Penn Dental Medicine Faculty Recognized by Students with Annual Teaching Awards

 

Philadelphia – Penn Dental Medicine faculty members were honored for excellence in teaching at the School’s Senior Farewell, held May 12 at The Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City Philadelphia. Each academic year, the graduating class recognizes members of the faculty with teaching awards, presented at this annual event that celebrates the passage of students to professional dentistry and welcomes them into the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society. The awards and recipients included the following:

The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award – presented to a faculty member who has gone beyond the scope of his/her responsibilities to significantly impact the class’s education at Penn Dental Medicine. This year, the Senior Outstanding Teaching Award was presented to Mel Mupparapu, DMD, Professor of Oral Medicine and Director of Radiology. Dr. Mupparapu, who has been part the School’s faculty since 1996, is the course director for two freshman Radiology courses, one sophomore Radiology course, and two clinical Radiology courses at Penn Dental Medicine. He also directs the Radiology Fellowship Program and Radiology Honors Program at the School.

The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award – presented to a part-time faculty member for excellence in clinical teaching. This year’ recipient is Thomas R. Berardi, DDS, Clinical Associate Professor of Oral Medicine. Dr. Berardi, who has been a member of the Penn Dental Medicine faculty since 2008, is a clinical instructor/attending in the Oral Diagnosis Admissions and Emergency Care Clinics, teaching students in all four years of their dental school experience. He focuses his instruction on the medical management of the dental patient and conducts small-group, patient-centered medical seminars. The Appleton Award is named in honor of Dr. Joseph Appleton, a 1914 alumnus of Penn Dental Medicine, who served as dean of the School from 1941 to 1951. The award was founded in 1979 by Dr. Abram Cohen, a member of the Class of 1923 and father of Dean Emeritus D. Walter Cohen, Class of 1950.

The Basic Science Award – presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Michael S. Speirs, PhD, Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Dr. Speirs has been teaching at Penn Dental Medicine since 2006 and a member of the Penn faculty since 1996. He is course director of both the Gross Anatomy and Cadaveric Anatomy courses taken by first-year dental students. He has directed the didactic course for the past four years and the lab course for the last nine.

The Earle Bank Hoyt Award – presented for excellence in teaching to a faculty member who is a Penn Dental Medicine graduate. The award was established by a grateful patient in honor of Dr. Hoyt, a distinguished clinician and educator and member of the Class of 1918. This year’s recipient is David C. Appleby, DMD, MScD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Restorative Dentistry, and a 1974 graduate of Penn Dental Medicine. Dr. Appleby, who has been a member of the School’s faculty since 2011, teaches within the clinic and also teaches Quality Assurance in Removable Prosthodontics. Dr. Appleby is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics; a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists; a member of the OKU dental honor society; and Professor Emeritus, The Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University.

The Robert E. DeRevere Award – presented for excellence in preclinical teaching by a part-¬time faculty member. The award is named in honor of Dr. DeRevere, a member of the Penn Dental Medicine Class of 1945, who served on the School’s faculty. This year’s recipient is Yi-Tai Jou, DMD, Director of the Predoctoral Endodontic Program. Since 1996, he has been teaching predoctoral clinical and preclinical endodontics at the School as well as postdoctoral endodontics.

View photos from Senior Farewell 2015 >>

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