December 2007  

Dear Penn Dental Medicine Alumni:

Welcome to the December 2007 issue of Alumni Connections, the e-newsletter for Penn Dental Medicine alumni. This is sent periodically to keep you connected to the institution and each other.

Please share this message with your alumni colleagues. For more information on alumni activities and upcoming events, visit the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni web site.

Best wishes to you and your family for a happy holiday season and the New Year! We hope to see you at a Penn Dental Medicine alumni event in 2008!

Joshua E. Liss
Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Programs

» Contents

•  Penn Dental Medicine Launches $36 Million Fundraising Campaign
•  Alumni Weekend 2008/Reunions for Classes Ending in "3" or "8"
•  2008 Alumni Award of Merit Nominations Sought
•  Student Spotlight: Michael Simontacchi-Gbologah (D'08)
•  Support Educational Excellence at Penn Dental Medicine
•  Yankee Dental Congress Alumni Reception
•  Senior Farewell 2008
•  Wear Penn Dental Medicine Apparel this Winter
•  At the Penn Museum: "Lewis and Clark Revisited: A Trail in Modern Day"
•  Share Your News

» Penn Dental Medicine Launches $36 Million Fundraising Campaign

On Friday, October 19, Penn Dental Medicine celebrated the launch of Leading the Profession, The Campaign for Penn Dental Medicine — its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever — at a special gala celebration. The $36 million campaign is part of the University of Pennsylvania's Making History campaign, which officially launched on October 20.

For more information, including photos from the gala, visit the Campaign web site.

» Alumni Weekend 2008/Reunions for Classes Ending in "3" or "8"

Return to Penn Dental Medicine for Alumni Weekend 2008, May 16-17, and the reunions for classes ending in "3" and "8." Alumni Weekend is the time to connect with friends—old and new! Whether you graduated five or 50 years ago, we hope that you will come celebrate with us and reconnect with Penn Dental Medicine. Make your hotel and travel plans early!

For more information, visit the Alumni Weekend 2008 web site.
» 2008 Alumni Award of Merit Nominations Sought

Nominations are being sought for the Penn Dental Medicine 2008 Alumni Award of Merit, which will be presented during Alumni Weekend 2008, May 16-17.

The Alumni Award of Merit recognizes love for and loyalty to the School of Dental Medicine, excellence in the profession of dentistry, and community involvement. The award is given to those graduates who have maintained their ties with the School through their support of alumni activities, who have demonstrated leadership in the dental profession, and who have fostered and maintained the ideals that the School of Dental Medicine has stood for since its founding.

Members of the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society Executive Committee select the recipients, limited to five individuals per year, from the pool of nominees. Nominations are due by December 31, 2007.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Joshua E. Liss, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Programs, at 215-898-3542 or via email at lissj@dental.upenn.edu. For a list of previous Alumni Award of Merit recipients, please visit the Alumni Awards web site.

To make a nomination, please send a letter of explanation to:

Joshua E. Liss
Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Programs
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA  19104-6030

» Student Spotlight: Michael Simontacchi-Gbologah (D'08)

Read about Michael's efforts to encourage minority high school students and undergraduates to think about dentistry as a career in the November 15 issue of the Penn Current.

» Support Educational Excellence at Penn Dental Medicine

In this season of giving, please include the Dental Annual Giving Fund in your year-end charitable plans. The annual support of alumni has helped the School remain a pioneer in research, education, and professional practice for well over a century.

Gifts to the Dental Annual Giving Fund are the lifeblood of Penn Dental Medicine, sustaining programs and addressing the immediate needs of our students and faculty. Your contribution will make a real difference by supporting the School's proud tradition of linking teaching and research in service to the public and profession.

For your convenience, gifts to the Dental Annual Giving Fund can be made in several ways:

• Through a secure online transaction with a credit card at the Online Giving web site.

Please note: If making a gift by credit card, your card must be charged by December 31, 2007, to be deductible on your 2007 tax return.

• By sending your check, made payable to the "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania," to:

Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030

Please note: If making a gift by check, your gift must be postmarked by December 31, 2007, to be deductible on your 2007 tax return.

• Owners of appreciated securities can obtain substantial tax benefits by transferring those assets directly to Penn. First, you will receive an income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the stock on the effective date of the gift. In addition, you avoid capital gains tax on the transfer. For transfer instructions, please contact the Office of the Treasurer at 215-898-7254 or via email at gifts@pobox.upenn.edu. This will help to ensure both timely receipt and appropriate allocation of the gift.

» Yankee Dental Congress Alumni Reception

Join your fellow alumni at the Penn Dental Medicine reception during the Yankee Dental Congress on Friday, February 1, at the Westin Boston Waterfront. The reception will be held 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Douglas Room, Mezzanine Level.

» Senior Farewell 2008

Please save the date of Tuesday, May 13, for Senior Farewell 2008, sponsored by the Class of 2008 and the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society. You are invited to come celebrate the Class of 2008's passage from students to colleagues. Senior Farewell 2008 will be held at the The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Broad and Chestnut Streets, in Center City Philadelphia. Watch for your invitation in early spring.

» Wear Penn Dental Medicine Apparel this Winter

Apparel with the official Penn Dental Medicine logo can be purchased through the Club Colors web site. You can choose from a great selection of merchandise including sweatshirts, outerwear, bags and luggage, and gift items.

» At the Penn Museum: "Lewis and Clark Revisited: A Trail in Modern Day"

In 1804, Merriweather Lewis and William Clark led an unprecedented overland expedition across North America and back, pioneering the western exploration and expansion of the United States. Two centuries later, photographer Greg MacGregor retraced their journey to see the present state of this historic route.

For more information on the exhibition, which opened on December 15 and runs through February 10, visit the Lewis and Clark Revisited web site.

» Share Your News

We want to hear from you. Share your news on personal and professional accomplishments with your fellow Penn Dental Medicine alumni through the Class Notes section of the Penn Dental Journal.

We have made it easy for you to make a submission — simply go to the online form where you can quickly send us your information — we welcome photos as well. Or, you can send your submission to:

Mary McCarron
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030
Phone: 215-898-8951
Fax: 215-573-1791
mrmccarr@ben.dev.upenn.edu

Contact Us

We're here to help you. Please contact us with your questions, comments, requests, and suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street
Philadelphia , PA 19104-6030
Phone: 215-898-8951
Fax: 215-573-1791
lissj@dental.upenn.edu