SDM Summer 2025 Newsletter

Greetings and welcome to our quarterly newsletter! A lot has happened since our first issue of 2025. When you receive this, we will be nearing the arrival of the inaugural class on July 28th – an exciting, busy, and perhaps a little stressful time here at the school as we prepare to launch our DMD program. Here are some highlights since our last issue:

Since our last newsletter, we have welcomed two new faculty members—Drs. David Grow and Kevin Hudson. Dr. Grow, a general dentist, will teach in the simulation lab this upcoming academic year and then transition to teaching at our Kennewick clinic in summer 2026. Dr. Hudson, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMFS), is finishing up active practice here in Yakima. He will teach in the medical school’s gross anatomy course this year (which our students take alongside medical students) and will also collaborate with the other OMFS faculty to develop the OMFS curriculum. We are excited to have both of them join the team!  You can read more about each of them in this newsletter.

On April 25th, PNWU hosted its annual Scholarship Luncheon, where student scholarship recipients were honored and scholarship donors had the chance to meet the students who benefited from their generous contributions. I had the privilege of announcing the student recipients during the event. From the dental school, twenty-seven of our Class of 2029 students received a combined total of $160,000 in PNWU and SDM scholarships. We are very proud of our SDM student scholarship recipients.

In early May, for the third year in a row, the SDM team had a booth at the annual Pacific Northwest Dental Conference in Seattle. Ms. Lolinda Turner, Director of Student Success and Engagement, and Ms. Julia Orr, Administrative Assistant, hosted our booth. We had some of our incoming students stop by, and several of our faculty and staff attended the event. It is always a great event and an excellent way to connect with the dental community in our state and region.

Although we have not yet welcomed the inaugural class, the application process for the Class of 2030 began on May 13th with the opening of the AADSAS application portal. Since early June, the SDM admissions committee and admissions office have been reviewing applications, and the first interview day is scheduled for mid-July. We are excited to start our next admissions cycle. A huge thank you to our admissions committee co-chairs, Dr. Jennifer Domagalski and Prof. Olga Gutierrez, the admissions committee, and our PNWU admissions team for their efforts in recruiting another excellent class.

The university announced the selection and hiring of Dr. Michael H. Mittelman as our new president. Dr. Mittelman comes to PNWU from Salus University, where he has served as president since 2013. You can read more about Dr. Mittelman here. He will begin on August 1. The SDM is excited to welcome Dr. Mittelman to our university.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for two of our community clinics – on May 5th for our Yakima student clinic by our partner Yakima Neighborhood Health Services and on June 17th for our Kennewick student clinic by our partner Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic – kicked off the construction of our community sites.  The clinic in Tacoma, with our partner the Seamar Community Health Center, is an existing building and will begin renovations shortly.  All three clinics will be completed by early June 2026 (can we add pictures of the\ two groundbreaking events?).

The SDM hosted the Delta Dental of Washington Board meeting from June 16 to 18. This marked the first time the board and senior leadership gathered on our new campus to visit Delta Dental Equity Hall and the simulation lab. On the 16th, we welcomed the board and senior leadership with an overview and update of our program, which included welcoming remarks by PNWU Interim President Robbyn Wacker and Board Chair Mr. John Vornbrock, as well as presentations on Trauma-Informed Care by Dr. Casey Wright and Minimally Invasive Dentistry by Dr. Renata Monteiro. Everyone expressed their immense pleasure and appreciation for everything the SDM team has done to establish our new program. I also sensed a strong desire from the group to return in the future when classes are in session so they can meet our students.

Finally, some congratulations to members of the SDM team. 

• Dr. Renata Monteiro, Assistant Professor of Dentistry, with her co-applicant, Dr. Christian Heck from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, were the recipients of this year’s special PNWU research equipment grant for just over $38,000.00. Their proposal received the highest score and was selected as the winner among the eight projects submitted.  Dr. Monteiro will use this equipment to continue her research on the effects of radiation on tooth structure.

• Dr. Casey Wright, Director of Behavioral Sciences and Scholarly Activity, received a one-year renewal of his CareQuest grant. He and his colleague at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Tamanna Tiwari, received a grant of $172,500. Dr. Wright is partnering with fellow SDM faculty member Dr. Maxine Janis to execute part of the grant, which includes establishing the “Western Intertribal Oral Health Coalition” community advisory board.  The advisory board will have members from the Yakama, Pine Ridge, and Goshute tribal communities. This advisory board will review project data and assist in designing interventions to enhance oral health.

• On May 16th, Dr. Maxine Brings-Him-Back Janis, Professor of Dental Hygiene, was honored by the Yakama Nation for her extraordinary leadership in Indigenous health and education at its annual Legends Casino Powwow and Stick Game Tournament at the Yakima SunDome. Dr. Janis has been a tireless advocate and educator, raising the voices of Indigenous people in healthcare and academia.  Several SDM and PNWU colleagues and friends attended to celebrate with Dr. Janis. 

Congratulations to Drs. Monteiro, Wright, and Janis for their respective accomplishments on behalf of our program.

Yakima Valley Dental Society

Since the dental school’s inception, the Yakima Valley Dental Society (YVDS) has been a valuable and engaged partner. The YVDS consists of member dentists from Yakima, Kittitas, and Klickitat Counties. Its membership reflects a wide range of practice modalities, including specialists, private practice owners, community health dentists, and associates working in dental service organizations, among others. Dentists in these roles have varying needs and professional interests. The society’s goals include advocacy for our profession, mentorship among members, and improving the oral health of our community through continuing education, collaboration on challenging cases, camaraderie, and community outreach.

The society meets once a month for continuing education courses nine months out of the year. Unlike larger cities that have greater access to presenters on the lecture circuit, it can be challenging for a small, rural dental society to secure lecturers who meet both our needs and budget.

The partnership with Pacific Northwest University School of Dental Medicine (PNWU) began when Dr. Foti Panagakos invited Dr. Karen Tritinger-Young, president of YVDS, to hold meetings at the university’s facility. Dr. Tritinger-Young gratefully accepted the offer, and the majority of meetings for the 2024–2025 academic year were held in PNWU’s MultiCare Learning Center.

The state-of-the-art classrooms provided an ideal environment, featuring built-in Wi-Fi and two large drop-down screens, enabling presenters to connect and run their presentations with ease. The preclinical lab was also available for hands-on continuing education courses.

The society is committed to supporting and mentoring dental students by inviting them to attend its monthly meetings. It is important for students to understand the value of participating in organized dentistry—both as members and as future leaders—to protect and advance our profession and improve patient care. YVDS members will offer mentorship, networking, and internship opportunities to students. YVDS also benefits from the expertise of the teaching staff, who provide educational opportunities and will have access to guest lecturers brought in to instruct students. Through these connections, the YVDS will build relationships with predoctoral students that will inspire them to remain in our community after graduation. Recruiting young professionals to rural areas can be challenging, and the Yakima Valley is no exception.

Dr. Karen Tritinger-Young serves as president of the Yakima Valley Dental Society. She is the owner of Lakeside Dentistry, a private general dental practice in Yakima. She is one of only two women who own private dental practices in the city and is a wife and proud mother of

college-aged twin daughters. In 2009, she and her family moved to Yakima from Falls Church, Virginia, where she was a member of the Northern Virginia Dental Society. Now entering her fourth year of YVDS leadership, she looks forward to continued collaboration with PNWU on educational opportunities for members and dental students, networking, and community outreach. She is especially passionate about encouraging and mentoring young female dental students and about demonstrating the value and rewards of being a successful female dentist in a rural community.

Maricela Badillo, RDA, Dental Simulation Laboratory Manager

Maricela Badillo was born in Hollister, California. Her parents moved to the Yakima area when she was 6 months old. She grew up in the valley and went to Adams Elementary, Washington Middle School, and A.C. Davis High School. Maricela played basketball in middle and high school, and it is her favorite sport.

Maricela’s parents have worked all their lives as farm workers. Both of her parents are from Michoacan, Mexico. She comes from a big family of 9 sisters and 2 brothers. At a young age, she and her siblings saw their parents working hard in the fields. Her parents would take them with them as they had no childcare for them. They grew up knowing about different kinds of crops that their parents would do, such as thinning and picking apples, grapes, pears, cherries, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, and many more. As a child, that was her life. As she grew a little older, she had to help in the fields. At 15, she decided to work at a warehouse, and would weigh the cherries and place boxes for apples, which gave her her own money to buy her needs. She would work the night shift so she could still go to school.

Maricela got married at a young age. She was 17 and had her first child at 19. She was a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years and then decided to go back to school and enroll in the dental assistant program through YV-TECH and finish the program. She has been in the dental field for 18 years. She has learned a lot from patients, coworkers, and dentists. Working in the dental field has helped her grow and learn new things, such as leadership skills.

She is thankful to PNWU for this new opportunity to be part of the dental program. She is excited to help all the PNWU dental students who are coming into the program.

Maricela is a mother of three wonderful kids and 2 grandbabies. She has enjoyed watching all of her 3 kids play soccer and will continue to enjoy watching her youngest play college soccer. She is her number 1 fan and has enjoyed traveling to different states for soccer games and tournaments. These are the days that make her happy.

Jill Benetti, MSML, RDH, BSDH, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene

Jill Benetti is a Yakima native who graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1989. After moving to the westside and completing her Associate’s in Arts and Science degree at Peirce Community College, she returned to Yakima, graduating from Yakima Valley Community College in 1995 with an Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene. She continued her education at Eastern Washington University, earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2005, and a Masters in Management and Leadership from WGU in 2016. Throughout her career, she has worked in private practice, treated low-income children with Smile Savers, a non-profit organization, and was a faculty member in the Dental Hygiene Department at Yakima Valley College for 19 years. As the sole proprietor of Ageless Smiles Dental Hygiene practice, Ms. Benetti had a successful Senior Center Practice and is currently contracting with DSHS in Washington State treating residents and respite clients with developmental disabilities at Yakima Valley School in Selah, Washington. Participating in a medical/dental mission trip to Guatemala with Gonzaga University’s Global Brigade chapter in August of 2025, will provide her with the opportunity to experience the local culture while serving a community which is suffering from a shortage of health care providers. Jill is the proud Mother of twin 19-year-old sons; Dalton and Landon Benetti and three stepchildren, Ryker (Chloe) Tripp, Kylyn (Cody) Westerman, and Kyler Tripp. At home in Cowiche, Washington, with her partner Robert Tripp, she keeps busy with gardening, reading, and hiking with her four dogs. Her unique experience treating a variety of clients has cultivated an appreciation of client-centered care, and a desire to encourage more practitioners to be open-minded to non-traditional work settings, treating underserved clients. Ms. Benetti’s years in teaching cultivated a desire to help students to identify and utilize their unique learning styles and find success within Pacific Northwest University School of Dental Medicine.

Patricia Labbee, DDS, Assistant Professor of Dentistry

Patricia Labbee was raised in the Yakima Valley. Her dad was a farmer in the Lower Valley, and her mother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, worked as a beautician in Yakima. Dr. Labbee first became interested in dentistry when she was going through her own orthodontic treatment at the age of 16. Not only did she feel that moving teeth was fascinating, but everyone who worked in that practice was always welcoming, happy, and easy to visit with. It was sunshine and rainbows at the orthodontic office. Patricia felt that dentistry would offer her the ability to support her family and the flexibility to vacation and travel.

In the year 2000, Dr. Labbee attended Gonzaga University for undergrad with the goal of attending dental school. Somewhere around the end of her sophomore year, her long-term life goals changed, but not her interest in dentistry. She decided to pursue dental hygiene education and transferred to Eastern Washington University, where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Hygiene in 2005. She went on to work in private practice in Spokane, WA.

After a couple of years of working in private practice, she started to get an itch to go back to school. She was interested in pursuing a Master’s in Public Health or Nutrition. As she thought about what to pursue next, she was also struggling at her current work position. The people were great and easy to work with, but the dental practice was very aesthetic and production-driven. She felt like she was selling dentistry, and that was not often in the best interest of her patients. She was also interested in using her vocation to serve people and wondered what that would look like. Dr. Labbee realized that the best way to see change would be to go to dental school and become a dentist herself, allowing her the autonomy to treat patients the way she felt they should be treated.

Dr. Labbee attended University of Washington School of Dentistry from 2007-2011. While there, she had the opportunity to travel to Haiti on a dental mission trip, where she realized how important it is to use the skills you have to serve your community. After graduation, she went on to an Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the University of New Mexico. Her favorite areas of dental practice were surgery, special needs, dentistry, and working in the OR in the hospital. Dr. Labbee and her husband welcomed their first child during her residency year in Albuquerque. In 2012, after residency, they moved back to the Yakima Valley.

Dr. Labbee worked part-time as an associate dentist in Yakima for 10 years. During that time, she had three more children, volunteered monthly at the Union Gospel Mission Care Center, and was active in the local dental society. In 2021, her senior dentist associate passed away unexpectedly. As she grieved, she took the opportunity to reflect on and reevaluate her long-term goals for herself as a dentist. Dr. Labbee felt that she wanted to use her skills as a dentist to continue to serve her community and began to explore what that would look like.

She spent two years at the YVC Dental Hygiene school in the restorative clinic with second-year students, which she really enjoyed. She also had the opportunity to join the Union Gospel Mission Care Center Dental Team as a part-time clinical provider, where she is presently working. She greatly enjoys working at UGM. The patient populations are wonderful to work with, the structure makes it easy to collaborate with colleagues, and she gets to practice her Spanish. It is rewarding to be making a difference in a population that has such a great need.

When someone gave her the idea of working at the new dental school opening in Yakima, she laughed. But the more she sat with the idea, the more curious she became. She got to know more about the program and soon found herself interested in the opportunity to help students learn and grow in something that she herself loved, but also to get to show them the opportunities they can have to really make a difference in the lives of people who are in great need of achieving oral health.

It was a journey to get to where she is today, but she is grateful for it. She is grateful for the growth and maturity she has had as a dental professional, from her first interest to her current positions, and discovering that there is so much more to dentistry than just doing dentistry.

Dr. Labbee is eager to welcome dental students to the PNWU-SDM, to come alongside them as they learn and grow in dentistry, to impress upon them the privilege they have to serve their patients well, and explore the many opportunities that come with a dental education.

Lacey Webber, RDH, BSDH, MEd, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene

Lacey Webber was born and raised in Hoquiam, WA. She participated in basketball, volleyball, and cheerleading during high school. After high school, she attended Grays Harbor College, where she completed her prerequisites for Dental Hygiene School and completed her Associate of Science degree. She moved to Yakima in 2009 to attend the Dental Hygiene Program at Yakima Valley College (YVC). It was during this time that she met and fell in love with her devoted husband Joshua. After graduation in 2011, she worked at a couple of different dental offices in the Yakima Valley. In 2019, she accomplished her Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene through YVC’s DH bridge program. At the beginning of 2021, Lacey Webber was approached with the opportunity to become an adjunct clinical instructor at YVC’s Dental Hygiene Program. It was during her first quarter as an adjunct that she found her true passion for teaching. She has had the privilege to teach at YVC’s Dental Hygiene Program for the past four years. She recently accomplished her master’s degree in education from Western Governors University in March 2024. Shortly after receiving this degree, she became the lead restorative and radiology instructor at YVC’s Dental Hygiene program in September 2024. She has had the opportunity to teach a variety of courses, including community health, local anesthesia, dental anatomy, dental radiology, restorative dentistry, and clinical dental hygiene. She truly enjoys getting to share her experiences as a clinician with her students and creating safe spaces, which allow them to share their struggles and accomplishments freely with her. She joined Pacific Northwest University School of Dental Medicine in April 2025.

When she is not at work, she loves to spend time with her family and friends. Joshua and she have two beautiful children together, Willow (9) and Alex (5), who they love to spend all of their extra time with doing fun family adventures. One of their main goals is to make family time a priority and enjoy sitting outside on their porch together, watching their children play and explore. Their weekends are always filled with family time, making lifelong memories. They are blessed to have a very close extended family who they visit with often. Lacey and her family love to travel together, and she likes to joke that she should get a side job as a travel agent because she loves to plan vacations. She is excited for her new teaching position at PNWU and looks forward to the future!

Society of American Indian Dentists Meeting

Dr. Maxine Janis, Dr. Jennifer Domagalski, Dr. Foti Panagakos and Ms. Lolinda Turner attended the annual Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, from June 11 to 14. The organization, as always, provided a great program. Our team had the opportunity to network with members, students, and other attendees. On the 11^th, the SDM hosted an information table during the student dental school information session. There was a high level of interest among the students in attendance regarding our program – we look forward to seeing many of them apply for this year’s cycle and in future years. 

Painting the Town Black

PNWU School of Dental Medicine is a presence once again in the space that was carved out over a century ago when Black dentists were not often allowed through the same doors and at the same tables as their white colleagues. From early beginnings in 1900 to later iterations that became the formal version we have today, in 1932, the National Dental Association (NDA) has been a bastion of Black excellence and rich talent spanning from general dentistry, all specialties, academia, research, and outreach. The 112th annual convention, taking place July 10th-13th, 2025, in Kansas City, is an opportunity for providers, support staff, academics, and vendors to not only do business but rejuvenate with cultural energy.

Lolinda Turner, PNWU-SDM’s Director of Student Success and Engagement, left an accomplished career as a dental assistant and program instructor to help build the foundations of what is looking to be an amazing inaugural year for the dental school. She has been a consistent presence and speaker contributor at NDA conventions as a member of the assistant family component.

Dr. LeRoy Horton, who joined the PNWU faculty a year ago as the Director of Periodontics and Implants Surgery, also has a long history with the NDA. He has not only been a lecturer but also is in his second year serving as chair of the scientific committee. In this role, he helps create the academic theme for the annual conventions, develops the speaker lineup, and moderates the main stage of lecture throughout the 4-day conference.

This year’s convention is taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. The dynamic duo of Turner and Horton is once again teaming up to represent the great Northwest. The academic theme is The Esthetic Zone Demystified, and includes among its national presenters speakers from Washington and Oregon. Dr. Horton will be co-lecturing with Dr. Ryan Thrower, an orthodontist from the Portland, Oregon area on multidisciplinary complex cases. Also, the wisdom of Elmer Dixon will be highlighted at the president’s symposium. Mr. Dixon is a social justice pioneer from Seattle, as one of the founders of the Black Panther party who worked closely with Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale to launch the Seattle BPP chapter. Since then, he has been a consultant in the space of DEI and has authored top-selling books on the fight for freedom and justice.

Kansas City itself boasts a strong African American population who was on the front lines of the civil rights movement with organizations such as the NAACP and CORE. Thus, it is fitting as the host city for the annual convention of Black dental professionals. Many years have passed since the first recognized black male and female dentists in the United States. Robert T. Freeman, a graduate of Harvard Dental School in 1869, and Ida Grey Nelson Rollins, graduating from University of Michigan in 1890, paved the way for those currently sitting in dental classrooms today. However, the practice of dental therapy predates these American pioneers. Evidence has shown dental modifications, such as tooth removal and repair date back at least 13,000 years in Northwest Africa. In China, Egypt, and South America, artifacts and skulls show tooth replacement using coral, seashells, and stones date back to 2500 BC and before. Native American and First Nations’ traditional practices of oral hygiene, such as use of chew sticks were foundational in building our current concepts of tooth care.

Turner and Horton have committed to the goal of creating a formal partnership between PNWU School of Dental Medicine and the NDA, as well as establishing a student chapter (SNDA) to provide community, support, education, and networking for incoming Black dental students as well as any other of our students interested in becoming allies and joining. The shared mission of improving population outcomes by empowering communities and creating providers from within those communities ties the two entities in very powerful ways.

Let us send our best wishes for a great 2025 convention for our PNWU dental warriors, and join in supporting these efforts in the future.

Authored by:
Dr. LeRoy Horton – Director of Periodontics and Implants
Lolinda’s Turner BS, RDA – Director of Student Success and Engagement

SDM “Roots of Care” Community Garden

The SDM team has been hard at work preparing for the incoming class to arrive in just a few short days! Part of that effort includes setting up the SDM “Roots of Care” Community Garden. The work is led by Ms. Lolinda Turner, Director of Student Success and Engagement. Ms. Turner consistently emphasizes to students the importance of caring for their mental health and notes that some students enjoy gardening and working with their hands, using that as a way to destress. This initiative inspired the creation of a dedicated garden space within PNWU’s community garden, allowing students to do just that.

In early May, Ms. Turner and Ms. Monica Sanchez, Executive Assistant to the Dean, prepared the garden bed for planting by tilling the soil. The following week, Ms. Turner and Ms. Julia Orr, Administrative Assistant, planted the first plants in the garden, with seeds donated by various team members. Currently, the garden features tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, basil, radishes, carrots, and parsley.

The garden is for more than just growing vegetables, it’s larger meaning symbolizes community, care, and knowledge. Ms. Turner’s goal for the garden is to use the vegetables it grows to teach the students how to make cost-efficient, nourishing meals, which students can then teach their patients how to make. Furthermore, the crops that are not used, she wants to give to unhoused people and those who need them. The garden will enhance community through the opportunities to work together and share the knowledge it will bring. The garden is a team effort, and as in everything we do, teamwork is essential and a driving. When we work together as a team, we continue to work in alignment with our mission. We are excited about how this garden will enrich our growing SDM culture and community!

Susan Ferrante

Susan Ferrante serves as the Global Director of Institutional Sales at A-dec. Over her 16-year tenure with the company, she has advanced from the School and Government Territory Manager to Regional Manager and has held her current position since 2020.

With an extensive 29-year background in sales, Susan specializes in cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with academic programs. She is responsible for developing strategies and programs aimed at enhancing the company’s performance in School and Government agency accounts. Her role emphasizes achieving sales targets through effective product mix, teamwork, and synergy within the sales force, while also maintaining relationships with the school and government network.

Before joining A-dec, Susan garnered significant sales expertise in several roles, including Senior Manager of Academic Relations at Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Northeast School and Institution Manager at Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., Inc., and Eastern Regional Manager at General Scientific Corporation. In these positions, she managed accounts across dental schools, dental hygiene programs, various allied dental education programs, government facilities, and professional associations dedicated to student and faculty interests. Prior to her career in sales, Susan practiced clinically for 13 years and maintains an active license.

Throughout her tenure at A-dec, Susan has contributed to various professional organizations. She has served as a Board Member for the American Dental Education Association, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Research and Education in Technology (CRET), and Editorial Review Board member for the Journal of Dental Education.

When asked how she felt about being on the SDM Leadership Council, Ms. Ferrante shared, “Serving on the Pacific Northwest University School of Dental Medicine Leadership Council is a great privilege and significant responsibility. It is an honor to contribute to the advancement of dental education alongside dedicated and inspiring colleagues. Together, we are preparing the next generation of dental professionals and making a meaningful impact on the community. Additionally, I have the invaluable opportunity to work once again with Dr. Panagakos, who consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to enhancing dental education and facilitating learning opportunities.”

Steve Geiermann, DDS

Dr. Steve Geiermann, a former Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, recently retired after 15 years as the Senior Manager addressing access, community oral health infrastructure and capacity within the American Dental Association’s Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention. A 1983 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Geiermann served in the Indian Health Service and Federally Qualified Health Centers as well as being a HRSA regional dental consultant and project officer within the National Health Service Corps and the HIV/AIDS Bureau. He currently serves on the boards of the Dental Patient Safety Foundation, the Association for Dental Safety Foundation, and the Dental Lifeline Network. He is the chair of the Best Practices Committee within the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors. Steve is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, and the Council for Excellence in Government.

When asked how he felt about being on the SDM Leadership Council, Dr. Geiermann shared, “Providing guidance to the Dean and staff of the PNWU School of Dental Medicine is a worthwhile endeavor as these students are the future of dentistry. The practical experience gained from being exposed to underserved populations within Federally Qualified Health Centers will have a lasting impact on these budding health professionals. Hopefully, the collective wisdom of the Leadership Council will further enable PNWU to embrace oral health as an integral component of overall health.”

David Grow, DDS, Professor of Dentistry

Dr. David E. Grow was born in Moses Lake, WA, and raised in Grandview, WA. He attended Seattle Pacific University (1979-1982) majoring in Biology. He received his DDS in 1986 from the University of Washington (1986). Dr. Grow was in private practice in Prosser, WA for 35 years. His practice, Highland Family Dentistry, was a true “family” practice serving infants to seniors. He focused on having a tight-knit team that provided care for the whole person with excellence, compassion, and humor.

Dr. Grow served as a Clinical Instructor at Yakima Valley Dental Hygiene Program through the years. He has provided dental care all around the globe including Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Peru, and others.

Dr. Grow is a member of the Lifetime member of ADA/WSDA/YVDS, Rotary International, and the Church of the Nazarene. He served as President of the Board for the Prosser Boys and Girls Club, Prosser Rotary, and Church Board. He has enjoyed coaching youth soccer, basketball, and high school basketball. Dr. Grow and his wife, Beverly, have been married for 42 years and have three married children and eleven grandchildren.

Kevin Hudson, DDS, FACP, Associate Professor of Dentistry

Dr. Hudson started his healthcare career in 1992 working as a Certified Nursing Assistant. In 1995, he graduated from Lewis-Clark State College with an Associate of Science in Nursing, and in 1996 he completed his Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing. For several years, Dr. Hudson worked full-time as a Registered Nurse while continuing his pre-doctoral coursework and tutoring students in Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Pathogenic Microbiology, Pathophysiology and Biological Sciences. It was in this capacity he found his love of teaching in both academic and nonacademic settings.

In 2003, he earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) from the Creighton University School of Dentistry. He passed the Central Regional Dental Testing Board, and entered full-time military service, being commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. After completing an Advanced Education General Dentistry residency, he completed Combat Casualty Care Course, and completed Field Medical School and was attached to the U. S. Marines stationed in Twentynine Palms, California where he was the dental liaison officer for 1st Tank Battalion as well as Delta Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion. In this capacity as a “Devil Doc,” he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and earned the Fleet Marine Force Warfare Insignia. Dr. Hudson completed his residency in the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, at Naval Medical Center San Diego, graduating in 2010. Here he worked on the wounded warriors of the armed services. He also earned expert marksman designation with the US Navy Seals. He was then assigned to duty as the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, where he was awarded his first Navy Commendation Medal and earned his Surface Warfare Dental Officer Insignia. After serving two years aboard the USS Nimitz, he was selected to become the Chief of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Naval Hospital Bremerton. During his tenure, as an active member of the Directorate for Surgical Services, he was awarded his second Navy Commendation Medal. After almost 14 years of active duty military service, Dr. Hudson transitioned into private practice in St. Paul Minnesota, then finally in Yakima, Washington where he continues to practice as the owner of Yakima Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Hudson is currently a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves.

Dr. Hudson is Board Certified in the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and holds a permit to perform General Anesthesia. Dr. Hudson is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, a Fellow of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, a Director of the Washington State Dental Association, former President of the Yakima Valley Dental Society, member of the Academy of Osseointegration, and the Yakima Prosthodontic Seminar section of the Seattle Study Club.