ACCE Day 2026 Celebrates Scholarship in Service, Education, Clinical Care

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 14.  This year’s theme was in keeping with Penn Dental Medicine’s mission to transform global oral health and well-being through exceptional clinical care, innovation, education, and research with a focus on navigating opportunities for oral healthcare in the 21st Century.

“The strength of the School’s scholarship 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 Dr. Lisa E. Simon, Assistant Professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology and Director of the Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, who spoke on “Oral Health Matters: Now More Than Ever.”

There was also an alumni presentation by Dr. Daniel Richardson (D’02), an oral surgeon in private practice and member of the Penn Dental Medicine Board of Advisors, who presented “Navigating Opportunities in Healthcare in the 21st Century,” and a faculty presentation by Dr. Cassandra Gafford, Director of Community Clinics at Penn Dental Medicine, on “Building a Purpose-Driven Dental Career: Service, Teaching, and Community.”

In addition, the speakers, along with Penn Dental Medicine alumnae Dr. Kristen Leong, participated in a panel discussion on “Navigating Academic Futures.”

The School’s scholarship was on full display in the poster session that featured 129 posters presented by DMD, honors and master’s students as well as postdoctoral residents.

“The depth and diversity of research presented this year was tremendous,” says Dr. Frank Setzer, ACCE Day Co-Chair and Associate Professor of Endodontics and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at Penn Dental Medicine.

The event concluded with an award presentation, recognizing the most outstanding scholarship. View award recipients >>

View the full album of photos on our Facebook page >>