School of Dentistry honors four as 2026 honorary alumni
Recipients of the 2026 Honorary Alumnus Award (from left) are Raymond L. Warner, MA, PhD; Deborah R. Franklin, DDS, MA; Don N. Le, DDS; and Mark E. K. Wong, DDS (not pictured). Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD, accepted on Wong's behalf. Photo by Kyle Rogers.
UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry recognized four individuals as 2026 honorary alumni, honoring their longstanding contributions to the school through teaching, service, leadership, and philanthropy.
The honorees are faculty members Deborah R. Franklin, DDS, MA; Don N. Le, DDS; Raymond L. Warner, MA, PhD; and Mark E. K. Wong, DDS.
The Honorary Alumnus Award recognizes individuals who, while not graduates of the School of Dentistry, have demonstrated an enduring commitment to its students, residents, faculty, staff, and to the advancement of dental education and the profession.
Deborah R. Franklin, DDS, MA
Franklin has contributed more than 40 years to the School of Dentistry as a teacher, curriculum leader, mentor, and advocate for dental public health, ethics, and the health humanities.
She has directed and developed courses across the DDS curriculum, including Basic and Applied Nutrition, Introduction to Clinic, and The Behavioral Context of Dental Patient Management. She also co-directs the Dental Clinical Humanities Program and has led the Community Action Poverty Simulation, giving students an experiential understanding of how social and economic circumstances can affect health and access to care.
Don N. Le, DDS
Le has served as a volunteer faculty member at the School of Dentistry for more than 13 years while also practicing privately. His work with the school has included supporting education in implant dentistry and providing students with opportunities to learn about the role of implants in general dental practice.
Le and his wife, Cindy, have established two endowments at the School of Dentistry. Their most recent gift established the Drs. Don and Cindy Le Professorship in Implant Dentistry, which supports implant dentistry education through lectures, simulation training, technology, and professional development for faculty and staff.
Raymond L. Warner, MA, PhD
Warner has spent 54 years teaching and mentoring at the School of Dentistry, with his work centered on anatomical sciences. He directs gross anatomy courses for dental students, dental hygiene students, and residents.
His teaching also includes neuroscience, biomedical science, and human biology for dental students. Warner has helped advance anatomy instruction at the school through its transition from traditional dissection to the use of plastinates.
Mark E. K. Wong, DDS
Wong has contributed 38 years to the School of Dentistry through teaching, leadership, and service in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He served as chair of the Bernard and Gloria Pepper Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 2000 to 2026 and as director of residency training, helping lead the department and train generations of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
Under Wong’s leadership, the department’s education and residency programs grew into nationally recognized programs. He advanced oral and maxillofacial surgery education, clinical training, and research at the School of Dentistry, helping train future generations of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
Professor Simon W. Young, DDS, MD, PhD, accepted the award on behalf of Wong.
Together, Franklin, Le, Warner, and Wong have made lasting contributions to the School of Dentistry through their dedication to educating and mentoring future oral health professionals, advancing their fields, and strengthening the school’s mission.
UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry Honorary Alumni
2026
Deborah R. Franklin, DDS, MA
Don N. Le, DDS
Raymond L. Warner, MA, PhD
Mark E. K. Wong, DDS
2023
T. Bob Davis, DMD
2022
Arthur H. Jeske, DMD, PhD
2019
Fred A. Garrett, DDS, MS