The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry family recently gathered virtually to showcase and celebrate accomplishments in research, clinical dentistry and community service at the yearly OKU-Sutro Excellence Day held on May 26.

OKU-Sutro Excellence Day is a long-standing tradition that allows the school community to share their projects with colleagues, alumni, friends and family. Although there is a competitive component, Excellence Day is primarily a collaborative celebration of the multi-dimensional interests and talents of the Dugoni School of Dentistry.

The event started with opening remarks by Dr. Karen Schulze, associate professor at the Dugoni School and chair of the OKU-Sutro Excellence Day Committee, followed by a welcome from Dean Nader Nadershahi. Danny Grannick, CEO and co-founder of Bristle Health, then presented a guest keynote lecture about “Unlocking the Oral Microbiome to Improve Oral Health and Care.” 

Students and residents gave a total of 63 oral presentations about research projects, clinical cases, community service programs and Personalized Instruction Program (PIP) projects to faculty judges and guests via Zoom rooms grouped by topics and specialties.

More than 175 attendees from both within and outside the school community joined the event to learn more during this showcase of excellence. 

“It was remarkable to see the outstanding work completed by our students, residents, faculty and staff this year even with the many challenges of the pandemic,” said Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi, dean of the Dugoni School. “I am inspired by the relentless pursuit of excellence shown by our Dugoni School family.”

OKU-Sutro Excellence Day activities are sponsored by the school’s Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) chapter, Henry A. Sutro Award Endowment, Dugoni School Annual Fund and Office of Academic Affairs, as well as Ultradent. 

Awards were announced during a virtual awards program on June 11.

Awards

2021 Award Winners

2021 marked the 23rd annual Excellence Day, and in consideration of recent changes brought about by COVID-19, this year’s annual event migrated to a virtual online format.

61 presentations from Dugoni students were submitted to a variety of award categories this year, representing the breadth of clinical achievements, research, educational projects, scholarship, multidisciplinary collaboration and dedication to serving broader communities that characterizes a Dugoni “Head, Heart, Hands” education.

The OKU-Sutro Excellence Day Committee recognizes the following 2021 awardees.

In Research:

AADR Annual Meeting Award

Prevalence of Orthodontic Treatments Among Dental Students
Luke Wu, DDS 2022
Mentors: Dr. Marie Tolarova, Dr. Jennifer Yau

ADA Foundation/Colgate Dental Students’ Award

Relationship of Lower Lingual Holding Arch Treatment In Regards to Angular Changes and Incidents of Impaction of Second Molars
Connor Turley, DDS 2022, and Greg Polyakov, DDS 2022
Mentors: Dr. Heesoo Oh, Dr. Steve Dugoni

AADR Dentsply Sirona Award

Assessment of a New Diagnostic Tool in the Diagnosis of Temporomandibular Disorders
Samantha Gallia, DDS 2022
Mentors: Dr. Andrew Young

ADA/Dentsply Student Clinicians of the ADA Award

Shear Bond Strength Evaluation of an Experimental Dentin Adhesive In Comparison With 5 Commercial Adhesives in a Dental School Setting
Ambika Arun, IDS 2022, Abhi Talajia, IDS 2021
Mentors: Dr. Karen Schulze 

Hinman Symposium Research Award

Assessment of Short and Long-term changes of the Hard and Soft Tissue of the Face with Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Maxillary Palatal Expanders
Naomi Low, DDS 2022, Steven Leung, DDS 2022, Dr. Laura Chew, Ortho Resident 2021
Mentors: Dr. Joorok Park, Dr. Heesoo Oh

Dugoni Clinical Sciences Award

Assessment of Dental Tipping After Micro-Implant Assisted Expansion: CBCT Study
Jeongsik Arthur Oh, DDS 2021, Dr. Jacqui Payne, Ortho Resident 2021
Mentors: Dr. Joorok Park, Dr. Heesoo Oh

In Clinical Care:

OKU Group Practice Clinical Excellence Award, Grand Prize

Oral Rehabilitation with Implant Supported Prosthesis
Austin Kim, DDS 2021, Group Practice 2C
Group Practice Leader: Dr. Mark Booth

OKU CAD/CAM

Anterior Esthetic Rehabilitation
Connor Francis, DDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Sandra McLaren, Dr. Janet Andrews

Restoration of Xerostomia-Related Dental Disease
Laura Ye, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Glen Hebert, Dr. Ed Orson, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez, Marietta Daniel, Maria Beltran

OKU Endodontics

Management of an Endo-Perio Lesion: Systematic Multidisciplinary Approach
Nishanth D. Sadhak, IDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Jennifer Fong, Dr. Navid Knight, Dr. Gary Grill, Dr. Brian Kenyon, Dr. Nilou Nadershahi

Confusing and Complex Signs and Symptoms of a Tooth Needing Root Canal Treatment
Thucdan Andrea Nguyen, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Johnah Galicia, Dr. Paymon Bahrami, Dr. Raymond Scott

OKU Implant Dentistry

Multiple Aesthetic Implant Placement and Restorations – An Oral Rehabilitation Case
Salma Refaat, IDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Fatima Mashkoor, Dr. Steven Sadowsky

Digital Implant Planning and Restoration

Jared Hall, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Steven Sadowsky, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez

OKU Supportive Therapies

Multidisciplinary Treatment In a Dentally Anxious Patient
Chanelle Sy, DDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Nilou Nadershahi, Dr. Brian Kenyon, Carlos Correa

It Starts at Home: Caries Management of a Patient With History of Substance Abuse
Yu Chia Edward Kuo, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Tiffany Giang, Dr. Gina Chann, Dr. Mark Booth, Dr. Steven Curtis, Dr. Steven Sadowsky

OKU Removable Prosthodontics

Opening VDO with a Combination of Fixed and Removable Prostheses in a Bruxer
Greg Polonsky, DDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Steven Sadowsky, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez, Dr. Rex Hoover, Dr. Fatima Mashkoor

Treating a Patient Who Has Never Been to the Dentist Before With Removable Partial Dentures
Thucdan Andrea Nguyen, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Gretchen Bruce, Dr. Gary Grill, Dr. Chi Tran, Dr. Steven Curtis

OKU Restorative (Direct/Indirect)

The Direct and Indirect Restorative Components of a Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Brandon Golub, DDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Glen Hebert, Dr. Sandra McLaren, Dr. Fatima Mashkoor, Dr. Steven Sadowsky, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez, Dr. Mark Stevenson, Lucy Wright-Nielson, Marietta Daniels, Carlos Correa

A Multidisciplinary Oral Rehabilitation
Sebastian Ramteen Rafii, DDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Brian Kenyon, Dr. Nilou Nadershahi, Dr. Keith Grote, Dr. Eduardo Gonzalez, Dr. Scott Dexter, Dr. Michael Viale, Dr. Aouse Khalil, Dr. Daniel Castagna

In Dental Hygiene:

Dental Hygiene Research Award

Water Fluoridation in Relationship to the Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Elizabeth McCarty, DH 2021
Mentors: Dr. Benjamin Zeitlin, Prof. Lory Laughter, Prof. Elena Francisco 

In Community Health Service:

OKU Community Health Service and Exemplary Leadership Award

Oral Health Projects To Address Dental Related Emergency Department Visits In Upstate New York
Juned Mohammed, IDS 2021

SCOPE 2020-2021: Virtual Community Outreach Amidst a Global Pandemic
Samantha Gallia, DDS 2022, Linda Truong DDS 2022, Sandra Shu, DDS 2022

Student Community Outreach for Public Education: Overview of DDS 2021
Renee Greene, DDS 2021, Christine Tsang, DDS 2021
Mentors: Prof. Christine Miller, Melissa Yamanaka, Eric Bertumen, Jon Draper, Dean Nader Nadershahi

In the Personalized Instruction Program (PIP):

PIP Bench/Clinical Research Award

Complications Reported in Maxillary Skeletal Expanders (MSE): A Retrospective Study
Connor Turley, DDS 2022, Elizabeth Yee, DDS 2022, Kristen Lo, DDS 2022, Dr. Jacqui Payne, Ortho Resident 2021
Mentors: Dr. Audrey Yoon, Dr. Heesoo Oh

PIP Teaching Material Creation Award

Opioids and Dentistry
Anne Wampler, DDS 2021 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Dr. Terry Hoover

Behind the Loupes
Salma Refaat, IDS 2021, Katja Kespret, IDS 2021, Chantal Torio, IDS 2021 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. Patrick Roetzer, Dr. Noelle Santucci

PIP Community Health Service and Health Promotion Award

Evaluation of Dentists’ Adherence to Practicing Sustainability and Environmentally-Friendly Dentistry
Heera Govindarajan Venguidesvarane , IDS 2022 (1^st Place)
Mentors: Prof. Eve Cuny, Dr. Amanda Tsol

Take Careful Steps As We Return To Normal After COVID-19
Steven Leung, DDS 2022, Michelle Sabin, DDS 2022 (2^nd Place)
Mentors: Dr. David Ojcius, Prof. Eve Cuny

In Graduate Endodontics:

Graduate Endodontics Residency Award

The Utility of 3D Printing in the Management of an Endodontic Microsurgery Case with Anatomical Complexity
Dr. Shreyas Oza, Endo Resident 2021, Dr. Lucas Brand, Endo Resident 2021

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Thank you, Dugoni school community, for attending OKU-Sutro Excellence Day 2021! Special thanks to our school leadership, OKU chapter, student presenters, judges, moderators, administrators, alumni and school community attendees who have come together to make this year a robust online event.

Special thanks to…

Dean Nader A. Nadershahi for his leadership and support of the Dugoni School academic community represented at this year’s schoolwide showcase.

Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Dugoni School Chapter, The Henry A. Sutro Endowment, Dugoni School Annual Fund, the Office of Academic Affairs and Ultradent for their generous support of this annual event.

2021 Keynote Speaker

Special thanks to our school collaborator, Bristle Health and CEO Danny Grannick for sharing their industry expertise as our OKU Sutro Excellence Day 2021 keynote speaker.  

2021 Faculty and Guest Judges

Drs.:  Zainab Ali-Rubaie, Kalid Aziz, Carsen Bentley, Philip Buchanan, Alan Budenz, Takahiro Chino, Steven Curtis, Tom Ellerhorst, Nava Fathi, Alan Gluskin, Eduardo Gonzalez, Xiaoyuan Han, Glen Hebert, Rex Hoover, Terry Hoover, Lisa Itaya, Parvati Iyer, Gene LaBarre, Prof. Lory Laughter, Marcia Loo, Heesoo Oh, David Ojcius, Priya Prasannakumar, Laura Reid, Steven Sadowsky, Cathrine Steinborn, Bina Surti, Der Thor, Marie Tolarova, Allen Wong, Debra Woo

Ms. Victoria Wallace of Ultradent for serving as 2021 guest judge of Dental Hygiene Research, monetary donation towards awards, and Ultradent’s donation of a VALO Curing Light towards this year’s event.

2021 Moderators, Session Administrators and Information Technology:

Drs.: Mark Booth, Steven Curtis, Nava Fathi, Xiaoyuan Han, Terry Hoover, Lisa Itaya, Sandra McLaren, Priya Prasannakumar, Karen Schulze, Marie Tolarova

Staff: Eric Bertumen, Sharon Bura, Jesse Clerici, Joanna Faltys, Adrian Hernandez, Cindy Mar, Jen Ojeda, Karl Pfeifer, Carol Weinstein, Damon Wight, Bonita Wong

2020-2021 OKU-Sutro Excellence Day Planning Committee

Chair: Dr. Karen Schulze

Faculty: Prof. Eve Cuny, Dr. Des Gallagher, Dr. Alan H. Gluskin, Ms. Lindsey Green, Dr. Rex Hoover, Dr. Terry Hoover, Dr. Jiong Hu, Prof. Lory Laughter, Dr. Cindy Lyon, Dr. Daniel Bender, Prof. Christine Miller, Dr. David Ojcius, Dr. Allen Wong, Dr. Debra Woo, Dr. Andrew Young

Staff: Sandra Derian, Katherine Falk, Joanna Faltys, Annie Han, Rowena O’Connor, Karl Pfeifer, Bonita Wong, Karita Zimmerman