Dental - Alumni Newsletters

Message from the Dean

Peter M. Loomer, BSc, DDS, PhD, MRCD(C), FACD, Professor

Welcome to our new online newsletter, The Alumni Report, where we will share a highlight of recent activities at your School of Dentistry. Though the events of these last few years have changed our way of life – at least for the foreseeable future – it has not changed the heart of our School of Dentistry family.

Our students, faculty, staff and alumni have been tirelessly working to take this school to new heights. We are on the trajectory of success and are excited to share just some of the ways your School of Dentistry is working to serve the community of South Texas and beyond.

We hope as you read over some of the articles in this online newsletter you will feel proud of the accomplishments and initiatives that are occurring at the School of Dentistry and hope you will be inspired by what you have been a part of here.

Featured Stories for the School of Dentistry

School of Dentistry Class of 2021 Achieves 100% Licensing Pass Rate

The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry celebrated its Class of 2021 as all dental and dental hygiene seniors passed the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) to achieve a 100% licensing pass rate.

School of Dentistry Earns 34th Place in International Ranking

UT Health San Antonio continues to improve in the annual Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the ShanghaiRanking. In the category of Dentistry & Oral Sciences, the School of Dentistry ranks 34th worldwide.

School of Dentistry’s New Chief Dental Officer May Be First in U.S.

The School of Dentistry has hired Associate Professor Micaela Gibbs, DDS, MHA, as its first chief dental officer (CDO). She is one of the first — if not the first — CDOs for an academic dental practice in the U.S.

Endowment Honors Dr. Timothy B. Henson for Pediatric Dentistry

For 12 years, Timothy B. Henson, DMD, served the School of Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio by transforming the lives of dental residents, students, colleagues and patients in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

Alumni Council

The School of Dentistry Alumni Council supports the mission and goals of UT Health San Antonio and the School of Dentistry, represents the voice of dental alumni, and serves as an advisory council to complement alumni initiatives at the school, department and program level.

Dr. Ray Scott, Jr., Council Chair, offers further insight to this new initiative.

Read Story

Celebrating the Accomplishments of Our Alumni, Students, & Faculty

Alumni Spotlight

Being from South Texas, choosing UT Health San Antonio for his medical education was an easy choice for Dr. John M. Elizondo so he could serve the South Texas region. Dr. Eilzondo has built his practice from scratch where he takes pride in working towards being the best in his field.

Student Spotlight

Joelle E. Foster has chosen to pursue a career in dentistry because of the unique marriage between science, artistry, and service. For Joelle, being able to use her own manual dexterity to alleviate pain, enhance esthetics, and restore function for dental patients is incredibly rewarding.

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Lea El Hachem is a firm believer in learning traditional dentistry, but also believes that keeping up with the ever-changing dental world is essential. Constant improvements in dental education are key, and that’s what she tries to do every day to get dental students ready for the future!