Just as a jeweler peers through a magnifying glass to set a gem, a dentist wears a pair of loupes and wields a mouth mirror to check for tartar. Over the spring semester, pre-dental students at the University of Georgia have become quick learners of the art of working with their hands thanks to a novel partnership between the UGA Pre-Professional Advising Office and the Lamar Dodd School of Art.
The new semesterlong Manual Dexterity Through Art non-credit certificate program offers a cohort of 14 undergraduate students a chance to practice refined control and hand-eye coordination in the creative settings and varied facilities of the university’s ceramics, jewelry and metalwork, and printmaking and book arts programs spread throughout East and North Campus.
This semester the program is taught by Leah Mazza, instructor in jewelry and metalwork, and MFA candidates Kayla Hall, printmaking, and Jordan Winiski, ceramics. It launched this spring, with funding provided to the university by a dentist who wanted UGA students to gain a competitive advantage in applying for dental school. Lise Kalla, advisor in the Pre-Professional Advising Office for UGA’s pre-dentist and optometry students, confirms this edge.
“We have developed several certificate programs with campus partners to enhance students’ applications to professional school,” said Kalla. “Recognizing that the preparation for dental school has a unique component in practicing manual dexterity skills, we approached the Lamar Dodd School of Art to collaborate.”
To test the concept, the advising office conferred with dental schools and received enthusiastic confirmation that developing manual dexterity would benefit the students.
Pasha Kohzadpour uses a jewelers saw to cut out the “Power G” in copper for the piece he is working on in the Manual Dexterity Through Art non-credit certificate program. The students are doing a series of art sessions in ceramics, jewelry and metalwork, and printmaking to help improve manual dexterity for their future careers as dentists. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)
Getting hands-on
Students in the program progress through a sequence of three sessions each of ceramics, jewelry making and printmaking, culminating in a pop-up exhibition on April 25.
“Over the past three weeks, working with ceramics taught me patience and precision in shaping materials with my hands,” said Cindy Choi, a biology major in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Carving intricate designs into ceramic mugs helped me visualize how delicate instrument work might feel in a dental setting.”
Maddy Hyde, a nutritional sciences major in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, described the helpful skills learned during a ceramics exercise. The group used oscillators — in this instance, a table-top device with a plate that steadily vibrates and shakes mixed material to remove bubbles from plaster — then shaped the plaster in pots, which is a similar technique dentists use to create casts and models.
Jordan Winiski, MFA candidate and program instructor, tailored the coursework to align with dental techniques that meet the professional ambitions of the students. This involved making molds, using stains, modeling porcelain and carving with metal tools. “Working with our hands is so important, and it was rewarding to be able to do that with these students,” said Winiski.
Undergraduate student Maddy Hyde is shown how to use the polishing wheel by jewelry and metalwork instructor Leah Mazza in a session for pre-dentistry students. The students are completing the art-dental certificate program to help improve their manual dexterity, a key skill for dentists. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)
Tangible results
The sustained period of calm, deliberate focus fostered in a studio environment inspires students to reengage their tactile creativity and problem-solving skills.
“Now, transitioning to jewelry making and metalwork has deepened my understanding of fine motor control and attention to detail,” said Choi. “These creative projects don’t just feel like art, they’re practical, hands-on training that I know will translate directly to clinical skills.”
This first iteration of the Manual Dexterity Through Art Certificate program filled all seats quickly with upper-level undergraduates eager to take advantage of the creative entry in their portfolio. The School of Art and Pre-Professional Advising Office hope to continue this mutually beneficial partnership and attract students earlier in their pre-dental studies to encourage them to explore additional arts coursework at UGA before graduating.
“We were elated by the positive response from the Dodd, and their interest in the success of this program,” said Kalla. “This program beautifully illustrates what can be accomplished when two unlikely university partners think outside of the box to provide an opportunity for students.”
A pop-up exhibition of student work will be on view and open to the public at the Lamar Dodd School of Art Glass Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 25. For more information about the program, contact Lise Kalla, lkalla@uga.edu.
