The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in Lincoln
will host its 14th Annual Professionals Day on Friday, March 17, from
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event celebrates scholarly activities and provides
students, faculty and the dental community an opportunity to share professional
and academic activities. It will be held in the Great Plains Room in the
East Campus Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, located
at 37th & Fair streets, just north of Holdrege Street.
Activities will include the 33rd Annual Student Scientific Program at
which students will display dentistry projects from 9 a.m. to noon. The
Frank M. Wentz Memorial Lecture, will feature John Reinhardt, D.D.S., who
will take over as new dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry March 20. His
speech will be held at 1:30 p.m. and will focus on his vision for the colleges
future.
Stephen Leeper, D.D.S., retired Feb. 29 as dean of the college after
serving as dean since 1988.
Dr. Reinhardt has served on the University of Iowa dental faculty for
22 years. He was appointed assistant professor in 1980, associate professor
in 1984 and professor in 1990. Since 1988, he has headed the Operative
Dentistry Department.
In 1997-98, he held the post of acting assistant dean for patient services.
Dr. Reinhardt earned his bachelors degree in biology from Illinois Wesleyan
University in Bloomington, Ill., in 1971 and his dental degree from Loyola
University in Chicago in 1975. He received a masters degree in operative
dentistry from the University of Iowa in 1979 and a masters degree in
public health from Harvard University in 1988.
Named a fellow in the American College of Dentists in 1995, Dr. Reinhardt
has received multiple teaching awards from University of Iowa dental students.
In 1997, he served as president of the Academy of Operative Dentistry and
is one of only 34 certified members of the American Board of Operative
Dentistry. He serves on the editorial board or as a reviewer on several
dental journals, and he has been a contributing author for more than 40
research articles.
The UNMC College of Dentistry, which celebrated its 100th anniversary
last year, was founded on Sept. 17, 1899 as the Lincoln Dental College.
It was the first dental school in Nebraska. In 1918, the dental college
officially became part of the University of Nebraska. In 1979, the College
of Dentistry became part of UNMC. It is located on UNLs east campus at
40th and Holdrege streets in Lincoln.