2011 AAPHD Student Merit Awards Program

Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health

First Place
Heather Beil, PhD, MPH
University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
Title: Effects of Early Preventive Dental Care on Dental Outcomes among Medicaid Enrolled Children
Sponsor: Dr. R. Gary Rozier

Second Place
Alejandra Valencia
University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Title: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access and Utilization of Dental Services Among Children in Iowa: The Latino Experience 
Sponsor: Dr. John J. Warren

Third Place
Kimberly J. Hammersmith, DDS, MPH
Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Title: Ohio Dentists’ Awareness of the Dental Home Characteristics and Concept
Sponsor: Dr. Homa Amini

Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health

Honorable Mentions
Marguerite Laccabue, MPH, DDS
University of Texas Health Science Center at
San Antonio Dental School
Title: Dental Caries Among Children Attending Head Start Centers in San Antonio, Texas
Sponsor: Dr. David Cappelli

Sanket R. Nagarkar, BDS, MPH
Bureau of Dental Health, New York State Department of Health
Title: Early Childhood Caries Related Visits to Emergency Departments and Ambulatory Surgery Facilities in New York State
Sponsor: Dr. Jay Kumar

Manthan H. Patel, BDS, MPH
Bureau of Dental Health, New York State Department of Health
Title: Association Between Diabetes and Tooth Loss: Analysis of NHANES Data
Mentor: Dr. Jay Kumar

Bhagyashree Pendharkar, BDS, MS
University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Title: Perceived Barriers Among Fourth Year Dental Students to Providing Tobacco Intervention
Mentor: Dr. Steven M. Levy

Predoctoral Dental Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community and Preventive Dentistry

First Place
Jennifer D. Sanders
Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine
Title: Dental Hygienists Awareness and Support for Existing and New Midlevel Providers
Sponsor: Dr. James Lalumandier

Second Place
Brian Homann and Rana Shahi
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
Title: UIC College of Dentistry-American Association of Public Health Dentistry-Goldie’s Place Student-Run Dental Clinic
Sponsor: Dr. Caswell Evans

Third Place
David Burke
A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Title: The Honduras Oral Health Project
Sponsor: Professor Michelle Panico

Dental Hygiene Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Health Dentistry

First Place
Elizabeth Brown, Anja Hoffstrom, & Brandi Johnson
University of Michigan Dental Hygiene Program
Title: Addressing Hunger and Health: Assessment of a Garden Initiative at the Huron Valley Boys and Girls Club
Sponsor: Professor Anne Gwozdek

Second Place
Catherine E. Holtman
East Tennessee State University College of
Clinical & Rehabilitative Health Sciences
Title: Cralle Day House, Louisville, Kentucky
Sponsor: Professor Deborah Dotson

Third Place
Denise Claiborne & Marlana Gravely
Old Dominion University School of Dental Hygiene
Title: Oral Health Madness in a Community-Based, Special Adult Population
Sponsor: Professor Sharon C. Stull

Dental Hygiene Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Health Dentistry

Honorable Mentions
Miranda Marion, Michelle Uekihara & Sabrina Williams University of Michigan Dental Hygiene Program
Title: Barriers Preventing Dentists from Volunteering at the Washtenaw Children’s Dental Clinic
Sponsor: Professor Carrie Bigelow-Ghaname

Wendy Stone
East Tennessee State University College of Clinical & Rehabilitative Health Sciences
Title: Community and Rural Dental Health: Final Project Report Mountain View Early Head Start Program, Rossville, Georgia
Sponsor: Professor Deborah Dotson