Alumni and
Faculty Honored in 2016
Every year
at Alumni Day the LSU
School of Dentistry has an
opportunity to recognize
excellence among alumni
and faculty. Alumni
awardees are nominated and
selected by the Alumni
Association Board of
Directors while faculty
recipients are selected by
the leadership of the
school. In 2016, five
worthy individuals were
recognized for their
commitment and service to
the dental profession.
Alumnus
of the Year
Congratulations to Dr.
Kristi Soileau
for being named the LSU
School of Dentistry Alumna
of the Year. She has been
a practicing periodontist
in the New Orleans area
since 1986. She received a
DDS in 1985, a certificate
in advanced education in
general dentistry in 1986,
and a certificate in
periodontics in 1988, all
from LSUSD. Dr. Soileau
also received her master
of education in curriculum
and instruction from the
University of New Orleans
in 1987, and is currently
enrolled in the Creighton
University Masters in
Health Sciences Ethics
program.
|
Kristi
Soileau, DDS,
Alumna of the Year |
Dr. Soileau
has been a diplomate of
the American Board of
Periodontology since 1994.
She has strong ties with
the LSU School of
Dentistry. She is
past-president of the
Alumni Association, serves
as a gratis faculty member
with the Department of
Periodontics, and has
generously given back to
the school with her time,
talent, and financial
support. She has led
fundraising campaigns for
the renovation of the
preclinical labs and the
Periodontics Resident
Research and Education
Fund, and has served as
committee chair of her
class reunions over the
past few years.
Dr. Soileau has served as
president of the Louisiana
Society of Periodontists,
the American Association
for Dental Research, and
the New Orleans Dental
Association. She has
represented Louisiana at
the American Academy of
Periodontology State and
Regional Assembly for the
past 12 years, served two
terms on the AAP State and
Regional Assembly
Coordinating Committee,
and currently is a member
of AAP's Volunteer
Qualifications and Awards
Committee. She has served
as editor of the NODA
Newsletter for nearly 30
years, is on the Louisiana
Dental Association Board
of Directors, and has been
an alternate delegate to
the American Dental
Association House for the
past several years. Dr.
Soileau is currently
treasurer / secretary /
meeting coordinator for
the Louisiana Society of
Periodontics and has
served in that position
for 13 years. She is also
treasurer of her American
College of Dentists
chapter and editor for her
International College of
Dentists chapter. Recently
Dr. Soileau was appointed
to the ADA Council on
Ethics, Bylaws, and
Judicial Affairs. Her
membership and involvement
in professional dental
organizations are
extensive. She is a member
of the American Dental
Association, Louisiana
Dental Association,
American Academy of
Periodontology (AAP),
Louisiana Society of
Periodontists, Pierre
Fauchard Academy, Alpha
Omega Dental Fraternity,
American Association of
Dental Research, and Delta
Sigma Delta Dental
Fraternity.
Dr. Soileau
also has a heart for
teaching. Since 1979, she
has taught a variety of
courses to junior high,
high school, and dental
students, and presents
topics related to
periodontology regularly
at dental-related
conferences and
organizations. She has
also engaged in
significant research with
results being published in
prestigious journals such
as the Journal of the
American Dental
Association, Journal
of Periodontal and
Restorative Dentistry,
and the Journal of
Periodontology. She
resides in New Orleans and
is married to fellow
alumnus, Dr. David
DeGenova, who received
both his DDS and his
orthodontic certificate
from LSUSD in 1978 and
1984 respectively. They
have three sons.
Dr. Soileau
was nominated by fellow
alumni, Drs. Gary DeWitt,
Tom McNeely, Steven
Spindler, and Gerald Evans
(chair of the Department
of Periodontics). "Whether
you are a periodontist or
a restorative dentist, you
should be familiar with
Dr. Soileau's
contributions to
dentistry, dental
leadership, and dental
education," said Dr.
McNeely, current president
of the Louisiana Society
of Periodontists. "She is
tireless and very
deserving of this
recognition from the
Alumni Association!"
Distinguished
Alumnus Award
Congratulations to Dr.
Robert Delarosa
for being named the LSU
School of Dentistry
Distinguished Alumnus of
the Year. The founding
partner of Associates in
Pediatric Dentistry in
Baton Rouge, he is a
diplomate of the American
Board of Pediatric
Dentistry and a fellow of
the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry and
the American College of
Dentists. He obtained his
DDS from LSUSD in 1981,
where he received the ASDC
Outstanding Undergraduate
Student Award in Pediatric
Dentistry. He completed
his specialty training in
pediatric dentistry at the
University of Texas Health
Science Center at San
Antonio, serving as senior
chief resident.
|
Robert
L. Delarosa, Jr.
DDS, Distinguished
Alumnus Award |
Dr. Delarosa
has lectured extensively
to many organizations and
groups, including the
American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry,
Southwestern Society of
Pediatric Dentistry,
Southeastern Society of
Pediatric Dentistry, and
(g)nathos. He is a
published author and was
the chair of the Council
on Clinical Affairs of the
American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Delarosa
has served in leadership
roles in numerous dental
professional organizations
at the state, regional and
national levels. He has
also served as president
of the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry,
Louisiana Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry, and
the Greater Baton Rouge
Dental Association. He
holds membership in the
American Dental
Association, American
Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry, American
Academy of Pediatrics,
Southwestern Society of
Pediatric Dentistry,
Louisiana Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry, the
Louisiana Dental
Association, and the
Greater Baton Rouge Dental
Association.
He has
served on the boards of
several professional and
business organizations and
remains active in his
community. His family is
also actively involved
with the Progeria Research
Foundation. A native of
New Orleans, he is the
married father of twins,
and enjoys traveling with
his family for golf and
diving.
Dr. Delarosa
was nominated by his
fellow alumni, Drs. John
Hendry and Richard Olinde.
Dr. Janice Townsend, head
of the LSUSD Department of
Pediatric Dentistry, also
nominated him for the
award. "Dr. Delarosa
testified on Capitol Hill
on behalf of the ADA on
issues of access to care
for all children and
participated in over 100
interviews on children’s
issue," said Dr. Hendry.
"In every walk of life,
Dr. Delarosa represents
America's pediatric
dentists. His is 'the big
authority on little teeth'
and LSUSD should be proud
to have a graduate who has
risen so high in our
profession and represented
LSU so well."
Lifetime
Service Awards
Dr. John "Jack"
Kent was one of
two to receive the
inaugural LSU School of
Dentistry Lifetime Service
Award at Alumni Day,
September 23. He is former
chair of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery
(OMS) at LSU Health
Sciences Center School of
Dentistry and former chief
of OMS at Charity Hospital
in New Orleans, 1973-2002
and 2003-2008. A 1963
graduate of the University
of Nebraska School of
Dentistry and 1969
graduate of the Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery
(OMS) residency program at
the University of Texas
Medical Center in Houston,
Dr. Kent subsequently
served as a full-time OMS
faculty member at the
University of Texas in
Houston (1969-72) and at
the University of Iowa
(1972-3) before coming to
LSUSD. Simultaneously he
served as head of the OMS
Division of Surgery at LSU
School of Medicine in
Shreveport, 1978-2003. In
2015, he was appointed
professor emeritus of the
LSU Health Sciences
Center.
|
John
(Jack) N. Kent,
DDS, FACD, FICD,
Lifetime Service
Award |
Dr. Kent was
appointed a Boyd Professor
in the LSU OMS department
in 1983, one of seven Boyd
Professors in the history
of the LSU Health Sciences
Center. He has served as
president-elect of the
medical staff at the
University Hospital in New
Orleans and president of
the Louisiana Society and
the Southeastern Society
of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeons.
In 1988 the
LSU OMS alumni and friends
funded the James R.
Peltier Endowed Chair –
the first $1 million
dollar chair at the LSU
Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Kent occupied that
chair as its first eminent
scholar from 1988 to 2012.
His teaching and research
have rendered him an
authority on orthognathic
surgery, facial
deformities and
reconstructive surgery,
cosmetic surgery, dental
and facial implants,
facial bone grafting, and
biomaterials, with
authorship in 15 textbooks
and over 250 journals and
abstract publications. He
is co-author of the first
textbook on orthognathic
surgery and facial
deformities in the United
States.
Since 1974
Dr. Kent has directed over
60 OMS continuing
education courses on
behalf of the LSU
Department of OMS, both
the Louisiana and the
Southeastern Society of
OMS, and the American
Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons. He
has been the investigator
and author of 40
significant research
reports and has received
the American Association
of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeons Annual Research
Recognition Award. Dr.
Kent was the principle
investigator and program
director for a National
Institute of Health grant
from 1987-1995, which
provided PhD training for
nine OMS surgeons, the
greatest number ever from
a single institution in
his specialty. He is the
recipient of the coveted
American Dental Education
Association Gies
Foundation Award, the
Simon P. Hullihen Award,
the Louisiana Dental
Association Distinguished
Service Award, the
American College of Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Harry Archer Award, the
2014 AAOMS Presidential
Achievement Award, and he
is a Fulbright Scholar.
Dr. Kent has
served on the editorial
board of several surgical,
medical, and dental
journals, including the Journal
of Oral Maxillofacial
Surgery, where he
was surgery section editor
for several years. He is a
fellow of the American
College of Dentists and
the International College
of Dentists. A diplomate
of the American Board of
Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery (ABOMS), he served
on the ABOMS Advisory and
Examining Committee for
six years, its board of
directors for seven years,
and as president of ABOMS
in 1987-88.
Because of
Dr. Kent's exemplary
contributions to dental
education and to the oral
and maxillofacial surgery
specialty, it is a
privilege and honor to
recognize him with the LSU
School of Dentistry
Lifetime Service Award.
Dr.
J.M. Chadha
also received the
inaugural LSU School of
Dentistry Lifetime Service
Award on Alumni Day,
September 23. He is past
chairman and professor
emeritus of orthodontics
and served as a faculty
member at the LSU School
of Dentistry (LSUSD) for
nearly 40 years. He began
teaching at LSUSD in 1970
and retired in 2008.
|
J.M.
Chadha, BDS, DDS,
MS, FICD, Lifetime
Service Award |
After
obtaining his dental
degree in 1956 from Punjab
Dental College and
Hospital, he relocated to
Boston for a postgraduate
internship in pediatric
dentistry and was selected
for a two-year clinical
fellowship program in
orthodontics. Dr. Chadha
completed both programs at
Forsyth-Harvard in 1958
and 1960 respectively. In
1962 he received a master
of science and in 1964 and
a DDS, both from the
University of Iowa.
He joined
the University of Iowa
Department of Orthodontics
in 1962 as an instructor
and by 1968 had attained
the rank of associate
professor. From 1965
to1967 he served as
assistant professor at the
Royal Dental College
University of Aarhus in
Denmark, returning to the
University of Iowa in
1967. In 1970 Dr. Chadha
accepted a position at the
LSU School of Dentistry to
create the orthodontic
department and was
appointed the department’s
professor and head. In
1972, he was also
appointed as professor of
speech pathology and
audiology at the LSU
School of Allied Health.
In 1970, he was named
coordinator for advanced
education and in 1976 he
was appointed as assistant
dean for advanced
education, serving in the
position until 2005.
During his tenure at
LSUSD, Dr. Chadha served
on multiple school
committees, served as
course director for
orthodontic-related
classes for both
pre-doctoral and
post-doctoral students,
participated in research,
authored numerous articles
and publications, and
lectured in continuing
education courses. Dr.
Chadha also served as
orthodontic consultant to
the LSUSD Department of
General Dentistry, Charity
Hospital of Louisiana, and
the U.S. Public Health
Service Hospital in New
Orleans.
Dr. Chadha
has received many awards.
One of the most notable is
the prestigious American
Association of
Orthodontics Louise Ada
Jarabak Memorial
International Teachers and
Research Award. When he
received the award in
2005, nearly 100% of his
alumni traveled to the AAO
Annual Meeting in San
Francisco to honor his
academic career. In 2008
he also received the LSU
Health Sciences Center
Distinguished Service
Award in recognition of
outstanding contributions
to the advanced education
programs at LSUSD. Other
awards include the
University of Iowa College
of Dentistry Instructor of
the Year Award, Royal
Dental College Aarhus
University Best Teacher of
the Year Award, the
University of Iowa
International Scholarship
Award for Graduate
Studies, and membership in
both the Omicron Kappa
Upsilon Honorary Dental
Society and Sigma XI, a
national honorary research
fraternity. Dr. Chadha is
also a fellow in the
International College of
Dentists. He served as
president of Omicron Kappa
Upsilon, Theta Kappa
Chapter, and as a member
of the AAO International
Relations Committee during
their annual meeting in
New Orleans in 1980. In
addition, he served as
president and member of
the board of trustees of
the India Association of
New Orleans.
Dr. Chadha
is especially proud of his
LSUSD orthodontic alumni.
"They are an exceptional
group of people," he wrote
previously. "I believe
that the way I treated
them, by stimulating their
thought processes instead
of using 'drawstring'
techniques, left a lasting
impression. Our alumni are
amazing in what they give
back. A majority of the
alumni financially support
this department on a very
decent level." Because of
Dr. Chadha's legacy,
alumni have funded
endowments valued at over
$2 million to benefit the
LSUSD Department of
Orthodontics. Alumni
contributors, who are
represented by a board of
directors, have
established six endowed
funds to recognize Dr.
Chadha, four long-time
faculty members, and the
program’s alumni. "It
shows they care," Dr
Chadha said. "I always
encourage students to give
me feedback when they
leave the program –
negative or positive. We
always think in terms of
improving the program. So,
even after they leave,
their input, as well as
their financial support,
enhances the program."
Because of
Dr. Chadha's exemplary
contributions to dental
education and to the
orthodontic specialty, it
is a privilege and honor
to recognize him with the
LSU School of Dentistry
Lifetime Service Award.
Shawky
E. Mohamed Distinguished
Faculty Award
Congratulations to Dr.
Edward Ireland, Jr.
for receiving the Shawky
E. Mohamed Distinguished
Faculty Award at the LSU
School of Dentistry Alumni
Day on September 23. Dr.
Ireland, professor
emeritus of comprehensive
dentistry and
biomaterials-division of
operative dentistry,
served as a faculty member
at the LSU School of
Dentistry for over 40
years. He began teaching
at the dental school one
year after the first
graduation and retired in
2010. Dr. Ireland received
his DDS from the Loyola
University School of
Dentistry in 1970; he was
recipient of the
International College of
Dentists Award that year.
He was a major in the U.S.
Army Dental Corp from
1970-1973 and practiced
dentistry in Franklinton,
Louisiana, from 1973 to
1977. He also practiced
dentistry in the LSUSD
Faculty Dental Practice
from 1977 to 2005. In 1982
he earned a master of
education from the
University of New Orleans.
|
Edward
J. Ireland, Jr.,
DDS, MEd, Shawky
Mohamed
Distinguished
Faculty Award |
In 1973 Dr.
Ireland initially joined
LSUSD as an instructor in
the Department of
Periodontics, later
transferring to the
Department of Operative
Dentistry and retiring as
a professor in the
Department of
Comprehensive Dentistry.
He served as team leader
for fourth-year dental
students from 2007 until
retirement. During his
tenure at the dental
school, Dr. Ireland served
on numerous LSUSD
committees, was a delegate
to the LSUSD Faculty
Assembly, had teaching
responsibilities in
multiple departments and
programs, and authored
numerous articles and
publications. Following
retirement, Dr. Ireland
continued teaching as a
gratis professor in the
Department of Dental
Hygiene from 2010 until
2014.
In 1996, Dr.
Ireland spearheaded a
sister-school agreement
between LSUSD and Okayama
Dental School to encourage
student and faculty
exchanges, a joint
symposia, and
collaboration on research
projects. The
collaboration lapsed in
the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. However, while in
Okayama in 2014 to attend
the Third International
Symposium of Medical,
Dental, and Pharmaceutical
Education and Research,
Dr. Ireland visited with
Professor Takuo Kuboki,
dean of Okayama Dental
School, and they agreed to
renew the sister-school
agreement.
In 2010 Dr.
Ireland received the Allen
A. Copping Award, the
highest honor in teaching
given by the LSU Health
Sciences Center, which is
awarded each year during
LSUHSC commencement
exercises. It recognizes
faculty members who are
excellent teachers,
demonstrate a lifelong
quest for discovery, and
inspire their students.
Dr. Ireland
was a member of the
American Dental Education
Association, the New
Orleans Chapter of the
International Association
for Dental Research, and
the Operative Study Club.
He was a life member of
Omicron Kappa Upsilon
(OKU) Dental Honor
Society, the C. Edmund
Kells Society, and the C.
Victor Vignes
Odontological Society. In
addition, he served as
secretary-treasurer, vice
president, president, and
convocation chairman for
the Theta Kappa chapter of
OKU.
Retired
faculty member Dr. Thomas
Spranley said that Dr.
Ireland has had a
significant impact on
students. "Many students
light up when they see
him. He is exacting and he
wants everything the way
it's supposed to be. He's
shaped the lives of a lot
of people, some in
fantastic ways."
The Shawky
E. Mohamed Distinguished
Faculty Award was
established in 2009 to
recognize faculty members
who have made outstanding
contributions to the LSU
School of Dentistry.
Recipients are chosen
based on a faculty
member's contributions in
teaching, scholarship and
service. Dr. Mohamed, now
retired, was a beloved
faculty member in
prosthodontics for over 30
years.
|