Page 29 - Dentistry Magazine 2022

Education Association, the Minnesota Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Minnesota Dental Hygiene Educators’ Association and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. Danielson is a dedicated educator whom students and colleagues trust to be a mentor and a confidant. She co-directs the Periodontology Technique course for first year dental students at the School of Dentistry, where she facilitates and instructs the students in the fundamentals of periodontal instrumentation. “Judy has had an impact on thousands of students at the School of Dentistry over the past 23 years,” said Carol Dahlke, BSDH ’07, MSDH ’10, and Elham Akhlaghi, DDS, in their nomination letter. “She is a quiet leader and an advocate for all students, who listens to students and is always cognizant of their needs.”
In addition to her excellence in teaching and mentoring, Danielson makes it a point to engage her students in active learning, ensuring no one is left behind or disen- gaged. She has worked clinically and has advanced the field in research, including her involvement in a 2021 study at the School of Dentistry to explore aerosol mitigation
in dental visits amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This work, completed in coordination with Gary Anderson, DDS, MS, Paul Olin, DDS, MS, Paul Jardine, PhD, and other dentistry and engineering researchers, led to key discoveries in how aerosols travel during common dental procedures.
Danielson is a leader in dental hygiene. She has been recognized for her excellence in practice and education with the Ione Jackson Scholarship Award in 2009, the AkerNewell Scholarship Award in 2012 and the Thank a Teacher Project Award in 2018. She has an excellent reputation as an educator and a colleague.
Alumni weekend brings community together for celebration and reminiscence
The School of Dentistry celebrated its second in-person Alumni Weekend, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, on September 16 and 17.
Alumni returned to campus to connect with one another and with faculty, staff and students. They enjoyed net- working, continued education, updates on the school’s prior- ities and the chance to watch the Gophers take on the Colorado Buffaloes.
The weekend included an oral biology symposium, a continuing education opportunity, a Distinguished Dental and Dental Hygiene Alumni Award Ceremony that hon- ored three years of recipients, an all-alumni and school reception, dental school tours and time to connect with one another. Special reunions celebrated the DDS Classes of 1970, 1972, 1981, 2002 and 2012 and the Dental Hygiene Class of 1970.
“Look around you: you all have the same foundation and are trained to provide excellent patient care,” reflected Dean Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD, at the all-school recep- tion. “Dental school brought you together and helped prepare you for your career in dentistry, and you, our alumni community, continue to do so much to ensure our school remains a leader in excellence.”
Summer Celebration of Donors welcomes 2 to President’s Club
Nearly 70 donors gathered at the annual Summer Celebration of Donors in June, including new members of the President’s Club, Stephen Bejarano, DDS ’91 and Elizabeth Rydell Bejarano, DDS ’91.
The University of Minnesota President’s Club recognizes university-wide cumulative giving, including pledges for gifts to be made within the next five years, at various levels signifying a marked generosity to the uni- versity. Members of the Dean’s Circle, also in attendance, are those who give $1,000 or more
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