AAPF Scholarship Recipients Complete 2008 ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and Learning
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The Institute helps new dental faculty and practitioners interested in becoming faculty members elevate their knowledge and skills in areas necessary for success in the academic environment. |
CHAPEL HILL, NC—January 13, 2009—The American Academy of Periodontology
“Since the start of the ITL in 2006, nearly 200 private practice dentists and dental faculty have participated,” said AAL President N. Karl Haden, Ph.D. “We’re especially proud of the achievements demonstrated by the scholarship recipients during the course of the program. New faculty as well as those transitioning from private practice to academic careers have found that the ITL prepares them with teaching skills necessary to understand and communicate with today’s students.” The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation has funded 18 scholarships to attend the ITL.
All six fellowship recipients are launched on promising academic careers:
- Jill Bashutski, D.D.S., studied in Canada at the University of Western Ontario for her undergraduate dental education. Throughout her dental training, she was actively involved in research in the field of periodontics which motivated her to pursue the specialty. She recently graduated from the University of Michigan's Graduate Periodontics program and plans to enter full-time academia. "As a young educator," she says, "the ITL program prepared me to adapt to the changing educational needs of the new generation."
- Jeffrey M Kahn, D.M.D, M.B.A., is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, as well as their graduate program in Periodontolgy. In addition to 25 years in private practice and dental school administrative experience, Dr. Kahn has worked with small dental and non-dental organizations on their internal business processes. Currently, he enjoys an adjunct faculty appointment at Temple University, where he is course director of Entering Practice- Personal Financial and Practice Management. Dr. Kahn is currently seeking a full-time dental school administrative position. “The ADEA/ITL experience has enhanced my skill set and has made me a more effective educator,” he says. “Combining this experience with over 35 years in dentistry and formal business training gives me a unique perspective on training future dentists.”
- Ranjitha Krishna, B.D.S., M.P.H., M.S.D. received her initial dental education from Government Dental College, Bangalore, India. After graduation she worked in private practice for two years and came to the United States to pursue her Masters in Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta. She worked as a fellow and oral health epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for two years before pursuing her M.S. and certificate in Periodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry. Now, she is a full-time faculty member at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA. As a new faculty member, she learned a lot from the ITL program and highly recommends it to anyone considering full or part-time teaching.
- Wayne Kye, D.D.S., M.S., received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the New York University College of Dentistry. He completed the Advanced Dental Education Program in Periodontics at the University of Maryland’s Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, where he received a Certificate in Periodontics as well as a Master of Science in Oral Biology. Upon graduation, he returned to his alma mater in New York, where he discovered the joy of teaching as a full-time Visiting Clinical Assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics. He has also been in part-time clinical practice. Since 2007, he has been serving as the Director of Pre-Doctoral Periodontology in the Department of Periodontology & Implant Dentistry. He states, “The ITL has provided me the tools for becoming a more effective educator. The skills gained through this program are indispensable for individuals considering teaching in academic dentistry.”
- Mark S Passell, D.D.S., M.S., attended Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and received his DDS degree in 1971. Following two years of active duty in the USAF Dental Corps, he returned to Case to pursue a Master of Science Degree and Specialty Certificate in Periodontics, finishing in 1975. He then entered private practice in Phoenix, Arizona and retired in 2007. He is an adjunct faculty member at Midwestern University, College of Dental Medicine in Glendale, Arizona. He hopes to make dental education a larger part of his career at Midwestern. He credits the ADEA/AAL Institute for Teaching and Learning Fellowship at the University of North Carolina for helping to prepare him for a teaching career and is especially grateful to the AAP Foundation for the scholarship grant.
- Elio Reyes, D.D.S., M.S.D., attended Dental School at the Universidad Tecnologica de Mexico, one of the most prestigious dental schools in Mexico. One year later he finished an Implant Fellowship at the Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City. In 1996, after a two-year program in Endodontics and Periodontics, Elio received his Certificate of Dental Specialist in Endoperiodontolgy from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, where he became part-time faculty and acted as the coordinator for the Endodontics Fellowship. In 2006 he received his Degree of Master of Science in Periodontics from Saint Louis University, Center of Advanced Dental Education in St. Louis, Missouri, and soon became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Dr. Reyes is now a full-time faculty member at Southern Illinois University. He participated in the 2008 Institute for Teaching and Learning program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “The ITL has given me valuable tools that I apply every day in the classroom and in the clinic,” he states. “I know I am a better and more effective educator after my experience at the ITL.”
The two-phase program at UMKC and UNC enabled a total of forty-seven ITL Scholars to attain a higher level of excellence in evidence-based clinical and didactic modalities of dental education. The ITL Scholars received hands-on experience with key teacher tasks such as evaluating student competence, presenting lectures, planning courses, constructing tests, small-group learning, working with difficult students, guiding students with questions, and providing feedback. ITL Scholars also explored cognitive theories, learned strategies to enhance motivation, reviewed research on educational best practices, explored student learning styles, analyzed the characteristics of today’s Gen Y learner, and completed teaching self-assessments. Additionally, the program offered a focused examination of the ITL Scholars’ career development plans and concluded with extensive lessons on leading effective meetings and chairing academic committees.
In 2009, the ITL program will be held at UNC, with phase I occurring on August 20-23, and
About ADEA: The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all
About AAL: Established in 2005 by Dr. N. Karl Haden, AAL provides customized professional development and consulting services for academic healthcare executives, educators, practitioners, institutions, and associations.
About AAP Foundation: The mission of the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation is to improve the periodontal and general health of the public through increasing public and professional knowledge of periodontal diseases and their therapies, stimulating basic and clinical research to generate new knowledge, and enhancing educational programs at all levels to create opportunities in periodontal education and practice. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
To get more information about any AAP Foundation activities, please contact Robert A. Vitas, PhD, CAE, CFRE, Executive Director, at
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