Steven Powell, DDS'87, is a newly appointed assistant professor in the School of Dentistry’s new Division of General Dentistry.
For the past 28 years Dr. Powell has operated a dental practice devoted to health that includes comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dental procedures. The practice is located in Okemos, Michigan, bordering the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University.
Early in 2013, Ronald Dailey, PhD, then the School’s executive associate dean, became aware of that Dr. Powell and his wife, Juliana, were vacationing in Palm Desert. Dr. Dailey and his wife, Karen Winston, MD, joined the Powell’s for dinner. When Dean Dailey suggested that the School’s alumnus consider returning to his alma mater to teach, considerable discussion ensued regarding Dr. Dailey’s vision and goals for the school.
After earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Hillsdale College in 1978, Dr. Powell took Medical Technology at Kettering College of Medical Arts and remained there for three years to teach clinical chemistry and work in the clinical laboratory. Although he considered clinical chemistry or hospital administration as career options, he realized dentistry was the career he had been searching for and applied to Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. At LLUSD he was a particularly engaged student who was Dental Student Association president, served as student representative to the American Association of Dental Educators, and was awarded Student of the Year in 1987.
While practicing in Okemos, Dr. Powell made arrangements with Michigan State University to provide the university’s students an opportunity to shadow his practice of dentistry. Over the years numerous students took advantage of the option to observe his practice for a semester. Many of those students have become dentists with whom Dr. Powell still maintains contact. In 2005, one of them became his partner and has now taken over the practice.
From 2011 through 2013, Dr. Powell served one day each week as a clinical instructor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor. In September of 2013, Dr. Powell met in Loma Linda with Paul Richardson, DDS’83, associate dean for Clinic Administration, Ronald Forde, DDS’72, then chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry, and Greg Mitchell, DDS’84, MBA, director, Clinical Management Systems and Patient Care Services. On subsequent trips, including one with his wife Juliana and daughter Adrienne, Dr. Powell was introduced to more faculty and staff. Ultimately, a significant factor in his decision to return to LLUSD was the opportunity to work with other colleagues in an institution dedicated to the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
Mrs. Juliana Powell, will continue to chair a fundraising and philanthropy committee for Michigan State University’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.