Alumni to be Recognized with Annual Awards as Part of Alumni Weekend, May 13-14
Philadelphia — The Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society will honor the accomplishments and dedication of alumni with its annual awards, to be presented as part of Alumni Weekend 2022. A special reception celebrating the awardees will be held May 13, 4 p.m., in the School’s Fonseca Courtyard.
The 2022 Alumni Award recipients include the following.
Thomas Evans Award
Anne Koch (D’77, GD’93)
The Thomas Evans Achievement Award is Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society’s highest award of recognition, honoring alumni who have shown innovation, excellence, and leadership in the profession of oral health care nationally and internationally. This year’s recipient is Anne Koch (D’77, GD’93).
An active member of the Penn Dental Medicine Board of Advisors since 2013, Dr. Anne Koch earned both her DMD and postdoctoral certificate in endodontics at Penn Dental Medicine. After completing her DMD, Dr. Koch began her dental career in the military, serving in Japan, Korea, and at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., where she was Chief of Prosthodontics. She returned to Penn Dental Medicine after her military service to pursue endodontics, completing the specialty program in 1993. An accomplished clinician and educator, she was the founding director of the postdoctoral program in endodontics and microsurgery at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Koch holds multiple patents for treatment techniques in the field of endodontics, and in 2001, she created Real World Endo, a continuing education company focused on endodontic treatment techniques and technologies. Dr. Koch continues to lecture extensively on endodontics and cultural competency issues and since 2013, she has been President and CEO of Koch Consulting and Management LLC.
Charlene Jennings Fenster (DH’75)
Frank Smithgall (C’79, D’83)
Alumni Award of Merit
The Alumni Award of Merit recognizes love for and loyalty to Penn Dental Medicine, excellence in the profession of dentistry, and community involvement. The award acknowledges graduates who have maintained their ties with the School through their support of alumni activities, demonstrated leadership in the dental profession, and fostered and maintained the ideals of the School. This year’s recipients include: Charlene Jennings Fenster, DH’75 and Frank Smithgall, C’79 D’83.
Brian Ford (D’09, M’12, GD’15)
Steven Wang (D’09, M’12, GD’15)
Young Alumni Award of Merit
The Young Alumni Award of Merit recognizes Penn Dental Medicine alumni one to 15 years from graduation who have maintained their ties with the School through their support of alumni activities, demonstrated leadership in the dental profession, and fostered and maintained the ideals that the School of Dental Medicine has stood for since its founding. This year’s recipients are: Brian Ford (D’09, M’12, GD’15) and Steven Wang (D’09, M’12, GD’15).
Dr. Joe Fiorellini, Professor, Periodontics
Honorary Alumni Award
The honorary alumni awards are presented to individuals who are not graduates of Penn Dental Medicine, but have demonstrated a strong commitment to Penn Dental Medicine through their service to and involvement with the School. This year’s recipient is: Dr. Joe Fiorellini, Professor and Postdoctoral Director of Periodontics, Penn Dental Medicine.
Join Us
While pre-registration for Alumni Weekend programming has closed, alumni can still join us by contacting Elizabeth Ketterlinus, Vice Dean for Institutional Advancements, ekett@upenn.edu, or by calling 215-898-8951. In addition, on-site registration will be available at Penn Dental Medicine in the Henry Schein Atrium of the Robert Schattner Center on May 13 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and May 14 (10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.).