College of Dentistry Newsletter | September 21, 2021
Celebrating Our Staff, Faculty & Students
In the following video message, Dean Guthmiller welcomes everyone to the 2021-2022 academic year!
New Faculty & Staff Spotlights
Kris Gorans
Dental Assistant
Department of Growth & Development

Background: I went to school at Pima Medical in Colorado and became a certified dental assistant in 2004. I was re-certified in dental x-ray at Creighton University and in coronal polishing at UNMC.

I worked as a dental assistant for Bolamperti Family Dentistry for ten years. I absolutely loved them all and will miss them. I decided to come to UNMC to further my career and am extremely happy to be part of this team!
  
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
 
My family: I have been married to a wonderful man named Clifford for the last eleven years. We have three amazing boys that are 16, 17 and 18 years old. My siblings and parents live in Colorado and I visit at least once a year.
 
Favorite things to do on a day off: I enjoy spending time with my family, swimming, watching movies, shopping and doing activities.
 
Three things people don’t know about me: I am only five feet tall, my favorite color is pink, and love tattoos!
Noni Henderson
Clinical Instructor
Department of Dental Hygiene

Background: I received my bachelor's degree in dental hygiene from the UNMC College of Dentistry in 2020.

Hometown: Omaha
 
My family: I have one younger brother and a dog. My family is very close to me.
 
Favorite things to do on a day off: Binge watching "Grey's Anatomy" on repeat, going out to eat with my boyfriend, and hanging out with my friends and my dog.

Three things people don’t know about me: I ran track in college, I also work at a private practice dental office in Omaha, and
I was student council president in 6th grade.

What I'm most looking forward to at UNMC: Helping students learn and grow as dental hygienists.
Emily Lindquist
Clinical Instructor
Department of Dental Hygiene

Background: I received my bachelor's degree in dental hygiene from the UNMC College of Dentistry in 2013. Since then, I have been working full-time in private practice in Lincoln, Omaha and Ann Arbor, Michigan. 
 
Hometown: Omaha
 
My family: My husband, Sal, is an assistant professor of landscape architecture at UNL. My parents and younger brother live in Omaha. My sister is a dental hygienist as well, and she is in the D1 class this year! 
 
Favorite things to do on a day off: Spend time with my family and friends or figure out a new project to do around the house! 
 
Three things people don’t know about me: I have wanted to be a dental hygienist since I was around seven years old, I love true crime podcasts and shows, and I have two little dogs named Nala and Cammie.

What I'm most looking forward to at UNMC: Helping students continue to grow their passion for dentistry and dental hygiene! 
Richard Williamson, DDS
Clinical Instructor
Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry

Background: I received my BS in zoology from Texas A&M University, my DDS from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and my MS in oral biology and certificate in prosthodontics from the UNMC College of Dentistry. I am a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics.

I had a private general dentistry practice in College Station, Texas for 17 years and worked at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry for 20 years in the departments of prosthodontics and family dentistry. I also worked at the VA in Iowa City.

Hometown: I was born and raised in Garland, Texas.

My family: My wife, Anne (professor and director of postgraduate endodontics) and I have two children, Colby and Hannah, and two grandchildren.

Favorite things to do on a day off: Work in the yard, exercise, go camping, water activities and travel.

Three things people don't know about me: I’m passionate about helping Veterans, I want to return to Việt Nam, and I want to improve my Spanish.

What I'm most looking forward to at UNMC: Enhancing students' implant experiences, broadening residents' implant prosthodontic knowledge, and supporting all departments in their patient care from a prosthodontic perspective.
Thank You, Dental Assistants and Sterilization Staff!
 
As a follow up to our Sept. 8 newsletter, we continue to recognize and thank our dental assistants and sterilization staff for their hard work and for going above and beyond to keep our college community safe, especially during the pandemic. They have important roles in helping the college continue to offer the best possible educational experiences and extraordinary patient care.
The surgical specialties dental assistants have been instrumental in helping the residents and students move forward in their programs during the pandemic. Kathy Gregg and Rhonda Zimmer volunteered to come in during the COVID-19 shutdown to assist the residents who were providing emergency care for patients. They helped develop guidelines and safe treatment procedures in the surgical specialties clinics and assisted with training residents and faculty on the new safety protocols. We appreciate their hard work!
In her almost 40 years at the College of Dentistry, Betty has directly impacted the lives of countless residents. We are grateful for her dental expertise and dedication to helping students succeed.

The college is extremely grateful to have an incredible, dedicated team of dental assistants who play an important role in our students' educational experiences and make a difference in our patients' lives.
When the college transitioned to remote learning in early 2020, Kristen's help was vital to ensuring students had a successful remote learning experience. She was instrumental in the process of ordering, packing and distributing the items students needed to continue learning remotely. She also helped with completing the D4 check in so that students could graduate.

The college is incredibly lucky to have an amazing, dedicated team of sterilization professionals. Thank you for all you to do keep our students, faculty, staff and patients safe!
We would like to welcome Yesenia Tello to the College of Dentistry's dental assistant team! She started on September 1.
Faculty Recognition Awards

The following faculty were recognized for their great dedication to preparing students to be leaders in dentistry during the 2020-2021 academic year. See what the students said about the award winners.

Nicole Baker, RDH, BS & Amanda Dolen, RDH, BS 
Nominated by the Dental Hygiene Class of 2022 

Ali Nawshad, PhD & Luana Oliveira-Haas, DDS, MS, PhD
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2024

Luana Oliveira-Haas, DDS, MS, PhD & Yoshiharu Ameku, DDS
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2023

Gregory Bennett, DMD & Bradley Krivohlavek, DDS
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2022
UNMC College of Dentistry | unmc.edu/dentistry