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For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957, schampli@uthsc.edu

 

Fred C. Heros Selected

UT College of Dentistry Outstanding Alumnus

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

­ Memphis, Tenn. (February 23, 2012) – Longtime Memphian Fred C. Heros, DDS, has been selected as the 2012 University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Dentistry Outstanding Alumnus.  Dr. Heros will receive the award at the Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 2 at the Hilton Memphis (939 Ridgelake Blvd).  The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m.

"With his focus on community involvement and education, Dr. Heros represents the very best in dentistry," said Timothy Hottel, DDS, MS, MBA, dean of the UTHSC College of Dentistry. “We look forward to presenting him with the Outstanding Alumnus Award.” 

At the age of 9, Dr. Heros, along with his parents and two brothers, fled from Cuba, with little more than the clothes they were wearing. After living in the Bahamas and Miami, the family settled in Memphis, where the children completed their high school education. Never having to look too far for inspiration — his father was a pediatrician — Dr. Heros knew that he wanted to “touch lives like my father did.” He stressed, “I knew early on that I wanted to study medicine.”

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Memphis State University, he went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Tennessee’s College of Dentistry in 1975.  He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard as a first lieutenant.  Now, more than three decades later, Dr. Heros’ dental practice, located on Covington Pike in Memphis, continues to thrive.

Mentoring dozens of dentistry students and seeing more than 30 patients daily is standard operating procedure for Dr. Heros who defines his dental journey “as a passion.” said Heros. “Every day I get to help someone. There is just nothing better.”

Even when he isn’t at his private practice, Dr. Heros is often still practicing as part of a network of dentists who volunteer to perform emergency dental surgeries through such organizations as Dental Angels and the Church Health Center. These groups serve adults and children who otherwise cannot afford the care.  His involvement in the community includes past presidential appointments to the Tennessee Dental Association and the Memphis Dental Society; various leadership roles on the UT College of Dentistry Alumni Board of Trustees and the Mid-South Dental Congress and serving on the board of directors of the St. Jude Liberty Bowl.

Dr. Heros’ pursuit of excellence has helped him in other areas besides dentistry. He has won many medals as a skilled racquetball player and competed nationally at the 2010 U.S. Open Champion Pro-Am.

Dr. Heros also enjoys spending time with his wife Gayle, their three adult daughters, and three grandchildren.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service.  In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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