End of an era

Jack Ferracane, Ph.D., will close out his OHSU career in January.

A well-respected faculty member of the School of Dentistry will retire in 2025.

Jack Ferracane, Ph.D., chair of the School of Dentistry’s Oral Rehabilitation and Integrative Biosciences Department, will close out his career at OHSU at the end of January after serving 36 years.

OHSU community members and colleagues from across the globe celebrated Ferracane’s research and teaching contributions within the dentistry field at a symposium on Nov. 22. Funny moments and memorable experiences were shared in person at the Knight Cancer Institute and through pre-recorded video.

John Keller, Ph.D., a classmate from Northwestern University where he and Jack earned their doctorates, submitted a video that was broadcast to an audience seated in the Knight Cancer Institute auditorium. He recalled a small group of friends who enjoyed acting like the Conehead fictional family from a Saturday Night Live parody that began in 1977.

A video clip of the Saturday Night Live satire was played, delighting the audience, following Keller’s recorded video comments.

Col. Thomas Hilton, D.M.D., a friend of Ferracane’s for 30 years, and Carmem Pfeifer, D.D.S., Ph.D., head of the Biomaterial and Biosciences Division and a mentee of Ferracane’s, officiated the afternoon event. Video clips of light-hearted and funny moments were peppered into their presentation. The event highlighted the many accomplishments and heartfelt testimonials from many people whose careers Ferracane influenced.

Productive career

Ferracane is a prolific researcher and author who has published 348 articles since 1981. He’s authored eight textbooks and presented at more than 80 international and national conferences located on each continent except for Antarctica.

He holds 10 patents and secured more than $29 million in research funding over his illustrious career from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and private industry. He is the 2013 recipient of the OHSU Faculty Senate Research Award and numerous other honors.

The way he treats others, and not just his accomplishments, is where Jack shines brightly.

“You are the humblest person I know,” said Ana Fugolin, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor in Biomaterials and Biomedical Sciences in the School of Dentistry, while expressing her thanks.

“He modeled respect, character and ethics,” said Hilton. “I got to go to work with my best friend,” he added, referring to working with Ferracane at OHSU from 1999 to 2019.

The day that Pfeifer earned her U.S. citizenship, Ferracane was by her side. “He’s truly like a father to me,” she said.

School of Dentistry Dean Ron Sakaguchi, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., spoke about Ferracane’s dedication to his work and dental students. Recalling that Ferracane was in the office regularly at 7 a.m. and leaving at 6 p.m.

“He’s an amazingly focused, productive and hard-working person,” said Sakaguchi.

What’s next

When the peer-reflection portion of the program was done, Ferracane took to the podium to share his recollections. He spoke of faculty members he’s become close with, the importance of his family, Trisha, wife of 45 years and faith. He also talked about why he never looked for another job.

“The School of Dentistry is a special place, and I’ve been to schools all over the world,” he said. “I could never leave. I could never recreate what was here.”

Though he’ll no longer serve as professor of restorative dentistry or chair at OHSU, Jack will remain editor in chief at both JADA Foundational Science, an academic journal he established, and Dental Materials, a top journal in the field.

Importantly, he will spend more time with his grandchildren, volunteer at St. Cecilia Church, work on his golf game and cheer for his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

“Thank you to you all for making me a fulfilled person as an academic and a human being,” he said.

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By Rhonda Morin, APR

Photos by Aaron Bieleck, OHSU