ATSU-ASDOH faculty & staff

Desmond Gallagher, BDS
Dean

Desmond Gallagher, BDS, is the dean of ATSU-ASDOH.

Dr. Gallagher earned his dental degree from the University of Wales College of Medicine School of Dentistry in 1994. He began his dental and military career as a general dentistry and anesthesiology program resident in Germany. During his seven years of active service, Dr. Gallagher undertook several operational tours, including command and leadership of combined medical/dental assets.

After military service, he established a dental office. He undertook a two-year diploma in clinical dentistry at Trinity College Dublin School of Dentistry before starting to teach as a part-time clinical instructor. He also received a master’s degree in dental education from the University of the Pacific in 2016.

Dr. Gallagher is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a Fellow of the ADEA Leadership Institute, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, and an Associate Fellow of the College of General Dentistry in England. He previously served as associate dean for clinical services and as the executive associate dean and chair of the Department of Clinical Oral Healthcare at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California.

George Blue Spruce Jr., DDS, MPH
Assistant Dean, American Indian Affairs

Dr. George Blue Spruce, the nation’s first American Indian dentist, is the former assistant surgeon general and director of the Indian Health Service Phoenix Area Office. In 1990, he was instrumental in the organization of the Society of American Indian Dentists and has been its president for the past 16 years. This position has allowed Dr. Blue Spruce to continue his life’s work in the encouragement of American Indian individuals to pursue a career in dentistry and other health professions. He holds membership in numerous American Indian organizations, with missions that promote post-secondary education.

Dr. Blue Spruce, a member of the San Juan-Laguna Pueblos of New Mexico, firmly believes in true self-determination for Indian people. He says, “True Indian self-determination will occur only when our American Indian people are given opportunities to pursue those educational credentials that allow them to assume meaningful leadership roles in their respective Indian communities. As leaders, Indians will be able to assess their peoples’ needs, prioritize them, and most importantly manage and control their own programs.” In his new position, Dr. Blue Spruce hopes to continue addressing the severe dearth of American Indian dentists and other health professionals. Dr. Blue Spruce remains an active tennis competitor and in 1996 was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. He is the first and only male tennis player to be inducted.

Jonathan Brennan, MD, DMD, ‘12, MPH, ‘12
Associate Dean, Innovation & Curriculum

Jonathan Brennan, MD, DMD, ‘12, MPH, ‘12, is the associate dean of innovation and curriculum at ATSU-ASDOH. In this capacity, he provides ongoing analysis, implementation, and evaluation of dental informatics utilized in clinical systems, works in conjunction with the associate dean of pre-clinical education on curriculum, and co-teaches the Oral Medicine course.

Dr. Brennan graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 2004. He then earned his medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine. Dr. Brennan continued his studies at ATSU, earning a master of public health from the School of Health Management (now the College of Graduate Health Studies) and a doctor of dental medicine from ATSU-ASDOH.

In 2014, Dr. Brennan co-founded Brennan Dental in Chandler, Arizona, where he continues to practice general dentistry. Dr. Brennan and his wife live in Chandler with their two daughters and one son.

Zahra (Mindy) Motahari, DMD, MAEd, ‘08
Associate Dean, Comprehensive Care

Mindy Motahari, DMD, MAEd, ‘08, is the associate dean for comprehensive care at ATSU-ASDOH. After graduating summa cum laude from Georgia State University, she received her doctor of dental medicine from ATSU-ASDOH, along with a certificate of core public health concepts from the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Motahari is a graduate of the ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and Learning. She received her certificate of dental education along with her master of arts in education with a concentration on dental education from the Benerd School of Education of the University of the Pacific in California. She also received her business/legal certificate from Arizona Summit Law School.

She has been a member of ATSU-ASDOH faculty since 2008 in different positions. Dr. Motahari is active with state and national licensing organizations and currently serves as a consultant for the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments. Her current research involves interprofessional education for students from dental, physician assistant, and medical programs. Meanwhile, she follows her passion for patient care in the private practice setting.

Jae Hyun Park, DMD, MSD, MS, PhD
Program Director, Postgraduate Orthodontic Program

Dr. Jae Hyun Park is Professor and Chair of the Postgraduate Orthodontic Program at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. He is a Diplomate of and Examiner for the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Park has received several awards for scientific and clinical excellence, including the Charley Schultz Award (1st Place Winner in the Scientific Category at the Orthodontic Resident Scholars Program) and the Joseph E. Johnson Award (1st Place Winner at the AAO Table Clinic Competition) from the AAO.

He also serves as an editorial board member of several peer-reviewed orthodontic and dental journals, including The Angle Orthodontist, Seminar in Orthodontics, Journal of Clinical Orthodontics (JCO), and Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, as well as associate editor of American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research, Journal of World Federation of Orthodontists, and Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry.

He was recently appointed to be deputy editor of the new clinical journal, AJO-DO Clinical Companion. While working as a full-time faculty member since 2008, he has published more than 260 scientific and clinical articles in peer-reviewed orthodontic and dental journals, including five cover pages in the AJO-DO, three cover pages in the JCO, three books, and 22 book chapters.

Dr. Park is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists (PCSO) Bulletin, Past President of the Arizona State Orthodontic Association, and Thesis Committee Co-Chair of Northern California Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists. He also works for the NBDE Part II Ortho-Pediatric Dentistry/ADAT Test Construction Committee and CODA Site Visitor. He was recently appointed to the 2021 Scientific Program Chair at the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics (CDABO) annual meeting. In addition, he was recently appointed to replace Dr. Steven Dugoni as the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) Director representing the PCSO. He will be the ABO President in 2024.

Maureen Munnelly Perry, DDS, MPA, MAEd
Associate Dean, Advanced Education & Strategic Partnerships
Director, The Center for Advanced Oral Health

Maureen Perry, DDS, MPA, MAEd, is the associate dean for advanced education and strategic partnerships at ATSU-ASDOH.

Dr. Perry is a professor of special care dentistry and the director of the Center for Advanced Oral Health at ATSU-ASDOH, Mesa, Arizona. She received her bachelor’s from Adelphi University and her DDS from New York University College of Dentistry.

Following a general practice residency at Staten Island University Hospital, Dr. Perry completed a two-year New York State Consortium of Medical Education in Developmental Disabilities Fellowship in Special Care Dentistry. She received her master’s in public administration with a concentration in healthcare administration from Long Island University and her MA in education from the Benerd School of Education at the University of the Pacific.

Dr. Perry is a fellow of the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities and a Diplomate of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry. She is a past president of the Special Care Dental Association and serves as the United States council member for the International Association for Disability & Oral Health. Dr. Perry has presented at many national meetings and has published on areas of special care dentistry such as autism, restraint and consent, rare syndromes, pre-doctoral education, and self-injurious behavior. Her current research focuses on fluoride delivery systems for patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

Klud Razoky, BDS
Associate Dean, Pre-Clinical Education

Klud Razoky, BDS, is the associate dean for pre-clinical education at ATSU-ASDOH. Dr. Razoky oversees the first and second-year curriculum at ATSU-ASDOH, in addition to her responsibilities for all the simulation clinic operations.

Dr. Razoky received her dental degree from the University of Baghdad in 1984. She then practiced as a general dentist for nine years. In 1995, Dr. Razoky and her family moved to New Zealand. While in New Zealand, she qualified her degree and earned her New Zealand Dentist Registration Examination (NZDREX).

In 2000, Dr. Razoky and her family moved to the United States. Dr. Razoky worked as a pre-clinical instructor in the general dentistry laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine. In 2004, Dr. Razoky started her position at ATSU-ASDOH as an adjunct faculty member.

Dr. Razoky currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband and has two children, Maryam, who attends law school in Denver, Colo., and Fadi, who graduated from ATSU-ASDOH in 2014 and is a practicing general dentist in Arizona.

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, PhD, RDH
Assistant Dean, Research

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, PhD, RDH, is the assistant dean for research at ATSU-ASDOH. Dr. Spolarich is a professor, course director of clinical medicine and pharmacology, and director of research at ATSU-ASDOH, where she also teaches part-time in the Special Care Clinic.

Dr. Spolarich received her certificate in dental hygiene from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, and her bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She holds both a master of science in dental hygiene and a PhD in physiology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

She has formal training in both laboratory and clinical research and has completed the Mary Frances Picciano Dietary Supplement Research Practicum through the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Her research interests focus on the care of medically complex patient populations, specifically the care of older adults and clinical drug therapies and dental product formulations.

Dr. Spolarich is an internationally recognized author and speaker on pharmacology and the care of medically complex patients. She has presented over 900 lectures nationally and internationally and has over 125 professional publications.

Janet Woldt, PhD, MS
Associate Dean, Academic Assessment

Janet Woldt, PhD, MS, is the associate dean for academic assessment at ATSU-ASDOH. Dr. Woldt ensures the academic success of the predoctoral and postdoctoral students, manages the accreditation process, directs the assessment efforts of ATSU-ASDOH, and serves as the School’s student services liaison.

Dr. Woldt received her undergraduate degrees from Indiana University (1986), Northwestern University (1990) and her graduate degrees from Iowa State University (masters 2001, doctorate 2004).

From 1986-90, she practiced as a clinical dental hygienist in Northwest Indiana. Dr. Woldt also served as a didactic and clinical instructor at Indiana University from 1988-90. From 1990-93, she served as the examination coordinator of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Dr. Woldt worked for the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) as manager of dental hygiene education from 1993-99. In her tenure with CODA, she managed the revision of the accreditation standards for dental hygiene education, provided guidance to the dental education community regarding accreditation, and formulated and implemented policies related to dental education, utilization, and licensure.

While conducting her graduate studies at Iowa State University, Dr. Woldt developed and implemented faculty enrichment programs for both new community college instructors and masters and doctorate programs for experienced instructors. She worked in the vice provost for undergraduate programs office at Iowa State University as well.

Dr. Woldt and her husband Phil live in Phoenix with their daughter, Katarina.