Class of 2024 Honors Faculty, Staff with Annual Awards

Dr. Mel Mupparapu

Philadelphia — Penn Dental Medicine faculty and staff members have been honored for excellence in teaching and service by the Class of 2024. Each academic year, the graduating class recognizes members of the faculty and staff who have had a significant impact of their educational experience; this year’s awards were presented as part of the Senior Farewell celebration, held May 14. The awards and honorees included:

The Basic Science Award – presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Dr. Mel Mupparapu (D’96), Professor of Oral Medicine and Director of the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, who has been a member of the faculty since 2011. Dr. Mupparapu, a Penn Dental Medicine graduate, is a board certified oral and maxillofacial radiologist. He teaches radiology alongside anatomy to the freshman year, radiographic pathology in the sophomore year, and clinical radiology in both junior and senior years. He is also the course director for radiology clinic courses in both the junior and senior years. He also participates in the junior year differential diagnosis course, oral medicine residency teaching, and teaching programs in the division of advanced dental education. Dr. Mupparapu actively participates in clinical care, including interpretation of CBCT volumes for Penn Dental Medicine as well as clinical and translational research at Penn Dental Medicine. A former Basic Science Award recipient (from the Class of 2018), Dr. Mupparapu encourages active student participation in research and currently has eight predoctoral students, one graduate dental student, and one Penn Dental Medicine graduate conducting research under his guidance.

Dr. Frank Smithgall (C’79, D’83)

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. Frank Smithgall (C’79, D’83), Clinical Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry, who has been a member of the School’s part-time faculty since 1984. Dr. Smithgall lectures in preclinical courses, and for the past nine years, he has been Course Director of “Partial Removable Dental Prosthesis.” This is the tenth time Dr. Smithgall has been honored with this award, also receiving it in 1990, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Dr. Victor Iradi (D’92)

The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award – presented to a part-time faculty member for excellence in clinical teaching. This year’s honoree is Dr. Victor Iradi (D’92), a 1992 graduate of Penn Dental Medicine and a 1994 graduate of UMDNJ Prosthodontics Postgraduate Program. Dr. Iradi is a Clinical Associate in the Division of Restorative Dentistry and has been a part of the school’s clinical faculty since 2022. “Teaching the students here at Penn Dental Medicine is the most rewarding, enjoyable part of his career,” says Dr. Iradi. “The students are so much fun and always eager to learn.” 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.

Dr. Katherine France (D’16, GR’16, GD’18)

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 Dr. Katherine France (D’16, GR’16, GD’18), an Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine. Dr. France earned her DMD at Penn Dental Medicine, her Masters of Bioethics at the Perelman School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training in Oral Medicine at Penn Dental and Penn Medicine. This is the second year in a row that Dr. France was honored with this award. Joining the faculty in 2018, Dr. France is the director of the Penn Dental Medicine Oral Medicine clinic and teaches clinically in this setting as well as the Personalized Care Suite. She also teaches didactically on a wide range of subjects relating to oral medicine, ethics and professionalism, and patient management, and is heavily involved in seminar teaching throughout the predoctoral dental curriculum.

Artur Kofman, C.D.T.

The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award – presented to a faculty member who goes 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 eighth 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 23 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. In addition, he operates the 3D printing lab for fabricating 3D models, occlusal guards, and surgical guides and is involved in the newly designed curriculum for CAD/CAM and printing of digital dentures for the dental students.

Logan Moseley

Outstanding Service Award — Presented for the first time this year, this award recognizes a staff member who is highly regarded within the Penn Dental Medicine community for their extraordinary dedication. This award celebrates an individual who, in the estimation of the Senior Class, has consistently gone beyond their formal responsibilities to significantly enhance the overall experience of the Senior Class at Penn Dental Medicine. The inaugural recipient of this award is Logan Moseley, restorative clinic clerk, who supports clinical operations in the clinic.