School of Dentistry employees honored at 2026 STAR Awards

The STAR Awards reception and luncheon celebrated employees reaching five-year milestones in their careers at the university. Photo by Dylan Allen.

Faculty and staff from the School of Dentistry celebrated milestones in their years of service at UTHealth Houston during the annual STAR Awards, held March 4-5 at the Denton A. Cooley, MD and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS University Life Center.

UTHealth Houston extends a hand of gratitude to all the employees celebrating commemorative years of service. It’s the commitment and expertise of the employees that allows further advancements in the university’s key mission areas of education, research, and health care.

“When you bring people who share a deep sense of purpose, take incredible pride in their work, and show up with a true spirit of collegiality, you create a place where people don’t just want to work, but a place where they choose to stay,” said Melina R. Kibbe, MD, UTHealth Houston President and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair.

“And that is all of you. There is no better example of that than in this room, filled with people who have dedicated so many years to this institution. Today, we celebrate you.”

The STAR Awards reception and luncheon celebrated employees reaching five-year milestones in their careers at the university. Whether it was employees commemorating five years or thirty-five years, many School of Dentistry recipients were recognized for all their hard work.

The full list of School of Dentistry awardees is listed below:

35 years

• Cleverick Johnson, DDS, MS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Pedro Trejo, DDS, MS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene

25 years

• Adriana Cavender
  • Orthodontics
• Nagi Demian, DDS, MD
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Gary Frey, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Darrel Gonzales
  • Technology Services and Informatics
• Omar Hakki, DDS, MSD
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Yahuan Lou, PhD
  • Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences
• Joe Ontiveros, DDS, MS
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Rade Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Jose Pinales, CDA, RDA
  • Clinical and Educational Support Services
• Nadarajah Vigneswaran, BDS, DrMedDent, DMD
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Services
• Jean Wu
  • Research

20 years

• Steven Vaughan, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health

15 years

• Asneiry Aponte, BDS, DDS, MS
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Dianna Arriaga, DDS, MEd
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Ethel Espree
  • Endodontics
• Krishna Kumar Kookal, MS
  • Technology Services and Informatics
• Janet Lopez
  • Office of the Dean
• Evelyn Aboy Loreto
  • Clinical and Educational Support Services
• Irene Mata
  • UT Dentists
• Carole Ortegon
  • Clinical and Educational Support Services
• Alice Katherine Pazmiño, DDS, MSD, MBA
  • Pediatric Dentistry
• Crystal Zarate
  • Student and Academic Affairs

10 years

• Griselda (Grace) Avila, MEd
  • Student and Academic Affairs
• Srinivas Ayilavarapu, BDS, DSc, MDS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Ralph Brock II, DDS, MS
  • Orthodontics
• David Fray, DDS, MBA
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Kelly Garner
  • Katz Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Jack Joseph, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Chun-Teh Lee, DDS, DMSc, MS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Hsiu-Wan Meng, DDS, MS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Kim Hong Thi Nguyen, RDH
  • UT Dentists
• Vuvi Nguyen, MS, PhD
  • Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences
• Natalie Pereira Sanchez, DDS, MSD
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Lucia Rodriguez
  • Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences
• Sally Sheng, DDS, MS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Robert Spears, PhD, MS
  • Student and Academic Affairs
• Popi Stylianou, DDS, MS
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Ambreia Tarleton
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Chris Man Truong, MBA
  • UT Dentists
• Jenny Tsai, CDA, RDA
  • Clinical and Educational Support Services
• Victoria Vo, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health

5 years

• Roger Arce, DDS, MS, PhD
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Alfredo Arribas, DDS, MS
  • Katz Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Shaunna Campbell
  • Endodontics
• Douglas Chappell
  • Katz Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Harry Gilbert, DDS
  • Katz Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Randal Glenn, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health
• Kyle Gopffarth, DDS, MSD
  • Orthodontics
• Margarita Lanternier, DDS
  • UT Dentists
• Markquada Meju, DDS
  • UT Dentists
• Raha Naderi, RDH, MEd
  • Periodontics and Dental Hygiene
• Jennifer Nguyen
  • Clinical Business and Financial Services
• Kyle Rogers
  • PACE Center
• Claudia Ruiz Brisuela, DDS
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Ching-Lan Shih, DDS
  • UT Dentists
• To-Nhi Tran, DDS
  • UT Dentists
• Marianita Vasquez, DDS, MSD
  • Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
• Lenora (Nora) Waller
  • Pediatric Dentistry
• Karen Wuertz, DDS
  • General Practice and Dental Public Health