Six fellowships have been awarded to periodontists who will join the inaugural class of the Institute...
American Academy of Periodontology Foundation Awards Fellowships to the Institute for Teaching and Learning in the Health Professions
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Six fellowships have been awarded to periodontists who will join the inaugural class of the Institute. |
CHICAGO, August 15, 2006—The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation (AAPF) has awarded six fellowships for periodontists to join the inaugural class of the Institute for Teaching and Learning in the Health Professions Program for Dental School Faculty.
An innovative program developed by the Academy for Academic Leadership in a collaborative partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry, the ITL is designed to help new dental school faculty and private practitioners seeking faculty appointments gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the dental school environment. “Academic dentistry is the foundation of the dental profession, and dental schools’ success in meeting their mission is inextricably linked with individual faculty members’ success in their careers,” said Dr. N. Karl Haden, AAL president. Dr. Michael J. Reed, Dean of the UMKC School of Dentistry, observed, “With the existing shortage of faculty, the ITL is a timely program that will help recruit and develop new faculty for successful academic careers. We applaud the AAPF for making it possible for six outstanding periodontists to expand their contribution to their profession by participating in this program.”
All six fellowship recipients are launched on promising academic careers. Maria Fernanda Fiocchi, D.D.S., M.S., M.S., received her initial dental education from the University of Buenos Aires School of Dentistry. After graduation, she discovered her enjoyment of teaching while serving as an adjunct faculty in the school’s Department of Dental Materials. She moved to the United States for further study, earning an M.S. in dental materials from New York University and a second M.S. and Certificate in Periodontics at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Now a part-time faculty member at UT-Houston and part-time private practitioner, Dr. Fiocchi envisions herself as a full-time faculty member in the near future. “I would like to grow as an educator,” she says, “and I feel that the ITL program can help me toward that goal.”
Sul Ki Hong, D.D.S., immigrated from Korea to Brazil at the age of six with his teacher parents, whose influence continues to motivate him. After receiving a dental degree at the University of Sao Paulo, Dr. Hong entered the university’s postgraduate program in prosthodontics and taught both prosthodontics and periodontics, in the process learning “how rewarding it was to be able to guide and influence others in a positive way,” he says. Dr. Hong then moved to the United States and practiced general dentistry for five years before deciding to focus on periodontics. Having completed a postdoctoral program in periodontics at Nova Southeastern University while also teaching at the predoctoral level, Dr. Hong plans to teach part-time in the near future.
Joe W. Krayer, D.D.S., M.S., has recently accepted his first full-time faculty position, becoming director of postdoctoral periodontics at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine. A full-time private practitioner since 1985, Dr. Krayer has also taught part-time as a clinical instructor on a one-day per week basis. He earned his dental degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and an M.S. and Certificate in Periodontics from Medical University of South Carolina. Since his teaching has been primarily clinical instruction in the past, he hopes the ITL course will help him learn about teaching and evaluation methods and other skills he’ll need as a full-time academician.
An accomplished researcher with numerous publications and presentations to her credit, Sharon K. Lanning, D.D.S., expects the ITL program to help her continue to improve as a teacher and leader in academic dentistry. She has participated in several workshops focusing on didactic and clinical teaching and hopes in particular with the ITL to learn how to create a “learning environment that fosters students’ application of knowledge” and develop “interactive teaching materials and exercises that engage the student and emphasize patient care.” Currently an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Dr. Lanning earned her D.D.S. cum laude at State University of New York at Buffalo and her certificate in periodontics at VCU.
A Medical College of Georgia faculty member for over a decade, Jason Michael Mailhot, D.M.D., M.S., hopes with the ITL program to grow as a teacher and educator in order to “bring back to MCG an eagerness to help students achieve their full potential to learn and to share with them my enthusiasm.” After earning his dental degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Mailhot served as a dental officer with the U.S. Navy, practiced in Vermont and New York state, and held a clinical research fellowship with Procter & Gamble. He brought his varied experience to MCG first as a clinical instructor, while earning a master’s in oral biology, and then climbed the ranks from assistant to associate and now full professor, while also serving first as director of predoctoral periodontics and later as director of the postdoc program.
Medha Singh, B.D.S., M.S., grew up in New Delhi in what she calls “an environment that places a high value on education,” and her own commitment to education has not wavered. After earning her dental degree from Maharishi Dayanand University in India, she earned a certificate in periodontics and an M.S. in dental research from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she was enrolled in a dual-degree program and graduated top of her class. Now an assistant professor in Tufts’ Department of General Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, Dr. Singh enjoys academics because it allows her to combine her clinical and research interests and she loves teaching. She looks forward to the ITL program to help her achieve her academic goals.
Designed to help ease the need for recruiting and retaining new dental school faculty, the ITL program provides the opportunity to learn about teaching methods, career development, and the academic environment. The program provides 6.5 days of training in two phases at dental schools. The ITL is designed and conducted by nationally recognized experts in education, curriculum, leadership, and higher education administration including Prof. William Hendricson, Dr. Mary Sudzina, and Dr. Haden, as well as UMKC School of Dentistry faculty and administrators.
The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation is dedicated to improving the periodontal and general health of the public by increasing public and professional awareness of periodontal diseases; stimulating and supporting clinical research and the generation of new knowledge; and enhancing educational programs and opportunities in periodontology. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
To get more information about any AAP Foundation activities, please contact Sharon Mellor at 312/573-3256 or sharon@perio.org.
For more information about the Academy for Academic Leadership and the Institute for Teaching and Learning in the Health Professions, please visit www.academicleaders.org or contact Dr. Karl Haden at 404/350-2098 or khaden@academicleaders.org.
