Celebrating Our Community
White Coat Ceremonies Held
On Tuesday, September 3, NYU Dentistry held a White Coat Ceremony for the DDS Class of 2028 and Dental Hygiene Students at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center. On Wednesday, September 4, the College held a White Coat Ceremony for DDS Advanced Standing students in the Class of 2026 at Manhattan Penthouse. With family and friends looking on, the happy occasions underscored the College’s commitment to celebrating this essential touchpoint in the students’ journeys to become doctors. A total of 511 students received their white coats from senior mentors and faculty members.
Dean's Honors Day Spotlights Major Professional Distinctions
On Friday, May 31, 2024, the College held its fourth Dean's Honors Day, a gala celebration recognizing outstanding professional distinction and service attained by our faculty, administrators, and staff during the 2023 calendar year.
Each honoree received a gift of a glass tumbler embossed with the NYU motto – Perstare et praestare – To persevere and to excel – as “an emblem of the professional distinctions which you have earned and which, in turn, have brought great honor to the College," as Dean Bertolami noted in his remarks.
Each year, the College's Faculty Council recognizes excellence in teaching and mentoring. The 2024 recipients of the Faculty Council Teaching Awards were honored at a ceremony held on Wednesday, June 26th, at 433 First Avenue. Congratulations to this year's recipients: Dr. Leonard Chiat, clinical assistant professor of endodontics; Dr. Davide Cuocolo, clinical assistant professor of endodontics; Dr. Elena Damiano, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care; Dr. Benjamin Godder, clinical associate professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care; Dr. Babak Hamidi, clinical associate professor of periodontology & implant dentistry; Dr. Gerald Klaczany, clinical associate professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care; Dr. Maria Marin, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care; Dr. Mazen Natour, clinical assistant professor of periodontology & implant dentistry; and Dr. Todd Ross, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care.
Academy of Distinguished Educators Clinical & Educational Scholarship Showcase
On Monday and Tuesday, June 3rd and 4th, the NYU Academy of Distinguished Educators held their 2024 Clinical & Educational Scholarship Showcase in the 11th floor Executive Conference Room at 433 First Avenue. Eighteen posters were presented (see complete program here), and the winning presentations were as follows:
- Educational Research: "Interactive Digital Learning and Preclinical Simulations for Training in Teledentistry," by Marija Cahoon, Kaitlin Stier, Dianne Sefo, Raj Sheth and Lillian Moran
- New Educational Idea: "Examination of Student Experiential Learning in Oral Medicine," by Arthi Kumar and Rachelle Wolk
- Clinical Case: "Utilization of Reference Denture Workflow in Predoctoral Clinic: A Trial," by Piriya Boonsiriphant, Marjan Moghadam, Liliana Ortiz, and Jingyi Yang
On Thursday, June 20th, NYU Dentistry's chapter of the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) hosted the Hispanic Student Regional Conference in 433 First Avenue — a first for the chapter and the opening event for the annual session weekend for the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA), the national organization. Over 275 students, faculty, dental school deans, and industry representatives attended the opening event, which included a recruitment fair, a GPR/AEGD/PG panel, a campus tour, and a pre-dental hands-on program.. Alumnus Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, '92, Helen L. Kimmel Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and chair of the Hansjorg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, provided keynote remarks.
At a ceremony during the HDA annual session in White Plains, NY, Dr. Cheryline Pezzullo, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry & comprehensive care and HSDA advisor, received the Faculty of the Year award, and D3 student Matthew Calaigian received the HSDA Chapter President award.
Awards ceremonies honoring DDS and Dental Hygiene students were held on May 1st and 7th, respectively, and honored members of the Class of 2024 for academic and clinical excellence in general dentistry, the dental specialties, dental hygiene, leadership potential, ethics, professionalism, and dedication and excellence in providing care for people with disabilities. See the entire lists of awardees from the DDS program (PDF) and the Dental Hygiene programs (PDF).
Food and Fun at the Spring Social
On Friday, May 10, members of the NYU Dentistry community gathered for food, fun, and games at the Spring Social!
Dr. Anna Di Gregorio, associate professor of molecular pathobiology, created and guest-edited a special edition of "genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development" celebrating the contributions made by women scientists in tunicate biology. The special issue followed an online symposium organized by Dr. Di Gregorio in March 2023 which sought to inspire women scientists in other fields to celebrate the work of their often overlooked predecessors.
Dr. Divya Khera, clinical assistant professor of pediatric dentistry, has been selected as a 2023-2024 scholar in the ADEA Leadership Institute, yearlong program designed to develop the most promising individuals at academic dental institutions.
Dr. Cheryline Pezzullo, clinical assistant professor of general dentisty and comprehensive care and director of community-based education, received NYU's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award, which recognizes outstanding faculty who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s scholarship, life, and justice work and who promote the principles and ethos of Dr. King’s extensive global contributions in their research, teaching, leadership, and/or community-building efforts.
Dr. Paulina Ramírez García Named a 2024 Recipient of The Warren Alpert Foundation Distinguished Scholars Fellowship
Paulina Ramírez García, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at NYU Dentistry, has been selected as one of six 2024 recipients across the US of The Warren Alpert Foundation Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Award. The award provides support for postdoctoral fellows in the fields of basic or clinical neurosciences. Dr. Ramírez García was selected through a competitive process administered by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine as the sole nominee from NYU, including NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Long Island School of Medicine.
Dr. Ramírez García joined NYU Dentistry in 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratories of Donna Albertson, PhD, and Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD to advance her training in the neurobiology of pain, particularly oral cancer pain. As a former recipient of the International Association for the Study of Pain John Bonica postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Ramírez García has been studying how molecules released by cancers activate receptors on the cell surface and cause redistribution of the receptors – receptor trafficking - to specific sites within cells. The receptors activate intracellular signaling cascades dependent on the location within the cell. Dr. Ramírez García’s research supported by The Warren Alpert Foundation fellowship will focus on better understanding how oral cancer alters receptor trafficking and signaling in sensory neurons. She will use this information and her former training in design and synthesis of nanoparticles to deliver drugs to the intracellular pools of receptors that drive pain. Improved understanding of spatiotemporal pain signaling allows the design of precisely targeted nanomedicines that effectively treat pain without opioids.
The Warren Alpert Foundation, is a non-profit organization that “supports innovative individuals and organizations dedicated to understanding and curing disease through groundbreaking research, scholarship and service.” The Warren Alpert Foundation Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Awards are intended to support transition of postdoctoral researchers to independent full-time faculty positions at the Assistant Professor level and foster development of laboratory programs leading to independent funding. NYU will be awarded $200,000 annually for two years to cover salary, laboratory costs, and related expenses for Dr. Ramírez García.