HSDM Faculty and Students Receive ADEA Awards

Several members of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) community will be recognized at this year’s American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session. The virtual event includes awards, scholarships, and fellowships recognizing achievement and distinction among its members.

Hiroe Ohyama, MMSc96, DMD03, assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, received the ADEA/Colgate-Palmolive Co. Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes dental educators who demonstrate exemplary standards and promote excellence in dental education through scholarship and innovation. Ohyama joined the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences in 2003. This particular award aims to enrich educational experiences by generating intellectual excitement within dental institutions and programs.

“Coming from a family of educators, I was destined to be a teacher,” Ohyama said. “I feel so honored to be part of the students’ predoctoral education starting from their very first day of preclinical preparation exercises to their graduation from HSDM. I am pleased and honored to receive the ADEA Colgate-Palmolive Teaching Award alongside my current students, as well as one of our alumni. This certainly means a lot to me. I appreciate the continued support from the HSDM community.”

Two students, David Kornmehl, DMD21, and Natalie Wen, DMD22, each received the ADEA/GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Preventive Dentistry Scholarship. This scholarship supports predoctoral dental students who have demonstrated academic excellence in preventive dentistry.

Wen shared, “I am very grateful for the generosity and support of ADEA and its sponsors. Receiving an award such as this one provides dental students with the support needed to further their dental education in exploratory and innovative ways, and encourages them to pursue their interests as young dentists."

Kornmehl is deeply invested in community-based disease prevention, and credits the Scholarship with enabling dental students to pursue their interests and passion for preventive dentistry by providing financial resources and academic encouragement.

"I am extremely honored to receive this scholarship as it recognizes my interest in both dentistry and public health,” said Kornmehl. “At HSDM, I have deepened my understanding and involvement in primary dental prevention through my research, education, and clinical endeavors. The support I have received while in pursuit of my goals has been immeasurable. I look forward to continuing to promote preventative dentistry as an effective approach to enhance overall health and well-being in my future career."

Additionally, Alumna Jacqueline (Hom) Burgette, DMD10, who is currently an assistant professor in the Departments of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and former student of Dr Ohyama, was awarded the ADEA/ADEA Council of Students, Residents and Fellows/Colgate-Palmolive Co. Junior Faculty Award.

HSDM students and alumni Ruchika Agrawal, DMD22, Eshani Patel, DMD20, Jacqueline Harris, DMD21, David Kornmehl, DMD21, and Hiroe Ohyama, MMSc96, DMD03, placed second in the 2021 ADEA Student Poster Competition with their presentation titled, “Gender differences in preclinical self-assessment skills.”