2014 AAPHD Student Merit Awards Program

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

First Place
Vinicius N Tavares, DDS, MPH

Second Place
Leo Ndiangang Achembong, BDS, MPHc
University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health
Impact of a Preventive Dental Program in Medical Offices on Statewide Trends in Dental Caries
Sponsor: Gary Rozier

Third Place
Julie C. Reynolds, DDS, MS
University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Neighborhood and Family Social Capital and the Oral Health of Children in Iowa           
Sponsor: John Warren

Honorable Mention
Go Matsuo, DDS, MPH
University of Maryland School of Public Health
Title: What Maryland Dentists Know and do about Preventing Dental Caries in Children
Sponsor: Alice Horowitz, PhD

Tarek Elmajie, BDS
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Title: Association Between Sleep Problems and Periodontitis Among US Adults
Sponsor: Dr. Woosung Sohn

Tariq Ghazal, BDS, MS
The University of Iowa
Title: Prevalence, Incidence and Risk Factors Associated with Early Childhood Caries Among African-American Children in Alabama
Sponsor: Dr. John Warren

Zuhair Natto, BDS, MDA, MPH
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Title: Is Periodontal Health In The Elderly More Sensitive To The Effects Of Chronic Diseases, Medications And Smoking?
Sponsor: Dr. Athena Papas

Shillpa Naavaal, BDS, MPH, MS
Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Title: Factors Associated with Parent-Reported Dental Care Utilization for a Dental Problem Among U.S. Children Aged 2–17 Years—National Health Interview Survey, 2008
Sponsor: Dr. Barbara Gooch

Liny Cheeran, BDS
Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine
Title: Trends in Access to Dental Care and Dental Insurance Status among Children and Adolescents
Sponsor: Dr. Kristin Williams

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

First Place
Amelia Stoker, BS; Sydney Stoker, BA; Caroline DeVincenzi, BA
Oregon Health & Science University, School of Dentistry
Title: Oral Health Status, Knowledge, and Practices among 12 Year Old Kenyan Children-A Global Health Study
Sponsor: Dr. Eli Schwarz

Second Place
William Jacobson, MPH
School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Title: Oral Health Care in the LBGT Population: Access, Perceptions, Barriers, and Potential Solutions
Sponsor: Dr. Kristin Williams

Third Place
Adam Fritzgerald
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
Title: Use of Spatial Analysis to Inform Community Outreach Activities
Sponsor: Dr. Poonam Jain

Honorable Mention
Linda Sepideh Borna
The Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Title: Eliminating the Oral Health Disparity in Low Socio-Economic Communities through Dental Education and Preventative Care
Sponsor: Dr. Santosh Sundaresan

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

First Place
Laura Hettinger, RDH
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Title: Perinatal and Well-Child Community Oral Health Education Program
Sponsor: Janet Kinney, RDH, MS

Second Place
Laura Beers, Lydia Diekmann, Erin Herbranson, Erin Klobe
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Title: Community Oral Health Outreach Project: Native American Community Clinic
Sponsor: Priscilla Flynn, RDH, MPH, DrPH