Diagnostic Sciences

Melissa Beards, Program Administrator I
Marlene Bernardo, Dental Comprehensive Care Coordinator
Carol Brown-Jackson, Secretary I
Emily Diaz, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant
Sandra Flatley, Patient Accounts Clerk II
LaToya Foust, Dental Assistant
Geneva Gatlin, Billing Technician I
Toni Golumb, Head Clerk
Irene Graham, Secretary I
Dorothy Holmes, Dental Assistant II
Alfred Holt, Dental Assistant
Crystal Mitchell, Lead Dental Assistant
Margie Pinckney, Supervisor Expanded Duty
Zoraida Rivera, Clinical Services Representative I
Robert Sekula, Research Teaching Specialist III
Gloria Smith, Secretary I
Priscilla Stokes, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant
Iris Tursi, Lead Dental Assistant
Kathleen Wood, Clinical Services Representative I
Lingzhi Zhao, Dental Assistant

The goals of the Department are:

To educate predoctoral and postdoctoral students and to offer continuing education courses to the members of the dental and allied professions in the disciplines of Histology, General, Systemic and Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine, Diagnostic Sciences, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology;
To offer a curriculum that will integrate and coordinate the diverse departmental disciplines into a cohesive, sequential pattern of learning;
To integrate the social, interpersonal and clinical skills needed in applying diagnostic sciences to patients;
To incorporate problem-solving and critical thinking into all facets of the teaching and patient care programs;
To teach skills that enable students to be life-long learners;
To provide evidence-based service to our patients in a highly ethical, caring environment;
To create and disseminate new knowledge.

The diagnostic sciences courses are designed to integrate and apply knowledge in the basic sciences in determining the nature of diseases. Students are trained to recognize deviations from normal and to distinguish among oral diseases. Examination procedures and diagnostic methods are taught to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan. These courses include a broad understanding of the principles and applications of ionizing radiation for the diagnosis of orofacial diseases.