stayed out of trouble, and working hard so he had no time to get into trouble. And if time permits he plays tennis, tends their garden with a green thumb and creates neat things in his woodworking shop so he is too tired to get into trouble. Noah Zager received his grant support in the Department of Oral Biology, but gained his clinical experience in Periodontics. After completing his programs he eventually made his way to Boston where he held a faculty position at Harvard. He currently is in private practice in Chestnut Hill MA, but has maintained an academic affiliation by lecturing and supervising in the clinic. Active in the AAP he was a recipient of the Academy’s Special Citation in 2000.

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The Class of 1967-69-70:

When the dust settled four graduate students in periodontics and one certificate student who started in the fall of 1967 actually completed the program. The survivors were they not only gifted academically and clinically, they were super human beings whose work ethic and sense of humor rubbed off on the rest of us. Where’s Waldo??? Neil Waldow that is. He was the best certificate student in the class. He practiced in Orange CA for 25 years, most of the time with Bill Futa (q.v.). Then he and Elaine boarded one of Paul Rhodes’ sailboats and were marooned in Hawaii. Destitute, they started to grow Protea and soon became moguls in a flourishing flower enterprise shipping their beautiful blooms world-wide. Tourists were attracted to their fertile farm. To entertain the children who were dragged along by their camera-toting parents, Neil raised Chilean chickens (they thrive on Protea seeds) that the kids could feed by inserting money in strategically placed seed-dispensing machines. Elaine (a PhD in Anthropology who produced a documentary on Tongan bark cloth for PBS) enhanced this booming business by displaying artifacts from her archeological digs. To cope with the onslaught of busloads of sightseers they opened a Starbucks store using Kona Coffee beans from their plantation. But they had to “pave paradise to put up a parking lot”. On a more somber note, Neil has been receiving treatment for lung cancer, but is back playing tennis. That’s smashing! William F. Ammons Jr. (deceased) was the senior citizen in this group. His profile may be found at the end of this review. David Engel is one of the most self-effacing people on the planet. When he “struck it rich” in the toothbrush business, there was a resounding cheer – it could not have happened to a nicer human being. So who is he? David received a Certificate in Perio, his MS in Microbiology and (after an interruption with the US military) a PhD in Experimental Pathology at UW. He was a Full Professor at UW, a Visiting Scientist in Immunology at Scripps Research Institute, a Clinical Associate Professor in Perio at USC, and a Project Scientist in Hematology and Oncology at UC San Diego. He received research grants and amassed an impressive list of publications. He assumed the Chairmanship of Perio at UW while the then Chair was a gadabout in Scotland. He has extensive experience in the corporate world and a former member of the Board of Directors of Optiva Corporation. He currently is on the Board of Directors of Ultreo, makers of a new power toothbrush invented in part at UW. Soooooo what does he write on the Questionnaire under Professional Highlights? “Journeyman scientist/professor at UW where I did NIH-sponsored research, and clinical and didactic teaching for about 20 years.” It was David Engel who provided the last needed monetary transfusion to complete the stalled campaign for The Schluger Endowed Chair in Periodontics. David also funded the Ammons / Engel Professorship in Periodontics. He and Peg love majestic mountains. He served on a non-profit wildlife advocacy organization in Bozeman MT for several years. He now sits on the Board of Directors of the Anzo-Borrego Foundation and Institute, partners with the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California (the largest state park in the lower 48). He has two fine sons, one a software engineer in Seattle and the other a business man in San Diego. David and Peg are currently consumed with the building of a new home in San Diego. May they find time for R ’n R during their retirement. Luther Hutchens excelled in the program and then joined Walter McFall at UNC (Dave Simpson would later complete the trio). During his 30 productive years at Chapel Hill (1970-2000) L. H. served as Chairman from 19774-84 and had a stint as Grad Program Director from 1985-92. He did enjoy a sabbatical leave in Loma Linda working with Jan Egelberg. Since his official retirement he has been happily practicing two days a week in Jacksonville NC. He claims to be the “most blessed person in the world” thanks to 43 years of matrimonial bliss with Brenda, his activities in the community, his church work, and his Perio study clubs. He enjoys playing golf, but what he really likes to do is catch fish – BIG FISH – and unlike the exaggerated claims of most anglers he has the certificates to prove his outrageous statements. Larry Schectman was the fourth graduate student in this outstanding class. He meandered on over to the northeastern part of the country and taught at Connecticut for a few years. In the private sector he built a two office multi-doc practice. Larry was elected President of the State Perio Society and President of the local Dental Society. His nonprofessional pursuits include computer graphics and photography, tennis, travel and hiking. Barbara served as a marriage counselor in Connecticut. The couple currently enjoys “A Tale of Two Cities”; they spend their summers in Waterford and winters in Palm Desert CA. Michael Clarke initially focused on his MSD project in Oral Biology and then blitzed the clinical component of the program. A productive career in California followed. He was on the faculty at USC and UOP, and became the Director, Dental Health Programs, Chabot Community College in Hayward. Michael was elected President of the California Society of Periodontists and was the founding Editor of the Society’s Newsletter. He was a member of the Council on Scientific Sessions of the CDA and the Committee of Local Arrangements of the ADA Annual Meetings – a huge commitment; 85,000 people attended the 1985 meeting in San Francisco. He combined private practice with his academic and administrative positions. On retirement a different Michael Clarke emerged. He began writing and is the author of three published fictional novels: “Geezer Sex” (Wonder if Jeannie had any input in that effort), “Whenever He Saw A Marching Band” and “The Little Boy Who Lived In The Movie Theater”. His became a Natural Science & History Docent with the Oakland Museum of California, McHenry Museum & Mansion, and Great Valley Museum in Modesto CA. He also volunteered in community service and church activities. Finally he ran in the Boston Marathon in 1979.

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The Class of 1968-70-71:

Bill Futa was the sole student funded by the three-year NIDR training grant. In responding to the 50th questionnaire he listed his career highlight as “Assisting and restraining Robert H. Johnson during one of his first surgeries”. What this tactful gentleman didn’t add was that he suctioned at a distance to avoid RHJ’s scalpel blade or that when instructor Alf Ogilvie suggested we “Close it up”, Bill whispered, “But he’s not done.” To which Alf, with bushy eyebrows twitching, replied “Enuf is enuf!” Nevertheless Robert H. beat him out of the program and wonky William was shipped to Canada’s frozen north (Edmonton Alberta) with Stan Sapkos where the banter continued. He had two years to repent before being released under Neil Waldow’s strict supervision in Orange County. It proved to be an ideal location because Bill longed for a season’s pass to Disney Land. He had a stint as President of the Schluger Study Club. To prove that life begins at 40, this once chubby cherub became a lean machine. Somehow Sumi has kept her sense of humor as William (a menace to himself) has crashed while mountain biking, recovered from saddle sores on the Seattle to Portland bike race, overcame asphyxiation by car exhaust while running, escaped hungry sharks while SCUBA diving, almost drowned after capsizing in a sea kayak, and survived climbing Mt Rainier. Bill claims his most important non-professional achievement has been helping Sumi raise three successful children. Robert Lee Johnson, possessor of a Texan twang, worked Schluger Periodontics from 1970 to 1998 from 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM. He did close the office on National Holidays and some long weekends. He has contributed to chapters in perio textbooks. His favorite activities are fishing at Amistad and Vermejo, playing golf and hunting. Robert Lee has been hunting American Indian Artifacts (especially arrow heads) since he was a small boy and now owns an internationally renowned collection. The love of his and Doty’s lives are son Lee Johnson’s (MD radiologist) kids. Granddaughter Brooke, a Junior at Texas Tech, was a star athlete in high school. She played on the volleyball team that won back-to-back state championships and was the state track champion in the 200 and 400 meters. For these achievements Brooke was named the Texas 4-A female athlete of the year during both her junior and senior years of high school. Grandson Evan is a high school freshman with a bright future before him. John Lenox settled in Cincinnati. His talents and demeanor were soon recognized and he became the President of that city’s Dental Society. John was elected to OKU and the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and was named a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He was appointed a “Kentucky Colonel” in 2001 by Governor Patton and was honored as a Fellow of the University of Kentucky. His non-professional pursuits include painting, genealogical research, and publishing for the Bracken County Kentucky Histological Society. His wife Pat was featured in TIME Magazine for outstanding achievements by Women in America. The couple now lives on 60 acres on the banks of the Ohio River. Daughter Becky, who originally earned a MS in Counseling, Alcohol and Drug Prevention, switched gears and is a Staff Periodontist with the VA in Portland OR. Roger Michalson (deceased) spent most of his career practicing in Central Oregon. He died in Scottsdale AZ in 2005 as a result of a sudden fulminating pulmonary infection. Joel Piehl still practices on Sunset Boulevard where patients’ expectations are high and his significant clinical skills are put to the test. He taught Perio at USC for a few years and was active in the California Society of Periodontology. Then he discovered bigger mountains to climb – The Grand Tetons. He had the good sense to hang up his rock climbing gear when he hit the half century mark. Now he sticks to a mountain bike. Joel, a National Level Soccer Referee, played a major role in convincing David Beckham to cross the pond and don a shirt with the L.A. Galaxy. Joel’s wife Sarah befriended Posh Spice Victoria and helped the Beckhams find suitable digs in L.A. The Piehls love to ski, travel and garden. During quiet times Joel can be found in his art sculpture studio. George Ronning (deceased) was a wonderful human being. He practiced for years in Portland and taught part-time at U of O. He was, among other things, Speaker of the House of Delegates of the Oregon Dental Association. His contributions to the school, the profession and the community were of such magnitude that he was named “Outstanding Alumnus” of the University of Oregon. But the fates were cruel and George developed pancreatic cancer, which can be ugly. He didn’t mope or moan, “Why me?” Instead he went out with style and dignity. He sold his practice and traveled to the UK and Ireland with Jeanie, who was a member of their touring church choir, and their daughter. George died on November 9th 1997. He has been missed. Welly Suzuki retired from practice in Saratoga CA about three years ago. Our sleuths have failed us and his current whereabouts is a mystery. Perhaps he is in the “witness protection program” having inadvertently stumbled on a Mafioso murder. Jim Wise completed the Program, climbed on his motorcycle, crossed the 520 floating bridge and hung up his shingle in Bellevue. After 35 years he and Alex moved to Hailey Idaho where he practiced in Ketchum on Fridays until the spring of 2007. Now they play golf in the summer and ski in the winter. Between seasons the magnetism of five daughters and three grandchildren in the Seattle region is strong.

The Class of 1969-71-72

There were ten newcomers in the fall of 69: Four graduate students in Perio, one in Oral Biology and the “Flatulent Five” certificate students. Bill Lavine completed the MSD program and joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut for a few years. He also taught at Tufts. His research efforts focused on PMNs and led to interesting papers on Chédiak-Higashi Disease and Early Onset Periodontitis. During his 33 years of practice an emphasis evolved into the connection between Periodontics and Oral Ecology. He became a Board Member of Connecticut’s Humanities Council with a mandate to bridge the Science / Humanities-Arts divide in the Greater Hartford Region. Bill and Barb have raised two great kids and enjoy kayaking, hiking, photography and music. Bill Payne also earned the MSD degree. At one time he could be found in Sonoma or Santa Rosa CA. He now must be starring on ABC’s TV hit “Lost”. He has disappeared. Roy Sofield (deceased) opened a private practice in Bellingham. He and his wife were killed in a car crash in 1980. They were much too young to die. Lavon Shelton was negotiating the second year of the Program when he received notice that his three-year funding would dry up in a few months. So it was “move it or lose it”. Responding faster than a speeding bullet, he completed his research by the end that summer and became the State of Idaho’s first periodontist. He was a member of the Idaho State Board of Dentistry from 1995-2000 and its President in 2000. Lavon was the first periodontist appointed to the Western Regional Dental Examining Board. He has been involved in Boise’s community affairs for 25 years as a member of Lions International. Since his retirement from Perio, he has held a part-time job stocking and servicing vending machines for the Idaho Candy Company owned by his son-in-law (candy and kids – a dental delight?). Jan and Lavon’s daughter Jill is a dentist in Boise and son Brett has a PhD in Educational Technology. Extensive travel and outdoor activities consume free time. Shelly just beams at the thought of slugging through the bush in the rain and snow in search of a deer or an elk, and freezing his buns ice fishing. Darwin Engen sailed through the Certificate Program and moved to Spokane to practice. He was named the 1996 Mentor of the Year for his efforts with the Seattle Study Club’s branch in Spokane. And yet nothing provided more pleasure than cruising on the West Coast on his 52-foot luxury liner that was moored at Anacortes on Puget Sound. To expedite travel to this splendid ship he bought an airplane and zoomed across the state. He stopped practicing a couple of years ago and started building his own airplane. Darwin and Helen have really enjoyed their retirement, but some of their plans were put on hold when Helen was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2007. Darwin’s son David trained in Ortho/Perio at Indiana and, with a partner, has taken over his dad’s practice. Ryan and his wife both have PhDs and are teaching at the International Institute in Geneva and live in France. Charlie is a police officer in Snohomish County north of Seattle. Each son and his bride have added three children to the mix so Darwin and Helen have been kept busy. Robert H. Johnson is a migrant worker with a background in Oral Medicine and Perio. He has studied or taught in seven dental schools (two of them twice) in four countries. During his 1980 interview for the Chairmanship of Periodontics at UW, Herb Selipsky said, “Robert, if you were a brilliant researcher or gifted clinician we wouldn’t want you. We want someone who will stay at home and look after the shop while the rest of us do our thing.” It proved prophetic because Robert H. was placed on a “watch list” by Homeland Security after 9/11. That made travel difficult. More people perused his Gum Gardeners Gazette than his contributions to the scientific and clinical literature. And larger audiences endured his School of Dentistry Convocation addresses than ever attended his scientific or clinical presentations. Nevertheless for 50 years he has had a love affair with dental students. In “retirement” he maintains a 40% appointment as Professor Emeritus at UW and a 60% commitment to enjoy his kids’ kids. Tom McKee still sees patients with enthusiasm and vigor in Allentown PA where he has made meaningful and unselfish contributions to the region’s dental activities. He was a clinical instructor at Penn for six years. He lectured and taught in the clinic at Northampton County Community College Dental Hygiene Program for 10 years. Tom was on the attending staff of Lehigh Valley Hospital Dental Residency Program for 28 years and the Chief of Perio for six. He was the President of Lehigh County and Lehigh Valley Dental Societies. He is into frenetic biking, slo-pitch, racquetball, tennis and basketball. To catch his breath he reads historical and biographical works. Tom and Carol have four children (one of whom is a hygienist). They enjoy the water and have sailed in the Virgin Islands and in the San Juan Islands. Stanley Sapkos is a tour de force who could have followed a host of career paths. He received his Certificate and returned to teach full time at his Alma Mater the University of Alberta, to practice in Edmonton, and to form a dental equipment and instrument company so he had something to do (install the equipment in dental offices) on weekends when he wasn’t building a cabin at a nearby lake. He returned to UW in 1979 and soon became Director of the Grad Program and interim Chair of the Department. Private practice in Seattle along with satellites in Alaska, Canada and Italy followed. When he discovered some flaws in the design of early implant systems and the company displayed little interest in making modifications, Stan created his own implant system that was userfriendly for the restorative dentist. He designed a unique torque wrench that can be infinitely adjusted at the time of each use. His contributions to the profession did not escape notice; Stan was elected to Fellowship in the American and International College of Dentists. Boating in Puget Sound and along the coast of BC seemed to provide enough sense and sensibility to offset this hectic pace. After 41 years of dentistry, he and Rose Marie moved to Arizona where they traded the boat (although he still loves to fish) for a motor home and an airplane. Stan even built an airplane. Amazingly it flies! He and Rose Marie have been silent philanthropists for numerous community projects. Bob Zakarin moved to Tallahassee FL, became Board Certified and thrived in private practice from 1971 until 2005 when back and neck problems forced him to retire. Along the way he opened a Wok ‘n Roll eatery around the corner from one of Jill’s chain of movie rental stores (long before Block Busters). Addicts of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies were good for both establishments. The couple (married for 44 years) has two daughters – Debbie who is a Social Worker in Baltimore and Amy who owns a Public Relations business in Miami. This year Jill and Bob decided to split their residences between Baltimore and Fort Lauderdale. Roger Stambaugh OKU was a grad student in Oral Biology with a clinical outlet in Perio. He was a NIH Trainee from 69-76 at UW and USC. For 24 years before, during and after his UW connection Roger was an aviator as a Commander in the US Navy. He served as Director of Grad Perio at USC from 1976-82. Extremely active on the lecture circuit, he became a Diplomate of the American Board in Periodontics, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Society, and President of the Western Society of Periodontology. Roger received the World Congress of Microdentistry Scientific Research Award in 2003. Currently he lives “quietly” in Burlington WA with Kathleen (a Boarded Periodontist). Five children are scattered around the map (Christopher a lawyer in NC, Catherine a HR manager in Bellevue, James a student in architecture in Florence Italy, Jacqueline a UW student and Jordan a high school junior). A black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Roger is Committee Chairman Boy Scouts of America Troop 7, a coach in youth soccer and a land developer in Skagit and Whatcom Counties. Depending on the season he can be found fly fishing, SCUBA diving, canoeing or skiing. Roger was unscratched as a military pilot and yet managed to fracture his leg tooling around on a motorcycle. He also has emulated Henry VIII without the beheading or captivity in dungeons. The Seventies saw the first Starbucks Store open at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Triumph and tragedy were seen at the 72 Olympics. American swimmer Mark Spitz set seven world records in wining seven gold medals and that pixie-like Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut captivated the viewers. The games also were the site of the “Munich Massacre” in which Palestinian terrorists captured and killed 11 Israeli athletes. In the world of entertainment “Patton” won the 1970 Oscar for Best Movie; the Beatles disbanded and Seattle’s Jimi Hendrix died. The decade had the only Triple Crown winners – Secretariat in 73, Seattle Slew in 77 and Affirmed in 78 – during the Program’s 50 years. Other winners in the decade were Bill Gates and Paul Allen who developed something called Microsoft that can be found on an elegant campus on the east side of Lake Washington at Redmond. In many ways the seventies represented the golden decade of dental education in this country. New schools continued to open and thanks to Federal matching funds class size increased dramatically in established schools. Graduate Periodontics at UW settled into a two-year affair with the MSD as an option for all students.

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The Class of 1970-72:

Martin Joe Campbell’s questionnaire was blank except for the words “Skiing and Tango”. To learn how to Tango certainly is an achievement for someone raised in the hills of Kentucky. Perhaps Emily Levy taught it to him when they were featured on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”. He has been seen wind surfing on the Columbia River. For the record Joe did practice in Seattle for many years. Mick Dragoo, who is as relentless as a tsunami, entered the program running. Whoosh – in a few months he was performing hip marrow grafts to harvest bone. This would lead to a cascade of bone induction studies. His clinical curiosity led him to design and develop Slimline Ultrasonic inserts (Dentsply), a two hand piece ultrasonic scaler (Parkell), a onepiece implant system, Guided Surgery for one piece implants, and soft tissue punches (Nobel BioCare). Mick founded and established the Global Academy for Biologic Dentistry, published three text books and over 50 scientific articles, and developed nine international advanced-level periodontal and implant study clubs. In his hay days he was on the circuit 100-150 days a year. He also found time to serve as a Schluger Professor for four weeks. Mick and Mary (who have two super smashing sons Jason and Justin) live in Escondido CA where he built two homes and two wineries (Belle Marie and Chateau Dragoo), and served on the Board of Directors of several large corporations. He has a passion for wine and furniture making, and being a grandpa. In keeping with most UW Perio alumni, it didn’t seem unusual for Mick to own a hot air balloon company. Emory Hamilton still practices in Medford OR. The sly fox lobbied hard on behalf of a local politician named Gordon Anderson. A successful campaign by the latter certainly was one way to limit the competition for patients in need of periodontal therapy. Charles Q. “Corky” Harrold made us proud with a sterling 33-year career in the USAF. This Board Certified Periodontist retired as a Full Colonel in 1989 and moved to Colorado. He joined the faculty at the dental school where he still can be found as an Associate Professor prowling the clinics and providing good advice. For his efforts he was the recipient of the 2006 AAP Educator Award for that institution. His main problem has been trying to keep fellow alumnus Lonnie Johnson under control. Corky has served as a consultant for the Atrix Corporation and has trained and calibrated examiners, principal investigators and staff at over 20 US and foreign dental schools. He is still committed to educating his three children, two of whom are in college and one has graduated. He then looks forward to a second retirement. Richard Irwin is a Texan who stands tall and utters few words. He does become slightly animated when quietly describing Gwen’s leadership role in the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. Dick practiced and taught for 28 years until a neck injury forced him to retire in 2000. He is a history buff who loves to explore and travel to fly fishing destinations. The couple’s clever cheerful children are called Scott and Debbie. Robert Lamb displayed his prowess in dental school by being elected to OKU. The acclaim would continue in Periodontics. He was awarded the Orban Prize for his MSD research. He opened a practice in California and began to lecture extensively and mentor study clubs nationally and internationally. Bob was one of the “Schluger Professors” who came to Seattle for four one-week sessions to spend time with the grad students. Bob founded Peninsula Periodontal Associates. Then he came up with a really good I.D.E.A. (Interdisciplinary Dental Education Academy). Had he asked me I would have substituted “Apotheosis” for “Academy”. Bob’s idea was to (1) create a teaching center of excellence, (2) recruit three gifted UW alumni to work in the trenches to cover the expenses (Steve Pickering, Bryan Pope and Brenda Lamb Lewis answered the call), and (3) attract a ton of dentists to San Mateo to hear an array of international stars lecture and practice hands-on procedures in this state-of-the-art facility. He did stay home long enough to help raise five children – Robert Jr., Jenna, Sara, Brenda and Kelly. Bob finally may be taking time to smell the roses. Playing with nine young grandchildren, water and snow skiing, SCUBA diving, hiking and traveling with Dr. Heike Kraemer seem to be competing with professional pursuits for the top spot on his hit parade. Herbert Selipsky claims to be a grad of 1972½. One of the well-educated South Africans to find his way to Seattle, Herbert stayed on the full-time faculty until 1995 and has been a part-time contributor since then. He had a productive academic career. His research efforts led to several manuscripts and contributions to text books. He has lectured on the local, national and international scene and become a Diplomate of The American Board. Herb helped develop several Biotech companies and either chaired their Scientific Committees and/or sat on their Boards. He was one of the key players in the establishment of Silver Lake Winery and Roza Hills Vineyards. To cope with a serious back problem Herbert agreed to a minor (and largely unsuccessful) surgical procedure. He then dealt with his problem by having an electrical stimuli pain control device (somewhat akin to a pacemaker) implanted subcutaneously. In spite of the hazards Herb is still able to water and snow ski. Even Elaine, who earned graduate degrees and taught English as a Second Language at UW, has difficulty getting Herb to listen. Nevertheless thanks to her genetic contribution their sons (Steve and Adam) are “off the chart” bright.

The Class of 1971-73

Marc Cooper completed the Program, spent a couple of years in the USAF and another at Virginia Medical College. He returned to Bellevue and settled into private practice. Marc wouldn’t settle too long. In the mid eighties he branched out into the field of practice management. To this end he took post graduate classes at UW, Wharton School of Business, Landmark Education Corporation and Harvard Business School. This would lead to Certification as a Professional Consultant. His name has been connected with several companies with that focus. In 2002 he developed and became President and CEO of The Mastery Company – A Global Practice Management Company located in Ashland Oregon. During his “second career” Marc has worked with hundreds of dentists and their staff; and several insurance companies, hospitals, universities, professional organizations, and large corporations have been his clients. During his busy schedule he has found time to sit on the Boards of community service organizations such as The Caregivers Project, Steps Ahead Program and The Hunger Project. Howard Dorfman was an Associate Professor at Medical College of Virginia until 1982. During that stretch free gingival grafts were at the peak of their popularity and with a critical eye he assessed the proliferation of their use in practice. That led to his “The Mucogingival Controversy – Is It Much Ado About Something?” For his efforts Howard received the Clinical Research Award in Periodontics from the AAP. He somehow also managed to train in Orthodontics at North Carolina during this period. In 1982 Howard entered private practice treating patients in both disciplines. He has restricted his practice to Orthodontics since 2001. He and Terry have two great kids; their daughter is a geriatric social worker and their son is in dental school. To stay in shape so that he can roam among an office filled with Orthodontic assistants and patients, and point, Howard lifts weights and jogs. Gordon Douglass displayed award-winning leadership skills in dental school at UW. Moreover his classmates voted him the most inspirational member of the class. After completing the Perio Program he opened a practice in Sacramento and plunged into organized dentistry at the local level (he rose through the ranks to become President of the Sacramento District Dental Society), the state level (he was a delegate of the California Dental Association for 10 years), the regional level (Director of the Western Society Periodontology) and the national level where he landed in the President’s Chair of the AAP for the 2003 meeting in San Francisco. Moreover he was lauded for his efforts at every level with awards that cited “outstanding contributions”, “outstanding achievement”, “distinguished member”, and “special citation”. To add icing to the cake Gordie was the 2006 recipient of the Academy’s Gold Medal Award, the same year that he gained Diplomate status. He has been heavily involved in the AAP Foundation and since 2003 has been a member of the Periodontal Diseases Surveillance Committee of the CDC. But Gordie is more than a politician. He has made meaningful contributions to the dental literature and has lectured extensively in the State of California and nationally. Through it all his bride Susan (who was a master’s student in Speech Pathology when they met in UW’s Health Sciences library; and you thought those secluded passageways in the stacks were for locating and maybe even reading journals) has been the epitome of a “First Lady”. They celebrate their 40th in September 2008. Their daughter Lisa Douglass Fisher, who is an instructor in Stanford’s Law School, has two daughters Eleanor and Charlotte. The couple’s son Scott is the Manager of a Real Estate Derivatives Fund in NYC. In spite of his exhausting professional life Gordie coached youth soccer and Little League for 10 years. He enjoys gardening, snow and water skiing, cycling and kayaking on Lake Tahoe where the family is remodeling their home. He is a man of great vision. It was Gordie who in 1981 asked Robert H. to write an alumni newsletter better known as the Gum Gardeners’ Gazette. HA!!! Jerome Jerome and Ed Sturdivant were UW’s Oscar and Felix. They were an inextricably intertwined double helix practicing harmoniously in Seattle for 30 years. Jerome ventured to far away places to treat patients in the oxygen-deficient Andes and the jungles of Belize and Ecuador. Not too many years had elapsed between his visit and that of an earlier adventurer who found himself in a boiling pot of water over a fire at a cannibalistic enclave in the dense jungle. His spellbinding account of the humanitarian trip was punctuated by slides set to the eerie pan flute music of Zamfir. Now retired, Jerome lives in Beaux Arts WA. Wayne Kaldahl returned to the University of Nebraska to embark on a joyful journey as teacher, clinical researcher and practitioner. A humble, dedicated professional, his career has been one of “still waters run deep”. He became Board Certified and cut a wide swath in the corn fields of the Midwest. Some solid investigations that led to well-recognized publications bear his name. Wayne and Karole Ann still live in Lincoln where they focus on their three children, grandchildren, church and exercising with their yellow lab. Kent Palcanis won the Hatton Award for his efforts at UW. Then he began an outstanding academic career at the Virginia Commonwealth University. He has led effectively with little hype. He was named Chair and Grad Program Director at VCU in 1978, positions he would hold until lured to the University of Alabama in 1987. The locals loved him – they elected him President of the Dental Society in both Richmond and Birmingham. The southerners respected him – he served on the Executive Council and chaired the Grad Student Liaison Committee of the Southern Academy of Periodontology. The nationals trusted him – Kent was named the Periodontics representative to the ADA Commission on Dental Education (each specialty can name a rep to CODA once every eight years) and several other ADA committees. He has served with distinction on 20 AAP committees (three of which he chaired). In recognition of his talent and tireless efforts the AAP honored him with a Special Citation Award, the Clinical Research Award, the Fellowship Award and The Presidential Award. He also was Co-Chairman of the American Board of Periodontology. Kent “officially” retired on 01-01-08 to become Adjunct Professor–Professor Emeritus. He volunteers in an indigent dental clinic, plays the classical guitar, exercises daily, goes bass fishing, digs in the garden and belongs to the Porsche Club. Kent and Phoebe have two children and two grandchildren. Ed Sturdivant was the other half of the aforementioned “Odd Couple”. After years of tolerating Oscar (or was it Felix?) Ed and his bride of 40 years, Kay, have retired to the serenity of Lopez Island in beautiful Puget Sound. Ed still skis and likes to kick back with his two children (son Clark graduated from UW School of Dentistry) and his children’s children.

The Class of 1972-74

Sylvia Caparroso from Mexico became the Program’s first female student. Where art thou Eros? Grad Pros student Dennis Smith had a keen eye for form and function, and wedding bells soon pealed. Sylvia practiced Perio in the Metro area for 15 years before gracefully retiring to raise their children Danny and Rachel. Danny graduated in Music Therapy and currently is taking a six-month residency program. Music (vocal and instrumental) is used as a therapeutic device to help autistic children, stroke victims and many other people. Rachel, a super athlete, is in pre-nursing. Curt Carlson expanded his horizons by taking Orthodontics and practices this mix in Bellevue WA. Curt has shared his knowledge with the dentists of the US, Canada, Europe and South America. For his efforts he was elected a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. He is married to and practices with Dona Seely a UW graduate in Orthodontics. It has been said that “time flies when you’re having fun”. Curt must be having fun cuz he ties flies so he can go fly fishing when he is not hunting, diving, hunting, taking photos or listening to music. Galen Gadd (deceased) had been to Germany twice prior to his days at UW – a 2½ church mission in Nuremberg and later with the US Army Dental Corps in Stuttgart. Periodontics followed, and he and Kathy settled in Seattle to practice. The family had already been severely tested (a daughter Heidi had succumbed to a congenital heart defect as a youngster) when Galen became a paraplegic as the result of an automobile accident. He had only practiced for five short years. What a heart breaking turn of events! He always had been active back-packing, mountain climbing (he scaled the Matterhorn) and flying airplanes. Now he was bedridden. Over the next 28 years Galen endured 45 hospitalizations and 35 surgeries. Through it all he somehow maintained a sense of humor and a love for the arts, literature and music. He also served his church in genealogical name extraction. Galen died quickly and quietly in September 2007. He is survived by Kathy, four children (Jennifer, Rebecca, Lyndsey and Matthew) and 10 grandchildren. Jim Gartrell was on the faculty at UW for several years. Among other things Jim was the driving force behind the creation of the extremely valuable Recall Seminar (A Critical Long-Term Evaluation of a Therapeutic Modality) that continues to be presented each week. In spite of his reputation as a task master, he was honored by the students for his excellence in clinical instruction. An emotional guy with a relentless motor Jim was felled and suffered a serious back injury while competing in an adult soccer league. Forced out of clinical practice he enrolled in a Masters Program in Public Health, but was unable to sit or even lie in the back of the classroom. Still hampered, Jim somehow displays a zeal for life. He and Lona live quietly on Bainbridge Island WA. David Mathews has enjoyed an innovative career in Tacoma developing some interesting surgical solutions for vexing problems. He also has gained fabulous fame and fortune on the lecture circuit with the likes of UW alumni Vince Kokich (Ortho) and Frank Spear (Pros). He can be lethal on the baseball field. David was inducted into the Pierce County Hall of Fame for his ability and longevity in the sport. A stubborn warrior he still plays two games a week, and he is the only active player to have competed in 20 consecutive Masters World Series in Florida. His team has won seven World Series National Titles. A pitcher and center fielder, Dave wondered if his playing days were over when he was hit by a fast ball that fractured his thumb. Amazingly it prolonged his pitching career because he developed a new pitch – a “split finger fork ball”. David was named “Mr. Congeniality” by his teammates. His lucrative baseball contract precludes him from driving a Harley, but he still can’t part with the jacket. Golf and surfing are other favorite pastimes. Behind the hard assed façade he really is a good guy and proper gentleman. With a dash of impetuosity he dropped to his knees in December 2007 and asked longtime soul mate Kathy Crabil DDS to tie the knot. Of course his knees are shot thanks to athletically-induced osteoarthritis and Kathy had to help him get up. Paul Speert traveled to the City by the Bay to open his office and has been at the same location for 34 years. For the first 13 years he shared space with his brother-in-law, but since then he has been on his own. Paul claims that he has yet to “kill anybody”, but in a solo practice there are no witnesses. He is a TV sports nut who stays in shape at the gym and playing golf (apparently good excise can be had climbing in and out of sand traps and groping around in the bushes looking for lost balls). He and Michelle (AKA Micki) have two wonderful children – Adam 26 a business grad from UCSB and 19-year-old Leah who is a student at San Francisco State University. Tom Wilson settled in Dallas where he has been actively involved in the clinical, educational and organizational facets of the profession. To name but a few the record will show that Tom has been President of the Southwest Society of Periodontists, a District Trustee of the AAP, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Periodontology. His critical reviews of his patient’s less than sterling compliance in presenting for maintenance appointments and the potential dire consequences are excellent publications. Tom also authored well-written, concise textbooks (Dental Management for Patients with Periodontal Diseases and Fundamentals of Periodontics) that have been very popular in the teaching programs of many dental schools and in the private sector.

The Class of 1973-75:

Peter Agnos lives in Metro Seattle and takes delight in the reverse commute to his office in Everett where he is still going strong. For the past 15 years he has been the director of an accredited (AGD) CE study club for 20 general dentists. He also has been a faithful and valued part-time instructor in the Department of Perio. Another highlight is his influence on a college student who worked for him. The young man is now attending dental school on a full scholarship at the University of Connecticut. Peter has become a computer nerd with Photoshop and he really likes to hang out with friends playing pool. He began to flex some political muscle as a State Delegate, but soon became disillusioned at the meetings, which he described as more convoluted than those held in the dental school. The country is doomed! He and Betty have been married for 39 years and have raised two wonderful sons. What more can a person want? David Baab was an effective full-time faculty member and Director of the Pre-Doc Perio Program at UW for many years. That stretch was interrupted for academic forays into Teheran, Tel-Aviv and Sweden. David contributed to the Dental Hygiene Program at Shoreline Community College. He made a humanitarian trip to Cambodia. The attractiveness of private practice intervened. He also joined classmate Don Rolfs in the Periodontal Institute, Inc. giving continuing education courses around the country. Meanwhile Lynne had earned a PhD in Communications, had written a couple of books and was offered a university position in New Zealand. So off into the sunset they flew to the land of the Kiwi where David spends his retirement fly fishing. John Chirgwin has treated patients with a smile on his face in Portland for the past 33 years. Four years ago he added a young partner who brought an added exuberance to the office. He and Nancy are having fabulous fun growing hay and raising horses in Boring Oregon. (Is having fun in a boring place an oxymoron?) They also eagerly await the arrival of their seventh grandchild in 2008. Irving Cohen practices in downtown Seattle. He has been a study club mentor and is grateful for the positive strokes he has received from students and patients over the years. Golfing, bowling, playing mahjongg and raising his poodle add pleasure to his life. Although he won’t admit it, his wife Suzanne will confirm that he displayed some innate talent when he played Big Jule in Guys ’n Dolls in a community stage production. Ron Pantalone left a budding research career at UW and followed his heart down the I-5 corridor to Sacramento where he practiced for many years. He now is retired. Marty Rabin was an Eagle Scout as a youth so it seemed natural for him to soar with the wind beneath his wings as a periodontist. He practices in Kirkland. He too has been attracted back to the Grad Clinic to demonstrate what can be done with a pair of golden hands. He has been a long-time mentor of periodontal and implant study clubs, and was President of the Washington State Society of Periodontists. He is a Board Member, Ritual Chairman and Board Member toward Tradition in his synagogue. You might also think that as an Eagle who focuses on Tradition he would have been a natural as “The Fiddler on the Roof”. His wife Tami should do the singing. Marty enjoys aerobic exercise such as biking, hiking and skiing. He and Tami have three neat kids Johanna, Elisha and Michael. Don Rolfs practiced in Wenatchee and was active in State and Regional Organized Dentistry for 15 years. He helped create UW’s Mentor Dentist Program in which practicing dentists provide emotional and moral support to dental students. Don was the star witness on behalf of a patient to determine if insurance companies were liable for TMJ injuries suffered in automobile accidents. The judgment in favor of the plaintiff influenced headrest requirements in automobiles. He was a co-author of two dental/legal publications on the subject. Don has a patent on “TMJ Tutor” (Denary Corp) a 3-D educational device. By 1990 he had retired from practice and had begun a nomadic career presenting lectures and surgical workshops throughout the States and Canada. Don is an avid mountaineer and has led groups up several US and Swiss peaks. He is an expert in Lepidopteran Science with a collection of thousands of butterflies and moths from the US and foreign countries. He is a regional editor of the North American Butterfly Association, has published a Field Guide on Butterflies of Chumstick Mountain, and has produced the photographic plates for the book Butterflies of Cascadia. He has tutored MS and PhD candidates in this field. Don currently is working on an illustrated catalogue of Washington bees. Creating fine furniture is another pursuit. The time Don may cherish the most is Wednesday mornings with his two grandchildren. Robert Rudy’s service in the USAF helped to prepare him for the rigors of the Grad Program, which he finished 33 years ago. He then returned to Boston where he still practices 33 years later. And talk about 33 years of dedication to his alma mater Tufts University! He has taught there on a part-time basis for 33 years and in 1995 assumed the Directorship of the Pre-Doc Program. This is a staggering commitment. Class size at Tufts is three times the size of those at UW. He treats patients in his private practice four days a week and then dedicates two 33-hour days to address the endless list of tasks that confront any Pre-Doc program. He and Judith have been happily married for 33 years. They didn’t raise 33 children, but they did a pretty impressive job with two. They still find 33 days a year to garden, hike and travel. Jeffery Severson (deceased) started a practice in Anchorage and then tragedy struck. He and his family crashed while flying in a light plane in Alaska.

The Class of 1974-76:

Michael Cohen stayed in Seattle to practice and certainly has influenced the landscape of Periodontics. He is the guru behind the very successful Seattle Study Club – “a university without walls”. The parent club has spawned approximately 200 satellite study clubs throughout the US and other countries. The club publishes a jazzy journal on a quarterly basis with a circulation of 6000. Michael has a new text “Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning: Principles, Design & Implementation” that hit the press in 2008. He did enlist his wife Suzanne, who is a lawyer, to help manage these undertakings and to keep him out of trouble. He has a couple of great kids and a kennel full of Bearded Collies. Music, sporting events, and food and wine are other passions. Warren Fitzpatrick finished the program and traveled easterly to find a home in Westerly, Rhode Island. A private person, he has failed to respond to snail mail, email or phone calls. Dan Friedman found his niche in Seattle where he has practiced for 32 years. He is among the local cadre of dedicated alumni who happily have been lured back to the school on a part-time basis to impart some sage advice and clinical direction to the current crop of grad students. If you would like to get “reacquainted” with your ancestors, Dan is the man! He is a genealogist par excellence, is an accomplished glass blower who rivals Dale Chihuly, and is an ardent collector of antique toys. He and Myra have raised three idyllically industrious independent offspring. Michaela Laviec (deceased) finished her training with a “French Flair” and then jetted across the Atlantic to the City of Lights. She practiced for far too few years before being killed in an accident while riding in a taxi from the airport to her home on the Left Bank. Byron Mizuha completed Pros and Perio at UW before electing to practice the latter in Lynnwood just north of Seattle. Over the years he has taught in both programs with a recent emphasis on periodontal plastic surgery. He has developed some interesting technical modifications using AlloDerm cosmetic subepithelial grafts, GTR and GBR. Connie and their kids pulled off a surprise gala to honor his 60th birthday in 2006. The smashing event, attended by hundreds of colleagues and friends, served as the stepping stone to establish the Byron Mizuha Endowment for Graduate Periodontics. When it appeared that the donations were going to fall short of the amount needed to receive matching money from the university, Byron stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam. His favorite pastime pursuits? Fishing, boating and helping Connie pack three trunks and five suitcases when they go away for a long weekend. Gerald Morrison disappeared into the frozen North and to date hasn’t thawed out enuf to answer the questionnaire. Perhaps the Canadian Postal Service should hire one of the Iditarod dog sled teams to deliver the message or hire the RCMP whose motto is “We always get our man”! I mean, “How large is Kelowna BC?” Dennis Smith, smitten by the charm and elegance of Sylvia Caparroso (they have celebrated 33 blissful years), decided maybe he too should have a go at Perio when he finished Grad Pros. What a good decision that was! He won the Orban Prize for conducting a super smashing splendid study comparing resective osseous surgery with flap debridement. Dennis elected to focus on Prosthodontics in practice where he has treated his patients with a touch of class. He also has contributed to both teaching programs over the years. He has almost single-handedly organized a reunion/meeting for Grad Pros that is scheduled immediately after our 50th. In spite of the accolades headed his way by those in the know, this humble guy likes nothing better than to slip into the shadows and enjoy the pleasures of reading, sailing, cooking, golfing and the opera.

The Class of 1975-77:

Bob Eriks stayed in the Puget Sound region. He also has stayed current by dedicating a couple of hours a day to the literature, and new products and techniques. He has focused his recent efforts on bringing distraction osteogenesis out of the dark ages. He has lectured extensively on clinical crown lengthening, implants and augmentation of bone to improve the marriage between Perio and Pros. To gain balance in his life Bob is a fitness freak who has engaged in a regimented aerobic and weight training program for years. This may have rubbed off on his son Ty who played on the Husky football team and still graduated cum laude in Neurobiology. Ty now is a dental student at BU. Daughter Kim became so enthused working for her dad for 10 years that she has made application to dental school. Kyle was an academically and athletically gifted All-Metro high school QB who gravitated to the business school. Independent of his professional pursuits, Robert displays verve, even a swagger. He is a skilled handgun marksman and owns an armory. How many of us can hit a target a mile away with a 50 caliber semiautomatic sniper’s rifle? He may get a high riding motorcycles or piloting helicopters, but in a quiet moment Bob will tell you that he loves his wife Katy, his dogs, his Photoshop program (Is that where you see something on e-Bay and then buy it?) and the serenity of fly fishing. Robert Gottlieb went to California when he finished the program, but soon did a U-Turn and hung his shingle in Lynnwood WA. After several years of practice in that location he joined Michael Cohen on the north shore of Lake Washington – Bob claims he likes the view of the water better than that of Alderwood Mall. Bob is one of the success stories who survived spinal fusion for a back injury and continues to treat patients. He has five fine children who bring him much pleasure. Wally Kegel is a transplanted South African. He taught in the Department for several years before focusing his energies on his practice in Seattle. He was a Member of the Board of Washington Dental Service (Delta Dental) for 17 years and worked tirelessly with WDS Foundation for 9 years. He has served as Chairman of both organizations. He recently returned to the Grad Clinic on a part-time basis to help guide the residents’ efforts. As with most Perio alumni Wally loves to travel with his camera at the ready. It usually is to tag along with Bernice (an innovative PT who designs all kinds of ingenious prostheses) as she lectures or leads the Prostheses Outreach Foundation’s efforts to help the needy in Sierra Leone and Zaire. Or they are on the move keeping in touch with their three kids, especially Terry who has been teaching his way around the world. Terry who was an international caliber junior soccer player has spent the past several months creating a documentary on “sandlot” soccer of the world before enrolling in a Masters of Education at UW. Gary has stayed State-side specializing in Orthopedics, but college student Ilana shows potential for developing a wanderlust lifestyle by majoring in International Relations. Ken Lange was succinct. He cut to the chase in his response by writing, “I have practiced for 30 years in Reno and love it.” Steve Reid practices in two settings – Walnut Creek and Danville CA. He uses the two offices to compare the need for i.v. sedation. At the former site in lieu of sedation, he erected large platforms on the outside window sills of his surgical suites. Seems the region’s indigenous squirrel and chipmunk populations are at risk because commercial development has been at the expense of the walnut trees of Walnut Creek. For centuries these trees have provided the main food source for local rodents. Steve has a series of feeders on the platforms, each filled with different nuts (peanuts, filberts, pecans and almonds) to see if he can wean the furry mammals from their natural food crop (walnuts). It is too early to say if there has been any long-term impact (he only has 13½ years of preliminary data) on the squirrels or chipmunks, but thanks to the distraction produced by their zany antics on the window-ledge feeders (patients become mesmerized) Steve has saved a ton of money at Walnut Creek and avoided the potential side effects of i.v. sedation. Steve has two daughters (33-year-old Lindsey and Kim who is 30). Interestingly both work for pharmaceutical companies and both are pursuing a Masters in Psychology. Steve maintains it has nothing to do with his “nutty” behavior. Lindsay lives in San Francisco and plans to become a high school counselor. Kim, a former nurse, is married and lives in Denver. She admits that the compulsive responses of the rodents to the nuts, has led her toward a career in psychotherapy dealing with eating disorders. As for Steve, he claims practicing periodontics is good for his self esteem, which balances what he experiences on the golf course. At least the settings are splendid. Most of his time on the links occurs in Hawaii or Hilton Head where he has Marriott time shares. A couple of good friends have also welcomed him to join them fly fishing. Finally his current highlight is his engagement to a women he has known for 20 years. They plan to wed in 2009. Greg Wilde is the final piece of the puzzle in this class. He is in private practice in Silverdale WA. He was lecturing in Europe in the early 1980ties and the buzz focused on Branemark and dental implants. Thus Greg got a jumpstart in this aspect of dentistry, which has been maintained over the years and is the stimulus that keeps him going to the office with a smile on his face. Greg has three female children. He maintains a strong bond with the eldest who is 40 something and has lived in Paris for the past 20 years. He and his wife Sybil recently were blessed with twin girls (now 3½) and he admits that seeing the world through their eyes is an incredible gift for an old guy. He is a whirling dervish with a piston and turbine rating for helicopters. He still gets as much kick out of riding his motorcycle as he did when he purchased his first one in 1972 (besides he gets over 40 mpg). He also is constantly refining his skills in pistol craft and long distance shooting. Greg initially opened an office with classmate Bob Eriks, but according to wellinformed sources Bob left because all of the female patients kept asking for the good looking periodontist in the practice.

The Class of 1976-78:

This group of students seemed well behaved. However, Poppa Saul was known as “The Bone Assassin”. So they went to a butcher shop and returned with a pound of ground bloody bone that was dumped on an instrument tray. Dr Schluger was then summoned to evaluate the results of their resective surgery. With a sly smile he agreed that they were heading in the right direction. One of them also claims that Poppa Saul emphasized that with a good grasp of the English language and a lot of moxie, one can maintain a distinguished reputation without a stellar record of accomplishment – “maximum influence with minimal effort”. A third member related that when he asked Dr. Schluger what “the rule of thumb” was for doing a particular procedure, Saul answered, “Rules of thumb were for thumb suckers”. Ah the thrust and parry! Lou Cuccia returned to California to practice. He taught part-time at Loma Linda and was active in his local dental society on the Continuing Education and Spokespersons Committees. He and Marilyn raised three daughters who became “therapists” – a dental hygiene therapist, a physical therapist and a speech therapist. Mission accomplished Marilyn and Lou became ranchers and bought a tractor. They have been busy harvesting mandarins and other fruit, and intend to add a vineyard and wine cellar. Their property contains three ponds stocked with fish and plans are on the drawing board to generate their own hydroelectric power. Just wait until Lou retires in October 2008 and he can really crank up that old tractor. Cary Galler practiced in Vancouver for about 12 years. The magnetic pull of the Eastern Time Zone proved too great and he and Franceen made their way to Toronto. He has been active in both dental communities. Cary has taught in the Grad Perio Programs at UBC and the University of Toronto. He has founded and mentored three study clubs and has lectured nationally and internationally. He likes to golf and travel. Franceen and Cary have two daughters – one has just graduated from dental school, the other has just earned a Masters in Accounting. Seems like a good combination. Bill Jackson leaped the Pacific Ocean from his native Australia to take Perio at UW. He returned to Sydney exhausted and the doctors recommended that he surf for a few months to recuperate. Another problem arose. Bondi Beach was the closest site with big waves, but the beach was also topless. Bill’s head was always in motion, which caused vertigo. He developed a whiplash injury and almost drowned. End of surfing! So he established a practice in Mosman (a suburb of Sydney). Years later he rediscovered skiing. His wife Pam (who happily joins Bill on the golf course) declined his invitation to slide at breakneck speeds on snow, but their daughter Amy was delighted to have a go at it. Father and daughter have hit the slopes in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Canada and the US. Two years ago when they were skiing in Steamboat Springs Amy met her future husband who is a native of Seattle. Talk about six degrees of separation. He now resides in Sydney and they all have pictures of Pike Place Market and Lake Washington in their homes. Phillip Marsden was a British Common Market Scholar who forsook George III and pledged his loyalty to the colonies. Initially he signed on as a full-time Assistant Professor at Loma Linda, but he soon became a solo private practitioner in Apple Valley CA (to be distinguished from the Wenatchee Valley – the real Apple Valley USA). Some might suggest he became a workaholic having logged 80-hour weeks for the past 30 years without missing a day through illness. He does admit to taking time off to attend 28 of the 30 annual meetings of both the AAP and the California Society of Periodontists since he graduated. He is still madly in love with his English-born bride of 32 years Elizabeth Ann. The couple has raised two beautiful and successful daughters, Rebecca Judith Rachel (age 28) and Victoria Gabrielle (age 26). Both graduated from prestigious law schools and are gainfully employed in Beverley Hills. They are advocates of the Laura Schlesinger mantra “Don’t get married till you’re 30”. Phillip and Elizabeth Anne have lived in the same Southern California High Desert Community for 30 years. Their involvement in the Catholic Church community and various philanthropic and charitable organizations has been most rewarding. Steve Nelson now calls San Mateo CA home. Although in private practice he has not forgotten his academic roots. He has written three articles on connective tissue grafts that were published in J Perio (one in 1987 and two in 2001). He also was a part-time Clinical Professor at UCSF from 2000-2007. Recently he has been studying Reformational Christian Theology. A Charles Russell Western Art enthusiast, Steve likes to restore antique western artifacts. He and Robert L. Johnson spend hours pouring over Robert L’s fine collection of Indian arrow heads. Steve and Martha have two sons – one of whom is a specialist in Emergency Medicine; the other is taking Perio at UCLA. Walt Shields has retired in Tuscon Arizona after practicing in Colorado Springs where he had assumed a leadership role in Periodontics and the community. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. He has been the President of the 183 member Colorado Springs Dental Society and President of the Rocky Mountain Society of Periodontists. He also served on numerous community boards in Colorado Springs. Walt was given the Distinguished Service Award for his acumen and efforts in these organizations. He has a commercial pilot’s license and is an active heli-skier, climber, cyclist, SCUBA diver, tennis buff who loves to travel with his wife Tiggy. Monty Tolman jumped in his car and hurtled down I-5 until he reached Olympia. There he stopped, took a deep breath and decided this was the place for him. He was named one of America’s top dentists from 2003-2008. He founded and has been the mentor of the South Sound Dental Study Club. He was elected the President of the Thurston-Mason County Dental Society. Monty and Marta have five children between the ages of 28 and 14 so he kept his focus on being an excellent practitioner.

The Class of 1977-79

This class had a special one-year resident – Italian Giorgio Blasi. Giorgio returned to become Professor and Chairman of Periodontics at the University of Genoa and Director of the Dental Hygiene School. Steve Corber found his place in the sun watching the Toronto Blue Jays on Lake Ontario. In addition to his practice, he has received a service award for 25 years of teaching at U of T. Steve also has kept his finger on the pulse of organized dentistry as President of both the Metro Toronto and the Provincial Dental Societies. Wendy and he have been married for 32 years. They have seen all three of their children graduate from university and so now they have more time (and $$$) to play golf and travel. Kenneth Lee is the essence of a gentleman with a dry wit. His artistic skills were revealed in dental school with the creation of precision-like drawings of histologic sections of teeth and their periodontal supporting tissues. This well-rounded clinician practiced in Vancouver BC for several years where he honed his considerable restorative skills and developed a reputation for “jicky-jack” orthodontics before he came to UW. Ken brags that he is the only UW Grad Perio student who (with a little help from his wife Meelang) had three children during his two-year stay in Seattle. Twin sisters Michelle and Melissa have followed their father to UW Perio. Son Michael was told to “get a life” and now is in a medical residency in Hamilton Ontario. Ken has been active as a study club mentor, lecturer and part-time teacher. Once a month he crosses the border to attend the Friday morning seminar and instruct in the Grad Clinic. He has been a dedicated supporter of and traveling good-will ambassador for both UW and McGill University where he and his two talented daughters went to dental school. Richard Quinn began to practice in Renton (south end of Lake Washington) while teaching half-time at UW. Over the years UW Perio alumni Sylvia Caparroso, Kevin Underwood and Allen Chen have joined him as partners. He and Allen co-direct the South Shore Study Club. Dick and his wife Sue (UW dental hygienist Class of 1971) have been working with the medical/dental mission group “Corner of Love” to bring health care to underserved people in the northern part of Nicaragua. Travel and photography are favorite pastimes. Michael Spektor was an effective and popular faculty member in the department from 1979-1997. The early incentive for this commitment was the opportunity to be close to a lovely and energetic dental student – Wendy Shultz who would eventually relent and become Wendy Spektor. After years of separate professional lives, they now practice together on the east side of Lake Washington. Michael is the Editor of the Seattle-King County Society Journal and has been the Chapter President of the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity. He also has played a leadership role in the community. He is Past President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the Past Chair of Washington State American Israeli Public Affairs Committee and the Founding Member of the Juvenile Diabetic Research Guild of Greater Seattle. Michael has enjoyed a sterling second career in song and dance hits such as Guys ’n Dolls and Bye Bye Birdie. Helping to raise sons Jordan and Jeremy; golf, the cinema, and politics; and fervently following the Huskies, Seahawks and Mariners have kept him proud, perplexed and puzzled. Curtis Wade headed north, but when the Mounties tabbed him an undesirable and wouldn’t allow him to cross the border, he decided that Bellingham would be a fine place to practice. He did leave town long enough to become Board Certified. But the RCMP was still too close for comfort so he sold his Bellingham practice and moved farther South down the I-5 corridor to Burlington, where he is the annual Grand Marshall of the renowned Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Curtis certainly seems to be one of the busiest “Implantologists” in the State of Washington. He has a 1-800 phone number and would love to hear from you.

The Class of 1978-80:

Chuck Felts found his way to Chattanooga where he still resides. A Diplomate of the American Board, he certainly has had a meteoric rise as a leader in organized dentistry. He served as President of the Tennessee Society of Periodontists in 1988, President of the Chattanooga Area Dental Society in 1998, and President of the Southern Academy of Periodontology in 2002. He was the Vice-President of the Tennessee Dental Society in 2007 so by the time you read this he either has become the President of that august body or has been impeached. Presidents like to leave their legacy. President Charles and First Lady Suzanne have three children. Beth is starting dentistry at Kentucky and Charlie is in Pre-Dent at Tennessee and so the family tradition marches on. Robert, who is in high school, would be advised to take a double major in International Business and Chinese. One can’t live on organized dentistry alone! Snow skiing and golf are favorite pastimes. Chuck is a member of the Red Neck Yacht Club at Lake Chickamauga near Marguitaville where it’s always 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Rumor has it the Red Necks are going to challenge the next winner of the Americas Cup and with skill, guile, powerful execution, improvisation, exuberant teamwork, and flashes of incompetence fully intend to bring the trophy back to the USA where it belongs. What a legacy that will be! Ken Krueger finished the program and climbed on his horse in the hope of making it to San Antonio in time to relieve the troops in The Alamo. He was able to dodge that bullet and has established a well-respected solo practice at the same location for 27 years with four expansions along the way. Implants comprise 75% of his current practice. His website certainly is worth the visit. Ken is a Deacon in his church and President of the San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic. He and Pat have been married for 33 years and they have three great kids. In his free time he loves tramping around in the wilds hunting, shooting, car racing, biking and photographing everything that moves and some things that don’t. Bill Lubken is a former USAF officer who found his way to Gig Harbor WA where he has been in practice for 28 years. For 10 of those years he has taught a three-quarter course in didactic and clinical periodontics at Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program. For the past decade he has been making four trips a year to Sitka Alaska to treat the Perio needs of those folk. He and Jean have been married for 37 years and have two daughters, a son and three grandchildren. Duck hunting and fishing are favorite pastimes. Mark Sebastian is extremely responsible, cooperative and well-behaved. He is the winner of the gold star for being the first alumnus to return the questionnaire. He practices in Federal Way WA (half way between Sea-Tac and Tacoma and the site of the regions only Olympic class swimming facility). He is a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Mark volunteers with “Outdoors for All” a non-profit organization that provides outdoor recreation for physically and/or developmentally handicapped individuals. In his spare time he likes to hunt and ski. Cornelis J.P. van der Wal enjoyed private practice for a dozen years. During that stretch he quickly showed leadership abilities and became President of the Santa Clara County Dental Society (1984), a Board Member of the California Dental Association (1985-93) and a Member of the Finance Committee of the CDA (1990-93). Misfortune struck. A back injury forced Cor to retire from practice in 1992. But it couldn’t keep him from being productive. He switched gears and was named a Sloan Fellow of Stanford University Graduate School of Business and earned a Masters of Business from that prestigious institution in 1994. He became Director of Dental Consulting for Wm. M. Mercer Inc. Since 1999 Cor has been Stanford University Graduate School of Business Consulting Team Project Director focusing on not-for-profit organization management projects. Through it all Cor has had the support and love of his wife Barbara. Gustave E. Vandesteen (deceased) was a good guy enjoyed and respected by his colleagues. He finished the program and divided his time between private practice in Seattle and collaborating on research projects with Roy Page. While still in his prime, Ed was felled by a lethal infectious disease. Sometimes life really isn’t fair!

The Class of 1979-81:

When renegade Oded Bahat returned a blank questionnaire, the author’s creative juices began to salivate. It is a fact that Oded was an Israeli paratrooper who “took no prisoners” before entering dental school at Witwatersrand. The record would also reveal that on the weekends he was employed as an air marshal on El Al flights between Johannesburg and Tel-Aviv. Seattle was next. That background undoubtedly influenced his eagerness to live on the cutting edge of surgical interventions in the field of Periodontics. He oozed confidence, but needed an arena to try new techniques. So he joined the faculty at USC and became the Director of Grad Perio where he could push the envelope for a few years. Then the lure of private practice beckoned. But he had to do it with flair – with élan – to gain that essential reputation to practice successfully in the exclusive jet-set milieu of Beverly Hills 90210. He quickly became an AAP Diplomate of the Board. Then thanks to his clandestine connections he traveled to London and Italy placing implants with gay abandonment. That scored more points. It also wouldn’t hurt to earn some kudos as an international speaker. A red carpet at the meeting hall’s entrance combined with a drum roll and fanfare would certainly focus the spotlight on someone eager for stardom. But paratroopers function in the shadows slipping secretively into an assigned drop zone, making a silent strike and then vanishing. They resemble ZORRO with blackened faces instead of the mask! But doesn’t that add to the mystique? Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script for “Sex and the City”. The buzz from the beauties on The Boulevard became “Who is this elusive periodontist? If I could only get an appointment with this phenomenal phantom, my lady friends at the country club would cling to my every word about the drama that occurred in his luxurious upscale office. It would be better than having an orgasm!” Mark Glover went to “BIG D” to practice where he soon gained a well-deserved reputation for his excellent clinical skills and willingness to be involved in organized dentistry. This Diplomate of the American Board also received “Honorable Mention” in the Orban Prize competition. Mark has been with the Park Cities Dental Study Club for 26 years. He has served as President of both the Texas Society of Periodontists and the Southwest Society of Periodontists. For his tireless efforts (among other things he was the driving force behind the Society’s Policy and Procedures Manual) he was honored in 2003 by being named a Fellow. Mark has contributed to the literature with five textbook chapters and eight journal articles to his credit. He and his first lady Eve recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on a Caribbean cruise. This remarkable couple has adopted three of their nine foster children. Their older son is in the US Army at Fort Lewis WA, their daughter is a senior at Texas Tech and their younger son is a waiter in Dallas. Church activities, cruises, fishing, quail hunting, golf, motorcycles, wave-runners and especially SCUBA diving at Cozumel are favorite activities. Robert London completed the program in style and settled in Southern California. He gained Certification in the American Boards in Perio and shared office space with colleagues (including UW’s John Ducar) for 10 years before succumbing to a slipped disc in his neck that failed to respond to surgery. This has been compounded recently by a troublesome lower back. Robert then made his mark as a Grad Perio Director. First on the list (1991-95) was USC. The haunting attraction of the Northwest had remained strong so the family pulled up stakes and moved to Seattle. Bob then became a man with a message as he traveled the world (15 countries on four continents) lecturing mainly on implants and mucogingival surgery. At the same time UW benefited. He was a wonderful asset in the Grad Program as an affiliate faculty member. In 2002 he was recruited to Nova Southeastern University as the Director of its Grad Program in Perio. Three years later we were fortunate to lure him back “home” to assume that role at UW. Bob considers it his “dream job” and has put his heart and soul into making it a premier place to become a periodontist. He also has used his local connections to attract several alumni to the clinic to help guide the current crop of aspiring periodontists. He and Alisa have raised Ben, Katie and Michael during 28 years of togetherness. His only lament is that he is still trying to find time to set up his shop and resume his passion for making (and playing) guitars. This project has been put on the back burner until Bob finishes constructing a house for the family’s new puppy. Why the concern? He does sit fifth on the totem pole after the dog and three kids. Wait until the grandchildren arrive. Bruce Mather followed the beaten path to California. Once there he roamed around practicing in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Clemente for four years, before electing to settle in San Clemente. There he would stay for 20 years. In 1997 he was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy secondary to pernicious anemia. The diagnosis signaled the end of his dental career. Bruce was facile princeps in computer technology having set up a system for his office and several others so he decided to take networking courses at a neighborhood community college. He and Marlene moved to the college town of Champaign-Urbana in Illinois the next year. It’s a great place to live – he can walk to everything. Moreover he was able to continue his education of the nuances of computer land and a year later was rewarded with a teaching position at Parkland College. That has evolved into a full-time position as a systems engineer with the National Center for Super Computing Applications at the University of Illinois. Bruce admits that he deeply misses his patients and the practice of Periodontics. But what a wonderful success story! When the going gets tough, the tough really do get going! George Merijohn practices on Sutter Street in San Francisco. He has been involved in the teaching programs of both UCSF and UOP. During the past 25 years he has produced, directed and starred in “Perio Partnerships” videos for Specialists and GPs aimed at increasing referrals. George developed and published a Periodontal Access Record Keeping and Clinical Decision Making System. He is a co-author of two text books and periodontal articles, and is a regular on the lecture circuit. George currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Evidence Based Dental Practice and is the ADA Session Chair and Organizing Committee Member for the 2008 Evidence Based Champions Conference; Developing Chair-Side & Electronic Evidence Based Clinical Decision Support Tools (a name that long must have been invented by the same government agency that designed the federal income tax return forms). It is uncertain whether George was kinduv bashful or too involved with dental issues, but it took him a looooong time to find the light of his life. It was worth the wait – he and Susie Spiluak tied the knot seven years ago and he has loved every minute of their togetherness. Skiing, mixed martial arts and their boxer dog occupy free time as does continual exploration of BC (that’s a Canadian province not a period of history). Gary Shellerud can be found in Spokane at greatgums@msn.com. He and Deborah have three of the nicest children on the planet. Golf, skiing on water or snow, and playing and coaching basketball keep Gary, and those around him, happy and healthy. Morley Smith’s practice is located on Superstitious Springs Blvd. in Meza AZ. Legend has it that the Navajo Indians led the first settlers to this oasis in the desert with the promise that if they rinsed their mouths b.i.d. with the crystal clear waters of Superstitious Spring their pyorrhea would heal, their puffy gums would shrink and their loose teeth would tighten. Today that same water is piped into Morley’s office. It has been a great practice builder (he made a bold splash as one of the top dentists in Phoenix from 2004-2008) attracting patients from afar in search of subgingival irrigation. This regimen has been so successful that Morley has an abundance of free time to pursue horseback riding, hunting and fishing. He and Beverley have been married for 34 years; and have four delightful children and two grandchildren. Cheryl Townsend Winter has carried the UW banner with distinction. She has been the President of the Washington State Society of Periodontology, the Seattle King County Dental Society and the Seattle-King County Dental Foundation. A Diplomate of the American Board, she is a Board of Trustee Member for District VI of the AAP. Cheryl is on the Advisory Board of J Perio She has written papers and given lectures, and is a member of the volunteer faculty in the Grad Perio Clinic. Cheryl has been one of the main driving forces in the procurement of both the Schluger and Ammons busts. For a diversion she now is working on her EMBA degree at the University of Washington. Her educational commitment has curtained many of her other activities, but she and husband Morris Winter still find time for walks and talks, and tending their garden. The Eighties featured the three longest running Broadway musicals in history: “Les Miserable” (which opened in Paris in 1980) and two of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpieces – “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats”. “Ordinary People” and “Chariots of Fire” led off the decade by winning Oscars for best picture in 1980 and 81. Mount St. Helens blew its top in 1980. In dental education it was a time of class size reduction and consolidation. President Reagan had cancelled the “matching money”. The University of Washington, School of Dentistry was in the process of downsizing from 100 to 80 to 60 to 50 students per class. In Periodontics only three or four applicants were accepted each year. Those students pursuing the MSD degree had to count on two additional quarters of school. In September 1981 the whole university shuddered when the State’s Governor declared a state of financial emergency. Pay checks were delayed for 10 days, a hiring freeze was imposed, and the number of state-supported faculty positions was gradually decreased.

The Class of 1980-82:

Richard Chodroff practices in Wilmington Delaware. Richard is the only student in the history of the program who was required to type his chart notes. In spite of his excellent clinical hand-eye coordination, no one could decipher his writing. Richard has been active in organized dentistry. He is the Past-President of the Delaware Society of Periodontists, the President of the Brandywine Study Club, and the Chairman of Delaware State Dental Society Council on Membership. He initiated a Mentor Program which paired practicing dentists with dental residents, and dental and pre-dental students interested in practicing in Delaware. He and Susie have been blissfully married for 27 years. They have two children – Becca, who is at Oxford taking a PhD in Neurogenetics in a combined program with the National Institute of Health, and Jonathon who went to Yale University to be a member of the rowing team and since graduation has been pursuing a career as a professional cyclist. Both activities demand great quads. Richard’s office is located in a Sports Medicine Center which facilitates working out and keeping fit so he can enjoy skiing, hiking and playing golf. He also claims that his consumption rate is such that his collection of fine wines never seems to increase in size. Elaine Giedrys-Leeper brought a touch of English refinement to the place. She lingered a little longer to complete her MSD. Since her return to the UK, she has been a busy lady running a successful private practice in London and co-authoring a Cochrane review. She has contributed to the training program at The Royal College of Surgeons, and to the training and education of an International Group of Post Graduates at the Eastman Dental Institute for the past 15 years. On a domestic note Elaine and her husband Kim have been raising a family and dealing with the vagaries of purchasing and caring for a very large Victorian house. It has proved to be a simply splendid setting to take the time to tittletattle, try titbits and toffee, and get tipsy tippling toasty toddies and the tangy taste-bud treat of Tetley’s tea! Other passions include steam traction engines, archery (Elaine played Maid Marion in a Robin Hood movie), the opera and baroque music. Barney Lim is a Michael Angelo with his hands who proved he could perform periodontal procedures with metronomic precision. Couple that with a contagious smile and it explains the reason for 25 years of success treating patients in Menlo Park CA. At home his wife Katie is the glue that keeps everything together. Daughter Alayna is a Junior at UW majoring in Design, and six-year-old Eric is into Martial Arts where he breaks boards and plays on a soccer team that Barney coaches. After four knee surgeries Barney has had to reduce his time on the ski slopes and tennis court. Long bike rides are now used to help combat high blood pressure and cholesterol. Steve Monzingo has practiced periodontics in Calgary for a quarter century. He and Pam (a talented CPA) have been married for 30 years and have two smashing young adult children Kristen and Tyler. An athletic group, the family is into elite-level skiing, cycling and hiking in the Canadian Rockies.

The Class of 1981-83:

Colonel James P. Fancher has reached rarefied air in the USAF. He is the most senior colonel (in time of service) in the Air Force Dental Corps. He currently is Commander of the 59th Dental Training Squadron, Dean of the AF Postgraduate School of Dentistry, Consultant to the AF Surgeon General for Dental education and Chief of Dental Education for Air Staff. His 30-year career is ending in 2008 and he has exemplified what is good about the profession and the military. He has a Masters in Advanced Education and a PhD in Educational Psychology from Texas A & M. J.P. has devoted his life to teaching others and in doing so has touched the careers of 435 residents of all recognized specialties, hundreds of allied health professionals and thousands of CE attendees. J.P. maintains that he has achieved much through the accomplishments of his students. During his career he has been deployed twice and served 11 assignments (two of which were overseas). JP quickly acknowledges the understanding and support he has received from Ruth, who in spite of their wayward wanderings over the years, managed to become a CPA. European tours of duty have allowed them to experience thousands of years of art and history up close and personal. The sites and scenes found in Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, The Czech Republic, Italy and Spain leave one in awe. The early years of hiking and camping have been replaced by canoeing and fishing. J.P. plans to complete the 240 mile marathon canoe race on the San Marcus/ Guadalupe River system that runs from San Marcos Texas to the Gulf Coast. Of course in 1987 he announced that he was going to run a marathon within the next two years. He is a congregational leader in his church and participated in a tour of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Reading and Tai Chi provide relaxation after hectic days. Lonnie Johnson is one of the brightest people to enroll in Periodontics at the University of Washington. He had completed the course work leading to a PhD in Neuroanatomy at UW prior to Perio. A “casual” dresser (there is some debate whether he owns a tie) as he emerged from the research lab and entered the clinic, there was no debate as to his clinical skills. He excelled in two very different fields of study and was granted his PhD in 1985. He then was aggressively recruited by the University of Colorado where he has enjoyed a commendable career as Professor of Surgical Dentistry and Chair Division of Periodontology. By 1987 he was one of three winners of the University President’s Excellence in Teaching Awards. He finds time in his busy schedule to make annual trips to Central America as a consultant to the University of Nicaragua’s Dental School. Reading, biking and fly fishing are favorite pastimes. Over the years Lonnie has talked in glowing terms about his children Dana and Dusty. Kathleen McAnulty (deceased) had a passion for the peoples of Northern Canada. She spent a year as Director of Dental Services in James Bay. During Christmas and summer vacations she would return to treat the native population. She established a practice in Vancouver BC. In 1991 just eight years after finishing her education this enthusiastic bundle of energy was struck down by cancer. What a devastating loss! Greg Rogers has practiced in Boulder Colorado for 25 years. A partner joined him 10 years ago and Greg recently “cut back” (good term for a surgeon) to three days a week. He loves it. He agreed to teach two days a month at the new Grad Program in Periodontics at UC when the inaugural class of students entered this summer. The summer of 2008 also was highlighted by Kelly and Greg’s 33rd wedding anniversary. Kelly has a MHA and is the Executive Director of The People’s Clinic in Boulder. They recently established a “Family Foundation” to help make a difference. Greg works with a personal trainer two days a week and enjoys just about anything in the beautiful outdoors of Colorado – fly fishing, hiking, biking, jogging and SCUBA diving. The couple’s home sits on 70 acres overlooking the city, which is an ideal location for their life style. Sally Struzyna (nee Smith) took over Poppa Saul’s practice in downtown Seattle where she worked until her retirement in 1999. Then the pulls of motherhood, (she and Dieter have two children Hans Christopher George and Alexandra), caring for her parents, and volunteering in several community organizations consumed her time. Well some of it. Sally skis, bikes and works out (weight training) three days a week. She rows competitively for the Sammamish Rowing Association’s crew team (the team has won several medals in Masters Level Rowing Regattas), sits on the Association’s Board of Directors, and coaches in “Masters Learn to Row” classes. In 2002 she entered the Washington State Body Building Fitness and Figure Championships and placed first for Women’s Figures in the over 35 age group. She also placed fifth in the State Ironman Championships in the same age group.

The Class of 1982-84:

Three started in earnest, but after a year Ulrich Schlagenhauf decided that if he was going to return to Germany and survive in an academic milieu, he should spend his second year in Roy Page’s research lab. So Uli did and now is the Chair of Periodontology in the Dental School at Wűerzburg. Sal Leone created enough frenetic ferment to make up for the loss of a valued classmate. Prior to coming to Seattle Sal was assigned to a US Naval Research detachment in Egypt. While riding in a dahabeeyah he discovered a gene from the bulrushes along the banks of Nile River. He thus confirmed (thanks to modern DNA testing) that Moses did indeed float in a basket prior to being rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter. It was a harbinger of what lay ahead. Roy Page was so impressed with Sal’s potential that he guaranteed him a spot in Perio and in the NIH funded Physician-Scientist Program long before Sal had finished his Egyptian stint. The Perio faculty muttered because none of them had laid eyes on the man. Sal did prove to be productive. He was the driving force behind the establishment of Silver Lake Winery, which grew (in part because of the purchase of Glenn Fiona and Hoodsport Wineries, and the acquisition of Roza Hills Vineyards) to become the largest locally-owned winery in the State of Washington. He became the Director of the acclaimed Seattle/Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps. Sal sat on the Board of Directors of Community Bingo, a $3,000,000.00 enterprise that supported worthwhile local projects such as the Drum and Bugle Corps. In another emotional philanthropic endeavor that was dear to his Italian roots, he (taking his cue from the Pharaoh’s daughter) “rescued” The Pasta Factory, a landmark restaurant in Mill Creek located just north of Seattle. Much to Vicki’s relief Sal did find the time to finish the Grad Perio Program, to teach with élan at UW for six years, and to open a private office to pay the bills. Maurine MacHugh was the yin to counterbalance Leone, the yang. Maurine came into Perio having spent five years in the USAF so she kept her feet on the ground and her nose to the grindstone. And she did with a smile. Her reward has been a successful practice that she started from scratch at the north end of Lake Washington; she recently found a great associate in UW faculty member Johnny Wang. Maurine raised three kids. Erica who graduated from UW with a Law degree in 2008, and twins Alexis (a film and digital music senior at UW) and Burton (criminal investigator) are the delight of her life. Maureen was featured in an issue of the UW Dental Alumni News for her role as a mentor to dental students over the years. She has been a lady on the go hiking in the Alps and Himalayas, and reaching the summit of Mt Rainier. Maurine is also into kinetic art and painting, and already has had one show. She does admit she has started to migrate to California as a “snowbird” to escape Seattle’s inclement winter weather.

The Class of 1983-85:

Theresa Cheng settled in Issaquah where she has enjoyed professional success and has been recognized for her work in the community. She sits on the Board of Directors of Washington Women in Need and was named the 1998 Citizen of the Year by the Washington State Dental Association. Theresa is a member of the State Dental Quality Control Commission. She and Don Boren have been happily married for 21 years. They have three children Joseph, Jacob and Joshua. These young men are all into wrestling and Theresa (normally the picture of decorum) finds herself on the edge of her seat trying not to go ballistic when one of her sons is on the mat. Bradley Johnson began collaborating with Roy Page prior to entering the Perio Program, and then stayed to teach and do research in the institution for several years. It was a time when the profession was being made acutely aware of Blood Borne Pathogens and Bradley served as the school’s expert in this important area. Brad now practices in the north end of Metro Seattle. He and Christina have three children Ashley, Dane and Hilary. Donna Massoth celebrated her MSD defense by embarking on an Outward Bound Survival excursion in Leadville CO. Guess she figured that if she could survive the slings and arrows hurled her way in the Grad Program, 15 days alone in the wilderness would be a walk in the park. She returned refreshed and decided to take a PhD in Psychology to learn why people keep abusing themselves. Acceptance wasn’t a slam dunk. There were 400 applicants for eight slots. Donna and seven others made the grade. She taught in the Departments of Oral Medicine and Periodontics, and served as a consultant in the Dean’s Office helping dental students cope with emotional issues that they were experiencing. When periodontal private practice opportunities arose 10 years ago, Donna elected to change directions. When she is not treating patients she enjoys life with her husband Leo Santiago, who recently retired from teaching to convert his enthusiasm for photography into a business, and their 11-year-old son Noah. The youngster has already starred in a video infomercial on Pocket Floss (AKA Dr. Floss). Donna is now into Triathlons. Fishing, tennis and skiing are favorite family activities. As for the future, she intends to obtain “Therapy Dog Status” for the family’s two pets and enroll them in the “Read to a Dog” program with the Public School System.

The Class of 1984-86:

Gardar Gislason set National “Soaring” Records (flying on a big kite) in Iceland during his 16 years of private general dental practice. It therefore it seemed natural to soar to Seattle to take periodontics. Nevertheless it is fair to say that he and his family experienced “culture shock” during their stay. His wife Nina spent her days planted in front of the TV learning how to speak English. Their young adult daughter Kristin fared much better by enrolling in Edmonds Community College where classes and classmates awaited. She would later attend dental school in her homeland. As for Gardar – his clinical strengths more than compensated for the odd stumble as he negotiated the basic science curriculum in Periodontics. Since their return to Reykjavik, Gardar has made unannounced forays into the US to purchase big ticket items for importation to Iceland. Philippe Hujoel finished Perio and hustled to Michigan to hustle a Belgian classmate Anne-Marie Bollen who was taking Orthodontics and earning her PhD. While there Philippe decided to complete another Masters degree – this time in Bio-Statistics. Courses finished, the couple joined the faculty at UW and Philippe felt that he really should pursue a PhD in Epidemiology. Case closed, but the combo opened a myriad of new doors. Anne-Marie is now a Professor of Orthodontics and Philippe a Professor of Dental Public Health Sciences. Well-known for his evidence-based research efforts, he has more than 100 publications and is a much sought-after participant in Consensus Conferences. Philippe also has reviewed several NIH grants. The year 2008 has focused on shedding unnecessary “baggage” in his life. Thanks to time spent controlling his diet, working out and skiing on both snow and water he has shed 20 pounds. He feels and looks gooooood! The couple has three children – Isabel, Margaux and George. Jeff Sherry has built a practice of note in Douglasville GA. The timing coincided with the introduction of modern dental implants on this continent. Jeff developed and pioneered immediate-load / guided surgical techniques with colleagues Lawrence Sims and Stephen Balshi. He performed the first immediately loaded full-arch zygomatic / pterygoid implant treatment in the State of Georgia. He also wants to assure us that the alleged relationship between his teaching at his alma mater, Emory University, and the closure of that dental school is purely hearsay evidence. Another of Jeff’s claims to fame is that during the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, he served as the Periodontist for the three-member weightlifting team from Uzbekistan. His three wonderful children, photography, golf and the jazz guitar occupy his non-professional time. Tom Sweeny is “living a dream”! He migrated around the north end of Seattle for several years until he finally developed a partnership with Ken Akimoto in Bellevue. He has been active in Washington State dental politics and has been a Seattle Study Club Director. Tom and his wife Christine Lentz DDS (a UW grad and successful GP) live on six acres and depending on the mood of the month have owned horses. Three children enrich their lives. Son Sean works for Amazon.com, daughter Kendall is a student at UBC in Vancouver and Daughter Bianna is thriving in high school while playing premier level soccer (Fútbol) and participating in the Washington State Olympic Development Program. Tom is also into skiing, Harley-Davidsons and antique automobiles.

The Class of 1985-87:

Eric Engert was a star in Division I college soccer. He finished his stay in Seattle and dribbled his way to Portland to Boston and to San Francisco. Not only did he lose weight during the adventure, but along the way he dropped the “h” from the end of his name. He is now happily ensconced at 450 Sutter Street. He served a four-year stint as the Editor of Mercury, the Newsletter of the San Francisco Dental Society. He makes an annual presentation at UCSF and lectures regularly throughout California. Eric and Anne were wed on Mt Rainier several years ago. They still enjoy going to pristine sites having taken their children to six continents during the past three years. Eric plays the guitar, is a soccer coach, and skis with UW classmates Svendsen and Van Ginkel. Steven Exterkamp began his military career in the US Army and was stationed in Panama from 1982-85. He came to UW as a civilian, but soon enlisted in the USAF. He passed the Perio Boards and has served with distinction in Germany, Cambridge England, Illinois, South Carolina and Florida. He still is in Air Force blues treating military personnel in Alaska. Steve taught AEGD residents for over 10 years. He lights up when he mentions his wife Jan and their 13-year-old son Shane Tyler who have supported of his migrant ways. The family is having a ball on their latest adventure in Alaska. Golf, cross country skiing and hiking bring smiles to their faces. Kirk Pasquinelli is at the top of his game. And passion lurks behind his technical excellence. As a UW grad student he walked into the Chairman’s office and announced that based on the “Big Picture” he should have taken Perio at UCSF. Several months later, having started his practice at 450 Sutter Street and begun teaching part-time at UCSF, he called the UW Chairman and said that he was glad he attended UW. The Chairman smiled. Kirk has been a well-respected speaker in periodontal circles over the years. He states he is lucky to be married to his resilient, inspirational and creative partner Deborah who spent their honeymoon in 1985 moving to Seattle so he could start the Perio Program. The couple has two happy children Simone and Dante Gianni Pasquinelli. Family activities, running and cycling consume most of Kirk’s free time. John Svendsen arrived in Seattle with a MS in Oral Biology and the reputation of being a budding scientist. He has proved to be adept in many different endeavors. While practicing in Arkansas he developed The Health Information Management System Inc. His theme song became “Rock a Bye Baby in Little Rock” as he tried his hand delivering babies as a mid-wife. His own children Max Joseph and Ela Rae are a testament to his ability and coolness under pressure. John Van Ginkel was attracted to The Rocky Mountains. His first stop was Colorado where he practiced in Denver and was a popular instructor two days a week at the dental school. But he was addicted to wide open spaces and so headed to Wyoming to treat the periodontal needs of the folk in Cheyenne and Laramie.

The Class of 1986-88:

Bijon Afar was in the Dentist-Scientist Program. The aim of this five-year program was to educate future teachers and researchers. Students received a stipend, research funds and a tuition waiver for the length of the program during which time they would complete a clinical specialty of their choosing and work toward the PhD degree in a basic science discipline. No “payback” was required, but the student was ineligible to receive a Certificate of Competency in his/hers clinical discipline until the end of the fourth year. Thus it took Bijon four years and two days to get his certificate signed so he could officially open his office in California. He started the first “Multi-Specialty Dental Center” in Los Angeles and now has three more. Bijon has placed over 4000 dental implants. He and his wife Shirin have two children Daniel and Dalia who are honor students at their private school. Bijon enjoys squash (the game and maybe the vegetable as well), hiking, basketball and boxing. Jeanne Bertino claims her greatest professional achievement was convincing her lawyer husband Peter Buck to see four specialists for an “extreme dental makeover” as her 10th anniversary gift. She did have to negotiate re-cycling and garbage duty for a year and take a rain check on that big anniversary diamond. Their wedding, by the way, was featured in the Seattle Times. Held on the shore of Lake Union, the bride arrived by float plan and was whisked along the dock to the ceremony. Jean practices in Seattle and has been an effective part-time faculty member at UW for several years. The couple has gained great satisfaction thanks to the care and feeding of numerous young people from around the world who have passed through their lives for weeks, months and sometimes years at their “Hotel Riviera”. Pete has an innate annual urge to migrate to Australia’s NE Coast and sail in the waters of the Whitsunday Islands. Skiing, hiking and kayaking also fill their busy schedules. Jeanne seems to wreck herself a lot, but they do have fun! John Lewis accepted the challenge. It was 1990. He was a career officer in the USAF when he became a single parent of two children ages three and four. Two years later his family and military responsibilities were unchanged and yet he found the energy to gain Board Certification in Periodontics. He received an early retirement from the Air Force in 1996 after 16 years of active duty because of his status as the single parent of two young children. Fast forward to 2008, his children are now young adults and this family unit is still intact, still thriving. John presently is an independent contractor at three offices (one of which is a Perio Group Practice) in the Fair Oaks region of California. He was a consultant for the V.A. in Northern California for two years helping the residents at Mare Island and M S Clellan. John also works with a voluntary organization that sends equipment and supplies to a Hospital Dental Clinic in Fiji. He now has time to go to a gym three times a week, to try his hand at woodworking and photography, and to travel. Richard Newhart hung his shingle in Parkersburg West Virginia and is glad he did. He and his bride adopted two Korean children. What a great win-win situation! The children have brought a sparkle to Richard’s eyes and in return they have a dad who is a special and caring guy. Bruce Richardson served his country in exemplary fashion for 20 years as a member of the USAF. For eight of those years he taught Periodontics in an AEGD residency program. He became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and now is in private practice in Meridian Idaho. Bruce and Jean have five children who are, or recently have been, in university, a commitment which fortunately hasn’t completely emptied their retirement plan. Military service has allowed the family to travel. Europe, the Caribbean, Tahiti, Costa Rica, Peru, China and Egypt have been crossed off their “to see” list. Now they are having a splendid time gardening in Eagle Idaho.

The Class of 1987-89:

Neil Furuya practices periodontics in a penthouse in Honolulu. There patients are soothed by piped-in soft Hawaiian music coupled with the tranquil view of white sand and rolling surf of the Pacific, AND the friendly face of his bride of 22 years, Carol, who runs the front desk. Neil has become “The God Father” of Dentistry on the Islands. He was an examiner in the State Licensing Boards for nine years evaluating restorative procedures. He also served as the calibrator for the dental hygiene license examinations for seven years. He has spent 19 years teaching residents in a hospital based GPR Program and is the only periodontist with hospital privileges. He has been the sole advisor of the pre-dent club at the University of Hawaii for the past seven years. He has been involved in four study clubs. Neil served on a number of committees of the Hawaiian Dental Association until he was named to the Board of Directors of Hawaii Dental Services, the number one dental insurer with participation by 97% of the State’s dentists. Neil has been on the State Advisory Board for Diabetes for five years. His brother Chuck (a sommelier extraordinaire) controls the Islands’ wine trade. The alumni still rave about the dinner Neil and Chuck orchestrated during the 2000 AAP meeting held in Honolulu. Neil and Carol have excelled as the parents of four children with learning disabilities. Wesley, their valedictorian, is at the University of Colorado in Aerospace Engineering. Ryan, who is majoring in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hawaii, has been on the Dean’s list every quarter. Joyce is in the seventh grade and Wayne the sixth. Neil hastens to give the credit to Carol for the family’s success. Wayne Karp has practiced for the past 19 years in Brampton Ontario. That’s a stone’s throw (if you have a good arm) from Toronto, which is also in Ontario. He and Debbie have a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. His favorite hobby is falling asleep in front of the TV. His teenage children (who are nameless – you’d think that Wayne and Debbie would have figured that out by now) must be well behaved if he is able to sleep. Terry LaBell arrived in Seattle with a Masters in Microbiology. He also possessed that mental acuity needed to excel in a PhD program in Pathology at UW. And excel he did receiving his degree in 1995. During that stretch Terry was invited by Bill Ammons to practice part time in his office. He possessed an excellent work ethic and a full range of impressive credentials that made him a natural for an academic career. Nevertheless Terry turned to private practice in the quiet setting of Woodinville WA. He and Olga Ortuzar, a Pediatric Dentist, now live life to the fullest with their 12 and 10-year-old daughters. Terry loves to drink wine, play tennis and travel – not necessarily in that order. Olga Skica is a model for young professionals. She is gifted yet humble, confident yet quiet, serious yet full of fun, conscience in the care of her patients and yet an airhead when it comes to returning the questionnaire. But she has an excuse. She has fallen in love with a wonderful guy, Paul King. Olga practices in the vibrant city of Montreal a short walk through a park from her home. She is fully bilingual and has been the President of the Montreal Dental Club and La Federation Dentaire des Societies du Grande Montréal. She sits on the Board of Administrators of The Order of Dentists for the Province of Quebec. Her efforts have been recognized by peers who elected her to Fellowship in the International College of Dentists. Olga is a gazelle who stays fit as a long-distance runner.

The Class of 1988-90-91:

Two “clean-cut” American men and two French femme fetale certainly kept the place hopping. All were gifted, but the men played “hit and run” after deciding that a certificate suited their needs. The women were in hot pursuit of the MSD degree and stayed for extra innings. Mark Beckstead moved to California to begin a practice. He passed the American Boards and became the Director of the Palo Alto Study Club, a component of the Seattle Study Club. He and his wife Kevin frolic with their family of four fun-filled kids. Mark, a star triathlete in his youth, enjoys golf, skiing and cycling. Isabelle Demolon displayed a sharp mind and a gifted pair of hands. As with many Romance Language virtuosos she sometimes displayed the temperament of a diva. But beneath this veneer she has a heart of gold. As the Bard William Shakespeare might have described it, Isabelle has experienced “Love’s Labour’s Lost”. She began her practice in Paris, but has since moved with her cherubic children Alice and Adrien to Gap in Southern Alps. Alice’s health problems have resolved thanks to the crisp clear mountain air. Isabelle’s practice is booming; she is the only Periodontist / Implantologist within a 156¼ miles. She takes 10 weeks vacation each year to hike, ski, skate, climb glaciers, and sail. Moreover it is a short trip to Italy where one can find fine food and chic clothes. Isabelle enjoys painting pretty portraits of voluptuous nudes. Travel is also a top priority. She has explored exotic sites such as the Rea Sea, Morocco, Indonesia and Thailand to snorkel and SCUBA dive in search of sea snakes and other aquatic creatures. John Ducar is one of those solid citizens that you would like to have as your partner, friend and neighbor. His bride of 28 years, Juli, is a dental hygienist who treats patients two days a week in his busy office. John works with the GPR residents at the VA Hospital in Long Beach. He has been a leader in California’s dental scene. He served as President of the California Society of Periodontology and at least at one time was the only specialist on the Californian State Dental Licensing Board. He occupied the Chair of the AAP Committee on Patient Benefits and Advocacy. John also kept the books straight as the Treasurer of the Saul Schluger Study Club for several years. He and Juli have two sons in college. The family likes to ski and travel. Elise Shoghikian has an infectious exuberant personality, a joie de vivre, and can convince just about anyone to do just about anything at just about anytime. She returned to La Belle Ville de Montréal to practice and has a satellite office down the St Lawrence River. A graduate of the University of Montreal, she taught Multidisciplinary Residents and Orthodontic Grad Students for a dozen years. Elise regularly lectures to dentists around the Province. She was the President of the Saul Schluger Study Club for many years. When she was a statuesque sensuous single Elise was an adventure traveler with forays into the Australian Outback and to the top of 19,340-foot Mt Kilimanjaro. Now she is happily married to Montreal stock broker Pierre Cantin. The couple has two children Gabrielle and Olivier. A good athlete, Elise plays adult soccer and runs 10ks, and enjoys time with Pierre on the golf course. She coyly keeps her handicap at 24; if she played to her potential she might beat him. Elise coaches her kids’ soccer team and as a hockey mom finds her way on dark winter mornings to an ice rink every weekend. Skiing provides another family outing. And yet this active energetic individual was struck down in December 2004 by a cerebral hemorrhage – the result of a congenital arterial abnormality. She cheated death and only missed four months of practice.

The Class of 1989-91:

Michelle Broder set up shop in Wilmington Delaware. She became a Board Certified Periodontist and has a practice filled with kind, interesting and fantastic patients, which in spite of the challenges make it fun to go to the office. She has two delightful daughters, Jaye age 13 and Mollie who is nine. Michele adds that any professional achievement pales in comparison to her girls. She walks the family mascot – Bob the Dog – each day to get some exercise and have a moment to reflect on how hectic, but wonderful, life as a successful professional and mom is. Lorne Lavine packed his car and drove east following the US-Canadian border until he reached Vermont. There he practiced for 11 years and rendered humanitarian dental treatment in Bangladesh, Jamaica, Senegal and Gambia. He was Rotary Club President and voted Rotarian of the Year in 1999-2000. He participated with “Dentists Climb for a Cause” which raises money for Operation Smile. He has conquered 22,851-foot Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina and been to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Then one day in 2002 he retired, packed his car and drove WSW until he reached California. There the fun began. Undaunted by 80-90 hour work weeks, Lorne started Dental Technology Consultants. He has written two books and published over 150 articles. He lectures 40-50 times a year in several English-speaking countries. After a couple of “strike outs” he found Natalie and together they begat Jake who celebrates his second B-Day the same day we celebrate our 50th. Toyo Matsumoto practices in Issaquah WA. Toyo claims professional highlights occur every time he achieves 100% root coverage and every time his patients emerge from a surgery alive and kicking. He has set a record for faithful service to UW Department of Periodontics by teaching Pre-Doc students one morning a week since completing the Program 17 years ago. Toyo is a Sensei of Karate who celebrated his 40th birthday a few years ago by taking on 10 opponents in rapid succession. He even breaks bricks with his bare hands. He stays in shape by jogging and lifting weights. He married Susan, an attorney, to keep him out of trouble if someone was maimed during one of his athletic outings. One of this “gentle” man’s favorite pastimes is playing with the couple’s fouryear-old daughter Amelia. Kevin Underwood won the Orban Prize for his meticulous MSD research. He then practiced with colleagues in the community until 1997 when he joined an alarmingly long list of alumni who have been felled by a ruptured disc. Kevin switched gears and became the Director of Clinical Research with the Optiva Corporation makers of the world famous sonicare toothbrush. The Nineties saw allied troops amass in the Persian Gulf to liberate Kuwait. “Dances with Wolves” was named the best movie of 1990. The village of Charlemagne Quebec made a contribution to the music world – the gifted Céline Marie Claudette Dion released her first Anglophone album in 1990 and an international super star soared on the scene. Toward the end of the decade a golfer from Stanford University was making a name for himself.

The Class of 1990-92-93:

Richard Green is a quiet intellect with a wry sense of humor. He also knew his way around the Grad Clinic. When Richard completed his MSD he decided to practice in Bethesda Maryland. He is a part-time staff periodontist at the VA in Baltimore and a Consultant in Periodontics to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. Along the way he gained Board Certification in Periodontics. He and Mary have two cute children Gordon, who is eight, and five-year-old Caroline. In spare moments Richard likes to bike, play the trumpet, construct buildings and collect antique model trains. Katharine Munn’s good sense soon surfaced. As a senior dental student she rolled the dice and declined a position in Grad Perio at BU gambling that if she worked for a year she would be accepted at UW. We are delighted she did. She was a dynamo. Katharine returned to her native Newfoundland and practiced in a quaint fishing village until the lobster pods became barren and the cod fishermen went broke. She and her husband, Endodontist Philip Cabrera, migrated to Massachusetts in 2000 to start anew. The two now share office space. Endurance events came naturally to Katharine. Newfoundland was devoid of bus service and the roads were frozen in the winter so the kids ran everywhere to keep warm. When the seas were too rough for the ferry service to ply its way to the mainland, Katharine donned her goggles and swam. It therefore should be no surprise that she competed in the 2006 Danskin Triathlon in Florida and placed third in the 2007 Hartford Marathon. Their children Daniel (13) and Maria (12) are competitive simmers like their mom. When the family needs a break from all of the frenetic activities it’s four members jump on a plane bound for Philip’s homeland Tenerife. Alice Tai went to California and in the ensuing years started a practice in San Ramon, and passed the Perio Boards. Alice serves on the Board of Directors of the Contra Costal Dental Society and is involved with the California Dental Society. She married Chuck Allen (who had been a friend for 15 years – they didn’t want to rush into anything) the Director of Advertising Finance for Macy’s. They bought a house. They had two kids Benjamin (11) and Elizabeth (8). They renovated the house. The family loves spending time together especially eating good food and traveling. John Triller (deceased) practiced in Seattle for a short time before the family’s dreams were snuffed out.

The Class of 1991-93-94:

Hsu-Yun (Sharyn) Liu was one of Taiwan’s gifts to the Program. She may have been a diminutive dainty damsel in stature, but she certainly was a top notch performer in the clinic. She returned to her homeland to practice. Michele Sackheim treated patients in Beverley Hills for 11 years during which time she was President of the Los Angeles Association of Women Dentists and the Alpha Omega Chapter in the city. She also was involved in several community organizations. The love of her life appeared and Michele moved to the Windy City, took the Central Regional Dental Boards, broke her leg, had baby Shira, married Joe Wein, inherited a couple of kids, stayed at home (Editor’s note: the order may be somewhat confused) and now is practicing part time in Evanston. Her theme song is, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” Michelle has continued her community involvement and along with other commitments sits on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation in Chicago. It has been said that “the family that plays together stays together”. This family (children 16, 13 and 2 years old) has traveled together with Ethiopia, Cartagena Colombia, Argentina, France, Italy and Israel as destinations. Todd Smith is a quiet-spoken talent who has had a committed career with the USPHSIndian Health Service. For his efforts he received the Outstanding Service Medal and a National Award for Excellence in Clinical Dentistry. He has been stationed for most of his career in Arizona helping Pima Indians who displayed a high incidence of diabetes and advanced periodontitis. Todd “retired” as a Captain and now with a sly smile he works as a civil consultant in Periodontics for his former employers. He and Lonni Balinsky DDS (his dental school classmate and bride of 28 years) live in Scottsdale. They have two children in their twenties who, according to their proud father, have yet to be incarcerated. Todd thinks that music and everything about the outdoors (so he can hunt, fish, hike, backpack and ski on water and snow) are absolutely smashing. Jennifer Watters has practiced in Marin and Sonoma Counties, and San Francisco. She is the first woman to earn Certification in the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. She reports that she gains great professional satisfaction by helping her patients keep their teeth. Seven-year-old Alex is her pride and joy. Together they enjoy sports, museums, the arts and hanging out with their extended family. The past year has tested her character. Jennifer was injured in a serious car accident in 2007 and has been struggling to practice one or two days a week as a result of the damage to her neck, arms and right hand.

The Class of 1992-94-95:

Kostantinos “Dino” Georgas taught at UW when he first finished the Program. He joined Sally Smith Struzyna in her downtown Seattle office before returning to Vancouver BC to establish one of his own. There he has been happily ensconced in the community for the past 11 years. He and his associate focus on aesthetic/regenerative and implant surgery. Dino is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC where he has taught in both the graduate and undergraduate clinics. He mentors the Periodontal Study Club Vancouver BC and lectures throughout the province. He is on the Board of two non-profit organizations and serves on several fundraising committees for a variety of Vancouver charities. Dino likes to travel. His most recent destinations were Dubai, India, France, Greece, Hong Kong, South America and Hawaii. South Africa and Thailand are next on the “to do” list. He married his partner Terry Jackson in 2006 and lists six godchildren, five nieces and nephews, and at least 45 Greek cuzzins as family members. Gerrarda O’Beirne was the Program’s first Gaelic student. She practices in Seattle and has been active in local dental circles. She was President of the Washington State Society of Periodontology and a Board Member of Seattle King County Dental Foundation. Gerrarda was also selected by her peers as one of the top local periodontists and highlighted in Seattle Magazine. This leprechaun lass and John Fuhrman (a solicitor) are newly weds. The couple said their vows in New York City in early May of 2008 and then spent their honeymoon in Brazil and Argentina. In her life as a single person Gerrarda made it to the summit of Mt. Rainier, but now she is content to snowshoe at a much lower altitude. She likes to cook and dance (she has been on tour with Michael Flatley’s Riverdance), and make small movies/DVDs using computer software. Ching-Mei Su (deceased) gained Board Certification in Perio and practiced in Taiwan. She was killed while driving home in a storm with gale-force winds. Her car skidded off the road and slammed into a pole. She was only 35. Tragic! Yun-Chien “Jill” Wang also returned to her native country – Taiwan. She married an ENT specialist with whom she shares office space.

The Class of 1993-95-96:

Eric Brockman loved to swap stories with his “adopted uncle” Bill Ammons. He taught half-time at UW and has instructed in regional hygiene programs. He then opened an office in Kent WA. That Eric settled in one place is quite remarkable. He attended seven colleges and universities before going to dental school. Now he has his American Boards and is doing just fine. He is a proponent of the need to understand, appreciate and preserve the world around us. Hiking, bird watching and gardening are favorite pastimes and his trip to the Galapagos Islands was particularly rewarding. Terri Colquitt practiced for a year in Chicago and then taught Perio at Meharry Medical College in Nashville for a couple of years. In 1999 she moved to Birmingham Alabama where she became the first and only person of color in private practice in periodontics. Terri has been very active in volunteer services with First Light, King Ranch in the region. She was recognized in 2003 for her leadership in Birmingham. Her humanitarian activities have led her to Ghana and a trip to South Africa is in the works for the end of 2008. She always has been dedicated to her son Jonathan’s education and was delighted when the young man graduated from Howard University in 2006. Family gatherings and parties are a big part of her life. Wesley Hanson was a career US Navy pilot flying fighter planes off aircraft carriers before entering dental school. He earned a Masters in Public Health in 1991 and a couple of years later decided it would be neat to take Perio. By that time he was almost eligible for Social Security. He left UW with a Certificate ready to treat patients on the west side of Puget Sound (Naval officers are intoxicated by the sounds and sights of the sea). But old guys (especially those with a pulse rate of 48) learn how to pace themselves and smell the roses as they make their way through life. Five years after finishing the Program Wes returned to defend his MSD thesis. His wife, Darla White, is a dental hygienist. Lloyd Tucker spent some time seeking a suitable spot to practice in the Great Northwest and finally decided on West Seattle. He was the Clinical Editor of the Seattle Study Club’s Journal from 1997-2003 and contributed to the new text “Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning”. He also became Board Certified in Perio. Lloyd has served as a Board Member of his Synagogue. He enjoys reading, snow skiing and being an involved dad.

The Class of 1994-97:

A significant change awaited this class. The length of graduate programs in Periodontics was increased to three years. Among the stated reasons were to provide enough time to gain experience in the placement of implants and to increase the amount of Oral Medicine being taught in the curriculum. Although not a requirement, the added year also meant that virtually all students would have time to conduct a research project leading to the MSD degree. Allen Chen was an Oral Surgeon in China who came to UW to do research with Roy Page. He then saw the light and applied for Perio. Since graduation Allen has been practicing with Dick Quinn in Renton. They have been Directors of the Seattle Study Clubs South Shore branch for the past 10 years. Allen gained Certification in the American Board of Periodontology. He and Alice (an alumna of UW Oral Medicine) enjoy their children Steven and Serina. Allen tries to find time to ski and play golf. Joe Gabany came to Seattle with an interesting educational background. He majored in Biology and Music in college. He received a DMD and Masters of Education from Penn. With his MSD and Certificate in Perio from UW he opened a private practice in San Francisco. He has taught with élan at both UCSF and U of P. Then one evening he attended a ballet and was smitten by ballerina Dalene Bramer. They wed in 2004. Joe is equally comfortable on land and in the water. He participates in open water swimming having completed the splash through shark invested waters to Alcatraz in 2006 – 2008. He also has competed in the Porsche Cup Challenge Racing Series the past two years. Sailing, skiing and music bring a smile to his face. Jeff Kanter is a third generation dentist who took awhile to follow in the family footsteps. A percussionist of note he spent five years beating on drums on his way from California to Alaska. He finally returned to Ohio to study Fine Arts. Education became addicting and he enrolled in Dentistry at Case Western and then Graduate Prosthodontics at North Carolina followed by a year of Oral Facial and Communicative Disorders. After four years of private practice he still felt professionally unfulfilled. By this time he was married to Susan Kleiner PhD (Human Performance and Nutrition, American College of Sports Medicine, author, TV personality, consultant for Pro-Sport teams), who wondered if she had made the right decision when Jeff announced that he would like to go to Seattle to take Periodontics and a Masters in Oral Biology. Ah but we knew he was a keeper. His background in Prosthodontic certainly was a plus. Moreover as a graduate student he was intrigued by the lack of smoking cessation information in the Health Science Center. Jeff became a local leader on the subject, and his message has been honed and carried into his private practice, the lecture hall and professional meetings. He taught on a half-time basis at UW for a few years and became Board Certified in Perio. His list of achievements features the raising of reasonably healthy children in an age of indulgence. Jeff enjoys skiing and recently performed with a group of African drummers in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall to benefit Children’s Hospital. Adrian Pawlowski arrived having practiced general dentistry for several years in the snow of Vilna Alberta and decided he would prefer to practice perio in the rain in Seattle. Janet thought that was a splendid idea. Nevertheless when the couples’ eldest daughter Kristi was married in May 2008 the wedding was held in Maui. Adrian clings to his past by continuing to curl (stones in a rink, not hair in a salon) and ski. He also heads to the water to ski and wake board. Janet, who manages the office, was given an award for Leadership in Alliance by the ADA.

The Class of 1995-98:

This class was introduced to a changing of the guard. Bill Ammons stepped down as Program Director and reduced his teaching commitment to 40% time (i.e. three or four days a week). His replacement, Bob O’Neal, arrived from the US Army via Ann Arbor where he had a short layover as Program Director at Michigan. Ken Akimoto’s stated professional highlight is finishing the program on time. He also made it to the church on time. After jetting back and forth across the Pacific to Japan and across the country to North Carolina where Hitomi was completing her Grad Pros Program, the couple has become ensconced in Metro Seattle. Ken, a Diplomate in Perio, received the California Society of Periodontists Award ($$$$) for his research in Implantology. He has volunteered in the Grad Clinic for a few years. He practices with alumnus Tom Sweeney and has been President of the Washington State Society of Periodontology. An aggressive ski racer in his youth, Ken now favors spending time at his computer and fly fishing. David Baker finished the Program and wandered up and down the West Coast seeking his professional niche. He started in Bellingham, switched to Edmonds, returned to his roots in California before the lure of the Northwest led him back to Bellingham. His research project on implants at UW earned him applause, awards and cash. His presentations and publications earned him the Academy of Osseointegration Foundation’s Research Award and he was honored for “outstanding graduate student research in implantology” by the California Society of Periodontists. He is Board Certified and a Past-President of the Washington State Society of Periodontology. He and Jennifer have three wonderful kids Grace (7), Gavin (5) and Hudson who will celebrate his first BDay in 2008. David is an active guy who has been to the summits of Mt. Rainier and Mt Adams, and likes all of the “ings” – running, biking, hiking, camping, swimming, heliskiing and wrestling with his children. Minou Karbakhsch is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology who loves practicing Perio in Tacoma. She and alumna Maina Baumer are Co-Founders of the Institute for Complete Dental Education (ICDE) and Periodontal-Implant Connection (PIC) in their native country Germany. Minou is a woman on the fly who enjoys playing soccer, running, skiing, contemporary ballet, art, and trying her hand at graphic design and sculpturing. She also admits she loves cooking and eating, and wine and whisky. She has a couple of canine companions Sydney and Leonardo Gustavo. Michael Zybutz lives and practices in London. A civilized gentleman, he can be seen in a trendy tailored tailcoat and top hat, cycling 12 miles to and from his office each day over that city’s highest hill (Highgate 6.3 meters above sea level) while avoiding the thousands of saloon cars and lorries negotiating the roundabouts. This dental tycoon also runs three other practices in the UK. He is Board Certified in Perio and maintains his US connection by playing music by the Queen of Scat Ella Fitzgerald every day in his office. He and fellow alumnus Darrin Rapoport designed Panda Perio software, which facilitates professional letter writing. Four cardiac stents have not slowed Michael. He still plays football (soccer) and tries his hand (perhaps “feet” is a better term) at surfing during his annual pilgrimage to Hawaii. Michael and his wife Lisa Goldblatt have two children Talia (13) and “Born in the USA” Gabriel Ezra (10).

The Class of 1996-99:

Steve Pickering (a 1977 UCSF grad) was a “mature” student when he arrived. His bride Janice kept the home fires glowing in California. The airlines between Seattle and San Francisco thrived during the next three years. Steve was expected to be a capable and experienced clinician, but he also proved to be a helluva “student” who was always eager to learn new things. Indeed it was Stephen who conned Robert H. into creating a yearlong Tuesday noon seminar in Clinical Stomatology. The course still runs today often to the chagrin of the current students. Steve practices in San Mateo with Brian Pope and Brenda Lamb Lewis. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and seems to have indefatigable energy and doesn’t know how to say, “No” when asked to participate in a worthwhile event. He spent six years as a Trustee of the California Dental Association. He is on the Board of the California Society of Periodontists and has just been named to the House of Delegates of the ADA. He has lectured nationally and internationally. One activity that provides great gratification is his membership in a vibrant study club of nine peers from around the country. He is the current SecretaryTreasure of the Schluger / Ammons Study Club. Steve and Jan (who founded and is President of the Board of a private middle school) have three talented daughters – Elizabeth who is married and lives in NYC where she was in Broadway Musicals before changing directions, Victoria who is married and works as a computer engineer in Santa Barbara and Alexandra who is having a ball in San Francisco. Steve, a vocalist who plays several instruments, belongs to a musical group that performs at a variety of locations in California. He likes to spend time on the golf course and in their back yard landscaping, building decks and creating water falls. Darrin Rapoport from South Africa displayed great skill in the Program. On completion he toyed with the idea of going to Sydney Australia. Instead he associated with Jerome and Sturdivant in the Southcenter region of Seattle and then funded their retirement by purchasing the practice. Darrin is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and he has welcomed a more recent grad Ralf Schuler to join in the office. Darrin and Pamela have three boisterous boys. He enjoys skiing on one of those rare free days. Yasaman Sanai was fresh out of school when she arrived and she too excelled. She started practicing in Bremerton WA, passed the Perio Boards and built a new office building in Port Orchard in 2006. Yasie and her Pediatric Dentist husband Mike Becker have two children, Cameron (born on 03-03-03) and four-year-old Ariana. The busy couple enjoys nothing more than spending time walking with their kids, and visiting the zoo and Leggoland.

The Class of 1997-2000:

Director Robert O’Neal tweaked the start date of the program from Autumn Quarter to Summer Quarter. That allowed the students to take courses such as Biostats and Epidemiology that were only offered during the summer months. They then had a foundation to assess the heavy dose of literature that was heading their way over the next three years. Bob also made an agreement with the US Army to train one officer per year. Margret Helga-Hilde “Maina” Baűmer arrived full of vim, vigor and vitality. Three years later she said, “veni, vidi, vici” and returned to Germany. She received a departing gift from the California Society of Periodontists for her research in Periodontal Regeneration. Although Periodontics is not a recognized specialty in Germany, Maina gained Certification in the American Board of Periodontology and has restricted her private practice to the field. She chose to do it in Cologne because she likes the fragrant aromas in the city. She and her husband Hajo Harmel have two bubbly boys Hans and Franz who, their unbiased mother claims, are the most wonderful children in the universe. Guy Gagnon BSc, MSc, PhD, DMD was well on his way to becoming a professional student when he arrived. He was on the faculty of Laval University and had an agreement to return to his Alma Mater when he completed Perio at UW. Not only was he a scholar, but he possessed outstanding clinical skills and was a gentleman to boot. In the eight short years since he returned to Quebec City he has become a lightning-rod in the scientific periodontal community in that part of Canada. In spite of a staggering teaching schedule, Guy has published 15 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has presented 45 scientific lectures. But the load has taken its toll. Guy has decided to severe his ties with the university and move to Ottawa to enter private practice. Quel dommage! On a personal note he fractured his leg two years ago while jogging. The surgeon has just removed all of the screws and plates allowing him to return to this activity and fly fishing. But best of all out of the chaos emerged, like an oasis in the desert, Patricia. Ah serenity! Lt. Col. Alan Smith was the US Army’s contribution to the class. He had traipsed around the world in uniform for 14 years. He blended into the program with ease, although he did have difficulty breaking the habit of saluting or addressing the faculty as “Sir” or “Ma’am” when they met in the corridor. When Alan finished the Army sent him to Germany for about seven years. He was Chief of Periodontics in Heidelberg where his wife Valerie enrolled in Med School. He then was stationed in Mannheim as Chief of Perio and the Officer-in-Charge. During his European stay Alan was the President of the European Society of Military Periodontists and Director of the European Regional Dental Command where he taught local anesthesia to over 50 dental hygienists. Valerie and Alan have a son David who is 16. David and his dad loved to ski in the Alps and roar around Michael Schumacher’s kart tracks. The family also enhanced Europe’s tourist trade by visiting 18 countries. Reality returned when Alan was moved back to Fort Eustis in historic Virginia where he is O-I-C and Chief of Periodontics.

The Class of 1998-2001:

Douglas Dixon was the Army’s contribution to the Program. The decision-makers didn’t realize he was going to linger in the Northwest until he passed the Perio Boards, received a PhD and was promoted to the rank of Lt Colonel. He finally left in 2005 and was named Research Scientist/Periodontist US Army Dental Research Detachment at the Great Lakes facility. He recently was promoted to Deputy Commander and Chief, Immunology Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. In 2009 Doug will become the fourth mentor at the Army Periodontal Residency Program at Fort Gordon Georgia. Jennifer teaches at their children’s school so her work schedule coincides with those of Breanna and Nate. Doug coaches their soccer and T-ball teams. He also likes to hike with his German Shepherds and lift weights (“There is Strong and Then There is Army Strong”). Doug is one of the few military dentists to steer a tank while on maneuvers in Europe and now he is vying to have a go at that NASCAR racecar sponsored by the Army. Kohei Fujimoto was named the 2003 winner for his implant research by the California Society of Periodontists. Since graduation he passed his Boards in Perio and joined his dad’s dental office in Tokyo. He recently started a Perio/Implant CE course in Yokohama. Koh and Naoko have a young son Takuma who already has taken the SATs to gain entrance to Elementary School. Koh’s favorite pastimes include photography, fishing, skiing and interestingly driving. Perhaps that is why he set a UW Perio record for the most speeding tickets (20+) during a three-year stay in Seattle. Bryan Pope practices with Steve Pickering and Brenda Lamb Lewis in San Mateo CA. He was named the California Society of Periodontists 2002 winner for his MSD research on implants and later gained Board Certification in Perio. Bryan organized a group of eight or 10 periodontists from around the country and formed the Society of Contemporary and Progressive Periodontics or SCPP. One of their progressive objectives, using computer software, is to pool retrospective and prospective data on implants and various periodontal therapeutic modalities from their respective offices. The group is eager to start analyzing the extremely large N later this year. Bryan and Julie have been busy parents. The newest member of their family is Porter Rae who arrived on April 29th much to the delight of his older sisters Ellie 4½ and Lauren 2½

The Class of 1999-2002:

Scott Burgan was on the front lines of the Iraqi conflict with painted face and M 16 at the ready when he was on evening security patrols. He deserves our thanks for putting his life on the line. He is Board Certified and was Mentor of the AEGD Program at Fort Lewis WA. He struggled to care for four children on his own before meeting the love of his life Brenda. In earlier years he embarked on a two-year missionary service in South Africa. That helped spark an interest in photography and art. Scott has an Alternative-Art collection and an extensive International Music collection. Home improvement (they live in Yelm WA) and playing cards consume free time. Janet Miesel was on an aircraft carrier when she applied for Perio at UW. Now she prefers to keep her feet on the ground at her practice in Everett WA. Her husband Todd, a dental general practitioner, shares office space with Janet. The couple has three young children Tyler (7), Drake (4) and Kyra who turns one this year. This busy mother and periodontist volunteers at the local public elementary school and tries to find time to relax on the ski slopes and on the water in their boat. Nicolas Ravon won the 2003 California Society of Periodontists’ Award in the category of “Diagnostic and Non-Surgical Therapy” for his MSD research. He has been a busy guy in Southern California since graduation. An excellent clinician, he has passed the Perio Boards and been a mentor in study clubs while seeking that perfect place to practice. Located in Los Angeles he needs a scorecard to figure out what office he is scheduled to be in on any given day. Ah but Frenchmen maintain that “the journey is the reward”. Skiing and traveling are other favored activities. The New Millennium: As the calendar turned to 2000, the world seemed to have run amok. The Enron scandal, 9/11, Afghanistan, Gulf War II, and terrorists dominated news reports. The drama and violence of “Gladiator” made it a popular choice for the decade’s first Oscar. “BYOB” now meant “Bring Your Own Bag” to the grocery store instead of “paper or plastic?” Universities were struggling thanks to increased costs and a flattening of Federal and State funding. Corporate and private donations seemed critical. There was, however, a breath of fresh air in the Program. Eight of the last 12 graduates profiled in this 50-year historical review are women. Today’s women in Dentistry are outstanding. There were 17 women among the 53 students in UW’s School of Dentistry Class of 2008. That’s 32%. Six members of the class were elected to OKU membership. All six were women. That’s 100%

The Class of 2000-03:

Bruce Abe was funded by the USAF during his three-year stay in Seattle. He then met his military commitment deep in the heart of Texas. He became Board Certified and now practices in San Diego. Michael Moyer was tabbed as the Army’s representative. After he received his MSD he, Robbin and their family made their way to Fort Riley Kansas where he became the Chief of Periodontics. He was part of a team that opened a new clinic at the Baghdad International Airport in 2006-7. In 2007 Michael was named Chief of Periodontics at the US Army Base in Grafenwöhr Germany. The family has seized the opportunity to travel in Europe during free time. Ralf Schuler is one gifted guy. Prior to UW he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Cologne. He immediately demonstrated that he was a virtuoso in the clinic. He was heavily recruited by UW when he finished the Program. Ralf really wanted to spread his clinical wings. He and Darrin Rapport now practice together and Ralf has been a volunteer one morning a week in the Grad Clinic. Since graduation he has lectured on both sides of the Atlantic. He now has his Perio Boards and obtained that important Green Card. Petra and their children Celina (age 10) and Felix (age 7) are delighted. In bygone days Ralf was a very competitive tennis player in Germany. He still displays a wicked serve on the court and can cavort in style on the ski slopes. He plays the piano and drums with great zest

The Class of 2001-04

Byung Do Ham is a really nice human being. He initially carved out a career at the National University in Seoul. A Periodontist with a PhD in Microbiology, his first trip to Seattle was as a Visiting Scientist with Roy Page. His wife Hae Soon and family enjoyed the Northwest so much they decided to stay. Byung Do therefore applied to the Perio Program so he could practice in this country. He certainly brought diverse experiences to the classroom and clinic. He completed the Program and returned to Seoul to resume his hectic schedule in that country. He is the Founder (1996) and Director of the Institute of Periodontics and Implant Dentistry in Seoul, and the VP of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Implantology. Byung Do sits on the Board of Dental Service International. A humanitarian, he has been on five mission trips to Uzbekistan (2004-2008) and one to Afghanistan in 2006. Walking, climbing, playing golf and listening to music are favorite activities. Jim Janakievski was a talented Restorative Dentist having worked as a lab technician while going to dental school, taking a GPR and then practicing as a GP for a few years prior to coming to Seattle. This background helped to make him the 2005 winner of the International Straumann Esthetic Casebook Competition. He also was the 2004 National Clinical Dental Implant Competition Winner. That same year the California Society of Periodontists honored him with its Leadership Award and the Western Society of Periodontology named Jim the Outstanding Periodontal Resident. Jim passed his Perio Boards and taught at UW for a couple of years during which time he was honored by the Pre-Doc students for his teaching ability. He was a nominee for the 2004 AAP Kramer Award for Excellence and a 2005 finalist in the Orban Research Competition. He now practices with Dave Mathews in Tacoma and has been invited to speak at several national conferences. Another love is cooking. Jim has studied the Culinary Arts and participates in the Bouquet-Garni: The Supper Club. In his previous life in Canada he was a finalist in the Ontario Cup – Mountain Bike Race Series. He coaches soccer and likes skiing and fly fishing. Art and photography are other hobbies. Jim and Linda had a wee boy Jordan while in the program and have added Evan to the family since moving to Tacoma. There must be something in the water. Robert McLeod had an educational grant from the USAF. After earning his MSD he was stationed at Tinker AFB. During his four-year stay he became Board Certified and was promoted to the rank of Major. He also was a volunteer clinical instructor in Grad Perio at the University of Oklahoma. He completed his military obligation and now is in private practice in Oklahoma City. He is another alumnus into “ings” – hiking, golfing, snowboarding, SCUBA diving, reading and watching movies. Simone Verardi is the current President of the Schluger-Ammons Study Club. He has been the driving force behind our celebration. And it is he you can blame as you struggle to read this convoluted 50-year tale. A gregarious individual, when asked what he has been doing, he will reply, “stuff in places with people”. His MSD research earned him a California Society of Periodontology award and he was invited to join the faculty at UW. Simone and Jim Janakievski stepped into the breach and held the Graduate Program together at a time when Bob O’Neal was named the Associate Deanship for Clinical Services and the search was on for a new Director of Graduate Periodontics. Simone stayed for three years and then remembered that all roads lead to Rome. He now is a parttime faculty member in the Department of Periodontology and Implantology at Universita’ La Sapienza di Roma. He lectures and has published in basic science and clinical fields. He loves to sail and travel to places with people to see things and do stuff.

The Class of 2002-05:

Tom Faber had an MS in electrical engineering and had worked in the aerospace industry for a dozen years before he entered dental school at UCLA. He therefore brought some “maturity” to the Program when he appeared in Seattle four years later to start Perio. He certainly has been an asset. He was an exemplary grad student and has continued his UW connection by volunteering in the Pre-Doc clinic each week. Tom passed the American Boards in Perio and is in private practice in North Seattle. He has several published articles to his credit. Socially he likes to cut loose Salsa dancing, golfing, and water and snow skiing. Brenda Lamb Lewis is a third generation dentist (and the first to gain Certification in the American Board of Periodontology) who thrived in the Program and returned to California to work with Steve Pickering and Bryan Pope in San Mateo. What a good “IDEA!” Highlights of private practice include getting paid for rendering treatment and not having to get her chart entries signed by an instructor. Another magical moment was her marriage to long-time soul mate Gordon Lewis in February 2006. The couple will have a brand new bundle of joy (Bryson Phillip Lewis) to show us at the 50th. Brenda spent three weeks in Malawi Africa in the summer 2006 providing dental care for orphans and some adults. Skiing and traveling are favorite pastimes. Jung Song is one of those generous and caring individuals who makes the rest of us feel wanted just by being in her presence. Jung gained Board Certification in Perio and practices in Edmonds WA. Since graduation this dedicated young professional has donated her time, talents and considerable dental supplies to help people in need in other countries. She has traveled to Jamaica (twice), Guatemala, Honduras, Bolivia, Kenya and Haiti on humanitarian missions. She was on her own in Kenya at the end of December 2007 when chaos reigned and Nairobi resembled a war zone. Fearing for her safety she holed up in a hotel room for 48 hours until she could catch a plane back to the US. Jung likes to put herself to the test. She completed the hilly San Francisco Marathon in 2007 and another one in San Diego’s heat in June 2008.

The Class of 2003-06:

Scott Cohen finished in grand style in the bottom of the ninth with the defense of his MSD thesis. He hit a walk off homerun and then he and Sarah jumped in their car and drove non-stop to Winter Park Florida. His reported professional highlights include (1) not passing out during seminars (he had learned how to survive in college as the punter behind Vanderbilt’s often porous offensive line) and (2) passing the Perio Boards. Scott stays in shape by running, lifting weights and delivering bagels on his bicycle to potential referring dentists. Pamela Nicoara defended her thesis and jetted to Northampton MA in search of fame and fortune. Lonesome for the Northwest, she soon returned and her life has been consumed establishing a practice in Everett and achieving Board Certification in Periodontics. She did take a break to go on a remote one-week canoe trip in Canada. Wonder if there was an attraction other than the scenery. Julie Pastagia finished the program, received her MSD hightailed it to her home in The Big Apple where she fully intended to associate and make a name for herself. Then Bean Town became more appealing (she graduated from Harvard’s Dental School). She is practicing in Lexington MA and lives in Back Bay in downtown Boston. In spite of the move Julie found the time to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology.

The Class of 2004-07:

Diana and Daniel Cristea had a dream. After Diana graduated from dental school in Romania where Daniel was an accountant, they won the lottery to come to the US. They settled in North Carolina. It took Diana a year to learn how to speak English after which she graduated Dental Hygiene after which she graduated from Dentistry after which she graduated from Perio at UW after which she joined Willamette Dental in Olympia after which she gained Board Certification in Perio. Phew! Meanwhile Daniel enlisted in the US Army and worked in accounting while attending college to become a CPA in this country. Generous by nature, they not only helped finance her younger sister’s dental education at North Carolina, but showered the people around them with gifts from the heart. Diana also volunteers in UW’s Pre-Doc clinics. She enjoys running and swimming. Michelle Lee joined her famous father in Vancouver BC where she eventually hopes to become footloose and fancy free. As a graduation gift Ken and Michelle traveled to China, but since then she has kept her nose to the grindstone. She took exams in Periodontics required to gain specialty status in the province of British Columbia. She hardly took a breath before sitting the examinations to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada in Periodontics. She also jetted east to give an excellent poster presentation at the IADR meeting in Toronto in 2008. Michelle has started to give CDE lectures and has made strides in developing a solid referral base. She loves to cook (takes after her mother Meelang), sew and dress stylishly (within a strict budget of course). Victor Mak made his way up the I-5 corridor, crossed the border and stopped. White Rock BC seemed like a nice place to live and practice. He also maintained a link on the south side of the 49th Parallel. He practices part time in Bellingham. He too has become a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada in Periodontics and has Board Certification in Perio in the US. He is the only UW graduate to gain this dual recognition. His wife Helen Eng MD was busy as well. Her graduation gift to Victor was baby Ella who smiles and her daddy melts. Jessica Smith Swoboda practices in the Seattle region and teaches in the Pre-Doc clinics one half day per week. Her MSD research led to presentations in Toronto and Bern. She also became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Jessica’s husband Ben is a Resident in Anesthesiology at UW. The couple enjoyed exhilarating ski trips to Big Sky and Aspen this year. Jessica completed the Chicago Marathon and is currently in training for the race in NYC. Snowshoeing and biking help to keep her in shape. Jessica is one of the key organizers for our 50th celebration and deserves a lot of credit for her enthusiastic and energetic efforts.

The Class of 2005-08:

It’s déjà vu! In 1958 there was a new program with its Director Saul Schluger. Only two of the three students who entered the Program that year truly accomplished what was laid out before them. Fast forward to the present. Bob London became the new Director of the Program for the final class of the first half Century. Three students started classes in June of 2005; only two remained to begin Autumn Quarter. Yet the two survivors represent what has been good about this program. They accepted the added work load (and scrutiny) without a whimper. Just as Bechlem and Saxe blazed through the first leg of the relay in 1958, fifty years later Herron and Tuohy have charged toward the finish line with an indomitable force reminiscent of that local legend Seattle Slew. Caroline Herron graduated from UW School of Dentistry in 2003 (she was an award winner in Perio) and then practiced in Spokane for two years. She was the first woman member of the Inland Empire Perio Study Club mentored by Sal Leone. While in Spokane she taught one day per week in the Dental Hygiene Program at Eastern Washington University. Caroline has excelled in the Perio Program, displaying technical and academic competency, and professional grace while she earned her Certificate and MSD. She joined the faculty for the 2008 summer quarter to pinch hit while many of the regular volunteers took a break to concentrate on family fun. She and her husband Matt Anderson are leaning toward Idaho as a site for her practice and his business. They enjoy water skiing and traveling. Caroline should be easily identified at the 50th gala thanks to her glow and abdominal protuberance. Traelach Patrick Tuohy comes from Ballyvohalane, Kill, Co. Waterford, Ireland. The son of a dentist, Traelach tested the waters by taking four-years of extensive participation courses in all dental disciplines before zeroing in on Periodontics. His Irish hurling pals can say with pride, “Faith and Begorra. The lad made it.” And he did it with élan displaying sound clinical decisions, clear and concise oral presentations, and meticulous work in the lab leading to his MSD. There would be an added bonus – Traelach’s investigation earned him the California Society of Periodontists 2008 Award for “Clinical Studies, Diagnostic and Non-Surgical Therapy”. He managed his time well while in the Emerald City. He was the playing coach of the local hurling team, he completed the Seattle Marathon and he made it to the top of Mt Rainier. Now 100% of the Irish citizens who have attended UW Perio (two ☺) have reached the summit. Traelach has headed home to practice on the Emerald Isle, but he left his heart in Seattle. Third year Grad Perio student Melissa Lee now wears a ring that sparkles (as does her smile) on her left hand.