The ECU School of Dental Medicine Community Service Learning Center-Robeson County was honored among Robeson County organizations and individuals for efforts to improve the health of the region during Southeastern Health’s 2018 Regional Community Health Awards night on October 23 on the campus of Robeson Community College.

Honorees were selected out of 38 nominees in the categories of business, community education and emergency support, faith-based, government, health care providers, individual impact, in-house heroes and lifetime achievement.

The faculty, staff, students, and residents of the dental school’s Community Service Learning Center-Robeson County were recognized by Southeastern Health for their efforts to improve the health of the region.

The Community Service Learning Center (CSLC)-Robeson County, located at 600 Country Club Road in Lumberton, N.C., was chosen from a field of four health care providers in the county. The awards were presented by Southeastern Health’s executive leadership team.

The CSLC-Robeson County, which opened in January 2015 and has served over 3,800 patients, is one of ECU’s eight dental centers in rural and underserved communities across North Carolina. The centers provide hands-on training for fourth-year dental students and residents while offering dentistry at a reduced cost to children and adults. Each center includes ECU faculty dentists, dental and business staff, students, and residents.

“The majority of our staff grew up in Robeson County,” said Craig Slotke, DDS, the center’s faculty director, “so they are really engaged in the community and want to see a healthier population.”

The center often participates in community outreach. Recent projects include the Smithfield Packing Health Fair, Mohr House (assistant living) Health Fair, Give Kids a Smile free dental event, Fairgrove Middle School Career Day, Lewis Chapel Middle School Career Day, Tiny Tots Daycare (Dental Health Month), and Boys and Girls Club Career Day.

The center also provides consultation, evaluation, and treatment for patients of Southeastern Health’s Gibson Cancer Center located nearby.

“I am so very pleased and honored that the ECU School of Dental Medicine and particularly our facility in Robeson County was recognized for our service,” said Dr. Slotke. “After thirty-four years in private practice, I can truly say that providing care to the underserved in this community has been some of the most fulfilling years of my professional life. I have had the pleasure of working with a wonderful and committed team to educate and treat patients while training the next generation of dentists to have a commitment to serve.”

Craig Slotke, DDS, faculty director of the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s Community Service Learning Center-Robeson County (at right), accepted an award on behalf of his dental team from Joseph Roberts Jr., MD, vice president of Southeastern Health, during Southeastern Health’s 2018 Regional Community Health Awards night on October 23 in Lumberton, N.C.

Mr. William “Bill” Smith, Robeson County’s director of Public Health for over 30 years, was honored with Southeastern Health’s Lifetime Commitment Award. He said, “The effort I’m most proud of is one of the other winners—the ECU learning center. We were not the top pick for a location and I appreciate them going out on a limb to come here. They are doing exactly what we wanted, bringing more dentists to the area and making our kids want to be dentists. So, it’s everything that I wanted.”

Greg Chadwick, DDS, dean of the ECU School of Dental Medicine, said, “We are extremely proud of Dr. Slotke and his staff, students, and residents for their efforts in improving oral health in and around Robeson County and for the partnerships they have developed to help North Carolinians live healthier lives. They and our other CSLCs are on the forefront of ECU’s model of regional transformation.”

Greenville, N.C. (October 31, 2018)—Jiwon Lim, a third-year student at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, has been selected to receive a 2018 Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) Foundation Scholarship for $5,000 to help defray educational expenses.

The DTA is an association of companies that provide dental equipment, supplies, materials and services to dentists and other oral care professionals. The DTA Foundation functions to broaden awareness of oral health’s impact on overall health and increase access to oral health care. 

Third-year student Jiwon Lim received a 2018 Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) Foundation Scholarship.

The DTA Foundation awards scholarships to rising third- and fourth-year dental students who have demonstrated academic excellence in dentistry and have an established commitment to community service.

A native of Kernersville, N.C., Ms. Lim graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014 with a double major in biology and music. She is president of the ECU School of Dental Medicine Student Chapter of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. She has also served on the executive boards of the school’s Student Chapters of the American Association of Women Dentists and the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry. 

Ms. Lim was selected for the 2018-2019 J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellowship Program sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, through which she and ECU Brody School of Medicine student Niki Winters are expanding an interprofessional medical-dental free clinic for homeless and uninsured patients. The clinic was launched last year by another dental-medical team of ECU Schweitzer Fellows.

“I’m so grateful to be chosen as a recipient of the DTA Foundation Scholarship,” said Ms. Lim. “Serving the community is a passion of mine, and for the DTA Foundation to recognize my efforts is such an honor. It would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my family, classmates, faculty, and staff.”

“Jiwon is to be commended on receiving this award,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, the dental school’s vice dean and associate dean for Student Affairs. “Her selection by the DTA Foundation recognizes her academic achievements as well as her commitment to promoting the mission of the ECU School of Dental Medicine.”

After graduation from dental school, Ms. Lim plans to join a residency program to gain advanced training in general dentistry or in an area of specialized dentistry.

During her fourth year of dental school, Ms. Lim and her classmates will complete three 9-week rotations at the school’s Community Service Learning Centers located in eight rural communities across North Carolina—a unique opportunity to deliver care and learn about population health challenges in different parts of the state.

Greenville, NC (October 31, 2018)—Jonelle Romero, a first-year student at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, has received a four-year scholarship to the ECU School of Dental Medicine from the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the NHSC provides financial, professional and educational resources to primary care medical, dental, and behavioral health care professionals, who bring their skills to areas of the United States with limited access to health care.

Jonelle Romero, a first year dental student, has received a four-year scholarship to dental school from the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

The scholarship covers tuition, fees, and other relevant educational expenses and a monthly stipend for living expenses. The program finances the education of selected students, who will reciprocate by serving in health professional shortage areas upon graduation and licensure. For every year a student is awarded the scholarship, they commit to a year of service—with a two-year service minimum.

A native of New York, Ms. Romero grew up in Greenville. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in public health studies. As an undergraduate, she co-founded Pirate After School Scholars tutoring program, and she volunteered for Making Pitt Fit Community Garden. She is a first-generation college graduate in her family.

Since entering dental school in August, Ms. Romero has been active in the Student Research Group, the Student National Dental Association, Public Health Club, and the American Student Dental Association. “Diligence, hard work, and being scholarly pays off when the reward is receiving a scholarship to fulfill your dream,” she said.

“We are extremely pleased for Jonelle and for the dental school that she was selected to receive the NHSC four-year scholarship,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, the school’s vice dean and associate dean for Student Affairs. “Her commitment to our school’s mission is evident already. We look forward to watching her grow as a dental care provider.”

Ms. Romero’s long-term goal is to practice general dentistry in rural areas of North Carolina. “Eventually, I envision myself joining or creating outreach initiatives to strengthen communities in our state. I also hope to continue mentoring pre-dental students and volunteering at free dental clinics,” she added.

During her fourth year of dental school, Ms. Romero and her classmates will complete three 9-week rotations at the school’s Community Service Learning Centers located in eight rural communities across North Carolina—a unique opportunity to deliver care and learn about population health challenges in different parts of the state.

The national organization representing all U.S. and Canadian dental schools announced last week that a 2019 award for innovation will go to the School of Dental Medicine at East Carolina University. It is the first national honor to recognize the university for its breakthrough approach to providing practical experience for future dentists through rural service-learning centers across North Carolina.

Click here to read more.

The ECU School of Dental Medicine bestowed clinical white coats upon 51 students in the Class of 2021 during a ceremony on the evening of Nov. 8. The event signaled that these second-year students are ready to apply their intensive course work and clinical knowledge to patient care in the clinics of Ledyard E. Ross Hall.

“From this point on, you will be held to a higher standard—that of doctor of dental medicine and a member of the dental profession,” said Greg Chadwick, dean of the dental school. “The white coat symbolizes the most important relationship of your professional life—the relationship between patient and doctor.”

Read More.

For Lloyd Holland, walking into the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine’s community service learning center in Sylva, N.C., felt like coming home all over again.

Holland and about 40 other veterans from seven western North Carolina counties received dental care from students, residents and faculty from the School of Dental Medicine during the inaugural ECU Smiles for Veterans event on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Read More

Skyler Lagcher knows that part of her experience in ECU’s School of Dental Medicine is building an awareness of issues that could impact their future careers—and their future patients. That’s why she and several other SoDM students took on active roles in state and national advocacy efforts and events during the fall ’18 semester.

Through conferences and activities giving them access to viewpoints from dentists, lawmakers, policymakers and other future dentists, the students learned about issues—from the opioid crisis to licensure reform—that will affect the way they approach dental practice in the coming years.

School of Dental Medicine students (from left to right) Bryan Yang, Shailja Amin, Skyler Lagcher and Brittanie Height went to Washington, D.C., to the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Mid-Atlantic Advocacy Academy Conference in fall ’18 to take part in advocacy activities.

“Your duties don’t stop at the dental chair,” said Lagcher, a second-year SoDM student from Pinetown. “A lot of dental professionals focus on the clinical and professional side, which is important, but we also have an obligation as future professionals to advocate in our field. It’s a long-term commitment.”

Lagcher, along with fellow SoDM students Brittanie Height, Shailja Amin and Bryan Yang traveled in mid-October to Washington, D.C., to the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Mid-Atlantic Advocacy Academy Conference, where they engaged in a day of workshops on the advocacy basics and learned ASDA’s stance on a variety of issues, including the opioid crisis, mid-level providers and dental licensure reform. Upon their return, the students held a lunch-and-learn session called “Advocake”—complete with an ASDA cake—to discuss advocacy with SoDM D1-D4 cohorts.

“For me, this conference was crucial to being informed about the issues that are affecting our patients and profession; understanding ASDA’s stance on them and figuring out how I can impact change in these areas,” said Height, a first-year student from Charlotte. “For all of the issues addressed, I was able to glean new or fresh insight. I was also able to meet and speak with more experienced advocates in our profession, hear about their passion projects and their stance on the issues.”

Among the issues covered at the conference and discussed with other advocates, bridging barriers to care became one issue that Height has decided to champion.

“Addressing barriers to care is something that I am personally passionate about and understand first-hand,” she said. “It’s important that we as practitioners never lose sight of the things that may prevent our patients from receiving the care they need. It is integral that we think critically about the role we play in those barriers and take action to remove as many of them as possible.”

Advocacy is also breaking barriers for the students as they learn to think beyond the basics.

“Before coming to dental school, I knew that I wanted to be involved in impacting positive change in the lives of our patients and our profession,” Height said. “I know from experience that some things can be impacted by the provider alone, but there are other things that must be changed systemically to truly move forward.”

Dr. Maggie Wilson, SoDM vice dean and associate dean for student affairs, said advocacy experiences are important for students because such opportunities prepare them to be voices for communities of need—to speak for the most vulnerable and advocate on their behalf.

“A key facet of our mission is to educate leaders—who are also dentists,” Wilson said. “Having the opportunity to attend professional meetings and interact with their peers across the nation is an important component of their leadership development and provides students a forum for exchanging ideas and coming together as a collective voice. That experience maximizes their leadership potential and advocacy impact.”

Although her efforts in advocacy are based in a desire to serve her patients to the best of her ability, Lagcher also came to the ECU School of Dental Medicine with a plan to push herself beyond the standard requirements of her education. The advocacy events helped her learn more about herself by challenging her existing beliefs about her abilities and parameters.

“It was intimidating at first,” she said. “I was stepping outside my comfort zone, but I realized there were so many opportunities for education outside the classroom. I also wanted to find a way to challenge my own leadership capabilities, so I stepped up in the advocacy realm.”

Lagcher said that advocacy has helped her learn to balance a variety of educational facets, not just focusing on her classroom studies. The opportunity to represent the SoDM on a state and national stage was an honor, she added.

“You always want to represent the school well,” she said. “You want to put a good face on an up-and-coming dental school. For the school to have faith in you to send you out to these events is great. If you want to be involved, they will help you do it.”

By Spaine Stephens
University Communications

On June 21, East Carolina University and XComP Analytics, Inc. – a newly formed entity backed by several regional entrepreneurs – signed an exclusive license agreement that allows the company to fully develop and grow it’s eXtensible Competencies Platform (XComP) developed by ECU researchers.

R. Todd Watkins Jr., assistant dean for dental education and informatics at ECU’s School of Dental Medicine, created and developed the eXtensible Competencies Platform (XComP)

For the past 10 years, researchers at ECU have used advanced analytics techniques to assess student and institutional performance relative to standards in competence, proficiency and mastery of instructional knowledge, performance skills and professional value components of institutional program curricula.

Bianca Kristina Adams, a fourth-year student at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, will test her leadership skills in the next few months as vice president of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA).

Adams is heading up plans for the organization’s annual conference in Washington, DC, in July 2019. The conference will draw approximately 350 students from dental schools across the country, and Adams wants the three-day experience to exceed students’ expectations.

As vice president of the Student National Dental Association, fourth-year student Bianca Adams is planning the organization’s upcoming national meeting.

The SNDA was established 40 years ago to promote, aid and support the academic and social environment of minority dental students. The SNDA is the student branch of the National Dental Association (NDA) for dental professionals. Both organizations promote oral health equity among people of color, and they hold their annual meetings jointly each July.

This is Adams’s third year on the national SNDA conference planning committee but her first year in charge. She finds herself regularly marshalling phone calls, email, group chats and in-person planning sessions with committee chairs.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” said Adams of her committee. “SNDA is like a big family, so I can rely on others for support. I really wanted to make sure everyone’s voice is heard. We all come to the table with a different perspective but everyone’s perspective is important.”

Along with continuing education sessions highlighting the latest in treatment planning, dental photography, inter-oral scanning, and cosmetic dentistry, Adams is excited to offer opportunities for pre-dental students, dental students and dental professionals to mingle at the conference.

“Mentorship is a very important part of the SNDA and the NDA,” said Adams. “There are many first-generation college students among our ranks, so the support of other students and dentists will be an important part of their professional development. We are planning a mentorship breakfast, and I’m sure it will be very popular.”

The SNDA has figured prominently in Adams’s dental education. She says the organization has taught her to work within a team, to lead with confidence, to fend off intimidation, and to be resilient.

“We are so proud of the work that Bianca is doing as a student and as a leader in the Student National Dental Association,” said Dr. Maggie Wilson, vice dean of the ECU School of Dental Medicine. “She already understands the importance of professional organizations in advancing dentistry and dental professionals.”

Adams’s SNDA duties come amid her final year of dental school in which she and her classmates are completing 27 weeks of intensive clinical experience at the school’s community service learning centers in underserved areas across North Carolina. Her rotations have taken her to centers in Robeson County and Elizabeth City. She now treats at least five patients a day at the Brunswick County center.

Adams comes from a U.S. Army family. She was born in Toledo, Ohio, and graduated from high school in Atlanta, Georgia. Her family is now settled in Fayetteville, N.C. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2011 with a bachelor of science in public health studies, and she completed a dental post-baccalaureate program at University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California.

In dental school, Adams has served on the Humanistic Environment Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Community. She has also served as president and vice president of ECU’s SNDA chapter and was the national SNDA representative to the National Dental Association Foundation. She has been a contributing author for the American Student Dental Association’sContour magazine.

Though planning the conference is time consuming and a little stressful, Adams is confident that the outcome will be worth the investment. She’ll do all she can to make sure other dental students feel the support of the SNDA and National Dental Association.

“It is an honor to plan the SNDA conference for dental students from across the United States. I’ve met some of my closest friends and some wonderful mentors through the SNDA. I’m really excited about the conference and about sharing my enthusiasm for the organization that has been an integral part of my pre-dental and dental school journey,” said Adams.

Adams plans to pursue a general practice residency (hospital dentistry) after graduation and then seek further education or join a dental practice in North Carolina.

After 20 years in diabetes research, Dr. Shannon Wallet believes that the key to addressing Type 1 diabetes is to understand the immune system processes that lead to the disease.

Wallet, an associate professor in foundational sciences at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, will continue unraveling these mysteries, with a recent $357,382 grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Shannon Wallet, associate professor in the Department of Foundational Sciences at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, studies the communication of the immune system in her quest to understand diabetes. Along with her own research, she mentors student researchers. (Photos by Rhett Butler)

“This area of research is important as it is becoming clear that Type 1 diabetes is not a singular disease, but rather a classification of diseases whose clinical outcomes are similar,” said Wallet. “Thus, the mechanisms which result in the signs and symptoms are extremely complicated and extraordinarily different.”

Millions of people around the world live with diabetes, and it’s extremely prevalent in North Carolina. The condition affects how the body uses blood sugar, or glucose, to fuel the cells. In Type 1 diabetes, the rarer form of the disease, the body fails to produce insulin—a hormone the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the muscles, tissue and brain cells—because the immune system has destroyed the cells that make insulin. This results in the buildup of glucose in the bloodstream and is known as high blood sugar or hyperglycemia.

Wallet said the number of people directly and indirectly affected by the Type 1 diabetes epidemic is growing every day and although Type 1 diabetes itself may not be a deadly disease its secondary complications most definitely lead to increased pain and suffering.

Wallet also said scientists are still seeking answers to key questions about how the disease starts and progresses. For example, why don’t all people who are predisposed for the development of Type 1 diabetes actually develop the disease? Similarly, why does the disease progress more quickly in some individuals than in others?

Dr. Wallet guides the research of dental students such as first-year students Branden Sumner and Colby Godwin.

“My thoughts are that these differences are due to differences in an individual’s response to environmental experiences,” she said. “My laboratory studies the communication of the immune system with the environment at the largest environmental interface within our body: the gastrointestinal tract.”

The specific focus of Wallet’s NIH grant is to identify pathways within the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract (epithelial cells) induced by the environment that promote and/or support the types of immune responses that are responsible for the destruction of the cells of the body that make insulin.

Wallet’s training in diabetes research started in graduate school under the direction of Dr. Roland Tisch at UNC-Chapel Hill. Wallet describes her mentor’s commitment to research and disease processes as “very contagious.”

During her 15-year independent research career, Wallet has focused on determining how and why the immune system sometimes attacks the body’s own tissues, resulting in the group of diseases referred to as autoimmune disorders.

“If we can understand the difference in the communication that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of individuals with Type 1 diabetes and how it shapes the immune system, we can figure out the initiating events of this disease process and design better therapies and even preventive treatments to curb ongoing disease processes,” said Wallet.

Dr. David Paquette, interim associate dean for research at the School of Dental Medicine, calls Wallet’s research “innovative and cutting edge.”

“Dr. Wallet’s research on the role of gut immune responses on the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes has the potential to profoundly alter the way in which we prevent or manage this prevalent human disease,” he said.

Dr. Royce Montgomery, visiting lecturer at the ECU School of Dental Medicine and anatomist extraordinaire, received a Living Legend Award from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine during the 38^thAnnual Zollicoffer-Merrimon Banquet at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill February 8, 2019.

The Zollicoffer Living Legend Award was established in 2012 by Dr. Michael Zollicoffer to recognize the dedication of faculty, staff, physicians, educators, mentors, and community members who have made lasting impacts on the lives of students and communities.

Dr. Royce Montgomery accepted a Living Legend Award from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine during the 38th Annual Zollicoffer-Merrimon Banquet on February 8.

Award honorees are recognized as change-agents in their community. Nominated by the staff of the UNC School of Medicine’s Office of Special Programs’ Medical Education Development (MED) Program, Montgomery was selected for the award in honor of his passion for and dedication to teaching and mentoring medical students over a 50-year career at UNC.

Montgomery taught over 7,000 students in both the medical and dental schools at UNC-Chapel Hill over the course of his career, as well as directed the school’s MED anatomy course from its inception in 1974 to his retirement in 2013. He has also been a guest lecturer in the foundational biological sciences at the ECU School of Dental Medicine for the past three years, instructing beginning dental students in their first and second terms on basic head and neck anatomy.

Dr. Todd Watkins, the ECU dental school’s assistant dean for dental education and informatics, was a student of Montgomery’s in the 1980s.

“Royce Montgomery had a profound impact on my life,” Watkins said. “Yes, he taught me gross anatomy in dental school, but, more importantly, he was a tenacious partner in making me want to be a dental educator. He demanded that his students strove to understand the content instead of settling for passing tests.”

The two spent countless hours together, Watkins added, making precise cross-sections through human brains to build one of the first 3-D wireframes of human neuroanatomy using AutoCAD 1.0 in 1986. Watkins won awards for that research. Their project was the first American Dental Association table clinic with computers; that project led Watkins to his first teaching job after dental school, and Watkins credits Montgomery for building the foundation for everything he achieved thereafter.

ECU’s Dr. Alvin “Rocky” Underwood is delighted that ECU students are receiving the benefit of classes with his former UNC professor, Dr. Montgomery.

“Royce once told me, ‘Son, people don’t come by knowledge easily. Learn it to the level that you can teach it to others.’ I have tried to meet that challenge and have been incredibly fortunate to have been mentored by this living legend. Most importantly, I am proud to have him as a friend and colleague. Nobody deserves this honor more.”

Montgomery has been recognized by UNC-Chapel Hill on at least 14 prior occasions for excellence in teaching. He devotes time and financial support to fundraising campaigns for the MED Program. The staff of MED looks forward each summer to his annual “History of Anatomy” lecture to begin the gross anatomy course. He also continues to reach the next generation of learners. He has guest lectured for visiting school groups from across the state and a host of other medical and dental groups and organizations all of whom benefit from this legendary lecturer and enthusiastic educator.

Dr. Alvin “Rocky” Underwood, clinical assistant professor of endodontics at ECU, was a student at the UNC School of Dentistry in the 1970s, and he remembers well the classes taught by Montgomery.

“It has been 44 years since I was his student,” Underwood said. “He is a legend among many generations of dental and medical students. Our students are extremely fortunate to have him as their gross anatomy instructor.”

In a letter of support for Dr. Montgomery’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Education from the UNC medical school in 2009, Dr. Kurt Gilliland, associate professor of cell biology and physiology at UNC, wrote the following:

“Dr. Montgomery’s teaching has been recognized on many occasions, as evidenced by 13 teaching awards. In 1994, The News and Observer featured Dr. Montgomery with a full-page article and photograph series, entitled ‘Montgomery’s Ward.’ The article chronicled his storied career and fame throughout North Carolina as an educator. The current first-year medical class has embraced Dr. Montgomery, his dissection prowess, and his quick wit by including his picture on their class t-shirt. Furthermore, the students ended their class ‘Structure and Development’ with a humorous dialog on the course forum entitled ‘Montgomery-isms.’ The 74 comments (with 2274 views) indicate the students’ infatuation with his knowledge, laboratory ability, and entertaining examination reviews.

In addition to numerous scholarly publications, Dr. Montgomery has also co-authored 17 textbooks or review books of gross anatomy. Behind the scenes, he has served on numerous curriculum committees and has mentored many faculty members as they begin their careers in medical education. The students probably do not realize that faculty members strategically position themselves in the laboratory next to Dr. Montgomery so that they can learn from him while they teach the students.

Whenever I have an opportunity, I enjoy sitting down with Dr. Montgomery for a cup of coffee. His stories of funny students, his experience with unusual cadavers, and his institutional memory of the UNC School of Medicine are both amazing and impressive.”

Iquebal Hasan, BDS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of General Dentistry, presented “Oral & Systemic Connection – A Brief Overview” at Grand Rounds for the ECU Brody School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine on February 21, 2019.

Iquebal Hasan, BDS, presented “Oral & Systemic Connection – A Brief Overview” at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds.

Dr. Hasan spoke about some of the early signs of systemic diseases which can be seen in the mouth. He also spoke of the impact of certain medications on oral soft tissue. He presented two case studies showing conditions that he helped diagnose. He is now working with the patient’s physicians in the management of one of the conditions and the other patient was successfully treated by him. Dr. Hasan discussed the diagnosis, treatment, and positive results of some other patients seen by him.

Among Dr. Hasan’s primary interests are the oral manifestations of systemic diseases; the effects of medications on the oral cavity; Sjogren’s Syndrome; and dental management of medically complex patients.

Dr. Hasan can be reached at the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s Faculty Practice at 252-737-7122 or at hasani16@ecu.edu.

The ECU School of Dental Medicine provided free dental care for 207 children at six locations across the state during Children’s Oral Health Month in February as part of the American Dental Association Foundation’s annual Give Kids a Smile® initiative.

In Greenville, 80 children and their families experienced an interactive health fair with emphasis on the whole child sponsored by the East Central Dental Society. The school’s pediatric dentistry faculty, residents, and students joined local dentists in providing nearly $40,000 worth of free dental care along with health screenings for the children.

“There is substantial need for pediatric dental services in Pitt County and eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Chris Cotterill, director of ECU’s residency program in pediatric dentistry. “The development of the dental school and the pediatric dental residency program are helping to produce general dental providers and pediatric dental specialty providers.”

Faculty, staff, residents, and students at the school’s community service learning centers in Ahoskie, Davidson County, Lillington, Robeson County, and Spruce Pine also held Give Kids a Smile® days, providing fluoride treatments, x-rays, cleanings, and comprehensive exams for a combined total of 127 children.

Kedra Peele values preventive dentistry for her daughters Keziyah (at left) and Kedriona. Third-year student Caitlin Ferguson provided cleanings and fluoride treatments for the girls during Give Kids a Smile® day in Greenville.

According to a 2016-2017 report by the NC Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Section, 14.3% of the state’s kindergarten children have untreated tooth decay, 30.3% of pregnant women have untreated tooth decay, and 18.1% of adults aged 65 year and older have had all of their permanent teeth extracted.

The Community Service Learning Center-Spruce Pine servesprimarily Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, McDowell, and Burke Counties, where 14.5% of kindergarten children have untreated tooth decay, 33% of pregnant women have untreated tooth decay, and 22% of adults aged 65 years and older have had all of their permanent teeth extracted.

“The publicity generated by Give Kids a Smile® raises awareness of the importance of pediatric oral health,” said Dr. Dean Stacy, faculty director of the Spruce Pine center. “There are individual benefits to the specific child, and hopefully, family education benefits siblings as well.”

Local school nurses identified 35 children who qualified for the program in Spruce Pine. After providing dental exams, x-rays, and cleanings, Stacy’s teamsent the children home with printouts of their x-rays and treatment planshoping this might encourage parents to seek further treatment for their child.

“We’ve had several follow-up appointments,” said Stacy, “and several had such significant need that we referred them to pedodontists or comprehensive care via general anesthesia.”

Stacy believes that an increase in oral health education and awareness for families with children and a more consistent message from dental and medical providers would lead to more pro-active dental care.

Dr. Michael Bradley is faculty director at the center in Lillington, which serves mainly Harnett, Johnson, Wake, Lee, and Moore Counties. Bradley said the kindergarten decay rate in Harnett County is four times the rate in neighboring Wake County.

Bradley and his dental team had good support from Campbell University public health, pharmacy, and physical therapy students as well as students from Coastal Carolina Community College dental hygiene and dental assistant programs. The event took on a carnival atmosphere and health fair.

Fourth-year dental student Leslie Pence and other dental team members in Spruce Pine dressed as trolls to keep the mood light during Give Kids a Smile® day.

“We need more events like Give Kids a Smile® and total county efforts for children’s total health if we’re going to change current statistics,” said Bradley.

Dr. Craig Slotke, faculty director of the Robeson County center in Lumberton, observed that children in his center’s service area of Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland, and Columbus Counties have a high level of dental needs and many with above average amounts of decayed, missing, or filled teeth.

Slotke and his team provided cleanings, dental sealants, and fluoride treatments for 43 first grade students from Deep Branch Elementary School in Lumberton with assistance from pre-dental students from UNC-Pembroke.

“Many of the kids have had extensive care at a young age but then no follow-up. Seeing them at the first-grade level can help get them into a dental home. Many of them still have un-addressed needs,” said Slotke. “I’d like us to have more interaction with schools.”

Dr. Chris Cotterill believes there is a great need for education and resources to improve children’s oral health. “We need to help parents and families understand the importance of oral hygiene, proper nutrition, and oral health services,” he said. “We especially need providers who understand and will time to provide oral health education to patients.”

The dental school’s Give Kids a Smile® days have far reaching effects among the children, families, schools and organizations involved. Such outreach also makes an impression on the many volunteers and students involved. Approximately 30 ECU dental students were directly involved in caring for the children. Many of these students will soon be practicing in underserved areas of North Carolina.

Dr. Craig Slotke (far right) and his team of students, residents and staff in Lumberton provided dental care for children from Deep Branch Elementary School.

Dr. Rob Tempel, associate dean for extramural clinical practices, works to support the CSLCs and ensure ECU priorities are in line with the needs of each community. “It’s an honor to serve North Carolina’s rural communities. Through events like Give Kids a Smile® and the care delivered in our clinics every day, our students and staff are improving the health of North Carolinians and providing access to high quality, affordable care,” he said.

The Give Kids A Smile® program was launched nationally in 2003 by the American Dental Association Foundation. So far, more than 5.5 million underserved children have received free oral health services. These free services are provided by approximately 10,000 volunteer dentists annually, along with 30,000 other dental team members.

Paul Lindauer, DDS, division director of endodontics in the ECU School of Dental Medicine Department of Surgical Sciences, has been named a 2019-2020 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute Fellow and the 2019 ADEA/American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Foundation Scholar.

The ADEA Leadership Institute is year-long program “designed to develop the nation’s most promising individuals at academic dental institutions to become future leaders in dental and higher education.”

Dr. Paul Lindauer will join the American Dental Education Association Leadership Institute Class of 2020.

As a new Fellow, Dr. Lindauer attended the Leadership Institute’s orientation during ADEA’s Annual Session in Chicago in March. Over the next year, he will attend the Institute in four phases in Washington, DC; Chicago; and National Harbor, MD. Sessions will include Personal and Interpersonal Competencies for Leadership, Legislative Workshop, Administrative Competencies for Leadership, and Integration.

As the 2019 ADEA/American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Foundation Scholar, Dr. Lindauer will receive a scholarship for his participation in the ADEA Leadership Institute.

“Dr. Lindauer is very deserving of this opportunity and we are delighted to see that he was selected for this prestigious program and funded by the American Association of Endodontists,” said Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the ECU School of Dental Medicine.

Greenville, NC, (4-11-19)—A Kenly, N.C., native and first-year student at the ECU School of Dental Medicine is among a select group of U.S. dental students and the only student from North Carolina to receive a travel grant to present research at the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) General Session & Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada, June 19-22, 2019.

Colby Godwin will present “Understanding the Effects of Arrabidaea chica on Inflammatory Signaling Pathways” at the international conference due to the 2019 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Bloc Travel Grant.

Colby Godwin ’22 is the only North Carolina dental student selected to present research at an international conference in Vancouver. Colby’s research mentor is Dr. Ramiro M. Murata, assistant professor in the dental school’s Department of Foundational Sciences.

Godwin graduated from East Carolina University in 2018 as a student in the Honors College with a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. He joined the School of Dental Medicine’s Summer Research Scholars prior to beginning dental school classes.

“The Summer Research Scholar program allowed me the time and resources to focus on my project and learn new lab techniques and information before the rigors of dental school,” said Godwin. “Having that head start helped me with continuing my research during the school year.”

Godwin’s research mentor is Dr. Ramiro M. Murata, an assistant professor in the dental school’s Department of Foundational Sciences. Godwin and Murata study the medicinal properties of Arrabidaea chica, a Brazilian plant with an extract that shows promise in relieving the inflammation and ulceration of tissues in the mouth that can occur after cancer therapies. The project is an extension of the school’s international collaborations with Dr. Mary Ann Foglio, University of Campinas, Brazil.

“Colby’s project was selected on the basis of the quality of the abstract he submitted to the meeting,” said Murata. “The research was recognized by the American Association for Dental Research as significant work with original research design, technical innovation and scientific merit.”

Murata said that the Vancouver conference will expose Godwin to the largest gathering of dental researchers in the world, where he will be able to speak with other dental students from across the nation and the world about their experiences in dental research and more.

Godwin said he has always had a passion for science and discovery, but his interest in research was ignited during his senior project as a student in the Honors College.

“The School of Dental Medicine continued to support me with the Summer Scholars Program, and I am extremely grateful to be here at ECU where my interests are supported,” he said.

Godwin hopes to complete dental school in the next three years and go on to serve the people of North Carolina.

By Anne Blythe

Iquebal Hasan was nervous when he first informed his father that he wanted to become a dentist, not a doctor.

Medicine had coursed through the family’s veins, with 16 doctors in his extended family tree. His dad, an internist, had been a celebrated physician to governors and even an Iranian prime minister.

Worried he might disappoint his father, his hero, Hasan gingerly posed a question: What did he think about him pursuing a degree in dental surgery.

Read the full story

When Jiwon Lim decided to study dental medicine, part of her decision hinged on her desire to help others and change lives. After her experience as a 2018-19 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, she’s even more motivated to place her unique imprint on the world through dentistry.

“It’s further solidified my desire to serve the people in my community in my own unique way,” said Lim, a student in East Carolina University’s School of Dental Medicine (SoDM). “I love and respect dentistry because I’m able to bring someone to better health through a combination of my knowledge and hand skills.”

The 2018-19 Schweitzer Fellows on ECU’s Health Sciences campus completed projects that will lend experiences and new knowledge to future careers in health care. The NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program helps prepare a new generation of professional and build healthier communities.

“Now more than ever, we need passionate and dedicated leaders to meet the needs of vulnerable communities,” said Barbara Heffner, director of the NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “As these Fellows transition to Fellows for Life, they have developed the skills, commitment and true confidence in knowing they can make a difference in the lives of those they serve.”

Lim worked with Brody School of Medicine student Niki Winters to expand an interprofessional free medical-dental clinic for homeless and uninsured patients, who were screened at local free clinics for dental emergencies and referred to the ECU SoDM Emergency Clinic. Patients were also referred to the James D. Bernstein Community Clinic for continued medical and dental needs.

“We provided more than $10,000 worth of dental care, medical care, prescription drugs and supplies to the community over the year,” Winters said. “I am thankful to have had the opportunity to help each and every individual that we encountered throughout the year.”

Jiwon Lim (left) and Niki Winters completed an interprofessional project to expand medical and dental care for homeless and uninsured patients as 2018-19 Albert Schweitzer Fellows. (Photo courtesy of NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowships)

Lim and Winters – who completed their project as J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellows/Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Fellows – said that being part of an interprofessional team helped them gain perspective of how providers in different fields contribute to a patient’s overall health. Their project aimed to close gaps between dental and medical care that many patients experience.

“People were coming to the doctors’ office or emergency department complaining about dental pain and not knowing where to go,” Winters said. “We hope that we were able to bridge some of those gaps by establishing referral systems between local medical clinics and the ECU School of Dental Medicine Emergency Dental Clinic. Moving forward in my career, I want to hold on to an interprofessional mind set and cherish the big team it takes to care of a person.”

That team discovered that some patients had underlying medical conditions that might not have been addressed if the patients had not presented with dental pain or problems.

“We found that most of our patients who did present with dental emergencies also had other medical conditions that were either being neglected or not being managed,” Lim said. “Working with a medical student who could speak to the patient about these conditions, as well as a social worker that had knowledge of resources where these patients could get help, was really incredible.”

Winters and Lim said they feel confident that they made a difference in the overall health of patients who sought treatment, and that their project helped shape them as future dentists and doctors.

“I want to be the kind of health-care professional that my community can lean on,” Lim said.

Other 2018-19 Schweitzer Fellows projects aimed to improve health and quality of life for people in eastern North Carolina.

Graduate student Gabriel Beattie-Sergio earned ECU’s first-ever Schweitzer Fellowship in public health as a 2018-19 J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow and BCBS Foundation Schweitzer Fellow. He created a project aimed at determining and eliminating factors that contribute to childhood asthma.

Beattie-Sergio’s work focused on families who were impacted by Hurricane Matthew, live in substandard housing and have children with asthma. He conducted in-home visits, interviewed families and conducted environmental health and housing assessments.

“We found that families who have children with asthma living in homes that were damaged by hurricane Matthew and Florence had at least one indefinable asthma trigger, like mold or cockroaches,” Beattie-Sergio said. “We also found that these families had nonmedical needs that were not being met. I hope that this research shows the importance of understanding a family’s social determinants of health when a primary care physician is determining their care plan.”

The research hits particularly close to home for Beattie-Sergio, who is pursuing both a master of public health in epidemiology and a master of science in environmental health. He suffered from childhood asthma and hopes his work will help address the illness in eastern North Carolina, which has the state’s highest rates of childhood asthma.

Through the project, families were referred to the Eastern Carolina Asthma Prevention Program (ECAPP) from Vidant Medical Center’s Emergency Department. Based on Beattie-Sergio’s findings, some cases were referred to legal aid to pursue action to get the living conditions improved by landlords and property owners.

Constantine Unanka, a Brody School of Medicine 2019-20 J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow and a classmate of Beattie-Sergio’s, will take over the project and build on its momentum.

“These families are more than home assessments, they are people whom I have gotten to know over the past year and I genuinely care for their health and well-being,” Beattie-Sergio said. “Constantine shares that and will do a great job. My hope is that more public health students will seek this opportunity.”

Other 2018-19 ECU health sciences Schweitzer Fellows included:

• Hannah Conley and Hannah Smith, a Brody School of Medicine team that worked at the Lucille Gorham Intergenerational Community Center on their project leading “Promoting Reproductive Health Education in Pitt County.”
• Briana Hudson and Akeadra Bell, a School of Dental Medicine J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellows//Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation team who focused on improving the lives of HIV patients through increased awareness of HIV and proper oral health.
• Ashton Lyle and Greyson Vann, a School of Dental Medicine and Brody School of Medicine team, worked to expedite the dental clearance that cancer patients need before medical treatment can begin, as well as increase patient and provider awareness to reduce post-radiation complications.
• Caitlin Melvin and Bryan Yang, a School of Dental Medicine J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow/Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation team, implemented an on-site oral health program at the ECU Lab School that included educational outreach, screenings and referrals to a dentist they can see on a regular basis.

-by Spaine Stephens, University Communications

Six graduating students and two faculty members were inducted into the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s Beta Eta Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society, and a third-year student received the William S. Kramer Award at the school’s annual OKU Induction Banquet and Convocation Ceremony on April 24, 2019.

Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society inductees include (left to right) Dr. David Taylor, Dr. Raynald Desameau, Dr. Patrick Monahan, Ms. Peyton Absher, Dr. Luke Current, Dr. Morgan Stroud, Dr. Brett Leslie, and Dr. Bryson Rominger. Dr. Wanda Wright was unavailable for the photo.

Since its inception in 1914 at Northwestern University, OKU has been the premier, national honor society promoting the highest standards of dentistry and recognizing scholarship and character among alumni, faculty and honorary members. A total of 72 chapters have been chartered to date, and 59 chapters are presently active.

The following OKU inductees graduated from the ECU School of Dental Medicine on May 3, 2019: Dr. Luke Current, Dr. Raynald Desameau, Dr. Brett Leslie, Dr. Patrick Monahan, Jr., Dr. Bryson Rominger, and Dr. Morgan Stroud. Faculty inductees included Dr. Wanda Wright and Dr. David Taylor. Third-year student Payton Absher received the William S. Kramer Award.

William S. Kramer Award
Peyton Absher received the Beta Eta Chapter William S. Kramer Award of Excellence. The awardrecognizes a junior dental student at each chapter school, who has demonstrated scholarship, character, and the potential promise for the advancement of dentistry and service to humanity.

Ms. Absher is a third-year dental student originally from Ashe County, North Carolina. She graduated from NC State University in 2015, summa cum laudeand class valedictorian, with a bachelor of science degree in human biology. She has been inducted previously into Phi Beta Kapa, Phi Kappa Phi and Gamma Beta Phi honor societies. At the School of Dental Medicine, she has distinguished herself in scholarship and service. In 2017, she was selected as a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Albert Schweitzer Fellow in which she conducted a project called Green County Access Program or “GAP” that provides oral health and nutrition education and preventive counseling to children in nearby Greene County elementary schools. Since her second year, Ms. Absher has served as a laboratory tutor for other dental students in the preclinical setting with basic hand skills development. She has served as treasurer of the school’s student chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

About Alumni Inductees
Dr. Luke Currentgraduated with a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences with distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill. While an undergraduate, he investigated the viability of multipotent stem cells derived from alveolar bone and grown in different matrices. At the ECU School of Dental Medicine, he continued work as a student researcher investigating the effects of maternal exercise on childhood risk for dental caries and on tooth development. He was an active didactic tutor for fellow students and served as the student representative on the school’s Curriculum Committee. He also served as president of the Student Research Group. Dr. Current was the Beta Eta Chapter’s Kramer Award of Excellence recipient in 2018. He will soon begin a residency in pediatric dentistry at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

Dr. Raynald Desameauearned a bachelor of science in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor of science in chemistry from UNC Greensboro. He was active in Greek life on both campuses and a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He also served as president and historian for the Black Student Movement – Cultural Diversity Subsection at UNC-CH. At the ECU School of Dental Medicine, he performed at a high level academically while remaining active in community service. He served as a didactic tutor for the biomedical sciences, treasurer for the school’s chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) and as a member of the American Student Dental Association Predental Committee. Dr. Desameau plans to enter private practice in the Charlotte, N.C., area.

Dr. Brett Lesliegraduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor of arts in political science with highest distinction in 2014. At the ECU School of Dental Medicine, he defined himself as a scholar and leader. Since 2017, he served as class vice president and advocated for his fellow students on the Student and Resident Affairs Committee while supporting and planning class community service and social events. He served as a didactic tutor for the predoctoral dentistry program for three years. Dr. Leslie plans to enter private practice in Salisbury, N.C.

Dr. Thomas Patrick Monahan previously received two degrees from NC State University: a bachelor of science in polymer and color chemistry and a master of science in textile chemistry with a concentration in biomedical engineering. As a graduate student, Patrick worked with a design team of master’s students to fabricate prototypes of a novel medical-oral device to manage sleep apnea. At the ECU School of Dental Medicine, he balanced academics with active service and leadership. He served as a laboratory tutor for dental students. He also served as social coordinator for his class and as a student member of the school’s cultural and diversity team. He participated in many service events including the North Carolina Dental Society’s Missions of Mercy. Dr. Monahan will soon begin a one-year residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Bryson Romingergraduated summa cum laudefrom Wake Forest University with a bachelor of science in sociology and a minor in biology. At Wake Forest, he investigated dental access for Medicaid recipients across North Carolina. At the ECU School of Dental Medicine, he served as a tutor of biomedical sciences for other dental students. He was active on the school’s Burnisher’s Ball fundraiser committee, treasurer of the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association, and president of the Christian Medical and Dental Association. Dr. Rominger plans to become an associate at Barker Family Dentistry in Hudson, N.C. 

Dr. Morgan Stroud earned a bachelor of science in biology with a minor in chemistry as well as a Doctor of Pharmacy with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was a practicing pharmacist from 2013 until she entered dental school in 2015. She was named a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina FoundationSchweitzer Fellow in 2017 and helped expand ECU’s Prenatal Oral Health Program. She served terms as vice president and president of the Class of 2019, and she participated in many service events including the North Carolina Dental Society’s Missions of Mercy. She also served as a didactic biomedical science tutor and led local “Girl Scout Career Day” events to attract the next generation of women dentists. Dr. Stroud will begin a one-year general practice residency (GPR) at MAHEC Family Health Center in Asheville, N.C.

Faculty Inductee
Wanda Wright, RN, DDS, MS, MSD, assistant professor in the School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Foundational Sciences, began her professional training as a graduate of the Washington Hospital Center School of Nursing in Washington, DC. She earned a DDS degree from the University of Maryland, a master’s in health services administration from D‘Youville College, a dental public health masters and certificate from Boston University and a certificate in clinical research from Tufts University Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Wright has held previous faculty positions at the University of Buffalo, Boston University and Tufts University dental schools. She was recruited to the ECU School of Dental Medicine as an assistant professor in 2015. She directs the school’s Division of Public Health and the predoctoral Community Oral Health Practice course, which is a curriculum stream throughout the four years. Her research interests include access to care, cultural competency and student diversity and patient preventive services utilization. She is the recipient of East Carolina University’s 2018 Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award.

Honorary Inductee
David Taylor, PhD, FCP, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the ECU Brody School of Medicine, has advanced dentistry and the ECU School of Dental Medicine through his scholarship and teaching. Dr. Taylor earned a bachelor of science in biology from Alderson-Broaddus College and a PhD in Pharmacology from West Virginia University. He was elected Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology in 2002. He has held previous faculty appointments at the University of Colorado and West Virginia University. He was appointed professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Brody School of Medicine in 2001. He is highly active in peer review and currently serves as associate editor for “Frontiers in Pharmacology-Integrative and Regenerative Pharmacology Section” and “Current Opinions in Pharmacology.” His research interests include neuropharmacology, “super-sensitivity” drug responses and morphine pharmacodynamics and anti-seizure drug development. He has mentored countless professional and graduate students and has been an active and contributing biomedical sciences instructor for the predoctoral dental program since the School of Dental Medicine admitted its first class in 2011. He is known for engaging students in learning and making subject matter relevant.

East Carolina University is proud to have bestowed the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree on the Class of 2019 on Friday, May 3. Listed here are the names of the graduates, their cities of origin in parentheses, their immediate professional plans, and their honors and awards. We will miss these exceptional dentists and wish them every success in their future endeavors.

Class of 2019 Graduates

Bianca Kristina Adams (Fayetteville, NC)
General Practice Residency
Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, Baton Rouge, LA
Old North State Dental Society Community Commitment Award

Ankit Mahattej Amin (Charlotte, NC)
Private Practice, Charlotte, NC

Morgan Lee Barnes (Benson, NC)
Private Practice, Benson, NC

Kiersten Denise Bethea (Greensboro, NC)
Private Practice, Raleigh, NC
J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow

Andrew Robins Blank (Rockwell, NC)
Private Practice, Taylorsville, NC

Kristy Nicole Bryant (Jacksonville, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX
International College of Dentists Student Humanitarian Award

Tushar Pradip Bulsara (Gastonia, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine CSLC – Sylva, NC

Jeffrey David Connell (Franklin, NC)
Private Practice, Cameron, NC

Christian Gerard Cook (Wilmington, NC)
Private Practice, Wilmington, NC
Academy of Operative Dentistry Student Award

Raven Noel Corbett (Rockwell, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
New York University Langone Health, Snow Hill, NC
Academy of General Dentistry Senior Dental Student Award

Madison Smith Crumley (Burlington, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine CSLC – Ahoskie, NC
International Congress of Oral Implantologists’ Pre-Doctoral Student Achievement Award/
Academy of General Dentistry Senior Dental Student Award

Jonathan Luke Current (Cleveland, NC)
Pediatric Dentistry Residency
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital, Richmond, VA
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Predoctoral Student Award
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Raynald Leon Desameau (Fayetteville, NC)
Private Practice, Charlotte, NC
ECU School of Dental Medicine Community Commitment Award
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Laura Kathryn Frye (Lexington, NC)
Private Practice, Lexington, NC

Alex Colby Green (Spruce Pine, NC)
Mountain Community Health Partnership, Mitchell County, NC

Bryant Seth Greene (Spruce Pine, NC)
Private Practice, Burnsville, NC

Sarah Langley Harrell (Greenville, NC)
Private Practice, Greenville, NC

Alexandra Davis Harvey (Cary, NC)
Pediatric Dentistry Residency
The Dental College of George at Augusta University, Augusta, GA
J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow

Dalton Dwayne Harvey (Catawba, NC)
Private Practice, Claremont, NC

Ryan Le (Concord, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine CSLC – Davidson County, NC
North Carolina Dental Society Student Leader in Organized Dentistry Award

Brett Ryan Leslie (Salisbury, NC)
Private Practice, Salisbury, NC
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Marisol Lopez (Lexington, NC)
Private Practice, Fuquay-Varina, NC

Ashton Brooke Lyle (Plymouth, NC)
General Practice Residency, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC
American Academy of Oral Medicine Award
J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow

Eden Nethercutt Manning (Pikeville, NC)
Private Practice, Johnston County, NC
American College of Prosthodontists Predoctoral Student Prosthodontic Achievement Award

Cornelius Devante Martin (Jacksonville, NC)
Pediatric Dentistry Residency
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital, Richmond, VA

Velvet Enjoli Martin (Sanford, NC)
Private Practice, Greenville, NC

Cameron Brown McGee (Winterville, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine CSLC – Ahoskie, NC

Laura Y. Mercer (Mt. Airy, NC)
Private Practice, Mt. Airy, NC

Thomas Patrick Monahan Jr. (Raleigh, NC)
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Internship
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
American Student Dental Association Award of Excellence
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Matthew Raynard Moore (Charlotte, NC)
General Practice Residency
Harbor – University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance, CA

David Claude Morrison (Hamptonville, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine, Ross Hall, Greenville, NC
Academy of Dentistry International Student Servant Leadership Award
Community Commitment Award

Hieu Bui Nguyen (Charlotte, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
ECU School of Dental Medicine CSLC, Lillington, NC

Clementina Ifeoma Oguejiofor (Garner, NC)
Private Practice, Goldsboro, NC
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Dental Student Award

Andrew Joseph O’Keefe (Statesville, NC)
Private Practice, Greenville, NC

Puja Nishith Patel (Whiteville, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Award

Leslie Raffety Pence (Cleveland, NC)
Pediatric Dentistry Residency
New York University Langone Health, Tampa, FL

Taylor Brooke Pope (Washington, NC)
Private Practice, Pitt County, NC

Emily Ann Reece (Olin, NC)
Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC

Maria Isabel Baltar de Barros Rêgo (Winston Salem, NC)
Private Practice, Emerald Isle, NC

Bryson Curtis Rominger (Granite Falls, NC)
Private Practice, Hudson, NC
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Jasmine Lafaye Schneider (Greensboro, NC)
Private Practice, Norfolk, VA

Ashley M. Schofield (Lexington, NC)
Private Practice, Clemmons, NC
International College of Dentists Student Leadership Award

Jessica Davida Shamberger (Aberdeen, NC)
Gaston Family Health Services, Gastonia, NC
American Association of Public Health Dentistry Student Award
Pierre Fauchard Academy Senior Student Award

Morgan Lynne Stroud (New Bern, NC)
General Practice Residency
Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, NC
American Association of Orthodontists Award
American College of Dentists Outstanding Student Servant Leader Award
J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society

Amy Thomason Troxell (Kernersville, NC)
Private Practice, Greenville, NC
American Academy of Periodontology Dental Student Award

Kelsey M. Weiss (Raleigh, NC)
Private Practice, Franklinton, NC

Charles Evan Williams (Swansboro, NC)
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency
University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Oklahoma City, OK
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Student Award

Zachary Codey Williams (Bessemer City, NC)
Private Practice, Kings Mountain, NC
American Association of Endodontists Student Achievement Award in Endodontics

Meredith Brooke Wimberly (Angier, NC)
Private Practice, Clayton, NC

Colin Everett Wint (Charlotte, NC)
High Country Community Health, Boone, NC

Dr. Ryan Le has received the Student Leader in Organized Dentistry Award from the North Carolina Dental Society. The Society recognized Le during its 163^rdAnnual Session in Myrtle Beach held May 16-18, 2019.

Dr. Ryan Le

The award is given annually to deserving fourth year dental student who are in good academic standing and have shown exceptional leadership and interest in organized dentistry. The students may have been involved with the NC Dental Society or other professional dental organizations while in dental school and display outstanding potential for future leadership in organized dentistry.

Dr. Le was awarded a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the ECU School of Dental Medicine on May 3, 2019. He graduated from Queens University with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and then worked in the private sector while earning a master of business administration (MBA) in biosciences management and a masters in microbial biotechnology from North Carolina State University. Dr. Le will begin an Advanced Education in General Residency at ECU’s Community Service Learning Center-Davidson County in June.

While in dental school, Dr. Le served as the Second Delegate and then First Delegate of ECU’s American Student Dental Association (ASDA) chapter, leading the re-branding of the chapter to more effectively engage members in organized dentistry, network with colleagues and collaborate with other organizations. Under Dr. Le’s leadership, the organization’s annual Burnisher’s Ball doubled its contributions to the school’s Patient Care Fund. The school’s dean, Dr. Greg Chadwick, appointed Dr. Le to the Professional Conduct Committee in 2015, a position Le held until his graduation, serving as a student co-chair.

Dr. Le served as a student trustee on the NC Dental Society Board of Trustees. In addition to his membership with the American Dental Association and NC Dental Society, Dr. Le is active in many professional organizations and uses his talents as a photographer to beautifully document many dental school events.