Centrix has pledged $25,000 to endow scholarships at Fones School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Bridgeport, the school announced.
Named in honor of Centrix founder William B. Dragan, D.D.S., the scholarships will be awarded annually to one dental hygiene student who demonstrates financial need and academic excellence. To qualify for the awards, students also must be residents of Connecticut and must have completed 30 semester hours.
Under the grant, the company will fund the endowment over a period of time. In the interim, Centrix and the University of Bridgeport each will annually award $1,500 scholarships to dental hygiene students. The first scholarships will be awarded for the 2009-2010 academic year.
"It is our pleasure to give this scholarship to students of dental hygiene and to increase awareness and prevention of dental diseases," said Centrix President Bill Dragan in a press release. "My father has contributed to the improvement of dental health throughout his career, both through the company he founded and through his dental practice. It is my hope that the recipients of these William B. Dragan Scholarships will continue in his footsteps of service, to improve the art and profession of dental care."
In related news, the Fones School has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Social Services to provide teeth cleanings and other services to children in Bridgeport. The one-year Dental Improvement Initiative Grant enables Fones student hygienists and a clinical instructor to serve up to 650 elementary school students and provide oral health education to their families for a 10-month period, starting in September 2010.
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