01/28/2025
School of Dentistry alumni honored for exceptional service to their communities
Lead-in: The School of Dentistry recently honored two remarkable alumni at its 2025 alumni awards ceremony. Dr. Charles Ramsey and Dr. Mary Catherine Hoover were recognized for their exceptional contributions to dentistry, their communities and their enduring commitment to improving the lives of others.
The School of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center recently celebrated two outstanding graduates during its annual alumni awards ceremony.
Dr. Charles Ramsey was named Alumnus of the Year, and Dr. Mary Catherine Hoover was the recipient of the Early Career Achievement Award. After years of practicing general dentistry, a devastating spinal cord injury changed his life forever.
Ramsey’s exceptional career in dentistry has been anything but conventional.
After earning a biology degree from Mississippi College (now Mississippi Christian University), Ramsey completed his DMD at UMMC in 1988. The Jackson native had a thriving private practice for 23 years before his career changed course.
“When I had to sell my practice, I thought my career in dentistry was over,” Ramsey said. “But what I thought was the end turned out to be the beginning of the most rewarding chapter of my life.”
In 2012, Ramsey joined UMMC as an assistant clinical instructor in the Department of Dental Hygiene, later transitioning to a full-time faculty position in the Department of Care Planning and Restorative Sciences. Over the years, he became a beloved mentor, teaching courses such as head and neck anatomy, local anesthetics and nitrous oxide sedation.
Ramsey’s influence extended far beyond the classroom. In 2018, he became the first School of Dentistry representative to speak at UMMC’s prestigious “Last Lecture” series, and the following year, he was honored with the Norman C. Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence Award.
In 2019, Ramsey took on a new challenge, founding the Mississippi Center for Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine, a groundbreaking practice in the state. Specializing in treating chronic pain and sleep-disordered breathing, Ramsey has transformed the lives of countless patients while educating dentists statewide about these critical issues.
“I’ve had the privilege of offering hope to chronic pain patients who felt like they’d run out of options,” he said. “It’s been the most fulfilling work of my career.”
Ramsey is also deeply committed to service beyond Mississippi. He has participated in eight mission trips to Honduras with Baptist Medical Dental Missions International, where he served on the board of directors, and 12 trips to Belize with Caribbean Resource Ministries. These missions provided vital dental care to underserved communities, often bringing along hygiene students to fluoridate schools and dental students to perform restorative treatments.
“If you look up the definition of ‘good guy’ in the dictionary, his picture would be there,” said Dr. Britt McCarty, president of the UMMC Dental Alumni Association and a longtime friend of Ramsey. “I’ve known Charles since high school, and then we went to dental school together. He’s contributed so much to the School of Dentistry and to the field of pain management and sleep medicine. I’m proud to call him a friend