University of Louisville Magazine

FALL 2013

The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.

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A C R O S S C A M P U S SCHO OL OF DENTISTRY TOP-NOTCH FACULTY KEY FOR ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM COLLEG E OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEV ELOPME NT LIFT A LIFE GIFT DOES JUST THAT Recruiting and retaining the best faculty is a hallmark of a quality institution. Faculty from the School of Dentistr y Department of Surgical and Hospital Dentistr y train 12 oral and maxillofacial surger y residents annually in a six-year program offered with the School of Medicine. Each year, two new residents join the program, which combines a residency in oral and maxillofacial surger y with a medical degree and the postgraduate medical training needed for medical licensure. As part of his desire to employ the most skilled faculty, dentistr y alumnus James Edwards, 55DMD, 82H, and his wife have established an estate gift to endow the Dr. James B. and Ann D. Edwards Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surger y. Edwards received his dental degree from Uof L before going on to become an oral surgeon and then politician, including ser ving as governor of South Carolina. He also ser ved as secretar y of the United States Department of Energy and president of the Medical University of South Carolina. "Gifts like these help maintain programs of excellence in teaching as we prepare the next generation of professionals; we are grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Edwards for their generous planned gift to build the future of our department," said Brian Alpert, chair of surgical and hospital dentistr y. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surger y Graduate Training Program seeks to produce competent oral and maxillofacial surger y practitioners; to provide residents with opportunities to collaborate with medical and dental colleagues; and to give residents experience in research protocol and design. VISION | We are dedicated to becoming a leader in oral health sciences research, oral health care delivery and education. We aspire to extend that leadership and achieve national and international recognition for our research and education programs and delivery of care. In a sunny playroom of the Early Learning Campus (ELC), a part of the College of Education and Human Development, Charlie Stephens, age 4, is pretending to prepare a meal. She deftly arranges plastic versions of lettuce, peppers and eggs onto a plate — an easy task for most preschoolers. And yet, many of Charlie's playmates are not so skilled. "We did an assessment about a year ago and found that about 30 percent of our youngsters age three to four would beneft from therapy," said ELC Director Dianna Zink. "In fact, we could use a team of therapists — physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists." Given the great need, Zink was thrilled to learn that a $48,000 gift from Lift a Life Foundation would fund the center's frst occupational therapist. "Having someone to work with these youngsters will make a big difference," Zink said. Benefts of therapy typically include improved motor skills, muscle tone, perception, ability to focus and overall coordination. The therapists also will work with ELC staff and parents to come up with exercises and activities for the children. While Zink is eager to hire a therapist, she said she hasn't been able to fnd someone yet because the funding covers just one year, making the job less appealing to those seeking long-term employment. But she is unfazed by the challenge. "This is a very special place," Zink said. "The right person — the very best person — is out there and we're going to fnd them." VISION | We aspire to become the school of choice for educators who come to learn what they must know and be able to do to improve urban schools, work with immigrant populations and conduct research that improves the educational outcomes for diverse learners — to be a leader in Kentucky in developing best practices for addressing the health issues and concerns of school-aged children and adolescents. FA L L UO F L M A G A Z I N E | 5 3

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