Quarter 2
June 2020
Lina Sharab I University of Kentucky Faculty Award
Dr Lina Sharab is an assistant professor of orthodontics at the University of Kentucky. She is blessed with a mixture of multiple cultures that leave her open-minded and enthusiastic about learning new things every day. Her unique cultural background is the secret behind her love for education. Lina feels that the combination of education and orthodontics is the best formula for a fulfilling career.
Dr Sharab was raised to appreciate education and was inspired by dedicated educators in her family.
In her work at UK, Lina relishes the opportunity to learn from senior mentors and successful women in the field, enjoys communicating with adolescents and children during patient care, discussions with bright, young residents, and challenges of enthusiastic dental students to find their niche within the profession. She ends each day at home with a supportive husband and their three loving boys. Her husband, an Associate Professor in prosthodontics at UK and her boys are all fully supportive of Mom’s career, except her youngest, the six-year-old son who wants her to retire so they can play together more.
She received her dental degree in Syria and earned a Masters in Biomaterial Science from the State University of NY at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine. She also received fellowship training in orthodontics in Buffalo from SUNY. She then pursued a Master of Science Degree and Certificate in Orthodontics at the University of Kentucky, College of Dentistry. In 2018 she joined the full-time faculty in the Division of Orthodontics at UK. There she teaches in both the pre-doctoral and graduate curriculum, participates in the orthodontic faculty practice, and pursues her research interests in various clinical topics. Dr Sharab is thankful for this rewarding profession. She has received multiple professional awards from local, regional, and national institutions for various professional activities, including teaching, research, and leadership awards. Her two most recent awards are from the AAO (Full-Time Faculty Fellowship Award); and from the Emerging Leaders Program of ADEA; (AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarships for Professional Development Award). Other awards Dr Sharab has received in her young career: Thomas M. Graber Award of Special Merit (AAO), Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (UK), UK Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (UK), AAO Fellowship for Academy of Academic Leadership Sponsorship Program (AALSP).
Finally, Lina relishes the challenge of balancing her time and energy between her orthodontic family and her husband and three boys. She pursues fulfillment trying to make a difference in her professional and personal world and believes that education is the best way to do so. Lina also appreciates art in all forms and enjoys painting and sketching portraits in her free time.
Tom Kluemper 
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