Faculty and Staff Updates
Fall 2024/25
Over the past few months, we've experienced some significant changes, with new individuals joining us and some familiar ones moving on.
Warm Welcomes
We welcome four new full-time faculty members to the Schulich Dentistry team as of July 1, 2024:
Dr. Santiago Cobos has joined the division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Dr. Cobos received his DDS from the University of Cuenca in Ecuador and completed both his MSc degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology and PhD in Medical Biophysics at Western University. He also completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Keith Da Silva has joined the divisions of Paediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health. Dr. Da Silva joins us from the University of Saskatchewan, where he was an assistant professor. Dr. Da Silva holds a DDS degree and a Certificate in Paediatric Dentistry from Columbia University, and a MSc degree in Dental Public Health from the University of Toronto. He will soon complete his PhD at the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Theodorus Emons has joined the division of Operative Dentistry. Dr. Emons joins us from private practice where he has over 18 years of clinical experience, in addition to serving as a captain/dentist in the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds a DDS degree from Western University.
Dr. Gürkan Ünsal has joined the division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Dr. Ünsal joins us from the Near East University in Northern Cyprus, where he was an associate professor in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. He holds a DDS degree from the Near East University, and a PhD degree in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology from Istanbul University in Turkey.
There will be some (and returning) faces on the clinic floors this fall. We welcome the following Adjunct Clinical Professors:
- Dr. Adam Hasanee
- Dr. Ramy Mansour
- Dr. Krizia Proia
- Dr. Hassan Elnashoukaty
- Dr. Mohamad Itani
- Dr. Elahe Memari
- Dr. Cecilia Aragon
- Dr. Alyssa Walter
We are also delighted to announce that two new staff members have joined our team:
Alex Lalonde joined the front desk team in the adult clinic on June 3 and is backfilling for Kathy Forbes until June 2025. Alex has extensive administrative experience working in customer service, physician medical clinics, and a hospital setting.
Idowu Alao started in the Vice Dean and Director's Office as the new Financial Officer on May 27. Idowu brings over a decade of experience in strategic financial planning, budgeting, and analysis at Peniel Global Consulting Canada, and more recently at the Central Bank of Nigeria. As the Financial Officer, Idowu will work closely with the Director, Operations and Dr. Quiñonez, as well as her colleagues in the Dean’s Office, to ensure smooth financial, HR, and administrative operations in Dentistry. Idowu will also oversee the Director's Office Administrative Team.
Fond Farewells
Schulich Dentistry congratulates Andrea Marsh, Graduate Assistant for Graduate Orthodontic, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and General Practice Residency Programs, who departed Dentistry for an opportunity in Postgraduate Medicine as the Registration Coordinator effective July 2, 2024. Andrea has been with Dentistry for 11 years and has worked in both undergraduate and postgraduate dental education. We will miss Andrea in Schulich Dentistry and wish her well in her new role.
We also said goodbye to Dr. Liliani Vieira, who left at the end of June for an exciting opportunity at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Dr. Vieira started with Schulich Dentistry in January 2019, and we have appreciated her contributions to our school and the paediatric dentistry program.
Pamela Duncan, Finance Assistant for Dentistry, departed for an opportunity in Western Central Finance as an Accounting Assistant effective September 16, 2024. Pamela was a member of the Dentistry Finance team for almost 2 years. She made many contributions to the Finance team and we will miss her! We wish her well in her new role.
Changes
We would like to thank Dr. Santiago Cobos for taking on the roles of Division Chair for Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Radiation Protection Officer (RPO), and acknowledge the efforts of Dr. William Keven Hockley, Sylvie Richer, Cheryl Sorensen, and Claudia Jaramillo during the interim period.
We are pleased to announce that to Keirsten Tapp Brennan joined the Schulich Dentistry leadership team in the role of Clinic Coordinator effective September 9, 2024. Reporting to Mary-Elizabeth Jones, provides leadership to the reprocessing clerks and support the daily operations of the various clinics, including assuming the role of IPAC Officer. Keirsten spent the last 6 years working as a dental assistant in the Grad Orthodontics clinic and prior to joining Schulich Dentistry, Keirsten worked in a private practice setting for over 20 years.
Gratitude goes out to Mary-Elizabeth Jones for taking on the acting role of Clinic Coordinator to ensure the smooth and successful running of the clinics. Since May 1, 2024, Mary-Elizabeth has been Clinical Nurse Manager, Dental Clinics reporting to Sylvie Richer. In this role, Mary-Elizabeth continues to be responsible for the coordination of the DSCU and oversees the daily management of all dental clinics within Schulich Dentistry. The Clinic Coordinator , the Dental Assistants (Clinics), and contract staff consisting of Registered Nurses and Anesthesia Assistants (DSCU) all report to Mary-Elizabeth.
But wait! There's more...
Big News!
The biggest change for Dentistry this month has to be the departure of Lisa Johnson and arrival of Fred Ross as the new Director, Dentistry Operations.
Fred brings expertise in areas that are crucial for the Director of Dentistry Operations role. His background in supporting academic projects will sync operations with our educational goals. He has solid experience with budgets and managing HR and financial tasks, which he will need to handle the School of Dentistry’s complex operations. Plus, his leadership skills are proven by his years of leading teams in Medical Education at Schulich.
We are excited to welcome Fred to the Dentistry family! At the same time, we bid a fond farewell to Lisa, who is headed upstairs to the Dean's Office as Strategic Initiatives Lead.
Over the past three years, Lisa has been a driving force in building a positive and collaborative culture within Dentistry. Her clear communication, endless staff recognition, and friendly leadership have made a big difference. She’s organized numerous team-building events, brought in guest speakers for staff development, and always made herself available to support the team.
Lisa’s impact goes beyond just culture. She’s been instrumental in several major infrastructure projects, including the addition of 35 new enclosed operatories, three new autoclaves, a CBCT scanner, and a renovation of the Paediatric Clinic to better accommodate children with special needs.
Her dedication also shone through during our recent accreditation review of five education programs. Lisa’s hard work, combined with the entire Dentistry team’s efforts, was crucial to the success of the onsite survey visit.
We’re grateful for Lisa’s many contributions and look forward to her continued support in her new role!
Have an update we missed? Please reach out to schulich.dentistry@schulich.uwo.ca so we can share the news!
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