Delta Delta Chapter (University of the Pacific)

Delta Delta Chapter Honors Valedictorians

Tawfig Alkilani of Zarqa, Jordan received a doctor of dental surgery degree with highest honors from the University of Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry during commencement exercises held June 15, 2008 at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. Pacific named Alkilani valedictorian of the school's International Dental Studies class for achieving the highest overall grade point average in didactic and clinical courses during the two-year program for foreign-trained dentists.

Alkilani earned a bachelor's degree in dental surgery from University of Jordan, School of Dentistry in Amman, Jordan, prior to entering the IDS program at Pacific. Alkilani has received numerous accolades for his academic accomplishment, including being inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Tau Kappa Omega dental honor societies. Alkilani also received the Dean's Valedictorian Award, the F. Gene and Rosemary Dixon IDS Endowment Award and the Herbert K. Yee Scholarship Award. During his time at Pacific, Alkilani was active in student government, including serving as president of his class.

Jacob Yetzer of Lakeville, Minnesota received a doctor of dental surgery degree with highest honors from the University of Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry during commencement exercises held June 15, 2008 at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. Pacific named Yetzer valedictorian for achieving the highest overal grade point average in didactic and clinical courses during the intensive three-year program.

Yetzer ranked first in a class of 139 dental students and was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Tau Kappa Omega and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies for his scholastic achievements. Yetzer also received the following graduation awards: Dean's Valedictorian Award, Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity Award, American Association of Oral Biologists Award, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Student Award, Inesi Award in Physiology, Excellence in Oral Surgery Award and Herbert K. Yee Scholarship Award.

Delta Delta Chapter Sponsors Clinical Excellence Day

Students from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry showcased their clinical and research skills during the school's annual Excellence Day on May 21. The event, sponsored by Omicron Kappa Upsilon (Delta Delta Chapter), Proctor & Gamble, Ivoclar Vivadent and Western Dental Services, Inc., provided a platform for students to present their accomplishments in research and dental treatment.

During clinical portion of the event, nearly 50 students demonstrated their clinical skills using live patients, electronic presentations and informative posters in the dental school's main clinic. Students competed in several categories including aesthetics, complex restorative, implants and removable prosthodontics.

Teams of dental school faculty members reviewed and evaluated student cases based on oral and physical presentation, case difficulty, preparation and treatment. All winners in the clinical categories are from the Class of 2008:

Aesthetic Dentistry	Complex Restorative	Implant Dentistry	Removable Pros.	Supportive Therapies
Saam Zarrabi (1st Place) Nate Porter (2nd Place) Dan Haws (3rd Place)	Jason Matsushimo Nick Morton Russ Homer	Kelly Heetland Diana Belli	Christine Phan Rob DiVito Cynthia Wong	Beatriz Parra

During the research portion of Excellence Day, students presented 48 different projects focusing on topics such as oral cancer treatment and the use of saliva for DNA analysis. Each student paired with a faculty mentor to conduct their research. Students competed for a spot at the ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Research Program during the ADA Annual Session in San Antonio, TX, in October and for the chance to compete in the Hinman Student Research Symposium in Memphis, TN, in November, as well as in the CDA Annual Scientific Session in Anaheim, CA next spring.

A committee of faculty members selected the Pacific student representatives for research in the following categories:

ADA/Dentsply Research	CDA Scientific Session Award	Hinman Symposiun Awards	Senior Research Competition
Cassidy Lavorini-Doyle ('09)	George Kohout ('09) Robert Passamano ('09)	Jason Ouelette ('09) Beau Ulrich ('09)	Andrew Michael (1st Place) Blake Kitamura (2nd Place) Nicole Sakai (3rd Place)


Fernando Pessoa ('09) presents his restorative dentistry case to Dean Patrick J. Ferrillo Jr. during the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry's annual Excellence Day.	Hillary Lamb ('08), a dental hygiene student, discusses her research project on fluoride varnish with Associate Professor and Director of Community Programs Christine Miller.