The DDS Class of 2023 Shines Bright

At this year's DDS graduation banquet and awards ceremony, we recognized each member of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM) Class of 2023 for their incredible efforts, accomplishments and perseverance. As is tradition, we presented a number of individual awards established by specialty groups and community partners. Faculty members also received awards, selected by the graduating class. At the commencement ceremony, speaker Leah E. Schulz, DDS ’14, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Class of 2023 Graduation Awards

The following award recipients were selected by SDM faculty departments or committees.

Academy of Dental Materials Award - Jade Vigil
Academy of General Dentistry Senior Student Dental Award - Akshay Shah
Academy of Operative Dentistry Award - Courtney Santistevan
Advanced Clinical Training and Services Program Award - Amelia Kraft
Alpha Omega International Fraternity Award - Bao-Chi Clara Nghiem
American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry Award - Thuy Trang Trang
American Academy of Implant Dentistry Dental Student Award - Andreas Schmalz
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Dental Student Award - Madison Hobbs
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Achievement Award - Bao-Chi Clara Nghiem
American Academy of Oral Medicine Certificate of Merit - Jourdan Kidd
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Certificate of Merit Award - Stephanie Guimarães
American Academy of Periodontology Dental Student Award - Gilbert A. Fru
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Implant Student Award - Patrick Murphy
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Student Award - Madison Courtney
American Association of Orthodontists Student Dental Award - Brittney Sullivan
American Association of Public Health Dentistry Award - Jacqueline Merz
American College of Dentists Student Award - Travis R. Lee
American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Horace Wells Award - Akshay Shah
American Equilibration Society Award - Minh-Tom Van
Brasseler USA Award - Travis R. Lee
Brian D. Stone Memorial Award - Elizabeth Rodie
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Award - Jourdan Kidd and Stephanie Wakefield
The Colorado Prosthodontic Society Award - Zane Khattak
Dr. Barry Beauvais/Special Care Dentistry Association Award - Joshua Presley
Dr. Kenneth Grove/Memorial of the Dental Foundation of Colorado Award - Zane Khattak
Miles Markley Delta Sigma Delta Award - Hayden Smith
Dr. Solomon Averbach Humanitarian Award - Mark Fiorello
Dr. Thomas J. Bomberg Memorial Award - Gilbert A. Fru
Hanau Award for Excellence in Prosthodontics - Patrick Murphy
International College of Dentists Student Humanitarian Award - Patrick Mugabe
International College of Dentists Leadership Award - Jacqueline Merz
International Congress of Oral Implantologists' Sullivan Schein Dental Predoctoral Achievement Award - Gilbert A. Fru
Outstanding Dental Student in Implant Dentistry-Academy of Osseointegration - Emily Li
The Pierre Fauchard Academy Senior Student Award - Emily Li
Predoctoral Student Achievement Award in Endodontics - Patrick Mugabe
Predoctoral Student Prosthodontic Achievement Award - Makenna Fopma
Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievement in Restorative Dentistry - Bao-Chi Clara Nghiem
Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievements in Periodontics - Emily Li
Quintessence Award for Research Achievement - Madison Aungst
Society of Color and Appearance in Dentistry Award - Brenda Batres
Western Society of Periodontology Award - Jourdan Kidd

> Jump to photos from the 2023 Banquet & Awards Ceremony.

Faculty Awards

The following faculty award recipients were selected by the graduating Class of 2023.

Altruism Faculty Recognition Award - Eric Mediavilla, DDS ’00
Outstanding Basic Sciences Instructor - Caley Orr, PhD
Outstanding Clinic Instructor - Daniel Melamed, DDS
Outstanding Didactic Instructor - Kunjan Kakar, DDS (ISP ’10), MS, BDS
Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member - Yoolim Kim, DMD, MS
Outstanding Pre-Clinical Instructor - James Delapp, DDS ’82, MS

The following faculty members were recognized with teaching awards during the main CU Anschutz commencement ceremony. The graduating class selects both awards. A School of Dental Medicine governance committee also approves the Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award.

President’s Excellence in Teaching Award - Alison Morrison, DMD
Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award - Thomas Greany, DDS ’97

Leah E. Schulz, DDS ’14, addresses the graduating class at commencement on May 22, 2023.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The CU Dental Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated excellence in the dental profession, commitment to community involvement, and whose work has made a significant mark in dentistry.

2023 CU Dental Distinguished Alumni Award - Leah E. Schulz, DDS ’14

Omicron Kappa Upsilon

The Pi Rho chapter of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society invites new members each year who are graduating academically at the top of their class. Congratulations to our 2023 inductees: OKU-2023

Madison Courtney
Madison Hobbs
Zane Khattak
Jourdan Kidd
Amelia Kraft
Emily Li
Pei-hsuan Lin
Bao-Chi Clara Nghiem
Brendan Reich

OKU also welcomed new honorary, faculty and lifetime inductees to the Pi Rho chapter:

OKU Honorary Inductee - Deidre Callanan, RDH, DC, MPH; Assistant Professor, Community Dentistry & Population Health; Director, Continuing Education; Title IX Ally
OKU Honorary Inductee - Maureen Pasquale, Former Director of Finance
OKU Faculty Inductee - Emanouela Carlson, DDS ’09, Associate Professor & Chair, Surgical Dentistry
OKU Lifetime Inductee - Denise Kassebaum, DDS, MS, Dean

Dean Kassebaum addressed the graduates at commencement: “We are proud of the dentists you have become, celebrate your achievements in dental school, share excitement for the promise of your futures, and look forward to your accomplishments as distinguished alumni of CU.”

Congratulations to all.