{"id":158625,"date":"2026-05-04T12:06:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=158625"},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:06:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:06:50","slug":"school-of-dentistry-alumni-memorialize-classmates-in-new-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/school-of-dentistry-alumni-memorialize-classmates-in-new-building\/","title":{"rendered":"School of Dentistry Alumni Memorialize Classmates in New Building"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New operatories named in honor of Dr. Tracy Hodges and Dr. Michael Perry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-five students graduated in the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry<\/strong>‘s Class of 1999, and the group was as close-knit as any family. The classmates recently reunited \u2013 both financially and in spirit \u2013 to honor two members of their cohort who have died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Micheal Perry<\/strong>, of Oxford<\/strong>, died in a 2016 plane crash while returning from a dental convention, and Dr. Tracy Hodges<\/strong> died at his Tupelo<\/strong> home in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Dr. Michael Perry. Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Dr. Tracy Hodges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“We were all friends,” said Dr. Kyle Odom<\/strong>, who recently made a significant gift in support of a new clinical building for the\u00a0School of Dentistry<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0University of Mississippi Medical Center<\/strong><\/a>. “The class of ’99 was small, and we leaned on one another.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new facility will include two operatories named in memory of Perry and Hodges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Michael and Tracy left us too soon,” said\u00a0Odom, an oral surgeon in Lawrence, Kansas<\/strong>, and 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force<\/strong><\/a>. “Michael was the class president \u2013 and the class clown \u2013 and Tracy had the highest grades, the No. 1 student,\u00a0but he was so quietly humble, you’d never know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I hoped, as everyone who donated to this project hopes, to honor these two gentlemen; they are sorely missed. My wife, Theresa, and I are blessed to be able to help honor their memory. They both embodied what our class meant to me: quiet, hard-working and possessing laugh-out-loud good humor, excellent hands and wholesome gentleness.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The class’s fundraising effort was initiated by Dr. Jason Parolli<\/strong>, of Hernando<\/strong>, and continued by\u00a0Dr. Brant Kairit<\/strong>, of Senatobia<\/strong><\/a>, along with Dr. Beth Shelton<\/strong>, of Tupelo<\/strong> \u2013 all working toward full participation from their classmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Dr. Brant Kairit has helped coordinate the class fundraising effort to honor their lost classmates. Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“Hopefully this expansion will grow the class size to 60 students,” said Kairit, who lived with Perry during their first two years of dental school, stood in both late dentists’ weddings and served as a pallbearer at their funerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When the dental school was built in the ’70s, most students were male. Today, classes are made up of roughly 50% women, and we need to graduate more dentists to meet Mississippi’s needs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During its 2023 session, the Mississippi Legislature<\/strong> appropriated $40 million for a new 40,000\u2011square\u2011foot building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This commitment allows the School of Dentistry <\/strong>to upgrade our teaching and learning environment, improve the patient experience and plan for anticipated growth,” said Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk<\/strong>, the school’s dean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building’s first floor will house a faculty and resident practice area with reception and waiting areas, 15 faculty operatories, 13 resident operatories, dispensaries, consultation rooms, a laboratory and associated support spaces. The second floor will feature the D3 and D4 student practice area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initial buildout on the third floor includes prep and sterilization areas as well as storage rooms, with space reserved for future expansion. A walkway will connect the new structure to the existing building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dean expressed gratitude for the Class of 1999’s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What that class is doing is admirable, and the fact that their gifts honor two of their own makes it especially meaningful,” Kirk said. “It sets a powerful example for other classes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the state’s $40 million allocation, the dental school is partnering with the Office of Development to raise private funds for enhancements to the student experience and position the school for growth over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odom said he has special memories of his time in dental school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I learned to use my hands to help people and to calm the anxiety nearly every patient brings to the chair,” he said. “I played guitar every weekend with Dr. Jason Digby<\/strong>, Tracy’s roommate for the first couple of years. I played flag football, got married, went on mission trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, navigated the diagonal curriculum and befriended some of the best people I’ve ever known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My hope is that this project will give future students the same opportunities we enjoyed under a marquee bearing the Hodges and Perry names.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support the School of Dentistry contact Brad Ewing<\/strong>, director of development, at\u00a0gewing1@umc.edu<\/a>\u00a0or 601\u2011815\u20115893.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Bill Dabney<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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