ADA honors award winners at Changemakers Celebration
Inaugural event gathers recipients during SmileCon
The American Dental Association honored its many award winners from this year during the first-ever Changemakers Celebration at SmileCon.
The event took place Oct. 18 in New Orleans and recognized the winners of the Distinguished Service Award, Humanitarian Award, 10 Under 10 Awards, Evidence-Based Dentistry Faculty Awards, Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research and Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research.
Winners included:
• Distinguished Service Award: Retired U.S. Army Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, D.M.D., served as chair of the department of advanced specialty sciences and director of the Ryan White Dental Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina’s James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, where she demonstrated a lifelong commitment to leadership, education, military readiness, veterans and the underserved.
• Humanitarian Award: Bill Sasser, D.M.D., is the executive director of Dental Community Fellowship, with which he has led or participated in nearly 140 mission trips in 34 countries over two decades, and the founder of South Carolina’s North Charleston Dental Outreach clinic, which provides dental treatment for individuals whose options for care are restricted because of financial issues and the absence of insurance.
• 10 Under 10 Awards: The ADA New Dentist Committee chose the recipients for demonstrating excellence and inspiring others in science, research and education; practice excellence; philanthropy; leadership; and advocacy. All 10 winners are ADA members who graduated dental school less than 10 years ago. They include Zerita C. Buchanan, D.D.S.; Brittaney Hill, D.D.S.; Ana Keohane, D.M.D.; Roopali Kulkarni, D.M.D.; Austin Lee, D.M.D.; Brianna Muñoz, D.M.D.; Joseph Samona, D.D.S.; Martin Smallidge, D.M.D.; Rubin A. Sorrell II, D.D.S.; and Jessica C. Williams, D.M.D.
• Evidence-Based Dentistry Faculty Awards, sponsored by Colgate: Hom-Lay Wang, D.D.S., Ph.D., is the recipient of the EBD Accomplished Faculty Award. Dr. Wang is the director of graduate periodontics at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, where he has advanced the understanding of periodontology and dental implants through evidence-based research. Wei-Shao Lin, D.D.S., Ph.D., is the recipient of the EBD Mid-Career Faculty Award. Dr. Lin is chair of the department of prosthodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry, where he oversees curriculum development, ensuring the dental school’s educational programs integrate the latest evidence-based dentistry principles.
• Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research, sponsored by Colgate: William Giannobile, D.D.S., D.MSc., is the dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Giannobile has made significant research contributions in the field of bone and tissue regeneration, and over his 20-plus years as an educator, he has guided more than 200 students and faculty as they conduct research.
• Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research, sponsored by Kenvue: Yvonne L. Hernandez-Kapila, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a professor of dentistry in the sections of biosystems and function and periodontics, the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair and an associate dean of research at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research has led to advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases and oral cancer carcinogenesis.
