Big donation, new name for U of M dentistry college

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This article was published 29/05/2018 (2681 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a donation that has a real bite to it.

Gerald Niznick’s $7.5-million endowment to the University of Manitoba’s College of Dentistry was hailed Tuesday as a “transformational gift” by the Winnipeg institution. It marks the largest donation in the college’s history.

Niznick, a 1966 U of M graduate, and his wife, Reesa, were on hand for the presentation, as the university renamed the college in his honour: the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

Born to immigrant parents, Niznick moved to Winnipeg when he was in high school. He is known as the originator of modern implant dentistry because of his ground-breaking research and product development in the industry.

“The gift Reesa and I have committed to the University of Manitoba dental college reflects our utmost respect and appreciation for the strong foundation you (U of M) gave me,” said Niznick. He said there were 25 students in his graduating class.

Niznick said he and Reesa were married in Winnipeg 54 years ago, just prior to his third year of dentistry studies. The couple has two daughters, and six grandchildren.

“We want them to all know what our foundation is. We received a wonderful foundation being brought up in Winnipeg,” Niznick said Tuesday. “We want our grandchildren to know where we came from and what our values are. This reflects really what our values are — to give back to the community.”

Niznick said he and Reesa are both from Winnipeg’s North End. They now live in California, where he owns 33 patents for products and designs he has developed.

“You can take Niznick out of Winnipeg, but you can’t take Winnipeg out of Niznick,” he said, with a laugh.

Calling Niznick “one of Canada’s great success stories,” U of M chancellor Harvey Secter said the donation will go toward improving clinical training space for dentistry students, continuing innovative research, and increasing community outreach to help those who cannot afford or access dental care.

Niznick earned a master’s degree in prosthodontics at Indiana University in 1968, and later that year, at 25, opened a dental practice in Los Angeles. He said referrals of patients who were unhappy with their dentures sent him on “a lifelong quest to find a better solution to replace missing teeth.”

He is known in the industry as “the godfather of American implant dentistry.” In addition to his products and designs, his research has significantly advanced dental implant knowledge and made implant dentistry more affordable for patients and doctors.

The U of M announced Niznick’s gift is part of the university’s Front and Centre fundraising campaign, which has now reached $466,495,719, from 59,000 donors from 40 countries. The goal is $500 million.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca