BCD faculty members receive grants  

Editor's Note: Grants are published once official notification is received by Baylor College of Dentistry's Office of Research and Advanced Education.

Leeanna Bartlett, assistant professor of public health sciences and director of social services at Baylor College of Dentistry, received a grant of $228,484.76 from the Department of Health and Human Services-HIV/AIDS Bureau's Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act Dental Reimbursement Program. It will fund the college's program to provide direct patient care of HIV-positive patients in financial need.

This marks the 12^th year that the BCD program received the grant. In 1991, the college received approximately $35,000 and funding has increased each year since. Last year, the grant was nearly $161,000.

"I'm ecstatic," Bartlett said. "This year was a significant jump in funding, which means we'll be better able to help financially struggling, HIV-positive patients get the care they need."

Dr. Lavern Holyfield (BCD '77), assistant professor of public health sciences, received a renewal grant of $100,000 from the Texas Cancer Council for "Spit Tobacco Prevention Network."  Originally expected to fund STOPN for only two years, the council has now funded the program for four years.

Holyfield serves as project director and principal investigator of STOPN, which provides education and training for health professionals, educators and other community volunteers in cities throughout Texas. Participants are given a how-to guide and other educational materials to use in developing and/or assisting community-based coalitions for spit tobacco prevention and education.

"During the last year we were clearly convinced of the need to involve youth in the training process," Holyfield said. "Therefore, we submitted a proposal to implement a pilot program in three Texas communities that will provide training and materials for high school students to make presentations to elementary and junior high students in their communities."

The pilot program will be implemented this year in Lewisville, Quitman and Uvalde. Three program assistants in public health sciences are involved in the project, including Betsy Bird of Lewisville, Julie Dromgoole of Uvalde and Stephanie Keller of Tyler.