EVENTS THIS YEAR:

Marquette University School of Dentistry Alumni Weekend  

This year, the School of Dentistry is combining Alumni Awards with Reunions and CE for a wonderful weekend of activities for all our dental school alumni. Whether you are celebrating a reunion year, are interested in obtaining CE, want to congratulate the deserving alumni award winners or want to participate in a mass and breakfast, we have a little of everything this weekend! Join us for the entire weekend or pick and choose different events.

 

Friday September 20: 

CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE

Alumni Memorial Union

9:00 am - noon

All About Drugs: Learning from our Pharmacy Partners

Join us for 3 one-hour sessions presented by faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. Dr. Joseph Best, DDS, PhD, a Marquette Dental graduate, oral surgeon and PhD in Pharmacology, will moderate the program adding a dental perspective as needed in the Q&A.

Session 1: Dental Antibiotic Prescribing

9:00-10:00 am

Kristen Bunnell, PharmD, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and a board certified infectious diseases pharmacist. She currently practices with the infectious diseases pharmacy team at Froedtert Health, where she primarily covers the antimicrobial stewardship service.

This is one part of a three-part series related to medications and substances of abuse that may be relevant to dental practice. In this session, we will discuss common indications for antibiotics in dental clinics. We will review pertinent clinical practice guidelines, including the appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics for dental procedures and appropriate empiric treatment for dental infections. A practical framework for addressing antibiotic allergies will also be presented. Any practicing dental practitioner could benefit from this session to improve the judicious use of antibiotics in their practice.

Session 2: This Won't Hurt a Bit: Pain Stewardship Considerations for Dentistry

10:00-11:00 am

William Peppard completed a bachelor and doctor of pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy followed by a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Froedtert Hospital. He is the Enterprise Pain Stewardship Coordinator and Chair of Pharmacy Research at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and serves as an Associate Professor within the Department of Surgery. During the first 17 years of his career, Bill practiced in the trauma/surgical ICU as a clinical pharmacist. Four years ago, he transitioned to focusing all efforts on pain stewardship at the enterprise level. Throughout his career, his research and quality improvement efforts have substantially improved patient care, thus earning several research awards, and grants to further his multidisciplinary efforts.

The session will offer prescribers an evidence-based approach to manage acute pain while taking into consideration efficacy, safety, and value of care. Care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) will also be discussed, as well as other harm reduction and risk mitigation strategies.

Session 3: Cannabis Drug Interactions: What Dental Providers Need to Know

11:00 am-noon

Abir El-Alfy is a Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences-Pharmacology at The Medical College of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy (MCWSOP) and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt and has a M.S. Degree in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Mississippi. Before joining MCWSOP, Dr. El-Alfy held several faculty positions in Pharmacy and Medical schools. Dr. El-Alfy's teaching experiences include physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a nine-time recipient of teacher of the year award as voted for by students in different colleges of pharmacy. She also received the 2015 Chicago State University Faculty Excellence Teaching Award and the 2020 MCW Faculty Service Award.

The recent surge in cannabis legalization has resulted in an all-time high of cannabis consumption. With the majority of the states currently operating legal medical cannabis programs, the total number of registered patients nationwide surpassed 4.5 million in 2022. In addition to medical use, recreational use of cannabis has also been on the rise following legalization of recreational cannabis in many states. Additional cannabis-based products have been introduced to the market including cannabidiol and delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol. With such widespread cannabis consumption, it is crucial for healthcare providers to fully understand the pharmacological effects of various cannabis products. Drug interactions resulting from the concomitant use of cannabis products can result from pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic interactions. Proper understanding of such interactions is crucial in determining/adjusting drug dosage to ensure a therapeutic effect and minimize adverse reactions. The objective of this presentation to provide an overview of reported and potential drug interactions associated with cannabis use and various drug classes commonly used in oral health care.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify appropriate indications for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to a dental procedure
• Select an appropriate antibiotic regimen for patients who require antibiotic prophylaxis prior to a dental procedure
• Recall clinically relevant adverse effects and drug interactions with antibiotics that are commonly used in dental practice
• Recognize and avoid high-risk opioid prescribing for the management of acute dental pain
• Devise a treatment plan for acute dental pain in a patient taking chronic buprenorphine for the management of opioid use disorder
• Implement practical opioid risk mitigation strategies into one's practice
• Differentiate between marijuana, hemp, THC, CBD, and CBD oil
• Describe the components and reported pharmacological effects of cannabis

DENTAL ALUMNI AWARDS & 130th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Wisconsin Club

Reception: 5:45 pm

Dinner: 6:30 pm

As Marquette University School of Dentistry observes its 130th year, this evening is an opportunity to celebrate its past, present and future. To acknowledge and appreciate our alumni, donors and friends who have been ambassadors, partners and supporters. 

This festivities begin with a special reception for Dean’s Circle members. During the dinner, Dean Elsbeth Kalenderian will share a look back at the rich history of the School and plans for moving the School of Dentistry forward in the years to come. 

In addition, the evening will be a celebration of this year’s Dental Alumni Award winners. These three exceptional people have been wonderful representatives of Marquette and the School of Dentistry in their everyday lives and practices. We are proud to call them Marquette School of Dentistry graduates and welcome them home to acknowledge their achievements. 

2024 School of Dentistry Award Recipients

Distinguished Alumnus in Dentistry Award
Paul A. Andrews, D.D.S., Ph.D., Dent ’74
Lake Mary, Fla.

When Paul Andrews, D.D.S., Ph.D., visits Milwaukee, he likes to stop at Marquette’s original Dental School building and a familiar classroom on the second floor. “I sit down in seat two, my seat,” Paul explains, “and I say a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude that Marquette University thought enough of me to accept me as a student.”

 

Outstanding Dental Service Award
Eugene B. Shoemaker, D.D.S., Arts ’83, Dent ’89
Waukesha, Wis.

Eugene Shoemaker, D.D.S., defines success as living the Marquette call to Be The Difference. In addition to treating patients in his general dentistry practice, Gene has spent years supporting fellow dentists in Wisconsin, expanding access to dental care, and providing educational opportunities for students in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he and his wife, Carol, Bus Ad ’86, have lived since 1993.

 

Young Alumna of the Year Award
Shaheda G.M. Govani, D.D.S, Dent ’10
Oshkosh, Wis.

Shaheda Govani, D.D.S., feels fortunate to have a career she loves, in which “each day flies by” and she gets daily opportunities to help patients and her broader community. “The ability to change a person’s day or year using my hands and heart makes me so proud,” says Shaheda, who established Govani Dental in 2010.

 

Saturday September 21:

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY TOURS:

10:00 am - 11:00 am

While the “new” school is over 20 years old, it is continually changing and adapting to new teaching styles, clinic renovations and new programs. Whether you have never stepped in the facility at 18^th and Wisconsin or you just want to see the latest changes, join us for a tour led by current dental students.

 

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY REUNIONS

Alumni Memorial Union

Reception: 5:30 pm

Dinner: 7:00 pm

All dental school classes ending in a ‘4’ or ‘9’ will celebrate their reunions this year. From the Class of 1954 celebrating its 70^th reunion to the Class of 2019 celebrating their 5 year reunion, members of these classes are invited to join their classmates, catch up with old friends and relive/retell the stories of their time at Marquette.

A Marquette acapella group will provide entertainment during dinner and the traditional class photos will be taken of each reunion class that evening.

Not a member of a class celebrating a reunion this fall? You are still welcome to attend. Bring some friends and celebrate your own mini reunion with us that evening.

 

Sunday September 22:

MASS AND BREAKFAST

Alumni Memorial Union

Mass: 10:00 am

Breakfast to follow

As we close out this weekend of celebration, we offer a chance to reflect and join Fr. John Lawrence, SJ, for mass on Sunday morning. This will be followed by breakfast. Feel free to join us for mass, brunch or both.

 

Mark your calendar, call your classmates, and make plans to attend

Please call (414) 288-3093 if you have not received any reunion announcements or with any questions.