Penn Dental Medicine’s ACCE Day 2025 Celebrates Scholarship, Leadership

May 19, 2025

 

Philadelphia — Penn Dental Medicine celebrated faculty, resident, and student scholarship in community service, education, and clinical care at its annual Advances in Clinical Care and Education (ACCE) Day, held May 15.  This year’s theme was service and leadership.

“The strength of the School’s service and leadership across disciplines was on full display at ACCE Day,” says Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, ACCE Day Co-Chair and Professor, Department of Basic & Translational Sciences and Assistant Dean for Academic Initiatives at Penn Dental Medicine.

The day’s program included keynote speaker Marnie Oakley, DMD, Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, who spoke on “What Got You Here Will Not Get You There: Lessons in Leadership Growth.”

There was also a series of faculty and student presentations that included:

  • Parker Norman, DMD, Class of 2025, who for the past year served as ASDA National Speaker of the House. She spoke on “Anybody Can Be an Advocate.”
  • Meetu Kohli, BDS, DMD, Clinical Associate Professor of Endodontics at Penn Dental Medicine, who is currently President, American Board of Endodontics, who spoke on “Being Part of Organized Dentistry: American Board of Endodontics.”
  • Michael Glick, DMD, Fields-Rayant Endowed Professor of Integrative Global Oral Health at Penn Dental Medicine and Executive Director, the School’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, who spoke on “Contributions to the Biomedical Literature: An Editor’s Perspective.”
  • Lauren Yap, DMD, MPH, Assistant Program Director of Postdoctoral Pediatric Dentistry Program at Penn Dental Medicine and Pennsylvania Dental Association 10 Under 10, who spoke on “Beyond the Operatory: Leadership, Advocacy, and Advancing Pediatric Oral Health.”
  • Sean Meehan, DMD, Professor of Clinical Oral Medicine, Assistant Dean, Office of Clinical Affairs & Chief Dental Officer at Penn Dental Medicine and Dean Emeritus, Naval Postgraduate Dental School, who spoke on “The Academic Pathway in Military Dentistry.”

The afternoon poster sessions featured a record 218 posters where DMD students, and postdoctoral residents presented the research they have conducted with faculty advisors across departments.

“The depth of research presented this year was outstanding,” says Dr. Frank Setzer, ACCE Day Co-Chair and Associate Professor of Endodontics and Director of Predoctoral Endodontics at Penn Dental Medicine, who also moderated a faculty panel that was part of the program.

The event concluded with an award presentation, recognizing the most outstanding scholarship. The award recipients included the following.

Acadental Award

The Acadental award, funded by Acadental, provides a scholarship to an exceptional student who demonstrates innovation or entrepreneurial advancements in dental education.

  • John Button (D’26), Noma (Cancrum Oris) Risk Factors: Feasibility of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis and the Development of a Data Collection Tool for Noma Studies, Flavia Teles, Brian P. Ford, Olivia Urquhart, Alonso Carrasco-Labra, Roopali Kulkarni (co-authors)

Oral Cancer Care and Research Travel Award

The Oral Cancer Care and Research Travel Award was established in 2024 and is funded by the annual proceeds of the Penn Dental Medicine Oral Cancer Walk and 5K event. The purpose of this award is to support oral cancer care and research at Penn Dental Medicine. This award provides a stipend to the recipient to support travel to an appropriate national or international conference for the purpose of sharing their findings

  • Mohammad Alshemali (GD’26), Prosthetic Management of Oral Sequelae Following Head and Neck Cancer Treatment, Nupur Patel, Brian Myungwoo Chang (advisors)

Penn Dental Medicine ACCE Day Travel Award

The ACCE Day Travel Award program was launched by Penn Dental Medicine in 2021 to advance student/junior investigator research, providing funds toward their travel to a national meeting where awardees have the opportunity to present their work. Recipients are selected by a faculty panel of judges at Penn Dental Medicine’s annual ACCE Day. The following recipients were selected at ACCE Day 2025.

DMD Student Awardees

  • Adam Fuller (D’26), Does Pre-Operative Albumin Predict MRONJ Severity and Surgical Outcomes?, Neeraj Panchal, Katherine N. Theken (advisors)
  • Peyton H. Maccarone (D’26), Stability of Le Fort III Distraction Osteogenesis in Syndromic Craniosynostosis, Hyeran Helen Jeon, Hyun-Duck Nah (advisors)
  • Lindsay S. Hasson (D’26), Caries Preventative and Interceptive Measures in Pediatric Patients, Joanie Jean, Evlambia Hajishengallis (advisors)
  • Stephanie Moga and Kevin Fan (D’27), Panoramic Radiographs and Salivary Bone Markers – Potential Screening Tools For Bone Fragility in PWH on ART, Temitope Omolehinwa (advisor)

Junior Investigator Awardee

  • Khalid Alfaifi (GD’26), Prosthodontic Rehabilitation in a Patient with Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ): A Clinically Guided Approach, Brian Myungwoo Chang, Nupur Patel (advisors)
  • Selina Guo (GD’26), Restoration of Mal-Positioned Implants for Full Arch Splinted Prosthesis- A Four Appointment Hybrid Approach, Nupur Patel, Harshiv Karia (advisors)
  • Zidu Zeng (GD’25), Enhancing Quality of Life in Adolescents: Prosthetic Reconstruction with Fibula Free Flap, Brian Myungwoo Chang (advisor)

Award for Excellence in PDM Honors

The Award for Excellence in PDM Honors recognizes outstanding honors students in Clinical Dentistry, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery, Endodontics, PROM, Vulnerable Populations, Nutritional Sciences, and Pediatrics.

  • Madeline A. Bradley (D’25), How Does Age Influence Risk? Literature Review Evaluating the Impact on Neurodevelopment in the Pediatric Population under General Anesthesia, Evlambia Hajishengallis, Joanie Jean, Deanne Wallaert (advisors)
  • Shivani Daftary and Katherine Skola (D’25), Beyond the Procedure: Building Trust, Delivering Quality Results, and Restoring Confidence through Restoring Smiles – A Case Report, Sharon Verdinelli (advisor)
  • Lucas D. Wall (D’25), A Review on Efficacy and Effectiveness of Cuffed vs Uncuffed Endotracheal Tubes in Pediatric Patients Under General Anesthesia
  • Arjun Kini (D’25), Digital Smile Design for Precision and Predictability in Anterior Esthetic Restorations, Victor Iradi, Man Sing Cheung, Glenn Rochlen (advisors)

Award for Independent Research

The Award for Independent Research recognizes outstanding independent scholarly achievements by students, junior faculty, and residents.

  • Parker Norman (D’25), Impact of Oral Health on the Pediatric Oncology Nurse Practitioner’s Routine Exam, Alina O’Brien, Alicia Risner-Bauman (advisors)
  • Ward Kyle (D’26), Three-Dimensional Evaluation of Glenoid Fossa Remodeling Following Herbst Appliance Treatment in Growing Class II Patients, Hyeran Helen Jeon (advisor)

Award for Educational Initiatives

The Award for Excellence in Educational Initiatives recognizes exceptional students, junior investigators, and residents who are shaping the future of education through innovative projects.

  • Armaghan Hojjati Sabet (D’25), Nutrition Counseling in Pediatric Dentistry: A Narrative Review, Charlene Compher, Laurel K. Graham (advisors)
  • Claire Yu (D’26), A Case-Based Review of Affirming Dental Practices for Enhancing LGBT Patient Care and Outcomes, Joan Gluch, Katherine France (advisors)

Award for Excellence in Community Oral Health Scholarship

The Award for Excellence in Community Oral Health Scholarship recognizes exceptional students and their projects in Community Oral Health Honors and the Bridging the Gaps program.

  • Mugdha Raut and Elvi Roci (D’25), Denture Remakes: Challenges and Solutions at Philadelphia FIGHT Community site
  • Kendra D. Domotor and Simran K. Grewal (D’25), Enhancing Student Onboarding at Philadelphia FIGHT: Training Videos and Canvas Module for Pediatric & Family Dental Practices, Tatyana Straus, Daniel Mariche-Poirot (advisors)

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