ADEA names award recipients at annual meeting

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) named the recipients of several awards at its recent annual meeting in San Antonio.

Four scholars received the Olav Alvares awards for outstanding articles published in the Journal of Dental Education, according to the organization.

• Shamik Desai, student, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, lead author of "Perceptions and Practices of U.S. Dental Schools Regarding Curriculum Integrated Format and Traditional Format Licensure Exams," August 2013
• Elham Kateeb, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, Al Quds University and research associate, University of Iowa, lead author of "Teaching Atraumatic Restorative Treatment in U.S. Dental Schools: A Survey of Predoctoral Pediatric Dentistry Program Directors," October 2013.
• Martha McComas, visiting instructor, dental hygiene program, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, lead author of "M-OSCE as a Method to Measure Dental Hygiene Students' Critical Thinking: A Pilot Study," April 2013
• Karen. Portillo, RDH, MSDH, assistant professor, department of dental hygiene, Idaho State University, lead author of "A Survey of Degree Completion Programs in Dental Hygiene Education," May 2013

The Olav Alvares Award was named in honor of Olav Alvares, DDS, Journal of Dental Education editor, to encourage junior scholars (assistant professors, instructors, residents, students, and staff) to conduct and publish outstanding research.

The William J. Gies Foundation Education Fellowship was awarded to John Reinhardt, DDS, MPH, dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry.

The fellowship provides an opportunity to focus on issues of importance to higher education, such as faculty recruitment, development and retention, leadership development, teaching strategies, competencies, and their assessment, as well as accreditation and licensure. Dr. Reinhardt will explore his interest in improving the financial strength and fiscal stability of clinical operations at dental schools.

The William J. Gies Foundation Dental Research Scholarship was awarded to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. The scholarship provides funds to an academic dental institution to help identify students who have a unique interest or predental experience that could lead to a career in dental research.

Deans from U.S. and Canadian dental schools can apply for the scholarship program on behalf of their institutions. Institutions receive $35,000 over a four-year period for enrolling students to participate in research supervised by faculty members.