DCG Celebrates Achievement with Senior Awards

More than 50 awards and honors were recently conferred upon members of the Class of 2023 at the annual DCG Senior Award Ceremony. The event recognizes clinical skills, leadership traits, academic success and research achievement among the graduating seniors, along with mentorship, teaching excellence and leadership among DCG faculty.

Dr. Thomas Shelton was chosen for six awards. He was awarded the General Dentistry Mike Davenport, DMD Achievement Award; the Academy of Operative Dentistry Award; the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry Award; Hanau Best of the Best in Prosthodontics Award by WhipMix; the OKU Senior Academic Achievement Award and the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Award.

Dr. Olivia Fraser was chosen for five awards. She was awarded the DCG Outstanding Senior Award; the OKU Senior Comprehensive Care Case Award; the Academy of Osseointegration Outstanding Student in Implant Dentistry Award; the Southeastern Academy of Prosthodontics Award (SEAP); and the American Association of Endodontists Student Achievement Award.

Drs. Allison FaganCaylor Mark, and Thomas Shepherd were selected for three awards each. Fagan was selected for the American Prosthodontic Society Award, the ICOI Predoctoral Achievement Award and the American College of Prosthodontists Achievement Award. Mark was chosen for the GDA/ASDA Outstanding Student Award, the ASDA Award of Excellence, and was honored for being the American Student Dental Association President. Shepherd was selected for the American Equilibration Society Outstanding Senior Award, the American Academy of Oral Medicine Award and the Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.

Several students were chosen for two awards. Dr. Lindsey Brown was chosen for the Mark Ritz Memorial Scholarship from the Georgia Academy of General Dentistry and the Quintessence Award for Research Achievement. Dr. Caroline Carlock was selected for the American Association of Women Dentists Eleanor J. Bushee Award and the American Academy of Periodontology Dental Student Award. Dr. Grant Dawson was chosen for the Academy of General Dentistry Award and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award. Dr. Amber Durand was selected for the Student National Dental Association Officer Award and the

American College of Dentists Student Professionalism Award. Dr. Cayleigh Herman was chosen for the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Student Award and the Brian D. Stone Memorial Award. Dr. Olivia Hoy was selected for the Dr. Michael M. Kiyani Ethics in Dentistry Award for a Senior Dental Student and the Dr. Carole M. Hanes Pediatric Dentistry Spirit Award. Dr. Ekta Parab was chosen for the Pierre Fauchard Academy Outstanding Academic Achievement Award and the Ronald E. Goldstein Esthetic Dentistry Award. Dr. Eric Wilkins was selected for the International College of Dentists Student Leadership Award and was honored as the Class President of the Class of 2023. And Dr. Christian Walker was chosen for the Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford Student Leadership Award and the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Horace Wells Senior Student Award.

Singular award winners include:

  • Dr. Jeff Bang, CAD/CAM Award for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing
  • Drs. Rebecca Gaillard and Emily Johnson, Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Achievement Award
  • Dr. Lindsey Latty, American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Implant Award
  • Dr. Daniel Lee, Georgia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award
  • Dr. Sohee Lee, Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievement in Periodontics
  • Dr. Jane Park, Quintessence International Award for Clinical Excellence
  • Dr. Devin Patel, American Academy of Implant Dentistry Dental Student Award
  • Dr. Jaimisha Patel, International College of Dentists Student Humanitarian Award
  • Dr. Quentoira Walton, Newton Federal Bank Award
  • Dr. Eddie Willis, Academy of Dentistry International Student Leadership Award
  • Dr. Melanee Wang, American Association of Orthodontists Senior Student Award

Nine students also earned Alpha Upsilon Phi Leadership Awards for service and leadership. They included Katie Bigham, Caroline Carlock, Billie Castro, Grant Dawson, Allison Fagan, Olivia Fraser, Lindsey Latty, Aileen Li, and Christian Walker.

In addition to the awards, several students were honored for graduating with distinctions.The Dental College of Georgia Diploma with Distinction in Leadership – Drs. Katherine Bigham and Christian Walker.

  • The Dental College of Georgia Diploma with Research Distinction – Drs. Katherine Bigham, Lindsey Brown, Caroline Carlock, Amber Durand, Rebecca Gaillard, Melanee Wang, Thomas Shepherd and Veronica Xia.

The full list of awards and recipients is as follows:

  • GDA/ASDA Outstanding Faculty Award – Dr. Nancy Young
  • GDA/ASDA Outstanding Student Award – Caylor Mark
  • International College of Dentists Student Leadership Award – Eric Wilkins
  • International College of Dentists Student Humanitarian Award – Jaimisha Patel
  • Pierre Fauchard Academy Outstanding Academic Achievement       Ekta Parab
  • DCG Outstanding Senior Award – Olivia Fraser
  • American Student Dental Association President – Caylor Mark
  • ASDA Award of Excellence – Caylor Mark
  • Student National Dental Association Officer – Amber Durand
  • American College of Dentists Faculty Professionalism Award – Dr. Griffin
  • American College of Dentists Student Professionalism Award – Amber Durand
  • Class President, Class of 2023 – Eric Wilkins
  • DCG Most Valuable Faculty –  Dr. Ronald Harris
  • Judson C. Hickey Outstanding Faculty Award –  Dr. Ray Jeter
  • ADI Student Leadership Award – Eddie Willis
  • Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford Student Leadership – Christian Walker
  • Dr. Michael M. Kiyani Ethics in Dentistry Award for a Senior Dental Student – Olivia Hoy
  • Brian D. Stone Memorial Award – Cayleigh Herman
  • Academy Of General Dentistry – Grant Dawson
  • Newton Federal Bank (formally Affinity Bank) Award – Quentoira Walton
  • American Prosthodontic Society Award – Allison Fagan
  • Quintessence International Award for Clinical Excellence – Jane Park
  • Ronald E. Goldstein Esthetic Dentistry Award – Ekta Parab
  • CAD/CAM Award – Jeff Bang
  • General Dentistry Mike Davenport, DMD Achievement Award – Thomas Shelton
  • OKU Senior Comprehensive Care Case Award – Olivia Fraser
  • Mark Ritz Memorial Scholarship (GA Academy of Gen Dent Award) – Lindsey Brown
  • AAWD Eleanor J. Bushee Award – Caroline Carlock
  • Academy of Operative Dentistry – Thomas Shelton
  • American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry – Thomas Shelton
  • Aca. of Osseointegration Outstanding Student in Implant Dentistry – Olivia Fraser
  • American Academy of Implant Dentistry Dental Student Award – Devin Patel
  • ICOI Predoctoral Achievement Award – Allison Fagan
  • American College of Prosthodontists Achievement Award – Allison Fagan
  • Southeastern Academy of Prosthodontics Award (SEAP) – Olivia Frazier
  • American Equilibration Society Outstanding Senior Award – Thomas Shepherd
  • Hanau Best of the Best in Prosthodontics Award by WhipMix – Thomas Shelton
  • American Academy of Periodontology Dental Student Award – Caroline Carlock
  • Quintessence Award for Research Achievement – Lindsay Brown
  • Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievement in Periodontics – Sohee Lee
  • American Association of Orthodontists Senior Student Award – Melanee Wang
  • OKU Senior Academic Achievement Award – Thomas Grant Shelton
  • The Dental College of Georgia Diploma with Research Distinction – Katherine Bigham, Lindsey Brown, Caroline Carlock, Amber Durand, Rebecca Gaillard, Melanee Wang, Thomas Shepherd and Veronica Xia.
  • The Dental College of Georgia Diploma with Distinction in Leadership – Katie Bigham and Christian Walker
  • American Association of Endodontists Student Achievement – Olivia Fraser
  • American Academy of Oral Medicine Award – Thomas Shepherd
  • Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology – Thomas Shepherd
  • American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology – Thomas Shelton
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Achievement – Rebecca Gaillard and Emily Johnson
  • American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Horace Wells Senior Student Award – Christian Walker
  • American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Student Award – Cayleigh Herman
  • American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Implant Award – Lindsey Latty
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award – Grant Dawson
  • Georgia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award – Daniel Lee
  • Dr. Carole M. Hanes Pediatric Dentistry Spirit Award – Olivia Hoy
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Written by
Stacey Hudson

Stacey Hudson is communications coordinator for the Dental College of Georgia.

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