The start of a new academic year always brings faculty and staff changes. We appreciate the service and dedication of those who are moving on to new adventures and congratulate those joining us in new roles as we look forward to an exciting year. Additional faculty and staff changes will be provided in later updates. 

Student and Alumni Affairs

Dr. Bob (Coach) Wanker will be stepping back from his role as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the end of August. Coach has been a mainstay in the dental school for many years as a trusted advisor and friend to all in the school, and he will be missed when he steps down. Coach will continue to serve as the primary liaison with the alumni association. Following an internal search for an Interim Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Valerie Perrine was chosen to fill that role. She will begin in her new role September 1, 2020.

Dr. Perrine, a 2005 graduate of WVU with a degree in biology and a member of the dental school Class of 2009, has been a faculty member since 2011. Perrine is a faculty member of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and serves as the director of three esthetic dentistry courses. She has been very active in the rural rotation program and has hosted numerous dental students at the practice she shares with her father. Perrine serves as an examiner for the CITA Dental Licensing Examination, is active in organized dentistry serving on the West Virginia Dental Association Executive Board and was honored this year with induction into both the American and International Colleges of Dentists. The role of the Student Affairs office within an academic institution is critical. It serves as the hub for all student related activities and is a place where students can go when they need assistance. Dr. Perrine will be working closely with Coach over the next two months ensuring a smooth transition in September. Join us in thanking Coach for his service and dedication to the school and in congratulating Dr. Perrine in her new role.

Endodontics

Residents

Dr. Nishtha Chauhan joined the Department of Endodontics as a resident. Dr. Chauhan is from Shimla, India, a Himalayan mountain range town. It “is not much different from Morgantown and that’s why on my first trip here I felt very much at home,” she said. Dr. Chauhan studied at Manipal College of Dental Sciences (Manipal, India) and the Institute of Dental Sciences (Bareilly, India). “I chose WVU School of Dentistry because I felt it will offer me the best path to what I seek to be a well-rounded endodontist under the guidance of world-class faculty,” Chauhan said.

 

Dr. KaiYing Haggard is also a new resident in the Department of Endodontics. She graduated from WVU School of Dentistry in 2004. Her career has spanned from Texas to Pennsylvania with experience in private practice and public health dentistry. “The most rewarding aspect of being a dentist is the relationship that I build with my patients by helping them restore the function of mastication and self-esteem through facial aesthetics,” Dr. Haggard said. “While I was increasingly aware of my limitations as a general dentist in the situations where I could not render further treatment, it motivates me to pursue graduate training.” Among other things, West Virginia’s mountains pulled Dr. Haggard back to Morgantown.

 

Dr. David Desta, born in Ethiopia, completed most of his schooling in the United States. He earned his DDS from Howard University. For the past five years, he and his wife have lived in Potomac, Maryland where Dr. Desta was in private practice for five years. He is eager to be part of the Department of Endodontics. “The career in dentistry is exciting. The need for oral healthcare in our communities is tremendous. Oral health and systemic health go hand in hand; therefore, addressing the Oral Health issue has kept me motivated,” Dr. Desta said.
Welcome to WVU SOD Endodontics.

General Practice

Resident

The WVU School of Dentistry retains 2020 graduate Dr. Lauren Bakos for our general practice residency program. The Morgantown native was introduced to dentistry from day one as her father, Dr. Les Bakos, has been an oral surgeon at the school for several years. She knew exactly why she wanted to attend WVU. “I chose WVU School of Dentistry because we get such a great clinical experience. I believe the best part of the program is the relationships the students are able to gain with the faculty members due to the small class size and the increased clinic time we are given,” Dr. Lauren Bakos said. Bakos said she is excited to continue her education at her alma mater.

Orthodontics

Residents

Dr. Ian Weaver is a member of the School of Dentistry Class of 2020. He will receive advanced education in the Department of Orthodontics. “I went into dentistry because I wanted a profession where I could be helpful to people while still getting to do something aesthetic and artsy. It helped that I came from I dental family, I don’t know that I would’ve made that connection otherwise,” said Dr. Weaver. His father, uncle and cousin are graduates of the WVU School of Dentistry. Dr. Weaver said after visiting the school himself, he agreed with their assessment that the school is highly regarded.

Another Class of 2020 graduate of the WVU School of Dentistry, Dr. Nicholas Palmer, joins the Department of Orthodontics residency team. Prior to dental school, Dr. Palmer excelled in mechanical engineering earning a number of academic achievement honors and awards including a travel grant given to a student committed to improving and advancing global health abroad. In 2019, Dr. Palmer joined classmates and other volunteers in the Guatemalan community of Tecpan where they provided dental care including extractions and restorations.

Dr. Rachel Huffman graduated with high distinction from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry in Lexington, Kentucky with a DMD. She is a four-year recipient of the UK College of Dentistry Dean’s Scholarship given to students based on interview performance, DAT score and undergraduate academic performance. Dr. Huffman was one of three students to participate in the Craniofacial Biology Externship in the orthodontics department at UK. Her additional professional development experience includes a year-long course in orthodontics treatment planning, diagnoses, interdisciplinary care, patient presentations and clinical procedures.

Pediatric Dentistry

Faculty

Our best wishes are extended to Dr. Beryl Wayne Given. The assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry leaves the dental school after approximately a decade of contributions to oral healthcare education and patient care. “Dr. Given is an irreplaceable member of our the WVU Pediatric Dentistry family. Through his efforts in patient care, he was able to provide comprehensive dental care for many children in need in our state,” said Dr. Gina Graziani, Chair of WVU Pediatric Dentistry. “He helped highlight and teach the dental students the compassion needed to provide quality dental care to children. It was an honor to observe his kindness, his skill and the dedication that he put forth in his work with students and patients. Dr. Given will be greatly missed.” Dr. Given, a graduate of WVU dental school, joined the School of Dentistry from Sadler Health Care Corporation in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in March 2003 as a courtesy appointment as a rural faculty member. (Dr. Given’s practice -1977-2009 - in Gassaway, WV was a rural teaching site for the School of Dentistry.) He continued in that role through September 2009. Dr. Given served as a part-time clinical assistant professor in pediatric dentistry from October 2016 to December 2016. In January 2017, Dr. Given became a full-time assistant professor.

 

We will welcome Dr. Dami Kim as pediatric dentistry faculty and provider for the fall semester. She became a DDS in 2004 following her completion of school at the University of Toronto. She is a board-certified pediatric dentist having finished advanced education programs at Jacobi Medical Center, New York and SUNY at Buffalo. Dr. Kim is excited about the possibility of a pediatric dentistry residency program at the WVU dental school. “WVU dental school has shown eagerness and willingness to count my real-life experience valuable in directing a pediatric residency program. I found the approach of the school bold and original and felt that at WVU, I could work creatively in building and shaping a new program,” Dr. Kim said. She has been practicing in New Jersey since 2009.

 

Restorative Dentistry

Faculty

The West Virginia University School of Dentistry offers best wishes to Dr. Matthew Bryington. Dr. Bryington joined us July 2013 from Ohio State University. He was an assistant professor who was later promoted to associate professor within the department of restorative dentistry. Initially, he served as the Assistant Director of the Graduate Prosthodontics Program. He later assumed the role of Program Director which he currently holds. “I have really enjoyed working with Dr. Bryington for the last seven years. He has done wonderful things for the School and the Graduate Prosthodontics Program. He will be greatly missed, and I wish him great success in the next phase of his career.”, said Dr. Bryan Dye, Chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Bryington’s official last day with the dental school is August. 14.

Dr. Soo Cheol Jeong, assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, is attending Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science for a one-year Maxillofacial Dentistry fellowship. Dr. Jeong will be on sabbatical from WVU during his program and will return on July 1, 2021 to resume his teaching and patient care responsibilities.

Dr. Matthew Harper completed the Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Dental Oncology Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic’s College of Medicine. He as returned to the WVU School of Dentistry Department of Restorative Dentistry as an assistant professor and provider. “My goal has always been to return to WVU School of Dentistry. The example was set forth by my father, who showed me the substantial impact we may have as educators. I am also glad that I may be the one to advocate for the people of our state that are in great need,” said Dr. Matthew Harper. “We have many individuals in our region that are in need of obturators, extraoral prostheses (like nasal and auricular prostheses), complex fibula reconstructions, and infants born with cleft lip and palate conditions. I know my time at the Mayo Clinic has not only given me the expertise to provide this type of care, but it has also taught me the standard to which I should hold myself every day on behalf of my patients.” It's good to have you back, Dr. Harper.

Dr. Doug McIntyre, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, is North Carolina bound where he and his wife and their beloved pets can be close to their grandchildren. Dr. McIntyre, a dentist in the US Army from 1969-1971, worked in private practice in Marietta, OH for 38 years. The Ohio State University graduate joined restorative dentistry at the WVU School of Dentistry in 2009. “It’s been a real pleasure working with Dr. McIntyre. He has always gotten along really well with students, patients, faculty and staff. He will be missed by all, but our loss is his grandchildren’s gain,” said Dr. Bryan Dye, Chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Dr. McIntyre worked in predoc classes and supervised third-year and fourth-year students in both the student clinic and urgent care clinics. He has also been a student advisor to first-year and second-year DDS students.

 

Residents

 

Dr. Ghazal Ghassemi is a new resident in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. She is a graduate of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences School of Dentistry. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery in August 2015. “My goal here at the WVU School of Dentistry is to learn comprehensive treatment planning, various restorative and prosthodontic treatments and clinical management of complicated cases,” said Dr. Ghassemi. The Iranian native was attracted to WVU School of Dentistry’s atmosphere. “What I like most about WVU School of Dentistry is the friendly yet professional environment among the residents and faculty members. They look like a big family who support and care about each other,” Ghassemi said. “I have also been impressed by the number and variety of treatments being delivered to patients.” Welcome to the team, Dr. Ghassemi.