The ADA Foundation, charitable arm of the American Dental Association (ADA) has named Chicago dentist Luciana E. Sweis, D.D.S., as the recipient of its 2005 Hillenbrand Fellowship.
The Fellowship, established in 1986, is a 12-month internship at ADA's
Chicago headquarters for a dentist, demonstrating strong leadership
potential and desiring to make a career change to management in a
health-related organization from dental practice, education or research.
Dr. Sweis is currently an assistant clinical professor at the University of
Illinois College of Dentistry in the Department of Oral Medicine and
Diagnostic Sciences, and also had maintained a private general dentistry
practice here.
She is founder and former president of Superior Institute of Dental
Education and Assistance (Superior IDEA), a not-for-profit vocational school
for dental assistants, with the mission of providing affordable, high-quality training that will lead to employment opportunities.
Superior IDEA is the first not-for-profit, dental assisting vocational school in
Chicago and provides tuition-free training to qualified candidates who are
economically disadvantaged.
"We are very pleased with the selection of Dr. Sweis as the recipient of the
2005 Hillenbrand Fellowship Award," said ADA Foundation President Arthur A. Dugoni, D.D.S., M.S.D. "Her dedication, compassion for others and
willingness to explore solutions for the tough issues facing oral health
providers, including access, bodes well for our profession." Dr. Dugoni
also is dean of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, San
Francisco.
The Fellowship will provide Dr. Sweis, who earned her dental degree in
Romania, intensive orientation to the ADA and other organizations serving
oral health. It also includes academic courses through the Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University and project leadership experience.
The Hillenbrand Fellowship, which comes with a stipend, is named for Dr.
Harold Hillenbrand, ADA executive director from 1946-69. Appointed
executive director emeritus in 1970, Dr. Hillenbrand died in 1986.
