Awards presented at 2014 ADEA session in San Antonio

March 18, 2014
During its annual session in San Antonio, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) announced the recipients of the association’s honorary awards and scholarships on March 16-17.

During its annual session in San Antonio, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) announced the recipients of the association’s honorary awards and scholarships on March 16-17.

To encourage and foster the development of faculty of color in academic dental careers, the ADEA has awarded four new scholarships to 11 dental educators. The ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development will enable faculty of color to participate in programs that will improve their teaching abilities, increase their leadership skills, and advance their understanding and mastery of other critical elements of a successful academic career.

Dr. Stephen Young, chair of the ADEA board of directors, said, “Individuals from historically marginalized African American, Latina/o and Native American backgrounds represent a low proportion of the senior leadership ranks in academic dentistry. The ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development is an investment in the future that is certain to generate huge returns for dental education and oral health care in underserved areas.”

According to a 2012 ADEA Minority Affairs Advisory Committee survey on barriers to the leadership ladder, 20% of faculty of color responding to the survey indicated that they have never participated in any leadership development programs. For faculty of color in academia for one-10 years, nearly 30% had not participated in such programs.

The 2014 recipients are:

ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development: ADEA/AAL Chairs and Academic Administrators Management Program

  • Dr. Eros Chaves, University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry
  • Dr. Maria Orellana, University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry
  • Dr. Luciana Shaddox, University of Florida College of Dentistry

ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development: ADEA/AAL Compass Program

  • Prof. Janeime Asbury, Fortis College
  • Dr. Tanya Gibson, University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry
  • Dr. Mary Partida, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School
  • Prof. Petal Leuwaisee, Hostos Community College

ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development: ADEA Summer Program for Emerging Academic Leaders

  • Dr. Nicole Holland, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development: ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and Learning

  • Prof. Hiwet Ephrem, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
  • Dr. Denise Mills, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona
  • Prof. Lattice Sams, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry

The ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development, supported by the ADEAGies Foundation and AAL, will cover the cost of tuition for six programs, which will run from August 2013 to September 2014. ADEA and AAL have committed a total of $44,500 in scholarship awards for the 2014 calendar year.

The ADEA also named Dr. Rajesh Lalla as the first ADEA/AADR/Colgate-Palmolive Co./Dr. Dominick P. DePaola Scholar in the ADEA Leadership Institute.Associate. Dr. Lalla is a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine.

The ADEA’s Dr. Young said, “Dr. Lalla is an outstanding clinical researcher, scholar, and faculty member, and he has demonstrated his strong capacity for leadership through his participation in several important institutional committees at his dental school. ADEA is pleased to support Dr. Lalla as he strives to further develop his leadership skills by participating in the ADEA Leadership Institute, and we are grateful to the Colgate-Palmolive Company and the American Association for Dental Research for their support of this fellowship.”

Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, global director of scientific affairs of the Colgate-Palmolive Company, added, "We are proud to co-sponsor this year's Dr. Dominick P. DePaola Scholar award by recognizing Dr. Rajesh Lalla for his notable accomplishments to the dental community. With more than 20 years of dedication to the dental profession, Dr. Lalla is widely known and well-respected for his visionary leadership efforts and for improving dental education through his extensive research efforts."

Peter Polverini, president of the American Association for Dental Research, commented that the association is “is pleased to be a part of the DePaola Scholarship. Dr. Lalla’s many impressive accomplishments in research and the clinic, including developing a new course on evidence-based decision making for dental students, make him well-suited to the inaugural recipient of the DePaola Scholarship.”

The fellowship is in memory of Dr. Dominick DePaola, who for nearly four decades was a leader in dental education, research, patient care, and academic administration. The scholar receives an award of $15,000 to participate in the year-long program, with the goal to prepare for a leadership position in an academic dental institution.

Dr. Lalla is a clinician-scholar who conducts clinical research on a variety of oral mucosal disorders, including mucositis secondary to cancer treatment, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (canker sores) and oral candidiasis (thrush). His research has been funded by the federal government through the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the Donaghue Foundation and industry.

In addition, the ADEA has named Dr. Sarandeep Huja as the first ADEA/ADEAGies Foundation Drs. Connie L. and Richard R. Drisko Scholar in the ADEA Leadership Institute. He is a professor and division chief of orthodontics at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. The Drisko Scholarship provides the opportunity annually for a mid-career dental school faculty member who has shown evidence of leadership potential to participate in the ADEA Leadership Institute.

Dr. Young said, "ADEA applauds Dr. Huja for his rigorous clinical research and commitment to serving on a number of editorial review boards. Dr. Huja represents the qualities of a leader that this scholarship strives to uphold, and we are grateful to Connie and Dick Drisko and ADEAGies Foundation for supporting this fellowship and Dr. Huja’s participation in the ADEA Leadership Institute.”

Dr. Huja’s research seeks to understand bone remodeling and adaptation to physical forces. His clinical interests include skeletal anchorage, biomechanics of tooth movement and an interdisciplinary focus to treating patients with compromised malocclusions. As the recipient of the scholarship, Dr. Huja will receive an award of $10,000 to defray tuition and fees in the ADEA Leadership Institute, with the goal of preparing for a leadership position in an academic dental institution.

Dr. Young, as chair of the ADEA Board of Directors, also awarded citations to eight leaders of the dental education community. The citations were presented to:

  • Dr. Raymond Cohlmia, who is assistant dean for patient care and professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
  • Dr. William Dodge, who is dean of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School.
  • Dr. John Dmytryk, who is the associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
  • Michael Ferguson, CPA, who is the associate dean of finance and administrative affairs at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
  • Karen Hart, who is the director of the Council on Dental Education and Licensure at the American Dental Association.
  • Martha Liggett, JD, who is the executive director of the American Society of Hematology and is a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Association Executives.
  • Dr. Denice Stewart, who is the senior associate dean for clinical affairs and professor of community dentistry at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry.
  • Diana Stone, who is a senior administrative manager at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.

Dr. Young said, “These dedicated professionals are an important part of ADEA’s efforts to strengthen and advance best practices in dental education. I am pleased to recognize their outstanding contributions to ADEA and dental education.”