DCG faculty, students and alumni garner PFA honors

Several Dental College of Georgia (DCG) faculty and students were recently honored by the Pierre Fauchard Academy (PFA) at the Annual Leadership Conference at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Oconee, Georgia. The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an honorary dental service organization whose mission includes to recognize and develop outstanding leadership in our profession, internationally.

Nancy Young, DMD, interim dean of DCG, and Amara Abreu-Serrano, DDS, professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences, were inducted as Honored Fellows. Abreu-Serrano was honored last year with the PFA Excellence in Dental Education Award.

Kevin Frazier, DM, vice dean and professor, presented two DCG faculty with teaching awards sponsored by the Georgia Section of the PFA. Richard P. Gangwisch, DDS, clinical assistant professor of General Dentistry and practicing at Killian Hill Dental Care in Lilburn, Georgia, was honored with the PFA Volunteer Faculty Award. Ray S. Jeter, DMD, assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences, was honored with the PFA Excellence in Dental Education Award. Both of these awards honor excellence in clinical teaching.

Young presented PFA scholarship awards to several DCG students for their research work and for their academic success. Christina Sun (Class of 2024) and Melanee Wang (Class of 2023) were both named Mark Ritz Research Scholars for the research they have produced while completing their doctoral degrees. Sun was honored for “Tracking immune response to COVID-19 infections/vaccinations- A longitudinal study.” Wang was honored for “Relationship Between Inflammation and Carcinogenesis in Mice Exposed to 4-NQO and Ethanol.” Sun and Wang both presented their work at the conference, and had previously presented their work at the 2022 DCG Research and Table Clinic Day. Christian Walker (Class of 2023) was named the Pierre Fauchard Academy Scholar for his overall academic success.

Several DCG alumni were also inducted into the PFA as Honored Fellows:

• • • Jessica Brown, DMD (Class of 2013), owner of Americus Dental in Americus, Georgia
    • N. Alex Riccardi-Turner, DMD (Class of 2015), dentist at Riccardi General Dentistry in Americus, Georgia
    • Ben Taylor, DMD (Class of 2013), owner of Dunwoody Dental Care in Dunwoody, Georgia
    • Shannon Thorsteinson, DMD (Class of 2012), owner of Wellspring Dental in Atlanta, Georgia
    • Travis Watson, DMD (Class of 2002), owner of Atlanta West Dentistry in Marietta, Georgia

DCG Alumni also assisted in coordinating the conference.

Annette Rainge, DMD (Class of 1990), serves as the Georgia Section Chair; Narisa Cramer, DMD (DMD, ’97; Endodontics Residency, ’14 ), served as conference co-chair; Karyn Stockwell DMD (Class of 1982), served on the Conference Planning Committee; and Shirley Fisher, DMD (Class of 91) coordinated the Give Kids a Smile team.

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is currently comprised of nearly 8,000 Fellows divided into 142 sections, 55 in the United States and another 87 in many other parts of the world, including South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.