A Dentistry Town Hall took place on January 26, 2026. Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, presented the draft of the college’s Strategic Plan 2026-2031.
The Dentistry Class of 2001 will be celebrating their 25th anniversary reunion this year. The event will take place from October 9-12, 2026, in Kelowna, B.C., at the Delta Grand Hotel. For more information, please contact Dr. Rakesh Mehta at dr.rakeshmehta@shaw.ca.
Four members of the Dentistry Class of 1969 winter in the Palm Springs, Calif., every year.
Dr. Paul Beesley, Dr. Tom Breneman, Dr. Dan Green, Dr. Mal Nattrass, and their wives meet up at least once per month. They get together for dinner, at each other’s homes or for a round of golf.
“We were a very close-knit group and have managed to keep those friendships alive over all the years,” Dr. Beesley said.
“Even though we all practiced in different cities, the University of Manitoba has held us together. It’s a very special group.”
Three other classmates have also spent a few winters with them. For their 50th anniversary in 2019, another 12 class members joined them in Palm Springs for a reunion.
Congratulations to Kat Weckesser! The graduate programs academic administrator gave birth to a baby boy on January 22, 2026. He weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces.
Dr. Richard “Dick” Smith passed away on January 7, 2026, in Whitehorse. He fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a dentist when he graduated from UM’s dental school in 1965. Dr. Smith practiced public health dentistry throughout Manitoba, and general dentistry in Strathroy, Ont., and lastly in the Yukon from 1997 until retirement in 2017. Read his obituary
The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s radiology unit held a Valentine’s Day Exchange. Radiology unit members supplied valentine’s cards for faculty, staff and students fill out. The cards were collected and then more than 330 valentines were distributed.
Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry support staff gather each year in December for Professional Development Day. About 80 staff members took part in a session on effective written communication and fun activities took place like a holiday scavenger hunt. There were door prizes and lunch was served.
The winners of the Holiday Decorating Contest were:
1st place – Whiteout by Laura Friesen
2nd place – Grinch & Whoville by Sheila Holberg & Jenna McGavock
3rd place – Nostalgia by Lorraine Reinfort, Elaine Schoenberger and Andrew Dimaapi
