Anna Boone » College of Dentistry » University of Florida

The Future of Dentistry on Display

April 22, 2026

Over 100 scientists and clinicians gathered at Spring Synergy 2026 to showcase groundbreaking research in oral healthcare.

Kayla Mornay and Dr. Wallet posing for a picture in front of Kayla's award winning research poster. Overlaid there are two icons that represent the Research and Culture domains of the 2025 Strategic Plan

Collective Wisdom Informs UFCD Evolution

April 17, 2026

Dean Garcia taps the collective wisdom of alumni and industry leaders to guide UFCD's evolution in dental education and college infrastructure.

Dean Isabel Garcia, smiling in a hard hat and safety vest, holds onto construction scaffolding on the roof of the Dental Tower during the DLC meeting tour. Positioned in the foreground are two large, white strategic plan icons: a graduation cap representing education and training, and a hand with a pointer finger inside a circular gear representing infrastructure and technology. A multi-story brick building is visible in the background under a blue sky.

Expanding UFCD’s Body of Tech-savvy Healers

April 9, 2026

Merve Benli brings specialized training in digital dentistry and interprofessional geriatric care to the restorative sciences team.

A professional composite image of Dr. Merve Benli, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, centered before the UFCD dental tower. She is wearing blue clinical scrubs and has a warm, approachable expression. Overlaid on the image are three white icons representing domains of the UFCD 2025 Strategic Plan: a graduation cap for Education & Training, a stylized tooth for Patient Care, and a gear with a touch-point for Infrastructure & Technology.

Planning for Perfection

April 1, 2026

"Whether I’m planning dinner parties or fixing smiles, my organizational skills make me stronger..."

Dr. Michelle Patel posing in front of UF football stadium in clinical whitecoat after graduating Doctor of Doctor of Dental Medicine program. Image features the University of Florida College of Dentistry strategic plan domain icons for the "Education & Training" domain as well as the "Research, Scholarship & Creative Works" domain.

Answering the Call to Become a Gator Dentist

March 16, 2026

Admissions staff and his new peers rallied to make Nate Fordham's late start to dental school a welcoming success.

A photograph taken inside a sunlit College of Dentistry dental simulation lab showing D1 dental student Nate Fordham smiling in blue scrubs. He sits next to a dental manikin head and dental instruments. The background features complex dental lights and a large window with a view of a treed campus. Overlaid in the bottom-left are two white icons: a graduation cap representing the College of Dentistry Education & Training domain, and figures with interlocking puzzle pieces representing College of Dentistry Interpersonal & Professional Culture.

Dentistry Maintains Top 10 NIH Funding Rank

March 10, 2026

For more than two decades, UFCD has held its Top 10 NIH funding rank among U.S. dental schools.

Photo of a laboratory setting with a researcher using a handheld pipette to transfer liquid into small tubes on a bench. Shelves with labeled bottles and lab supplies line the background. Blue overlay icons depict a hand pressing a gear and a lightbulb with gears, symbolizing technology, innovation, research and infrastructure.

A Smarter Way to Silence Gum Disease

March 3, 2026

UFCD researchers identify CRISPR-based "internal brake" that controls gum disease aggression.

A 3D molecular model of a Cas9 effector protein (rendered in maroon) interacting with a DNA double helix. A blue guide RNA strand is shown binding to a specific sequence of the DNA, causing the yellow and blue DNA strands to unzip and separate within the protein’s active site. A white icon of a lightbulb and gears is overlaid in the bottom right corner.

The Colleagues Who Elevate Us All

February 25, 2026

Meet UFCD's 2026 Superior Accomplishment Award winners who are transforming everything from AI-driven education to clinical research and patient care.

A group photo of Dean Isabel Garcia and the UF College of Dentistry’s 2026 Superior Accomplishment Award winners. The group is smiling and posing together in a conference hall, holding their framed award certificates. Interpersonal & Professional Culture icon in bottom right corner.

Super Sealant Saturday Earns Early Media Buzz

February 4, 2026

Local and student journalists spotlight UFCD's free pediatric dental clinic ahead of Feb. 7 event.

A colorful, hand-drawn "Super Sealant Saturday" banner, featuring "Toy Story" characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear, is framed by red, yellow, and blue balloons against a clear sky. In the bottom left corner is the "Service" domain icon, which is a white line drawing of an open hand holding a group of three people.

SRG welcomes new faculty advisor

January 15, 2026

The UFCD's nationally recognized Student Research Group, or SRG, welcomes Dayane Oliveria (D.D.S., Ph.D.) as new faculty advisor this spring.