School of Dentistry

Rafael Amorim Cavalcanti de Siqueira, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D, has been named director of the Graduate Program in Periodontics, succeeding longtime director Thomas Waldrop, D.D.S., M.S. Additionally, Amirreza Ghassemi, D.D.S., M.S., will serve as director of the Graduate Periodontics Clinic, where he will advance clinical education and operational processes within the graduate clinic.

by Sharon Lanning, D.D.S. (cert. ’99/D) professor and chair Staff update This summer we said goodbye to two superb members of our clinical team. Charlene Chambers, former clinic manager, is assuming the role of full-time grandma. Austin Thomas, former surgical assistant, is pursuing his goal of becoming a dental hygienist. We appreciate their devotion to […]

Drs. Luciano Andrada, Amirreza Ghassemi, and Rafael Siqueira attended the School of Dentistry’s first annual new faculty retreat on Aug. 19, 2021. They were greeted by Interim Dean Clara Spatafore. New faculty, across all departments, enjoyed hearing about a number of topics including the use of technology in teaching, how to get involved in clinical […]

by Thomas C. Waldrop, D.D.S., M.S. (D.D.S. ’73/D) Congratulations to the Class of 2020! I am proud to acknowledge Jill Beitz (D.D.S. ’15/D; MS ’20/D), Peter Lee (M.S. ’20/D), and Denver Lyons (D.D.S. ’17/D; M.S. ’20/D) as new diplomates of the American Board of Periodontology. The Class of 2021 graduation reception was held on July […]

by Sharon Lanning, D.D.S. (cert. ’99/D), professor and chair Two endowments were recently established to help support the Department of Periodontics. Jean-Claude Kharmouche, D.M.D. (HS ‘97), alumnus of our graduate program and a devoted adjunct faculty member since 2005, provided a gift of $50,000 to support the needs of the Department. A target area for […]

A tribute to Dr. Harvey Schenkein by Robert Sabatini, D.D.S. M.S. (D.D.S. ’81), as appeared in The Dental Investigator magazine, Vol. 8, 2020 (lightly edited) As we convene for the first Research Day of the new decade at the VCU School of Dentistry, there seems no better time to celebrate the illustrious career of our […]

With sadness, we share the news of James Edward Kennedy’s passing. Dr. Kennedy served as dean of the VCU School of Dentistry from 1977 to 1983. As former chair of the Department of Periodontics, he enhanced the school’s standing in the research community and moved to forge a stronger relationship with alumni. Kennedy later served […]

When you see him, please congratulate Dr. Zhao Lin upon receiving his first R01 grant. The title is “Epigenetic Regulation of Periodontal Inflammation,” which is supported by the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research of the NIH. He will evaluate the epigenetic changes in patients with periodontitis and test the therapeutic potential of a […]

The VCU Health System’s new Adult Outpatient Pavilion (AOP) is currently under construction at the corner of North 10th and East Leigh streets. The AOP will be the future home of nearly all of the VCU School of Dentistry clinics. This state-of-the-art facility affords our dental school bragging rights as the first in the country […]

by Dr. Tom Waldrop, M.S. (D.D.S. ’73/D) Class of 2020 The Class of 2020 experienced an ending to their residency program like no other!  They each successfully defended their Master Thesis by remote conferencing as follows:   Dr. Jill Beitz (D.D.S. ’15/D; M.S. ’20/D): The Effects of Exosomes on the Regeneration of Rat Calvaria  Dr. Peter […]