CDA | Leadership

Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni ’48, dean emeritus, can well remember a time when there were no women among the dental students at University of the Pacific, or in the profession at all…

Tools of the Trade

All adventure stories require their protagonists to take a journey. Aspiring heroes must leave their homes and cross a threshold, pass through a portal, to get to the land of their dreams—the place where they achieve their true potential… Milo arrives at the Kingdom of Wisdom by driving through a phantom tollbooth. For students at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, the phantom tollbooth is called the student kit.

Beyond Great Clinicians

Both students and mentors laud the PIP program as an excellent experiential learning opportunity that fosters creativity, critical thinking and self-assessment skills. It also opens both eyes and doors to professional paths beyond the traditional dental office. Here are a few PIPs launched by recent graduates.

Ortho Alumnus Becomes President of Pakistan

An Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry alumnus made international headlines late last year when he was elected president of Pakistan.

New Leadership Named for Orthodontics, Endodontics and Hygiene

The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry recently named two long-time school leaders to serve in key chair roles for the Departments of Orthodontics and Endodontics…

From an early age, Jeremie DeZwirek’s path was clear. At age four, he began swimming and, while still in middle school, decided to become a dentist. It’s been head down, fins on and hard work ever since.

Old School

Dr. Masako Moriya Wiggans (1912-2006) received her DDS degree in 1937 from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, becoming the first Japanese American woman to graduate from the college and to receive a dental license from the Dental Board of California.

Dan Tanita: Global Ambassador, Local Philanthropist

It is, of course, a quip. But friends and colleagues of Dr. Dan Tanita ’73 like to say that if you see this longtime Dugoni School of Dentistry volunteer headed your way, guard your wallet. Because the minute he leaves, you’ll discover you handed it over at some point in the conversation without even realizing it.

The Future Looks Bright

Founded in 2002 on the Stockton campus, the Dental Hygiene program was the first three-year program leading to a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene in the United States. Now, the program is based in San Francisco and hygiene students in the 2018 graduating class were the first to begin and end their clinical training at the dental school. Learn how this program has evolved and how dental hygiene students are integrated into patient care teams.

Lives We Have Touched

“Our purpose is to help people lead healthy lives,” says Dean Nader A. Nadershahi ’94. For student dentists at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, the almost 900 clinical hours they spend in their second and third years are essential to their education; for the patients they treat, those hours translate to lives touched.