School of Dentistry celebrates employees reaching service milestones
Faculty and staff members at the UT San Antonio School of Dentistry were recognized for milestone anniversaries of service within The University of Texas System during the UT San Antonio Health Science Center’s annual Service Anniversary Celebration. This year’s celebration, in which 51 School of Dentistry employees were honored for service milestones ranging from 5 to 50 years, reflected a shared commitment to excellence in education, research, patient care and service.
Special recognition: 50 years of service
The university and school extended special congratulations to Nasser Barghi, DDS, MA, and Karen Troendle, DDS, MPH, both professors in the Predoctoral Dental Education Department, who each reached an extraordinary 50 years of service. Their decades of dedication have helped shape generations of dental professionals and reflect the lasting impact of service, mentorship and commitment within the School of Dentistry.
The following School of Dentistry employees were recognized for reaching these service milestones:
50-year milestone
- Nasser Barghi, Professor, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Karen Troendle, Professor, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
30-year milestone
- Lenet Fernandes, Dental Assistant-Senior, Developmental Dentistry Department
25-year milestone
- Armen Akopian, Professor, Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research
- Qun Li, Research Associate-Senior, Center for Regenerative Sciences
- Alicia Oliva, Contact Center Agent-Associate, UT Dentistry
- Erica Oliveira, Professor, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
20-year milestone
- Moshtagh Farokhi, Professor/Clinical, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Shirley Kraft, Academic Programs Coordinator, Periodontics Department
- Jo Ann Lynch, Practice Manager, Comprehensive Dentistry Department
- Jeffrey Mabry, Professor/Clinical, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Luis Reyes, Supervisor, Laboratory, UT Dentistry
15-year milestone
- Arnold Balles, Dental Assistant-Senior, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Hongyun Cheng, Research Laboratory Technician-Senior, Center for Regenerative Sciences
- Misty Espinoza, Associate Director, Finance and Administration, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Hassem Geha, Professor, Radiology, Comprehensive Dentistry Department
- Poornima Mensinkai, Associate Professor/Clinical, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Desiree Ngo, Financial Analyst-Senior, Office of the Dental Dean
- Laura Ortiz-Malave, Academic Programs Coordinator, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Elizabeth Rodriguez, SOD Chief of Staff, Office of the Dental Dean
- Natalie Torres, Supervisor, Dental Patient Experience, UT Dentistry
- Marianela Villarreal Garza, Associate Professor/Clinical, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
10-year milestone
- Kathryn Garcia, Financial Analyst-Associate, Comprehensive Dentistry Department
- Xochitl Hernandez, Dental Assistant-Senior, Periodontics Department
- Susan Horta, Patient Services Representative-Intermediate, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
- Anahit Hovhannisyan, Research Technician-Senior, Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research
- Lori Morgan, Academic Programs Coordinator-Lead, Academic Affairs
- Frederick Philips, Clinical Assistant Professor, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Hermelinda Ramirez, Payment Posting Representative-Intermediate, UT Dentistry
- Stella Resendez, Dental Assistant, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Anna Salas, Patient Services Representative-Associate, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Shan Zhao, Vice Dean, Finance and Administration, School of Dentistry Office of the Dental Dean
5-year milestone
- Felix Amarista Rojas, Assistant Professor/Clinical, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
- Gabriela Avilez, Dental Dispensing Assistant-Intermediate, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Sterling Bell, Patient Services Representative-Intermediate, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
- Amber Breit, Dental Assistant-Surgical, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
- Samuel Chivers, Research Associate, Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research
- Sohini Dhar, Assistant Professor/Clinical, Public Health Research
- Dorcas Gonzalez, Patient Services Representative-Lead, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Kimberly Guymon, Dental Laboratory Technician-Senior, UT Dentistry
- Tiffany Hager, Business Administrator, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Elvira Miller, Dental Assistant, Special Care Dentistry
- Lauren Myers, Assistant Professor/Clinical, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Lisa Ornelas, Patient Services Representative-Associate, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Rekha Rajesh, Assistant Professor/Clinical, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Amanda Rendon-Rubio, Dental Assistant, Developmental Dentistry Department
- Ruby Sierra, Dental Assistant, General Dentistry Clinic
- Leonard Solano, Dental Assistant-Senior, External Affairs
- Amanda Soriano, Clinical Supervisor, Predoctoral Dental Education Department
- Tiffany Tavares, Associate Professor/Clinical, Oral Medicine
- Christian Thomas, Financial Analyst-Senior, Office of the Dental Dean
Congratulations to all this year’s School of Dentistry service honorees. Your dedication represents an extraordinary commitment to the people, programs and mission of the school. We are proud to celebrate your service and grateful for the many ways you help advance education, research, patient care and community impact across the School of Dentistry and the university.