At our annual alumni and friends reception, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Kentucky Dental Association, the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and the Alumni Association celebrated the upcoming retirement of Wood E. Currens, DMD ’67.  After 44 years of dedicated service to the school, Dr. Currens will officially retire in May. Over 250 alumni, friends and colleagues gathered to pay tribute to, and poke a little fun at Dr. Currens with a “Roast of Woody.”  Dean John Sauk served as roastmaster, and the all-star panel of roasters included two former Deans of the School of Dentistry, Dr. Rowland Hutchinson and John Williams, Jr. DMD ’80, MBA ’87 (current Dean of the Indiana University School of Dentistry), as well as John Mattingly BA ’61, DMD ’67, Robert McGuinn DMD ’74, Donald Gambrall DMD ’64, George D.N. Coletti DMD ‘67,  Sherry Babbage Melisizwe BS ’72, DMD ’81 and Larry Denny DMD ’68.  A surprise guest and representative from White Castle also honored Dr. Currens for his many years of dedication to their restaurant franchise.

Following the roast, a check in the amount of $105,450 was presented to Dean John Sauk representing the cumulative donations of alumni and friends to create the Dr. Wood E. Currens Endowed Scholarship in the School of Dentistry. In addition, Bo Joseph DMD ’73 presented two original works of art depicting the early years of the dental profession as donations to the School of Dentistry in honor of Dr. Currens. These beautiful works will be displayed at the School of Dentistry with a corresponding plaque detailing Dr. Currens’ accomplishments in dental education.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Currens Scholarship in honor of Dr. Currens and help us reach our goal of $250,000, you may do so by contacting Paul Clark at the School of Dentistry at (502) 751-2097 or via email at paul.clark@louisville.edu