Page 19 - Academy of Osseointegration (AO) Academy News Vol 36, No 1 2025

AO dental school outreach program update
The Academy’s Membership Committee conducts outreach programs to provide dental students, faculty and residents with the latest updates in the field of implant dentistry, as well as raise awareness about AO.
Outreach programs in 2024 included the following:
• East Carolina University – Speaker: Alex Gillone, DDS; Organizer: Michitsuna Katafuchi, DDS, MSD, PhD
• Ohio State University – Speaker: Mehrdad Favagehi, DDS, MS; Organizer: Binnaz Leblebicioglu, DDS, MS, PhD
• University of North Carolina – Speaker: Robert C. Vogel, DDS; Organizer: Douglas F. Dompkowski, DDS
• University of Texas Health in San Antonio – Speaker and organizer: Robert R. Lemke, DDS, MD
• Virginia Commonwealth University – Speaker and organizer: Dr. Favagehi
According to Dr. Dompkowski, chair of the AO Membership Committee, plans are being made for 13 AO outreach programs in 2025 at the following dental schools:
• University of Washington (Organizer: Dr. Katafuchi)
• University of Oregon (Organizer: Dr. Dompkowski)
• Pacific Northwest University (Volunteer needed)
• Oregon Health and Science University
(Volunteer needed)
• University of Eastern Carolina (Dr. Katafuchi)
• Virginia Commonwealth University (Organizer: Dr. Favagehi)
• University of Texas Health and Science, San Antonio (Organizer: Dr. Lemke)
• University of Illinois, Chicago (Organizer: Joseph M. Schmidt, DDS)
• Marquette University (Organizer: Megan A. Ratliff, DDS, MS) *recently added for January outreach
• University of Southern California (Dr. Vogel)
• Howard University – (Organizer: Richard J. Martin, DDS)
• University of Louisville (Organizer: David P. Donatelli, DDS)
• University of Maryland (Dr. Dompkowski)
If you are interested in helping AO by making a presentation at any of the above dental schools, please contact the organizer for each school or contact Amanda Wiff, AO Senior Membership Manager, at amandawiff@osseo.org.
Drs. Leblebicioglu and Favagehi (from left) kick off the AO outreach event at The Ohio State University.
AO Board Director Robert Lemke, DDS, MD, recently facilitated a successful presentation and program at UT Health San Antonio, with a large number of students in attendance. As a result, nine students completed an application to become members of
the Academy.
VCU School of Dentistry Dean Lyndon Cooper (second from left) was in attendance and provided opening remarks for the AO student/implant resident outreach program, bringing together students, residents and faculty from all VCU departments involved with implant dentistry.
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