Halle Robinson

Dr. Irwine Sainvil, a native of Miami, FL, is a Diplomate of the American Board Pediatric Dentistry and practices in south Florida. She is a proud alumni of University of South Florida where she obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science. She then attended Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in which she was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy recipient. Upon graduation, she attended Boston University to receive her pediatric dental residency certificate. Throughout her years of training, she focuses heavily on special needs care patients, cosmetic dentistry, and laser dentistry.

Dr. Sainvil is the owner of Kidzvil Pediatric Dentistry, state-of-the-art pediatric dental boutique located in Lake Worth, FL. She exemplifies the true definition of tenacity because she launched her practice at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and unknown to her she had to close her practice after only three weeks of opening. While building her practice, she returned to school and obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from University of Florida. She now has a thriving practice and looking forward to future business adventures.

Dr. Sainvil is a community leader and dental advocate. She currently serves as the Public Policy Advocate for Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, which she has met with congressional members at Capitol Hill. Additionally, she has been a featured guest speaker on podcasts and radio shows. She is affiliated with Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital. As a young Black female dentist, she strives to welcome, inspire, and mentor future minorities interested in science and dentistry.

Dr. Awa Seck was born and raised in Seattle, Washington by way of Senegal, West Africa. She attended college at the University of San Francisco where she earned her BS in Biology and continued on to graduate school at Rutgers University to pursue her MBS in Biomedical Sciences. She completed dental school at the University of Washington where she further discovered her love of working with children and her growing desire to be a part of the change she wanted to see within her community. Dr. Seck is one of 9 total siblings and is the first in her family to earn her doctorate degree. She is currently a 2nd year pediatric dental resident and MPH candidate at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Dr. Seck would like to thank her family, friends, peers, and mentors for their continued and unwavering support and a huge congratulations to all of the fellow award recipients.

Dr. Rubin Sorrell II is a fourth generation San Francisco resident of the Bayview Hunter’s Point community. He has always seen himself as a link in a grand chain. He began his higher education at the Historical Black University of North Carolina A&T State University. At the height of the recession in 2009, Dr. Sorrell joined the Army ROTC at North Carolina A&T. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, he commissioned as an officer the US Army in 2012, with a degree in Biology. In the Army he served 10 years, primarily working in the California National Guard, in a water purification unit. In 2016, Dr. Sorrell earned his Master’s in Public Health, his thesis being; Utilizing the US Army in times of water crisis, unifying his 2 worlds of military and public health. That same year, Dr. Sorrell founded his non-profit organization Dental Robin Hood, committed to closing oral health disparities and prioritizing consistency in preventative care. His efforts to his community directly contributed to his entrance in the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry, Class of 2021. Today, he works in the community where he was raised at the Bayview Health and Wellness Center, newly married to his wife Peggy Sorrell, they live with their 2 children Cameron and Chase Sorrell in their home in the community of Bayview Hunter’s Point. He serves on several boards in the local and dental community such as: Commissioner of the San Francisco Bayview Hunter’s Point Citizens Advisory committee, Board of Directors and membership committee of the San Francisco Dental society, and Programs Director of the Greater Bay Area Dental Society.

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Dr. Trevor J. Thomas currently resides and practices General Dentistry in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire areas of California. He operates three multidisciplinary practices with a strong emphasis on cosmetic and implant, and full mouth rehab dentistry. Keeping up with the times, he also posts educational and informative content on social media. He co-founded Reseau Docteur (IG: @ReseauDocteur), the largest global network for minorities in healthcare professions. The program hosts yearly mission trips, mentoring programs, socialization events, and minority achievements. He is also founder of Delta Mu Chi Fraternity, Inc. (founded 2014 at Howard University). It’s the only fraternity globally supporting minority males in Dental, Medicine, and Pharmacy doctoral programs. Their duties are similar to those with Reseau Docteur; with a strong emphasis on local community service initiatives and healthcare advocacy in "our" communities. He has worked with many notable figures such as Neyo, Chief Keef, Migos, Bobby Schmurda, Tyga, and tons more in the arts, entertainment, and sports industries. Though branded as a “Celebrity Dentist,” Dr. Thomas’ goal is to use his platform to spread awareness to the mouth-body connection and how many systemic issues faced in underrepresented communities start in the mouth. Appealing to the emotional and psychological aspect of a patient’s smile is what makes “dentistry his ministry.”

In his spare time, Dr. Thomas enjoys researching new developments in his field, mentoring kids in the community, writing poetry, and creating social media content. He believes dentistry is his path to living a “servant’s life.” Interpersonal relationship development and community involvement are essential to the foundation of his career model.

Dr. J. Ryan Thrower is from DeWitt, Arkansas, a small town in the Southeast region of the state. She attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. She went on to earn a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on health policy and administration at the University of Georgia. Dr. Thrower graduated with honors from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) with her Doctorate in Dental Medicine and later received a Master’s of Science and an Orthodontic and Craniofacial Orthopedics certificate from OHSU. As fate would have it, Dr. Thrower was the only Black student in her dental school from 20162020 and became the first Black graduate of the orthodontic residency at OHSU (as tracked by the university). She made history as the first dentist in the country (possibly the world) to ever administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Thrower currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Trey, and their two little boys, Quad and baby Jack. She works at Garfinkle Orthodontics where she is mastering the subspecialty of addressing craniofacial anomalies, such as cleft lip and palate, with clear aligner therapy.

When not perfecting smiles, Dr. Thrower can be found catching a vibe at live music shows, chasing beautiful waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest, actively learning French, attempting to stop her boys from drinking their bath water, and praying and meditating.

Joshua Benjamin Tyson, DDS, MPH practices dentistry in Suffolk, Virginia where he is the Managing Clinical Director and owner of Aspen Dental in Harborview. Prior to working in Virginia, he worked at CamCare Health Corporation, a Federally Qualified Health Center, in Camden, NJ, where he provided dental care to underserved populations across the State of New Jersey. Joshua is a member of the National Dental Association, currently serving as the Speaker of the House, he previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees representing District 1. Joshua was a member of the Commonwealth Dental Association in New Jersey where he was the District 2 Regional Delegate. Joshua is an active member of the Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity – The Ohio State University College of Dentistry Chapter.

In 2019, Joshua was the proud recipient of the New Jersey Primary Care Association’s Healthcare Heroes Award for his work that benefited the FQHC and the men, women and children who received quality, compassionate and affordable healthcare, as well as actively participating in the communities served by CAMcare.

In 2021, Dr. Tyson was awarded the first annual “40 Under 40 Award”, and the President’s Award for his contributions to the National Dental Association.

Joshua is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, the Rutgers School of Public Health, and Morehouse College. He currently resides in Chesapeake, VA and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.

Dr. Meghan Wendland, DDS, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dental Public Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC SOD). Dr. Wendland teaches public health, behavioral sciences, and ethics and professionalism courses within the pre-doctoral dental and dental hygiene programs. She coordinates the Interprofessional Education (IPE) curriculum, serves as the teledentist for UMKC SOD’s school-based oral health program, and is the faculty advisor for the Student National Dental Association. Dr. Wendland earned her Bachelor of Arts (AB) from Dartmouth College and her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California. Prior to completing a Dental Public Health residency with NYU Langone at their training site at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, she was a clinician at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Chicago. Dr. Wendland’s research focuses on improving health outcomes for populations experiencing health disparities and inequities. Her interests include medical-dental integration, person-centered care, and oral health care delivery innovation. Dr. Wendland is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and is an active member of the American Dental Association, National Dental Association, American Dental Education Association, and American Association of Public Health Dentistry—for which she serves on the Council on Educational Affairs.

Dr. Terrahney Wilson hails from Atlanta, GA where her interest in dentistry was first sparked after a series of visits to the oral surgeon. She graduated from Spelman College in 2011 with a BS in Biology and went on to receive her DDS from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2015. While at Columbia, Dr. Wilson served for 2 years as the National Vice President for the SNDA. Dr. Wilson completed a 2-year GPR program where she served as chief resident at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry/University Medical Center New Orleans developing a passion for treating the underserved and medically compromised.

Following residency, Dr. Wilson has held positions at two local FQHCs as Lead Dentist and AEGD coordinator, the latter of which she was instrumental in helping to bring the second site of the NYU Langone AEGD program to New Orleans. While in New Orleans she has been an active participant in community events such as Give Kids a Smile Day and Team Smile in partnership with the New Orleans Saints. Dr. Wilson is excited to embark on a new journey with the VA Medical center this summer. In her personal life, she is a fur mom to dog Ellie and a member of the Mardi Gras Krewe of Themis where she hand-decorates specialty umbrella throws every year for carnival time.