More than 80 UNMC College of Dentistry students presented their research projects on Feb. 27 at the college’s annual Dental Research Day.
Sangamesh Kumbar, PhD, Byron H. and Mary V. Weeth Professor of Dental Research and associate dean of research for the college, said the event was exciting.
“This is a celebration,” he said. “You can see the students’ understanding and enthusiasm in promoting dental science. And this work will shape them into better clinician-scientists as they move forward, whether it is in the academy or as clinicians.”
Keynote speaker recognizes students
The 2026 College of Dentistry Research Day included a prize awarded by keynote speaker Thomas Hill, PhD, of Ivoclar Vivadent.
This year’s Ivoclar Innovation Award, which includes a $500 prize, was given to dental students Cole Baeder and Joseph Dworak for their study, “Asynchronous E-Module Versus Traditional Lecture: A Pilot Study on Learning Outcomes in Pericoronal Lesion Diagnosis.” Mentors were Kavya Shankar Muttanahaly, MDSc, and Nagamani Narayana, DDS.
Sangamesh Kumbar, PhD, associate dean of research for the college, thanked Dr. Hill and said he was pleased to see more of the work by UNMC College of Dentistry students recognized.
Dean Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, said, “This generous award from Dr. Hill and Ivoclar Vivadent provides a fitting cap to a rewarding and successful event for our mentors and students.”
Amy Killeen, DDS, served as a judge for the event.
“I enjoy the one-on-one interaction with the students, seeing their enthusiasm and excitement and sharing what they’ve learned in the process,” she said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to grow in their profession.”
Dr. Killeen also served as a mentor for four projects.
“This whole week leading up to today has been practicing presentations, last-minute switches in timing and just getting everything ready for the big day. It’s exciting to see my students get to show off their hard work and present.”
Third-year dental students Xcaret Castelan and Nayeli Ayala teamed for a study on “The Long-Term Association of Systemic Health, Age and Local Inflammation in Periodontal Maintenance Patients: A Database of Clinical and Systemic Parameters.” The study took second place in its category.
“I thought it would be interesting to look more deeply into periodontitis, since it’s something we’re going to be working with for the rest of our lives,” Ayala said. “I’ve done research as an undergraduate, and I found it very meaningful and very helpful just to educate myself on aspects of a subject that I didn’t know before.”
Castelan said the results of their study, which explored the association between body mass index and oral inflammation, surprised them.
“We thought that if there’s more systemic inflammation, there should be more inflammation in the mouth as well,” she said. “So we expected our patients who had higher BMI to have a periodontal inflamed surface area, but we actually found no correlation.”
Kavya Muttanahally, MDSc, who like Dr. Killeen served as both a mentor and a judge at the event, said she urges her mentees not to be afraid to speak in front of others.
“If you know the subject, if you’ve done the study, you are the master of it,” she said. “I tell them, if you’ve dedicated that amount of time, you know it.”
Fellow judge Peter Giannini, DDS, agreed.
“When students are able to present their research in a forum such as this, it allows them to present their critical thinking skills,” he said. “And these are skills that obviously will help them in their practice, as well.”
Keith Johnson, PhD, chair of the Scientific Program Planning Committee, congratulated the students, the faculty and the support staff for all that they did to make the day a success.
“Dental Research Day is truly a celebration of what makes our college special. Watching more than 80 students present their research with confidence and enthusiasm is one of the highlights of our academic year. What inspires me most is seeing how deeply our students understand that research and clinical practice are not separate pursuits — they are inseparable. The questions they are asking today, and the critical thinking skills they are developing, will make them better clinicians for every patient they serve throughout their careers. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them.”
-Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry