From Dean Carroll Ann Trotman

We’re off to a great start in this first week of the New Year, and the good news is already coming in!

As you’ll see in the newsletter below, two of our periodontology faculty members collaborated on a research paper that was published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. After publication, the paper was selected as the winner of the William R. Laney Award from the Academy of Osseointegration. Congrats to Dr. Binnaz Leblebicioglu and Dr. Dimitri Tatakis for this success!

This newsletter also highlights members of our college community who were recently honored by local and national dental organizations. Kaitrin Kramer, DDS, MS, PhD, an alumna of our orthodontics program and a member of the dental team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was chosen to serve on the American Association of Orthodontists’ Board of Trustees. And John Kalmar, DMD, PhD, a Professor-Clinical and Graduate Program Director in the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, was invited to join the Columbus Dental Society’s Board of Directors.

Next is the announcement of the new chair of our Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Joen Iannucci, DDS, MS. She is an Ohio State alumna and a longtime faculty member who has held numerous leadership roles throughout her tenure in the college. Her experience and expertise will be invaluable in advancing the division and its goals.

We also introduce you to Josh Winn, MS, a board certified health and wellness coach who currently serves as the Buckeye Wellness Program Manager in the College of Nursing. He will join us next week as the college’s Wellness Strategist, finding ways to ensure that our college community is maximizing their options that support overall health and well-being.

Along with those news items, we invite our alumni to join us for a reception next month at the Midwinter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society. It is always a pleasure and a privilege for me to meet our loyal alums, and I hope to see many of you there.



We have a lot of ambitious and innovative plans for 2024, and I look forward to sharing those stories throughout this New Year. So stay tuned for the exciting developments ahead!

Periodontology Faculty Members' Research Wins William R. Laney Award

Binnaz Leblebicioglu, DDS, MS, PhD, is a professor in the Division of Periodontology and a researcher whose interests include peri-implant wound healing in the early phases of osseointegration and following peri-implantitis treatment. Her colleague, Dimitri Tatakis, DDS, PhD, is a professor and Graduate Periodontics Program Director who conducts research on periodontal regenerative surgical outcomes and periodontal wound healing.

Working in collaboration with recent graduates of the college's Advanced Education Program in Periodontics, Drs. Leblebicioglu and Tatakis conducted a clinical study and published their findings in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. The publication titled Titanium as a Possible Modifier of Inflammation around Dental Implants summarized the researchers' evaluation of peri-implant crevicular fluid for possible titanium contamination, along with the exploration of associations among clinical findings, titanium levels, and inflammatory mediators. The publication was subsequently chosen as the winner of the Academy of Osseointegration's William R. Laney Award, which honors the late William (Bill) Laney, DMD, MS, who was the founding editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants and the first president of the Academy of Osseointegration.

The co-authors of the award-winning publication are Eswar Kandaswamy, BDS, MS; Wichurat Sakulpaptong, DDS, PhD; Xiaohan Guo, MS; Andy Ai Ni, PhD; and Heather M. Powell, PhD.

Joen Iannucci, DDS, MS, is Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

Dr. Joen Iannucci was recently appointed as Chair of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMFR). A professor-clinical in the Division of Dental Hygiene, she has served as interim chair of the OMFR division since the spring of 2023.

An Ohio State alumna, Dr. Iannucci earned her DDS degree and a master’s degree and certificate in dental radiology from the College of Dentistry. She then joined the college as a full-time faculty member in 1987. During her tenure, she has served in a number of leadership positions, including Dental Hygiene Clinic Director; Interim Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Program; Director of Recruitment and Admissions; and Director of the Ed Maag Screening Clinic. She currently serves as director of the Sterilization Monitoring Service and Director of Continuing Dental Education.

Throughout her career, Dr. Iannucci has received an array of awards and honors. She is a past recipient of Ohio State's Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching which is given in recognition of instructional excellence. And she has been honored with 51 Outstanding Instructor Awards and Student Government Teaching Awards from the college, along with the Postle Teaching Award. She is also the author of two foundational textbooks, Dental Radiography: Principles and Techniques, and Radiographic Interpretation for the Dental Hygienist.

Alumna Kaitrin Kramer, DDS, MS, PhD, Joins AAO Board of Trustees

Dr. Kaitrin Kramer is a craniofacial orthodontist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, where she provides care for patients in the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Clinic. Her education includes a B.S. degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a PhD in oral sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Continuing her professional education, she completed a DDS degree at the University of Michigan, followed by an M.S. degree and certificate in orthodontics from Ohio State's College of Dentistry.

Dr. Kramer was recently selected as a member of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Board of Trustees. She was chosen for this prestigious appointment as a result of her proven leadership skills and vision for the AAO. Commenting on her future contributions to the Board, Dr. Myron D. Guymon, president of the AAO, said, “Dr. Kramer will bring valuable perspectives in light of her background as an educator, her previous leadership experience, and her advanced training in craniofacial orthodontics. We are delighted to welcome her to the Board of Trustees.”

John Kalmar, DMD, PhD, Joins CDS Board of Directors

Dr. John Kalmar is a professor-clinical in the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (OMFP) and the Director of the OMFP Advanced Education Program. He was recently selected to serve a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Columbus Dental Society, which is the local component of the Ohio Dental Association.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kalmar has been active in organized dentistry at the national, state, and local levels. He has served on the American Dental Association's Council on Scientific Affairs' Expert Panel for Guidelines on the Early Detection of Oral Cancer, and he is a past member of the Research and Scientific Affairs Committee for the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. He is also a past president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and he is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. 

Josh Winn, MS, to Serve as Wellness Strategist

Josh Winn is a clinical instructor-practice in the College of Nursing and a Wellness Program Manager for the university's Buckeye Wellness Program. He will join the college on January 8th as a Wellness Strategist.

Mr. Winn is a board-certified health and wellness coach and a certified exercise physiologist. His education includes a B.S. degree in exercise science from the University of Mount Union and an M.S. degree in exercise science and health promotion from the California University of Pennsylvania. In his new role in the college, he will provide wellness consultations for faculty and staff seeking to maximize their options for overall health and well-being.

Alumni Reception at Chicago Dental Society's Midwinter Meeting: Friday, February 23, 2024

We invite you to join Dean Carroll Ann Trotman for an alumni reception at the Midwinter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society on Friday, February 23.

Enjoy refreshments and reconnect with classmates and fellow Buckeyes. We look forward to seeing you there!

Date: Friday, February 23, 2024

Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Location: Marriot Marquis Chicago, George Pullman Room (third floor); 2121 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60616

RSVP: Please RSVP by Wednesday, February 14

Questions? Send an email to dentalalumni@osu.edu or call 614-247-8621.