2015 AAPHD Student Merit Awards Program

Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health

First Place
Astha Singhal, BDS, MPH, PhD    
The University of Iowa
Project Title: IMPACT OF CALIFORNIA’S ELIMINATION OF MEDICAID ADULT DENTAL COVERAGE ON EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR DENTAL PROBLEMS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
Nominator: John J. Warren, DDS, MS

Second Place
Dania Al Agili, BDS, MS, MPH, DrPH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention    
Title: EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF FAMILY INCOME ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL EDUCATION AND SEALANT PREVALENCE    
Nominator: Barbara F. Gooch, DMD, MPH

Third Place
Go Matsuo, DDS, MPH    
University of North Carolina    
Title: RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN DENTAL CARIES EXPERIENCE AMONG KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Nominator: R. Gary Rozier, DDS, MPH

Honorable Mention
Eman Bakhurji, BDS     
Boston University
Title: CURRENT USE AND FUTURE DIRECTION OF DENTAL AMALGAM IN THE US: PEDIATRIC DENTISTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Nominator: Woosung Sohn, DDS, PhD, DrPH

Jagan K. Baskaradoss, BDS, MPH    
Case Western Reserve University
Title: MATERNAL PERIODONTAL STATUS AND PRETERM DELIVERY – A HOSPITAL BASED CASE-CONTROL STUDY
Nominator: V Raman Kutty, MBBS, DCH, MD, MPhil, MPH

Liny John, BDS, MPH
Case Western Reserve University
Title: ORAL HEALTH STATUS, ORAL HYGIENE HABITS, AND DENTAL CARE UTILIZATION OF A REFUGEE POPULATION
Nominator: Kristin A. Williams, DDS, MPH

Sohini Dhar, BDS, MPH    
University of Texas Health Science Center    
Title: ASSESSING ORAL CANCER KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AMONG DENTISTS IN TEXAS
Nominator: David P. Cappelli, DMD, MPH, PhD

Predoctoral Dental Student Merit Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Community and Preventive Dentistry

First Place
Eugen Kim    
University of California, Los Angeles     
Title: ENERGIZING THE DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH PIPELINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
Nominator: Diana V. Messadi, DDS, MMSc, DrMedSc, Kathryn Atchison, DDS, MPH

Second Place
Troy Steinhilber
Case Western Reserve University
Title: KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND OPINION OF OHIO DENTISTS ABOUT A STATE DENTAL HYGIENE PRACTICE LAW
Nominator: Kristin A. Williams, DDS, MPH

Third Place
Kari Hexem    
University of Pennsylvania        
Title: INITIATION OF DENTAL STUDENT HONORS SITE AT AN HIV CLINIC
Nominator: Joan I. Gluch, PhD, PHDHP

Honorable Mention
Anna Davydov
University of Southern California
Title: PROVIDING DENTAL CARE, KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION OF ORAL HEALTH TO DECREASE DENTAL DISEASE IN UNDERSERVED COUNTRIES
Nominator: Santosh Sundaresan, BDS, DDS

Brittany Gillard
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston        
Title: ADDRESSING XEROSTOMIA IN PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS
Nominator: Ana Candia Solari Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD

Christina Gianfrancesco
Columbia University
Title: USING COMMUNITY-PARTICIPATORY METHODS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN ORAL HEALTH TOOLKIT TO ADDRESS THE ORAL HEALTH OF COMMUNITY DWELLING, HOMEBOUND SENIORS RECEIVING HOME DELIVERED MEALS IN NEW YORK CITY
Nominator: Kavita P Ahluwalia, DDS, MPH

Laura Douglas and Somayeh Jahedi    
University of Illinois at Chicago
Title: ACHIEVING OPTIMAL ORAL HEALTH FOR SPECIAL NEEDS INDIVIDUALS IN CHICAGO
Nominator: Caswell A. Evans, DDS, MPH

Lyubov Slascheva    
Virginia Commonwealth University
Title: TEETH TALK COMMUNITY ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION WORKSHOPS: A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITY DURING PRECLINICAL TRAINING
Nominator: Michael Healy, DDS, Med

Mary Glasheen
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston     
Title: MISSION: SMILE SUPPORT
Nominator: Ana Candia Solari Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD

Maryam Akbari    
University of Pennsylvania
Title: READINESS OF DENTAL STUDENTS AND CLINICAL FACULTY MEMBERS TO MANAGE PATIENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
Nominator: Joan I. Gluch, PhD, PHDHP

Sadaf Hussain     
A.T. Still University         
Title: MILAN HEALTH FAIR
Nominator: Patricia Inks, RDH, MS

Dental Hygiene Student Merit Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Community Health Dentistry