Save the Date!
October 21-23, 2027
Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine invites classes who graduated in years ending in 2 and 7 back to campus to reconnect with your classmates, explore the campus and dental school, meet members of the Alumni Association, enjoy engaging lectures, earn CE credit and hear the latest from your alma mater. Registration for all activities will open in July of 2027.
Event Spotlights
Thursday, Oct. 21
Dean Kenneth B. Chance, DDS Endowed Distinguished Lectureship
12 p.m. | Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion
Blue Bash
7 p.m. | Freiberger Field
Friday, Oct. 22
CWRU Alumni Awards Luncheon
11:30 a.m. | Tinkham Veale University Center
Tours of the Dental School
3:00 p.m | Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion
Welcome Reception
6 p.m. | Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Saturday, Oct. 23
Health Sciences Collaborative Presentation
9 a.m. | Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion
Pediatric Dentistry Symposium
9 a.m. | Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion
Tours of the Dental School
10 a.m. | Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion
Night of Celebration with Class Dinners and Alumni Awards | $85
6 p.m. | InterContinental Hotel, 9801 Carnegie Ave.
Enjoy a 2026 Homecoming & Reunion Recap!
Connection, innovation, and impact took center stage at the School of Dental Medicine’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend held October 8–10. Bringing together a community of alumni, faculty, and students, the weekend featured tours of the latest dental school technologies, inspiring talks, committee reports from the Alumni Association and celebrations honoring our 2026 alumni award recipients. Milestone reunion classes—spanning every five-year marker from their 5th to their 65th anniversary also came together to commemorate their lasting legacy to their classmates and the school.
Inspiring Lectures: From Health Policy to Arctic Discovery
The weekend began on Thursday at noon with the Dean Kenneth B. Chance, DDS Endowed Distinguished Lectureship, featuring Dr. Gregg S. Margolis, Director of Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs at the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Gregg S. Margolis led an inspiring session on Undaunted Transformation, exploring how healthcare professionals and clinicians can transition into powerful policy leaders. The lecture showed that while science is essential, driving true systemic change requires navigating political, economic, and ethical realities—reminding us that every single one of us has the power to make a lasting impact.
On Friday afternoon, Martin Nweeia, DMD (DEN ’84), shared how decades of High Arctic field research led to decoding the sensory secrets of the narwhal tusk. Driven by a lifelong curiosity about evolutionary biology, Nweeia and his team discovered that the whale's nine-foot spiraled tusk is actually a complex, hydrodynamic sensory organ containing millions of nerve endings exposed to seawater. His featured talk, "Narwhal: A Tusk with a Twist," offered the CWRU community a direct look into the groundbreaking career of the world's leading authority on this mysterious Arctic mammal.
Following the presentation, guests stepped into mixed reality with MetaQuest headsets to interact with a life-sized, 3D holographic model of a narwhal to inspect the unique tooth/tusk anatomy, view its hydrodynamic structure, and learn about its marine habitat. The application was developed in collaboration with the CWRU Interactive Commons, is narrated by Academy Award–winning actress Meryl Streep and was featured as part of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend exhibit.
An Evening at the Museum
That evening, alumni gathered at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for a joyful reunion filled with laughter, conversation, and discovery. Guests explored immersive exhibits and enjoyed Cleveland-inspired hors d’oeuvres. It was a night of reconnection and celebration—honoring shared memories and the friendships that define our alumni community.
Cutting Edge Campus Tours
Saturday morning began early with faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Nursing forming an interdisciplinary panel on AI in Healthcare: Transforming Education and Practice. Dr. Lia Logio, Dr. Kate Weber, Dr. Scott Pelok, and Dr. Kylie Meyer explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping education, diagnosis, and care delivery—showcasing advances but cautioning against over-reliance to preserve core clinical instincts.
Dental School Tours
Saturday’s events continued with tours of the dental school. Students shared firsthand insights into their academic journeys, while faculty showcased the school’s latest technological advancements. Dr. Ilser Turkyilmaz highlighted the ongoing shift toward digital dentistry in the clinic. Dr. David Rolf demonstrated the newest mannequins, typodonts, and technology used in the simulation clinic and Drs. Scott Pelok, and T. Romas Jasinevicius demonstrated their MetaQuest mixed reality application, JAWS at work, which is used to teach masticatory dynamics.
Dean’s Address and Lunch with the Alumni Association
In the early afternoon, Michael E. Gallagher, DDS, FICD (DEN ‘83), president of the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association, invited all alumni to meet the current members of the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Interim Dean Dale A. Baur, DDS (DEN ’80), delivered an inspiring update on the dental school's current initiatives and clinical training programs.
Missed the talk? Watch the State of the School video here.
Alumni Association Board of Directors members also talked about the work the various committees in the association are doing and invited all alumni to nominate people to the board, nominate alumni for awards, and become a mentor to a student. Visit https://case.edu/dental/alumni-friends for more information.
Michelle Hoffman, Director of Alumni Relations and Donor Engagement, urged everyone to make sure their email is up to date with the university and to watch for the school’s monthly alumni email newsletter, The Composite, to stay connected to their alma mater. The newsletter includes stories about what alumni are doing, what faculty and students are doing, invitations to complimentary alumni gatherings, opportunities to earn CE credit, and In Memoriam section to recognize recently passed alumni.
Night of Celebration
Nearly 300 guests gathered at the InterContinental Hotel on Saturday evening for the School of Dental Medicine Night of Celebration, the highlight of the weekend. Interim Dean Dale A. Baur, DDS (DEN ‘80) began the celebration by announcing a $15 million dollar gift, the largest gift to the dental school in its history, from R. William Cornell, Jr. DDS (DEN ‘60) and his wife Chloe T. Cornell to be used to create The R. William Cornell, Jr. DDS and Chloe T. Cornell Oral Health Center for Individuals with Special Needs. And pending approval by the Case Western Reserve University Board of Trustees, Dr. Gerald Ferretti will be appointed the inaugural endowed R. William Cornell, Jr. DDS and Chloe T. Cornell Professor of Oral Health for Individuals with Special Healthcare Needs. Dr. Ferretti will also serve as the inaugural center director.
Michael Gallagher, DDS, FICD (DEN ‘83), president of the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association, then led the recognition of milestone reunion classes from 1961 through 2021 and presented the 2026 Alumni Association Awards
- Manish Valiathan, DDS, MDS, BDS, MSD (DEN '02, '99) Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Michael A. Landers, DDS (DEN '76) Special Recognition Award
- Barbara Sciulli, Special Recognition Award
- Imani J. Hearns, DMD (DEN '22) Outstanding New Dentist Award
Celebrating Our Grand Classes
Robert H. Hale, Class of 1961, celebrated 65 years.
Six members of the Class of 1966 came together to celebrate 60 years. (from left to right) Richard T. Streem, Gary M. Helman, Neil L. Cantor, Robert A. Peruzzi, and Michael R. Sabat (not pictured but present earlier in the day, Edward G. Kurz)
Two members of the Grand Class of 1971 came together to celebrate their 55th reunion. (left to right) Albert C. Goerig and John R. Blakemore (Irene Blakemore, spouse of Dr. Blakemore, also pictured.)
Eleven members of the newest Grand Class of 1976 came together to celebrate their 50 year reunion. (back row left to right) Steven R. Slavkin, James E. Hammond, Edward L. Ruch, Craig Ponte, Russell W. Poe, Theresa Roma Jasinevicius, John A. Rollow, (front row left to right) Nai Annie Walter, Michael A. Landers, Richard A. Smith, Anita L. Workman
Special Thanks to our Our Class Representatives
Thank you to all of the class representatives who reached out to classmates to encourage their attendance.
Class of 1966 - Richard Streem, Gary Helman, Neil Cantor
Class of 1971 - John Blakemore
Class of 1976 - Donald Lewis
Class of 1981 - Gery Benza
Class of 1986 - Stephen Atkins, Thomas Dundon
Class of 1991 - Andre Mickel
Class of 1996 - John Carlozzi, Felix Gen, Jeffrey Sobecks
Class of 2001 - Suparna Mahalaha, Pranav Patel
Class of 2006 - Meredith Bailey
Class of 2011 - Alex Mellion, Dwetta Santos
Class of 2016 - Zachary Christoff, Nagy Hanna, Kaity Kolosionek, Laura Martin Miller
Class of 2021 - Justin McCray, Daniel Nemeth
Please enjoy the photos from the weekend!
Night of Celebration at the InterContinental Hotel
Welcome Reception at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History