Penn Dental Faculty Recognized by Students with Annual Teaching Awards
Faculty award recipients Drs. Yu-Cheng Chang (GD’15, GD’16, D’18), Joy Bockstein Abt (D’94), Faizan Alawi, and Patrice Ierardi (MT’80, D’84); and Artur Kofman, C.D.T.
Philadelphia – Penn Dental Medicine faculty members were honored by students for excellence in teaching at the School’s Senior Farewell, held May 14 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 Basic Science Award – presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Dr. Faizan Alawi, Associate Professor of Pathology and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A member of the Penn Dental Medicine faculty since 2001, Dr. Alawi teaches oral and maxillofacial pathology for students in the School’s predoctoral and postdoctoral programs, as well as to Penn medical students and residents. Dr. Alawi also serves as Director of Penn Oral Pathology Services. He was previously recognized with the Basic Science Award in 2010 and 2016. He was a 2018 recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
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 Dr. Joy Bockstein Abt (D’94), Clinical Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Director of Fixed Prosthodontics. From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Abt was Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Director of Operative Dentistry. She returned to the faculty in 2007 as Clinical Assistant Professor and was appointed Director of Fixed Prosthodontics in 2008. In addition to fixed prosthodontics, Dr. Abt also teaches in the first-year operative dentistry course and second-year complete dentures and removable partial dentures courses. Dr. Abt is a member of the Matthew Cryer Honor Society and Omicron Kappa Upsilon. In 2012, Dr. Abt was the recipient of Penn Dental Medicine’s Award for Outstanding Service to Students; she also received the Robert E. DeRevere Award in 2013, 2014 and 2017.
The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award – presented to a part-time faculty member for excellence in clinical teaching. Dr. Patrice Ierardi (MT’80, D’84), Clinical Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Assistant Director of Comprehensive Care Clinics. Dr. Ierardi joined the faculty in 2014, teaching clinical restorative dentistry on the clinic floor. Since taking on the role of Assistant Director of Comprehensive Care Clinics last year, she has added to her teaching responsibilities with all DMD students throughout the predoctoral clinics. 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. This is the second year in row that Dr. Ierardi received this award.
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 was Dr. Yu-Cheng Chang (GD’15, GD’16, D’18), Predoctoral Director of Periodontics. A member for the full-time faculty since 2016, Dr. Chang, directs all the periodontics didactic courses for first-, second-, and third-year students, teaching students fundamental periodontology from basic science to non-surgical and surgical treatment. He also directs the clinical periodontics courses for third- and fourth-year DMD students, which help to integrate their knowledge of periodontology into clinical practice. In addition, Dr. Chang is an instructor in both the predoctoral and postdoctoral clinics and directs a didactic course for the postdoctoral program as well.
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’s recipient is Artur Kofman, C.D.T. Director of Laboratory Affairs and the Office of Laboratory Affairs Supervisor for the clinical labs at the School; this is the third year in a row that he was recognized with this award. Mr. Kofman has been sharing his knowledge and expertise in dental lab work with students as a member of the School’s staff for the past 18 years. Among his responsibilities, he coordinates students’ lab work from the School to commercial laboratories and vice versa, guides dental students in lab-related technical issues, and provides hands-on assistance as needed for minor adjustments to dental appliances at a chair-side setting.