Dentistry Professionals Day promotes research, academics

The 32nd annual College of Dentistry Professionals Day was held in April at UNL’s East Campus Union.

Dental student Anna Schoettger talks with Yun Saksena, D.M.D., associate dean for education, about her research poster at the 2018 College of Dentistry Professionals Day. (Photo by Peggy Cain)

The event kicked off with the Richard E. Bradley Memorial Lectureship, given by Daniel Shipp, Ed.D., vice chancellor for student success at both UNO and UNMC. Dr. Shipp’s lecture focused on the importance of emotional intelligence in the dental and other health professions.

He highlighted research from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine and Weatherhead School of Management that found emotional intelligence to be an emerging non-cognitive predictor of dental student clinical performance. Dr. Shipp noted that while more research is needed in this area, the first step toward improving your emotional intelligence is to assess your own self-awareness.

He encouraged faculty, staff and students to participate in the “One Word Project,” in which each person chooses one word to define who they are. Participants then posed for a photograph depicting their interpretation of their chosen word — with the goal of helping them learn more about themselves and gain self-awareness.

Following Dr. Shipp’s lecture, the college hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate and recognize students, faculty and staff accomplishments.

The afternoon’s 51st annual Student Scientific Program featured 44 research posters by junior dental, senior dental hygiene, postgraduate students and their faculty mentors. A panel of judges evaluated each presentation and announced winners in each of the three categories:

• Dental Hygiene: Savannah Epp and Itzel Soto, “Comparison of Sodium Percarbonate and Hydrogen Peroxide Whitening Solutions with LED Lamp: an in vitro Study.” Mentors: William Johnson, D.D.S., Bobby Simetich and Heather Hessheimer.
• Dental: Katelyn Lowery, “Dental Management of Patients with PTSD.” Mentor: Brian Lange, Ph.D.
• Postgraduate: Alan Chee, D.D.S., “Percent Bone Mineral Loss and Visualization on Digital Radiographs.” Mentors: Sung Kim, D.D.S., Brianna Hitt and Chin-Lo (Ellen) Hahn, Ph.D., D.D.S.

First place winners in the dental and dental hygiene categories earn the chance to present their research at various national conferences following Professionals Day. Epp and Soto will present their poster at the 95th Annual Conference of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) in Columbus, Ohio, in June. Lowery will present at the General Session & Exhibition for the International, American and Canadian Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR/CADR) in June 2019.