Dentistry faculty, students receive foundation, leadership awards

A national periodontology organization taps a School of Dentistry faculty member for a teaching fellowship, while dentistry student volunteers at the Jackson Free Clinic help earn a community leadership award.

SOD faculty receives periodontology foundation award

Dr. Jennifer L. Bain, assistant professor of periodontology and preventive science in the School of Dentistry, has been selected by the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation to receive an AAP Teaching Fellowship.

Bain is one of a select few faculty nationwide teaching at the pre-doctoral level to be selected for the award.

Made possible by a $1 million commitment from the AAP, the $50,000 fellowships support young periodontal educators' commitment to a career in academia. They are given to qualified faculty members within their first three years of teaching at a U.S. periodontal training institution.

ADA Foundation selects SOD, JFC for leadership honor

The School of Dentistry and the Jackson Free Clinic have been selected by the American Dental Association Foundation to receive an E. “Bud” Tarrson Dental School Student Community Leadership Award for the 2015-16 school year.

The annual award highlights significant dental student outreach to vulnerable communities in the U.S. and supports the “access to care” mission of the ADA Foundation by helping dental student groups provide oral health care to those in need.

Set up, run and managed by students, the JFC provides medical, dental and therapy services to the inner city community. Students volunteer to work when the clinic is open and are supervised by a volunteer faculty member.

"The University of Mississippi School of Dentistry and the Jackson Free Clinic program are excited to be among those six programs selected to receive a $5,000 award this year,” said Dr. Wilhelmina O'Reilly, professor of pediatric dentistry and community oral health and assistant dean for admissions and student affairs. “Tyler Wheeler is a D2 student from Gulfport who applied for and received this leadership award. It will be very helpful for purchasing supplies and equipment needed to keep the clinic going.”

The SOD and JFC were among six programs to receive the award nationally. The awards are funded by the Tarrson family and the ADA Business Resources, Inc.