GSDM Community Given New Beginnings and Endless Opportunities During 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition
From winning second place in student poster competition to being elected to officer appointments for various ADEA committees, sections, and special interest groups, the GSDM community was extremely active during the 2024 American Dental Education Association Annual (ADEA) Session and Exhibition, held from March 9-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
ADEA Leadership Institute Alumni Association Board Councilor Afsheen Lakhani, GSDM group practice director and clinical associate professor of general dentistry, participated in this year’s session in numerous ways, ranging from advising students on their poster presentations to leading workshops and seminars. In keeping with this year’s theme “New Beginnings, Endless Opportunities,” she said she was pleased to see many first-time GSDM attendees thrive with their presentations and officer appointments.
“GSDM was well represented this year by some first-time faculty, staff, and students as well as seasoned faculty and staff,” Lakhani said. “A highlight for me was how GSDM was one team, supporting and encouraging each other in all conference activities such as poster, workshops, presentations, and section/SIG meetings.”
Read on for some highlights from this year’s event.
*GSDM affiliations will be written on first reference only
GSDM Student Won Second Place in ADEA Student Poster Competition
Brionna Palmerino DMD 25, president and District 1 school representative for ADEA, won second place in the ADEA student poster competition for her poster entitled “A Generalizable TA Training Module for Predoctoral Courses.” GSDM faculty Marianne Jurasic DMD 95, Center for Clinical Research director, and Matthew Mara DMD 16 AEGD 17 Wheelock 19, assistant professor of general dentistry, served as Palmerino’s faculty advisors.
The goal of their research is to implement a generalized dental school teaching assistants (TAs) training module that would efficiently prepare incoming TAs, Palmerino said. Together, Palmerino, Jurasic, and Mara built a questionnaire, asking all GSDM course directors who use TAs how they select those individuals, what they are looking for in a TA, and what responsibilities their TAs would have. As of right now, the team is developing a preliminary version of the module based on the information they gathered and is looking for incoming students to join the research efforts.
“I just felt really validated that people also saw value in what I was doing,” Palmerino said. “It made me really proud to be a student at BU because I [realized] we already have all these opportunities to be involved in [academia] that a lot of other schools don’t have… I [saw how we could] really leave our legacy on the world of dental academia.”
GSDM Students, Faculty, and Staff Presented Posters
Four GSDM DMD students, along with their faculty/staff mentors, and 12 GSDM faculty/staff presented their original research during the conference’s poster presentation sessions.
Mara, who is the ADEA Council of Sections Administrative Board secretary, served as mentor/co-mentor to three GSDM students presenting posters: Palmerino, Kate Winebrake DMD 25, and Kayvon Baradar DMD 24. Mara said watching his mentees present their posters as the culminating experience of their Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program was a full circle experience, as it reminded him of his first poster presentation experience as a student. He said that he couldn’t be more delighted with his students’ work.
“It’s been a pleasure to work so closely with these students over the past two years and see their projects evolve as they develop and grow as emerging researchers,” Mara said. “I strongly believe affording students with opportunities to present their research at national meetings is a critical experience that can help recruit some of our brightest students to careers in academic dentistry and I am glad GSDM provides so many students this exceptional opportunity.”
Student Posters
- Brionna Palmerino DMD 25, Marianne Jurasic, Matthew Mara: “A Generalizable TA Training Module for Predoctoral Courses: A Needs Assessment”
- Kate Winebrake DMD 25, ADEA District 1 Commissioner in the Council of Students, Residents, and Fellows, Matthew Mara: “Cultivating Future Leaders: Dental Students’ Perceptions on Leadership”
- Fuad Tawmeh DMD 23, clinical instructor, Abeer Elshewehy DMD AS 24, Neal Fleisher, predoctoral periodontology director and clinical professor of general dentistry: “Critical Thinking in Dental Education: A content Analysis of Student Evaluations and Feedback”
- Kayvon Baradar DMD 24, Afsheen Lakhani, Matthew Zwieg, assistant dean ad interim for clinical affairs and clinical associate professor of general dentistry, Robert McDonough, health policy & health services research instructor, Matthew Mara: “Endless Opportunities: Assessing Effectiveness and Student Perceptions of Peer Assessment in a Preclinical Course.”
Faculty Posters
- Chiho Ahn, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry: “Dental Student Perceptions of Distance Education over Time: A Mixed-Methods Study”
- Ana Keohane, director of predoctoral urgent care and clinical associate professor of the general dentistry department, Sheila Rodriguez-Vamvas, clinical associate professor of general dentistry and practice leader for the pre-doctoral patient treatment center, Kendrick Smaellie, Center for Clinical Research & Predoctoral Research program manager, Helen Edwards, Curriculum and Program Evaluation assistant director, Damali Dakoye, Curriculum and Program Evaluation program analyst, Megan Eberius, Academic Affairs Program Analyst: “Dental Students’ Suggestions through Urgent Care Rotation in their 4th Year of Dental School”
- Vasiliki Maseli, clinical associate professor of general dentistry and practice leader for the predoctoral patient treatment center, Matthew Zweig, Hesham Nouh, Department of General Dentistry chair ad interim and clinical associate professor of general dentistry, Afsheen Lakhani: “Digital Dentistry: Opportunities for Faculty Calibration”
- Vasiliki Maseli: “The power of self-awareness and well-being: Achieve balance in your life”
GSDM Faculty/Staff Newly Elected and Continue to Serve on Committees, Sections, and Special Interest Groups Officers Appointments:
Seven GSDM faculty/staff were newly elected to officer appointments for various ADEA committees, sections, and special interest groups.
Alisha Marble, GSDM Student Affairs program manager, was elected as secretary for the ADEA Section on Student Affairs and Financial Aid. Marble said she plans to use this role to gain knowledge and insight about potential professional and educational development opportunities that she can bring back to GSDM.
“I am looking forward to helping document and facilitate discussions to address any ideas for improvement and development for Student Affairs that arise during my time in leadership,” Marble said. “I’m extremely excited for this opportunity.”
Newly elected at ADEA 2024 Session:
- Ana Keohane: Member – ADEA Policy and Research Advisory Committee (PRAC)
Deeba Kashtwari, chair and clinical associate professor of oral & maxillofacial radiology and chief radiation safety officer: Member at Large (Four Year Term Member at large, Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Leadership Institute Alumni Association Board - Dayana Escobar, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry: Secretary (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics Education
- Vasiliki Maseli: Secretary (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Section on Comprehensive Care and General Dentistry
- Anjelica Gil-Levin, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry: Secretary (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Special Interest Group on Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technology
- Onkamon Budsabong, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry: Secretary (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Special Interest Group on CAD/CAM Technology
- Alisha Marble, Student Affairs program manager: Secretary (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair), ADEA Section on Student Affairs and Financial Aid
Current Officers serving at ADEA 2024-2025:
- Matthew Mara: Secretary (Four Year Term Member at large, Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair) – ADEA Council of Sections Administrative Board
- Richard D’Innocenzo, assistant dean for medical education, clinical professor of general dentistry and clinical professor of oral & maxillofacial surgery: Councilor – ADEA Section on Addiction Education
- Kadambari Rawal, clinical associate professor of general dentistry: Chair (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair) – ADEA Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics Education
- Peixi Liao, clinical associate professor of restorative sciences & biomaterials: Chair (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair) – ADEA Section on Prosthodontics
- Mayumi Onoe-Miyamoto, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry: Chair Elect (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair) – ADEA Section on Prosthodontics
- Vasiliki Maseli: Nominating Committee Member – ADEA Section on Women in Leadership
- Afsheen Lakhani: Chair (Three Year Term Secretary, Chair Elect, Chair) – ADEA Section on Comprehensive Care and General Dentistry
- Afsheen Lakhani: Councilor – ADEA Leadership Institute Alumni Association Board
GSDM Community Displays Innovative Dental Ideas in Workshops and Seminars:
Seven members of the GSDM community lead thought-provoking workshops and seminars over the four-day conference.
Maseli, clinical associate professor of general dentistry, who led workshops on preparing students for licensure exams and innovative educational strategies, said it was inspiring to create conversations that allowed for the exchange of ideas and learning opportunities with peers who were committed to improving dental education.
“It is a unique opportunity to join forces with highly esteemed colleagues from dental schools across the country throughout the year, to put together those lectures,” Maseli said. “The annual meeting is the highlight of this collaboration, as each presentation opens the dialogue among everyone attending.”
- Katherine Winebrake, Matthew Mara: “Endless Opportunities: Teaching and Developing Students as Leaders”
- Richard D’Innocenzo, Manish Bhagania, clinical associate professor of oral & maxillofacial surgery and director of predoctoral education:
“New Beginnings: Integrating Controlled Substance Risk Assessment in Dental Education” - Matthew Mara: “Short Talks: Faculty Development Marketplace”
- Vasiliki Maseli: “Endless Opportunities Utilizing Digital Dentistry: Preparing Students for Licensure Exams”
- Pelin Motro, clinical associate professor of general dentistry and practice leader for the pre-doctoral patient treatment center, Vasiliki Maseli, Afsheen Lakhani: “Innovative tools for Comprehensive Teaching from Classroom to Clinic – A pathway of endless opportunities.”