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I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly R. Wagner, RDH, MS, as our new Director of the Dental Hygiene program here at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. We are excited to have her in this leadership position to help take our fine program in Dental Hygiene to the next level of excellence.

Ms. Wagner completed her bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene at the University of Michigan in 2007 and her master of science degree in dental hygiene at the University of Maryland. Her research concentration was the role of the caregiver and oral health knowledge, socioeconomic status and health literacy of Hispanic children’s oral health. She is highly committed to research and has a passion for education in dental hygiene. Ms. Wagner has experience in both the private sector and education in a variety of roles—giving her a unique perspective on care delivery and the educational environment.  

Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh is a free, two-day dental clinic for under-served people living in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. Many of the patients seen are from working families who do not have access to dental care or cannot afford dental insurance. All services are provided free of charge by local dental professionals, assisted by a host of volunteers.

"As both an oral & maxillofacial surgeon and a dentist, I see the physical, mental and emotional impact that significant dental problems have on patients’ lives.  These people are in dire need of the services that many of us take for granted.  As volunteers, together we provide them with a safety net, in addition to giving them hope and restoring their faith in their community."

— Dr. Daniel Pituch

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Steven J. Kukunas will serve as the Director of Patient Experience and Quality for the Interdisciplinary Implant Center here at Pitt Dental Medicine. Dr. Kukunas has worked tirelessly to retool the educational experience for our students and residents, and also helped reimagine the shared governance structure of the Implant Center with a number of our leaders in this area. This new structure has helped improve the patient experience at the Center and enhanced the quality of care for our patients with the engagement of our specialty areas. Dr. Kukunas supervises the surgical and prosthodontic training of residents and dental students in the Dental Implant Center. I want to personally thank Dr. Kukunas for helping lead the recent changes at the Center and taking on these responsibilities. 

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Kelly Williams will take on a new role as Vice Chair of Clinical Care in the Department of Periodontics. She will continue as Program Director of the residency program. This new responsibility will allow Dr. Williams to continue to enhance clinical excellence and focus some of her efforts on increasing the impact of the clinical operations for patients, residents, faculty members, and colleagues. 

The health and safety of you, your family, and our community is our top priority.

In an abundance of caution, we have decided to postpone or cancel the following Pitt Dental Medicine events:

• The 20th Annual Dean's Scholarship Ball and the Spring Bowser Memorial Lecture and Annual DAA Business Meeting scheduled for May 2, 2020 have been canceled and may be rescheduled. Stay tuned for details.

• The ENAMEL 10 Symposium scheduled for June 3-7, 2020 has been canceled.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to make alternate plans. We look forward to hosting you at a later date and recognizing your continued commitment to Pitt Dental Medicine. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email Nancy Poe at poen@pitt.edu.

Congratulations.

Dr. Mary Marazita,

Dr. Jacqueline Burgette,