UFCD:
Faculty Honors, Awards and Appointments
New Faculty
Abimbola O. Adewumi , B.D.S., is appointed assistant professor of pediatric dentistry. Adewumi, who earned her dental degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, completed a fellowship in pediatric dentistry at the University of Florida where she provided undergraduate clinical instruction and postgraduate seminars in pediatric dentistry. Prior to coming to UF, Adewumi served as a specialist registrar in pediatric dentistry at St. George's Hospital , King's Dental Institute, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital , London . She also earned her Master's degree in pediatric dentistry from University of London . She is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow , Scotland . Adewumi's research interests include dental traumatology, aesthetic dentistry for children, and law and ethics in dentistry.
Ikramuddin Aukhil , B.D.S., M.S., is appointed chair of the Department of Periodontology. Aukhil comes to UF from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, where he served as professor of periodontology and director of UNC's Pre-doctoral Program in Periodontology. Aukhil assumes the chair from Herbert Towle , D.D.S., who has stepped down to serve as director of the Periodontics Residency Program. The college's search committee selected Aukhil based on his clinical and administrative ability and the opportunity to create new collaborations between clinician scientists and the research of the college's internationally respected molecular and cell biologists.
Madhu K. Nair , B.D.S., D.M.D., M.S., Lic. Odont., Ph.D. is appointed associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and diagnostic sciences. Nair comes to UF from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine were he served as director and assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial radiology. Nair's research interests include tuned aperture computed tomography, radiology informatics, computer-aided diagnostic techniques, and digital imaging and image processing/fractal analysis. Nair's expertise in digital radiology and radiology informatics will be invaluable during the college's conversion to digital radiology, which is scheduled for installation in all college clinics over the next two years.
Marc E. Ottenga , D.D.S., is appointed clinical associate professor of operative dentistry. Ottenga comes to the university after 22 years of private practice in the Orlando area. He earned his dental degree from The Ohio State University School of Dentistry in 1980, and completed his general practice residency at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Miami , Fla. in 1981.
Ottenga will serve as operative instructor in the college's Preclinical Simulation Laboratory and operative clinical instructor for third- and fourth-year D.M.D. students and students in the Foreign Trained Dentist Program.
He is joined in Gainesville by wife, Cathy, and sons Cam (19) and Chris (15).
Flavio Massara Soares , D.D.S., M.S., is appointed assistant professor of pediatric dentistry and in a tenure track. Soares completed his fellowship in pediatric dentistry at UF in August, during which time he demonstrated an outstanding attitude, excellent clinical skills and received the highest teaching evaluation from the undergraduate students in the pediatrics clinical course. Soares earned his dental degree from Pontifical Catholic University in Belo Horizonte , Brazil . His master's and certificate of advanced studies in pediatric dentistry were earned from Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
Robert H. Selwitz , D.D.S., M.P.H., has received joint appointment as clinical professor of public health services and research with the UF College of Dentistry and dental director for the Duval County Health Department. Selwitz' responsibilities will be to administer the DCHD dental program with an annual budget of more than $2.1 million, participating in interdisciplinary public health research and clinical instruction of the college's dental public health residents and D.M.D. students. He will be based in Jacksonville , Fla.
Selwitz comes to UF from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, where he served as the chief of the population research and health promotion branch and director of the agency's residency program in dental public health. He is board certified in public health dentistry, earned his dental degree from University of Detroit Mercy and his Master of Public Health from University of Michigan.
T. Wendell Willis , D.D.S., is appointed clinical professor in the department of periodontics. Willis comes to UF after 37 years of private practice, although he is no stranger to teaching. Since 1977, he has served the college in a variety of ways, including visiting professor of operative dentistry and teaching in both prosthodontics and periodontics. Willis has been involved in organized dentistry at both the local and state level, serving as president of the Alachua County Dental Association and as a trustee to the Florida Dental Association. He earned his dental degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1966, and, as a captain in the United States Army Dental Corps, commanded the dental clinic for the 809 Engineering Battalion in Thailand .
Marc Heft , D.M.D., Ph.D., is appointed acting chair for the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences. Heft assumes the chair from Frank Dolwick, D.M.D., Ph.D., who stepped down from the position for personal reasons. Dolwick, who recommended Heft to the college's dean as a candidate for acting chair, continues to serve as the head of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Division and director of hospital dentistry for Shands Healthcare.
Albert Oluwayanmife Adegbembo joined the Department of Operative Dentistry's Division of Public Health Research and Services with teaching and research responsibilities as assistant scientist. He comes to the college from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto where he served as an associate in dentistry and as a research associate at the Faculty of Dentistry's Department of Biomaterials. He has also served as assistant director in charge of research and training at the Inter-country Center for Oral Health (in association with the World Health Organization) in Nigeria.
Adegbembo earned his dental degree from the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and his Diploma Dental Public Health and Master of Science in Dental Public Health from the University of Toronto. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. His areas of research interest are access to care, distribution and determinants of oral health and diseases in populations with an emphasis on geriatric populations, and the degree to which dental amalgam contributes to the flux of mercury in the environment.
Adegbembo and wife, Boun, are the parents of 19-year-old son, Busayo – a freshman at University of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada – and three daughters, 14-year-old Bimpe, 12-year-old Bukunsola and 9-year-old Bolu.
D. Lawrence Brock has joined the college’s Department of Periodontology as clinical assistant professor. Brock comes to the college from private practice in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
Brock's has served as chief of periodontics at Bergen Pines County Hospital in Paramus, New Jersey, as chairman of the dental section of Hackettstown Community Hospital, part time instructor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and as acting director of general dentistry at Sunland Center (now Tacachale) in Gainesville, Fla.
Brock earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine and certificate in peridontics from the University of Florida in 1982. His area of research interest is bone regeneration after root planing. He holds a patent for a pressure sensitive periodontal probe previously licensed to Pro-Dentec and has a pending patent for a dental implant placement locator. He is married to Sharon, and is the father of three daughters, Allison age 28, Leslie age 27, and Kelly age 14.
Daniela Rodriques P. Silva is appointed assistant professor in the college’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Silva comes to the college from University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry where she served as an assistant professor. Prior to Mercy, Silva was a faculty member at the João Prudente School of Dentistry, Brazil, where she was assistant professor of social and preventative dentistry and associate program director of pediatric dentistry.
Silva earned her Doctorate of Dental Science from Goiás Federal University, Brazil, a certificate in pediatric dentistry from Camilo Castelo Branco University and a Master’s of Science in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Michigan.
Areas of research interest include dental anomalies in premature children, pulpectomy medicaments for vital primary teeth, and indirect pulp treatment in young permanent molars with deep carious lesions.
K. David Stillwell has joined the college as associate clinical professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry’s Foreign Trained Dentist Program. He will be the primary faculty support for the didactic, pre-clinical and clinical activities in the first- year rotation for the 12-student FTD curriculum.
Prior to coming to the college, Stillwell maintained a practice for 19 years in Columbia, Mo., and Mountain Home, Ark., focusing his practices in the areas of hospital care, implantology and family practice. He has also held academic appointments at University of Colorado School of Dentistry, University of Missouri School of Medicine and University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.
Stillwell earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from Louisiana State University and a certificate in general practice dental residency from University of Colorado. He has been awarded fellowship, and in 1998, his mastership status as a 20-year member of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Wife Connie and sons Jonathan (19) and James (14) join Stillwell in Gainesville, where they enjoy Florida’s year‑round outdoor activities.
Fong Wong is appointed assistant professor in the college’s Department of Prosthodontics. Her responsibilities within the department encompass clinical, teaching and research activities.
Wong earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Alberta and certification in advance graduate study in prosthodontics and a master’s from Boston University, as well as fellowship certification in maxillofacial prosthetics from University of Chicago.
Wong is a member of the American College of Prosthodontics, the Academy of Osseointegration, the American Dental Association and the American Fixed Prosthodontics. She is fluent in the languages of English, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, and has knowledge of French and Cambodian.
