The Dean's Academy of Distinguished Scholars is a formal organization developed to demonstrate the School of Dentistry's ongoing recognition of and commitment to excellence. The academy recognizes and rewards faculty members who exhibit excellence and/or extraordinary scholarship in teaching, education, research, or mentoring. Academy members serve as professional role models and mentors for faculty, residents, fellows, and students.
Winners of Dean's Excellence Awards automatically become members of the Dean's Academy of Distinguished Scholars. Candidates are nominated by department chairs or fellow faculty members. If accepted, new members are admitted for five-year terms, but may be admitted again in different categories, extending their membership.
Membership in the Dean's Academy of Distinguished Scholars may be achieved in three ways:
- Receiving the President's Scholar Award
- Induction into The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD Academy of Health Science Education
- Winning a Dean's Excellence Award at the School of Dentistry.
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Inducted as charter members (2008)
- Harold A. Henson, RDH, MEd, PhD
- Darla K. McKitrick, RDH, MS
- Jayne McWherter, RDH, MEd
- Donna Warren Morris, RDH, MEd
- June M. Sadowsky, DDS MPH
- Rick Silverman, DDS
- James Wilson, DDS
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Inducted upon admission to The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education
- Shalizeh (Shelly) Patel, DDS, MEd (2020)
- Donna P. Warren Morris, RDH, MEd (2019)
- Ryan Quock, DDS (2018)
- Jacqueline T. Hecht, PhD (2013)
- Catherine M. Flaitz, DDS, MS (2010)
- Paula N. O'Neill, MEd, EdD (2008)
- John A. Valenza, DDS (2007)
- John McMahon, PhD (2006)
- Leslie Roeder, DDS, MS (2006)
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Inducted as UTHealth President’s Scholar Award recipients
- Mark Wong, DDS, FACS, FACS (2018)
- Donna Warren-Morris, RDH, MEd (2017)
- Jacqueline T. Hecht, PhD (2014)
- Paula N. O'Neill, MEd, EdD (2011)
- Catherine M. Flaitz, DDS, MS (2004)
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Inducted as Dean’s Excellence Award recipients
For the Scholarship of Application
- Marilia Sly, DDS, MSD (2022)
- Walid Fakhouri, MSc, PhD (2021)
- Juliana Barros, DDS, MS (2020)
- Joe C. Ontiveros, DDS, MS (2019)
- Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, EdD (2019)
- Maryam Tabrizi, DMD, MPH (2018)
- Rade D. Paravina, DDS, PhD (2017)
- Cameron B. Jeter, PhD (2017)
- Gene C. Stevenson, DDS, MS, MPH (2016)
- Kurtis Kasper, PhD (2016)
- June M. Sadowsky, DDS, MPH (2015)
- Samuel Dorn, DDS (2014)
For Engagement and Collaboration
- Sheila H. Koh, DDS (2012)
- Yunzhi “Peter” Yang, MS, PhD (2011)
- Rade D. Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD (2010)
- Chung H. Kau, BDS, MScD, PhD (2009)
For the Scholarship of Discovery
- Simon Young, DDS, MD, PhD (2022)
- Bing-Yan Wang, DDS, MS, PhD (2021)
- Daniel Harrington, PhD (2020)
- Chun-Teh Lee, DDS, DMSc, MS (2020)
- Walid D. Fakhouri, PhD (2019)
- Junichi Iwata, DDS, PhD (2017)
- Ariadne Letra, DDS, MS, PhD (2016)
- Kalu U.E. Ogbureke, BDS, DMSc, JD, MSc (2015)
- Renato Silva, DDS, MS, PhD (2014)
- Nadarajah Vigneswaran, BDS, DrMedDent, DMD (2013)
- Gena D. Tribble, PhD (2013)
- Pauline “Jackie” Duke, PhD (2012)
For the Scholarship of Innovation
- The Clinical Simulation Team (2018), shared by: Deborah Franklin, DDS, MA; Gargi Mukherji, DDS; Donna Warren Morris, RDH, MEd; Harold Henson, RDH, PhD; Darla McKitrick, RDH, MS; Joanna Allaire, RDH, MDH; Alan E. Levine, PhD
- Ana Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD (2012)
- Sergio Ortegon, DDS, MS (2011)
- Donna Warren Morris, RDH, Med (2010)
- George D. Suchko, DDS (2009)
For the Scholarship of Integration
- Chalie Streckfus, DDS, MA (2022)
- Amity Gardner, DDS (2020)
- Dharini van der Hoeven, MSc, PhD (2018)
- Ransome van der Hoeven, PhD (2018)
- Ana Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD (2018)
- Kurt Kasper, PhD (2017)
For Mentoring
- Gargi Mukherji, DDS (2022)
- Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd, EdD (2021)
- Ezinne Ogbureke, BDS, DMD (2021)
- Shalizeh (Shelly) Patel, DDS, MEd (2019)
- Hank I. Bussa, Jr., DDS, MS (2017)
- Harold A. Henson, RDH, MEd, PhD (2016)
- C.D. Johnson, DDS, MS (2015)
- John R. Klein, PhD (2015)
- Robin Weltman, DDS, MS (2014)
- Sheila H. Koh, DDS (2011)
For the Scholarship of Teaching
- Charlie Streckfus, DDS, MA (2022)
- Karo Parsegian (2021)
- Carolyn Huynh, DDS, MEd, EdD (2020)
- Ashley Clark, DDS (2019)
- Maria Gonzalez, DDS, MS (2019)
- Marilia Sly, DDS, MSD (2018)
- The Tobacco Dependence Education Team (2018), shared by: Ngozi Nwizu, BDS, MMSc, PhD; Victoria Patrounova, RDH, MHA; Richard Halpin, EdD; Charles Streckfus, DDS, MA
- The Anatomy Team (2017), shared by: Carla Rogers, PhD; Robert Spears, PhD; Raymond L. Warner, PhD, MA
- Ezinne Ogbureke, DMD (2017)
- Victoria V. Patrounova, RDH, MHA (2017)
- Juliana A. Barros, DDS, MS (2016)
- Harold A. Henson, RDH, MEd, PhD (2015)
- Karen Novak, DDS, PhD (2015)
- Rade D. Paravina, DDS, PhD (2015)
- Shalizeh (Shelly) Patel, DDS (2015)
- Ryan Quock, DDS (2015)
- Clinical Applications Team 1 (2014), shared by: Ted Pate, PhD; Gena Tribble, PhD; Art Jeske, PhD, DMD; Lincoln Edwards, PhD, DDS; Cameron Jeter, PhD; Charles Streckfus, DDS, MA; Dharini van der Hoeven, PhD, MSc; Deborah Franklin, DDS, MA; Ransome van der Hoeven, PhD
- Gene C. Stevenson, DDS, MS, MPH (2013)
- Shawn S. Adibi, DDS, Med (2012)
- Veronique F. Delattre, DDS (2012)
- J.G. “Jay” Welch, DDS (2011)
- Raymond G. Koeppen, DDS, MS, MBA (2010)
- Janet C. Grobe-Hood, DDS, Med (2009)
For Volunteerism
- Liann Marruffo, DDS (2022)
- Sam Winkelmann, DDS, MS (2021)
- Don Le, DDS (2012, 2019)
- Nina Leifeste, DDS (2015)
- Giancarlo Romero, DDS, MSD (2015)
- Jerry Long, DDS (2013)
- Ryan Quock, DDS (2013)
- Charles Hoopingarner, DDS (2011)
- Jay Elliott, DDS (2010)
- Lawrence A. Friedman, DDS (2009)
For Clinical Service
- Diana Arriaga, DDS, MEd (2022)
- Marie Latortue, DDS (2022)
Bylaws of the Academy
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2014-2015
- President: Dr. Rade Paravina
- President-Elect: Dr. Lincoln Edwards
- Executive committee members: Dr. Ransome van der Hoeven, Dr. Ana Neumann, Dr. Veronique Delattre
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Karen Novak
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2015-2016
- President: Dr. Lincoln Edwards
- President-Elect: Dr. Ransome van der Hoeven
- Executive committee members: Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven, Dr. Gargi Mukherji, Dr. Cameron Jeter
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Karen Novak
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2016-2017
- President: Dr. Ransome van der Hoeven
- President-Elect: Dr. Juliana Barros
- Executive committee members: Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven, Dr. Gargi Mukherji, Dr. Ariadne Letra
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain
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2017-2018
- President: Dr. Juliana Barros
- President-Elect: Dr. Ariadne Letra
- Executive committee members: Dr. Kurt Kasper, Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven, Dr. Gargi Mukherji
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain
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2018-2019
- President: Dr. Ariadne Letra
- President-Elect: Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven
- Executive committee members: Dr. Kurt Kasper, Dr. Cameron Jeter, Dr. Gena Tribble
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain
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2019-2020
- President: Dr. Dharini van der Hoeven
- President-Elect: Dr. Kurt Kasper
- Executive committee members: Dr. Cameron Jeter, Dr. Marilia Sly, Dr. Margot Melchor
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain
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2020-2021
- President: Dr. Kurt Kasper
- President-Elect: Dr. Ana Neumann
- Executive committee members: Dr. Walid Fakhouri, Dr. Margo Melchor, Dr. Marilia Sly
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain
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2021-2022
- President: Dr. Ana Neumann
- President-Elect: Dr. Walid Fakhouri
- Executive committee members: Dr. Marilia Sly, Dr. Margo Melchor, Dr. Scott Makins
- Ex-officio members: Dr. John Valenza, Dr. Lisa Cain