Patel honored with UT System 2025 Regents Outstanding Teaching Award

Shalizeh A. “Shelly” Patel, DDS, MEd, distinguished teaching professor and associate dean for patient care at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, has been named a recipient of The University of Texas System 2025 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award.

“Teaching has never been about perfection; it’s about connection, curiosity, and growth,” Patel said. “I’ve been fortunate to learn alongside my students, supported by colleagues and inspiring mentors who share the belief that educators can truly shape every learner’s journey. I’m deeply grateful for this recognition and for the privilege to keep learning, teaching, and serving our students, faculty, staff, patients, and the great state of Texas.”

The award recognizes faculty across UT System academic and health institutions for extraordinary classroom presence, innovative teaching methods, and dedication to student success.

Patel will be formally recognized as one of 12 honorees at the UT System Board of Regents meeting in November. Each honoree will receive a medallion, certificate, and $25,000 cash award. Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife praised the recipients for their dedication to teaching excellence and their role in preparing and inspiring Texas’ next generation of leaders and innovators.

Patel has been affiliated with the School of Dentistry since 2006, when she began volunteering as a clinical assistant professor. Having risen to the rank of professor, she credits the school with reshaping both her professional and personal outlook as she transitioned from private practice to academia.

Patel was named associate dean for patient care in 2022, following a year in the interim role. She previously served as director of clinical simulation from 2016 to 2022.

“Dr. Patel’s commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation, and patient care embodies the very best of our mission at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry,” said John A. Valenza, DDS, dean and William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professor in the Dental Sciences. “Her recognition as a Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award recipient is a well-deserved honor that reflects not only her dedication to teaching and patient care, but also her impact on advancing dental education across Texas and beyond.”

Patel earned her dental degree from UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry in 2001 and a master’s in education, curriculum, and instruction design in health science education from the University of Houston in 2019.

She has received numerous teaching honors, including the American Dental Education Association/Colgate-Palmolive Co. Excellence in Teaching Award, the Academy of Laser Dentistry’s T.H. Maiman Award for Excellence in Laser Research, the School of Dentistry’s John H. Freeman Award for Faculty Teaching, multiple Dean’s Excellence Awards, and induction into The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education. She has also completed both the ADEA Leadership Institute and the UTHealth Houston Health Educators Fellowship Program.

Beyond her classroom and clinical instruction, Patel has spearheaded nationally recognized innovations in dental education. She launched Behind the Smile: Stories In and Out of Dentistry, a first-of-its-kind narrative dentistry program that fosters empathy and resilience in students. In 2024, she established the Center for Health Promotion, one of the nation’s first dental school centers to integrate oral, medical, and behavioral health into patient care education as a cornerstone of the School of Dentistry’s clinical and curricular change initiatives.

Patel has led research in caries diagnosis and management and advances in teaching and learning, laser and digital dentistry, and virtual reality in health care, resulting in scholarly publications, textbook chapters, and presentations at local, national, and international conferences.