Faculty and Staff Gather for Biannual Meeting

The biannual faculty-staff meeting last Tuesday featured recipients of the Community Award for Excellence along with updates from the dean, Dr. Jeffrey Hutter, and Mr. Ibrahim Kachouh.

Baughman, Hains Rewarded for Excellence

Dean Frankl presented Allyson Baughman, administrative assistant, and Dr. Frederick Hains, clinical assistant professor, the Community Awards for Excellence.

Baughman joined diagnostic sciences and patient services in 2002, transferring in 2004 to oral and maxillofacial pathology. "She quickly mastered the difficulties of pathology terminology ," said Dean Frankl in presenting the award. "She exhibits the same cheerful manner and excellent customer service that has served the school so well since her arrival."

Hains came to the school in 1981 as clinical instructor in operative dentistry. A quarter of a century and several department configurations later, he now is clinical assistant professor of general dentistry. "Those who know Fred have found him to be a skilled clinician, an inspired teacher, and a friend," said Dean Frankl. "His interactions with faculty, staff, and students are always respectful and supportive, and his commitment to our educational programs has been unwavering."

Strategic Plan Update (Dean Frankl)

The collaborative strategic plan process yielded several short- and long-term priorities that Dean Frankl will present in a meeting with President Robert Brown in August. Philanthropy, multidisciplinary research, diversity, service learning, international programs, and evaluation are all elements of the BUSDM’s strategic plan. (Click here to view the plan; password is advance.) Dean Frankl urged the school’s leaders to "think beyond their experience" and "plan beyond their tenure."

Research Database, Podcasting Top IT Happenings (Mr. Ibrahim Kachouh)
IT is evaluating an IBM database system that will consolidate disparate data files, offering researchers easy access to regional, national, and international data. The federated database is essential to supporting interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research within BUSDM; it has the potential to be used throughout the Medical Campus. Also, this fall selected students will record lectures (with the consent of all participants) and upload the files to CourseInfo. Students can then download the lectures to the device of their choosing (laptop, MP3 player, etc.).

Reconstructing the DMD Curriculum (Dr. Jeffrey Hutter)
With an eye to decompressing the curriculum to provide students more time for study, analysis, research, and simple relaxation, the Predoctoral Curriculum Committee embarked last January on an effort to review the entire program. Faculty attended a curriculum conference yesterday in Hiebert Lounge to discuss possible changes that will ensure BUSDM remain at the forefront of dental education well into the future.