School of Dentistry Alumni Memorialize Classmates in New Building
New operatories named in honor of Dr. Tracy Hodges and Dr. Michael Perry
OXFORD, Miss. – Twenty-five students graduated in the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry's Class of 1999, and the group was as close-knit as any family. The classmates recently reunited – both financially and in spirit – to honor two members of their cohort who have died.
Dr. Micheal Perry, of Oxford, died in a 2016 plane crash while returning from a dental convention, and Dr. Tracy Hodges died at his Tupelo home in 2012.
"We were all friends," said Dr. Kyle Odom, who recently made a significant gift in support of a new clinical building for the School of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "The class of '99 was small, and we leaned on one another."
Dr. Michael Perry
The new facility will include two operatories named in memory of Perry and Hodges.
"Michael and Tracy left us too soon," said Odom, an oral surgeon in Lawrence, Kansas, and 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. "Michael was the class president – and the class clown – and Tracy had the highest grades, the No. 1 student, but he was so quietly humble, you'd never know it.
"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."
The class's fundraising effort was initiated by Dr. Jason Parolli, of Hernando, and continued by Dr. Brant Kairit, of Senatobia, along with Dr. Beth Shelton, of Tupelo – all working toward full participation from their classmates.
"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.
"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."
During its 2023 session, the Mississippi Legislature appropriated $40 million for a new 40,000‑square‑foot building.
Dr. Tracy Hodges
"This commitment allows the School of Dentistry to upgrade our teaching and learning environment, improve the patient experience and plan for anticipated growth," said Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk, the school's dean.
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.
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.
The dean expressed gratitude for the Class of 1999's leadership.
"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."
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.
Dr. Brant Kairit has helped coordinate the class fundraising effort to honor their lost classmates. Submitted photo
Odom said he has special memories of his time in dental school.
"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, 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.
"My hope is that this project will give future students the same opportunities we enjoyed under a marquee bearing the Hodges and Perry names."
To support the School of Dentistry contact Brad Ewing, director of development, at gewing1@umc.edu or 601‑815‑5893.
Top: School of Dentistry alumnus Dr. Kyle Odom (second from left) attends the 2024 Ole Miss graduation of his son, John Hiett (center) along with (from left) his son Coghlan, wife, Theresa, and sons Aidan and Ethan. Odom, along with many of his classmates, made a significant gift to support the school's new clinical building and to honor two classmates Submitted photo