Research Program and fellow honors students. Above all, just being part of the lab and getting a feel for research at a dental school was the best part.” In addition to the Honors in Research Program students, the 2011 Summer Research Program participants included: Hang Zhou (D’14), Matthew Zimmer (D’14), Justin Zimmer (D’14), Bryan Wheeler (D’14), Trevan Samp (D’14), Alexandra Radu (D’14), Ryan Peters (D’14), Sunyoung Park (D’14), Kristopher Paik (D’14), Thomas Logsdon (D’14), Qiong (June) Lei (D’14), Donguk (Kevin) Lee (D’14), Jamie Lazin (D’14), Christine Lama (D’14), Benjamin Keyser (D’14), Justin Kang (D’14), Jae Yeon Jang (D’14), Kevan Hosseini (D’14), Kamyar Giglou (D’14), Roma Gandhi (D’14), Margaret Buell (D’14), Sara Ahmed (D’14), Manika Agarwal (D’14), and Jeremy Aczon (D’14). All participants will present posters of their research projects at the 2012 Oral Health Fair and Table Clinic, to be held in the spring and organized by the Vernon Brightman Research Society, the School’s student research group. The Summer Research Program is funded by Penn Dental Medicine with additional support this year from Septodont.
School Supports Veterans through VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program
Military scholarships have long been supporting students at Penn Dental Medicine earning their degrees in return for service upon graduation— currently there are 34 students on such scholarships— but this academic year, there are military veterans gaining support as well through the School’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Implemented in 2009, the Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that allows degree granting institutions of higher learning in the U.S. to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration (VA) to fund tuition expenses for eligible veterans. Penn Dental Medicine and the other schools of the University of Pennsylvania partnered with the VA on the Program from its start, but this is the first year eligible veterans have entered Penn Dental Medicine with support from the Program. The School has committed $10,000 per recipient for up to five postdoctoral students each year to the Yellow Ribbon Program (renewal of recipient support in subsequent years will be assessed annually); the VA matches the School’s support. Three Penn Dental Medicine postdoctoral students applied for and received support through the Program this academic year.
“The Yellow Ribbon Program represents Penn's sincere commitment to military veterans. For this reason, I am honored and very thankful to receive the scholarship,” says Dr. Peter Jackson, who is beginning the orthodontic residency program. “It makes me proud to be a Penn Dental resident.” Dr. Jackson, who earned his predoctoral degree through the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) served in the U.S. Army. His tour of duty included Fort Lewis, Wash., (July 2007 - August 2008), where he completed a 12-month AEGD program, followed by service as the dentist in charge of South Camp Sinai, Egypt (September 2008 — September 2009). He completed his service obligation at Fort Lee, Va., (September 2009 - June 2011) as a general dentist and the infection control and HAZCOM officer. Dr. Greg Kim, an endodontic residency student and Yellow Ribbon Program scholarship recipient, is also a U.S. Army veteran, completing his service obligation for a three-year HPSP scholarship from 2006 through 2009. He was stationed in Korea, treating U.S. soldiers stationed there. “Overall, practicing dentistry in the U.S. Army Dental Corps was very satisfying,” he says, “And, the Yellow Ribbon Program is extremely helpful because it allows veterans to attend institutions they may not have been able to consider otherwise due to cost. It's great that Penn participates in the Program.”
Oral Cancer Walk 2011 a Great Success
The student-led Oral Cancer Society raised awareness and funds for the fight against oral cancer, presenting Oral Cancer Walk 2011 on April 16; the 3.1-mile walk went throughout the west Philadelphia neighborhood surrounding Penn Dental Medicine. Now in its third year, this annual event included free oral cancer screenings; a continuing education lecture by Dr. Thomas Sollecito, Chair and Professor of Oral Medicine; and motivational talks by oral cancer survivors Eva Grayzel and Robert Unruh. Penn Dental Medicine faculty, students, and staff volunteered their time for the event, along with local alumni and area dentists. With 185 participants, the registration fees raised $3,700 in support of the Oral Cancer Foundation.
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