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On Monday, May 13, 2019, The School of Dentistry held their annual Senior Convocation Ceremony at the La Quinta Inn & Suites medical center location. Breakfast was served and coffee was poured in preparation for the recognition of a long list of well-deserving and outstanding students.

Dr. Stefanie Seitz, Assistant Dean for Students, served as Master of Ceremonies with Ms. Jennifer Sandlin by her side passing out awards and gifts. Dr. J. Joshua Seale, Past President of the Alumni Association, provided a few opening remarks to the attendees regarding the value of the alumni association stating that it is “transitioning from a social club to a necessity” of the school. He urged the senior class to be involved after graduation by remembering those who come after them.

After an eager applause, the presentations began with over 73 awards on the docket, many of which were being awarded to more than one student, as well as over $22,500 in scholarship and award money to be presented. In addition to the recognition and monetary awards, many recipients received certificates or plaques, along with complimentary organizational memberships, meeting registrations, or journal subscriptions.

37 Students graduating with High, Higher, and Highest Honors were recognized, along with the introduction of TWO Class of 2019 Valedictorians, Taylor Kaufmann and Kristen Self.

Additionally, commencement cords were distributed to students graduating with a distinction in Dental Education, Research, or those being recognized as Veterans or Active Military Personnel of the United States Armed Forces.

The Class of 2019 selected awardees for The Student Government Association Student Leadership and Student Advocacy Awards, recognizing Heather Burbick and Taylor Reece, respectively.

The Class also chose to award Dr. Ahmed Sabbah as Professor or the year. Liel Allon, Senior Class President, remarked that for Dr. Sabbah “teaching is second nature”. She went on to say that Dr. Sabbah is “always patient and calm; he guides you to grow”.

The Class also awarded Ms. Mary Jane Sweet with The Appreciation of Consistently Superior Performance & Recommendation Award. Mary Jane, Clinical Supervisor at UT Dentistry, accepted this award to roaring applause from all in attendance. Liel and her classmates wished to recognize Mary Jane because she “is hard working and looks after the students year-round”. Liel expressed gratitude saying, “thank you for showing up every day and giving your all.”

Congratulations to the entire class for your amazing accomplishments! For a look at all the those recognized during the ceremony, please see the following:

• The International College of Dentists Student Leadership Award - Taylor Cook • The International College of Dentists Student Humanitarian Award - Heather Burbick • The San Antonio District Dental Society (SADDS) and Alliance Endowed Student Awards - Andre’ Jones and Taylor Cook • The SADDS Recognition of Excellence in Teaching and Promoting Organized Dentistry Award - Dr. Adriana Segura, Professor of Pediatric Dentistry • The SADDS Foundation NEXT Generation Student Scholarships - Andre’ Jones and Jeanny Nguyen • The Southwest Academy of Restorative Dentistry Award - Daniel Splinter • The Academy of General Dentistry Senior Dental Student Awards - Elizabeth Castleberry and Samantha Sackos • The Joseph M. and Phyllis A. Berrong Student Leadership Award - Kathryn Wynne • The DENTSPLY Merit Award in Removable Prosthodontics - Jacob Woods • The American Prosthodontic Society Student Award of Merit - Erin Kauffman • The Whip Mix Corporation – Hanau Best of the Best Prosthodontic Award - Kathryn Wynne • The Southwest Prosthodontic Society Dental Student Award - Samantha Sackos • The Kenneth Stewart Memorial Award for Excellence in Prosthodontics - Steven Elliott • The American College of Prosthodontists Predoctoral Student Prosthodontic Achievement Award - Alexander Harris • The Academy of Operative Dentistry Award - Steven Elliott • The Academy of Dentistry International Student Servant Leadership Award - Andre’ Jones • The Academy of Dentistry International Terry T. Tanaka Student Humanitarian Award - Taylor Reece • The Academy of Osseointegration Outstanding Dental Student in Implant Dentistry Award - Juan Gonzalez • The American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry Award - Mohammad Safaie Yazdi • The Bisco Adhesive Dentistry Award - Steven Elliott • The Ultradent Esthetic & Quality Dentistry Award - Kara Tapangan • The American Academy of Implant Dentistry - Steven Elliott • The American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Award - Caitlin Armstrong • Department of Comprehensive Dentistry’s Award for Preclinical Excellence in Teaching - Dr. John Hanlon • Department of Comprehensive Dentistry’s Award for Clinical Excellence in Teaching - Dr. Niraj Patel • The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Award - Sean Rathburn • The American Academy of Oral Medicine Certificate of Merit Award - Erin Kauffman • The American Academy of Orofacial Pain Senior Award - Michael Eskander • The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Predoctoral Student Award - Kristen Self • The American Academy of Periodontology Outstanding Achievement in Periodontics Dental Student Award - Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves • American Academy of Periodontology Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring in Periodontics - Dr. Lisa Masters • The American Association of Endodontists Student Achievement Award - Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves • The American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Implant Student Award - Kara Tapangan • The American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Student Award - Shayda Sarrami • The American Association of Orthodontists Award - Taylor Kauffman • The American Association of Public Health Dentistry Award - Andre’ Jones • The American College of Dentists Outstanding Student Leader Award - Reagan Smith • The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Horace Wells Senior Award - Wesley Cooksey • The American Student Dental Association Award of Excellence - Taylor Cook • The Comprehensive Dentistry Award - Alexander Harris • The Robert A. Dale Memorial Award - Daniel Splinter • The Maria Yeung Student Research Award - Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves • The Dental Lifeline Network – Brian D. Stone Memorial Award - Andre’ Jones • The International Congress of Implantologists Predoctoral Achievement Award - Ragy Saroufim • The James P. Vernetti Award - Kathryn Wynne • The DENTSPLY Comprehensive Dentistry Award - Mohammad Safaie Yazdi • Membership to Omicron Kappa Upsilon, a national dental honor society - Heather Burbick, Steven Elliott, Taylor Kauffman, Thomas Nguyen, Sarah Park, Sean Rathburn, Samantha Sackos, Kristen Self, Daniel Splinter, Jacob Woods, Kathryn Wynne, and Mohammad Safaie Yazdi

• The Pierre Fauchard Academy Senior Student Award - Meredith Mosier

• The Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Dentistry Service - Chelsea Hope • The Quintessence Award for Research Achievement - Michael Eskander • The Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievement in Periodontics - Sarah Park • The Quintessence Award for Clinical Achievement in Restorative Dentistry - Sean Rathburn • The Southwest Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Certificate - Mohammad Safaie Yazdi • The T. Schoeni Wolfe, DDS Memorial Award - Steven Elliott • The Texas Dental Association Senior Award - Taylor Cook • The Edmundo Cavazos Award - Ana Gonzalez • The Eleanor Bushee Senior Dental Student Award - Chelsea Hope • The Student Government Association Student Leadership Award – selected by the Class of 2019 - Heather Burbick • The Student Government Association Student Advocacy Award – selected by the Class of 2019 - Taylor Reece • The Student Government Association Outstanding Student Researcher – selected by the School of Dentistry Faculty Members - Meredith Mosier • The Student Government Association Outstanding Student Teacher – selected by the School of Dentistry Faculty Members - Taylor Kauffman • The Student Government Association Student Clinical Excellence Award – selected by the School of Dentistry Faculty Members - Steven Elliott • The Student Government Association Student Community Service Learning Excellence Award - Andre’ Jones, Heather Burbick, Mahmoud Irranezhad, Rebeca Garcia, and Taylor Reece • The Appreciation of Consistently Superior Performance & Recommendation Award – given on behalf of the Class of 2019 - Mary Jane Sweet • The Teaching Honors RIDE Award for Research In Dental Education - Mahmoud Irannezhad, Rebeca Garcia, Heather Burbick, and Taylor Reece • The Teaching Honors Outstanding Student Educator Certificate - Heather Burbick

Assistant Marshals for the 2019 Commencement Ceremony – selected by the Class of 2019

• GPG 1, Dr. Kevin Gureckis and Dr. Barry Holleron

• GPG 2, Dr. Niraj Patel and Dr. Arthur Shaw • GPG 3, Dr. Bill Rose and Dr. Joseph Connor • GPG 4, Dr. Fred Philips and Dr. Scott Stafford • GPG 5, Dr. Diane Sullivan and Dr. Mark LittleStar • GPG 6, Dr. Erica Oliveira and Dr. Nataliya Verona • GPG 7, Dr. Adriana Green and Dr. Ahmed Sabbah • GPG 8, Dr. David Cox and Dr. Daniel Lavin

The Class of 2019 Professor of the Year Award - Dr. Ahmed Sabbah

The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Student Leadership Award - Andre’ Jones

The Senior Clinical Award for Excellence in Clinical Dentistry

• GPG 1, Andre’ Jones • GPG 2, Debora Ayers • GPG 3, Kara Tapangan • GPG 4, Shayda Sarrami • GPG 5, Tania Sethi • GPG 6, Sarang Saadat • GPG 7, Kathryn Wynne • GPG 8, Juan Gonzalez

Award for Clinical Excellence in Dentistry - Debora Ayres, Heather Burbick, Wesley Cooksey, Steven Elliott, Kirsten Fox, Juan Gonzalez, Alexander Harris, Andre’ Jones, Erin Kauffman, Taylor Kauffman, Michel Mikheil, Thomas Nguyen, Sarah Park, Riada Rahimova, Sean Rathburn, Daniel Ryan, Sarang Saadat, Samantha Sackos, Ragy Saroufim, Tania Sethi, Kristen Self, Daniel Splinter, Brent Sugg, Kara Tapangan, Jacob Woods, Kathryn Wynne, and Mohammad Safaie Yazdi

Award for Scholarship in the Basic Sciences - Caitlin Armstrong, Heather Burbick, Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves, Patrick Grady, Mahmoud Irannezhad, Taylor Kauffman, Delaram Mostafavi, Thomas Nguyen, Sean Rathburn, Kristen Self, Jacob Woods, and Kathryn Wynne

Students Graduating with a Distinction in Dental Education - Angela Brost, Heather urbick, Autumn Castillo, Elizabeth Castleberry, Andrea Chaveleh, Taylor Cook, Colby Cottongame, Ezinwanne Jesica Ejesieme, Michael Eskander, Alicia Finney, Kirsten Fox, Rebeca Garcia, Ana Gonzalez-Suarez, Nathan Guess, Lauren Hrynyshyn, Mahmoud Irannezhad, Andre’ Jones, Erin Kauffman, Taylor Kauffman, Dorothy Kohler, Reuel McIntyre, Aislen Medina, Meredith Mosier, Delaram Mostafavi, Garrett Myers, Chiamaka Nnaji, Thomas Nguyen, Riada Rahimova, Sean Rathburn, ritta Salinas, Kristen Self, Tania Sethi, Reagan Smith, Katie Wesneski, William Whitworth, and Jacob Woods

Students Graduation with a Distinction in Research - Michael Eskander, Alicia Finney, Nathan Guess, Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves, Andre’ Jones, Dorothy Kohler, Meredith Mosier, Thomas Nguyen, McKay Sallaway, Shayda Sarrami, and Kristen Self

Faculty and Students who are recognized as Veterans or Active Duty Military Personnel of The United States Armed Forces - Angela rost, Bolivia Hurtado de Mendoza, and Connor Luttrell

Awarded with High Honors – Grade Point Average of 3.5 to 3.69 - Caitlin Armstrong, Elizabeth Castleberry, Michael Eskander, Kirsten Fox, Rebeca Garcia, Ana Gonzalez, Chaz Horton, Andre’ Jones, Dorothy Kohler, Jake Malone, Aislen Medina, Rehman Momin, Meredith Mosier, Shayda Sarrami, Brent Sugg, Andrew Tate, Kaite Wesneski, and Lynn Xie

Awarded with Higher Honors – Grade Point Average of 3.7 to 3.89 - Wesley Cooksey, Nicholas Dybdal-Hargreaves, Steven Elliott, Patrick Grady, Nathan Guess, Alexander Harris, Erin Kauffman, Delaram Mostafavi, Samantha Sackos, Reagan Smith, and Daniel Splinter

Awarded with Highest Honors – Grade Point Average of 3.9 or higher - Heather Burbick, Taylor Kauffman, Thomas Nguyen, Sarah Park, Sean Rathburn, Kristen Self, Jacob Woods, and Kathryn Wynne

Valedictorian Award - Taylor Kaufmann and Kristen Self