As 2024 draws to a close, I want to reflect on some extraordinary accomplishments over this past year.
In the educational realm, for the second year in a row, our dental hygiene and dental students’ pass rates on their respective national board exams were 100 per cent. We’ve expanded opportunities for our dental students beyond the perimeter which you can read about in this newsletter. As well, our dental hygiene students participated in clinical rotations in Churchill and private practice observerships in Winnipeg. These additional clinical experiences will better prepare our learners for their careers, and we wish to thank all the preceptors who made these experiential opportunities possible.
On the research side, the college surpassed, yet again, for the fourth year in a row, its previous year’s annual research funding. We also had the highest number of dental students registering in the bachelor of science in dentistry program, with a significant portion of the second-year class now participating in research. On a national front, Dr. Bob Schroth was awarded a very competitive Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Applied Public Health Research Chair, with his research ranked in the top 11 per cent in its field in Canada.
As a college, we are committed to giving back to our community. Read the stories below about our community engagement efforts and new partnerships to enable us to continue to provide exceptional care to children in need.
This year’s Homecoming brought together alumni from across the decades. The spirit and legacy of our graduates are foundational to our community and continue to inspire our current students and faculty. See more below – including some fabulous photos!
We also had an exciting announcement at Homecoming and celebrated the generosity of Dr. Gerald and Reesa Niznick. Their landmark gift will enhance our students’ educational experience and strengthen the clinical training that we offer. Dr. and Mrs. Niznick’s contribution is a significant boost to our Dental Clinic Campaign. Their support is a testament to the impact our alumni can have, and we have more exciting announcements coming soon. Learn more in this newsletter.
My hope is that in the upcoming year, we will reach our fundraising campaign goal and prepare for the opening of our new clinical facilities in 2027.
Your support will be pivotal in achieving our mission to create cutting-edge learning environments for future generations of oral health-care professionals. Every gift makes a difference, whether through the naming of an operatory, contributing to the building fund or gifts in kind. To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact our dedicated fundraiser, Brooke Karlaftis at brooke.karlaftis@umanitoba or 204-474-7835.
As we prepare to greet 2025, I am reaching out to all of you, our alumni, to help us continue on our path toward meeting the milestones in excellence in education, research and community service that we have set for ourselves.
I am also delighted to announce that we will host alumni receptions in Vancouver in March and Toronto in May. We look forward to connecting with you, sharing the latest updates and hearing your ideas on how we can continue to elevate the college and our alumni network.
Thank you for being an essential part of our community. Your engagement and support are what drive our success. Together, we are building a brighter future for the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.
Kindest regards,
Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis
Dean, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry