The College of Dentistry dental and dental hygiene classes presented faculty recognition awards for the 2020-2021 academic year at the college's All College Conference on August 20. The following faculty were recognized for their great dedication to preparing students to be leaders in dentistry.
Nicole M. Baker, RDH, BS and Amanda M. Dolen, RDH, BS
Nominated by the Dental Hygiene Class of 2022
"We nominate Ms. Baker for her consistent dedication and incredible patience during this past year. She works hard for us and is always available to answer questions and address concerns when needed. We also nominate Ms. Dolen for her perseverance through a change in her life and changes in the hygiene department. She has never lacked grace and determination. She is always encouraging and her positive, constructive criticism has been crucial to our success. We appreciate you so much."
Ali Nawshad, PhD and Luana Oliveira-Haas, DDS, MS, PhD
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2024
"We had the pleasure of having Dr. Nawshad as a professor during all three semesters of our first year. He always showed up to class with spunk and the trendiest glasses and wardrobe. He cares about our success and demonstrates this by offering countless review sessions. He sacrifices his nights and weekends for tutoring sessions to ensure each and every student not only passes his class, but understands and can apply their knowledge of the subject. He has been there for us after a less than stellar midterm exam with donuts in one hand and an encouraging pat on the back with the other. We love how he brings so much passion and enthusiasm into his lectures. We want to thank Dr. Nawshad for his enthusiasm, humor and continued mentorship throughout our first year of dental school."
"We also had the pleasure of having Dr. Olivera-Haas for all three semesters of our first year – the patience a professor must have teaching 52 struggling D1s how to put a rubber dam on for the first time! Dr. Olivera-Haas approached the first day of operative class with a sense of calmness and encouragement that continued throughout the year. It’s no secret that D1 year is no walk in the park, but having Dr. Olivera-Haas as our professor made the tough days much better. She impacted our first year more than she knows and we want her to know that she has made a difference by "making me confident in my work, providing an outstanding learning environment, and helping me fall more in love with dentistry." We will always be thankful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Olivera-Haas."
Luana Oliveira-Haas, DDS, MS, PhD and Yoshiharu Ameku, DDS
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2023
"We would like to thank and commend Dr. Olivera-Haas for the extraordinary efforts she put forth to teach us and for going above and beyond. Dr. Olivera-Haas masterfully demonstrates and teaches the current gold standards for clinical procedures and then compares them to newer procedures, materials and technology. She understands that her students will be working in a variety of different dental environments and makes sure that every student has the ability to be confident and comfortable providing patient care in different settings. Dr. Olivera-Haas also encouraged us to be more curious about dentistry and helped us expand our knowledge by showing us scientific research articles about the materials and techniques we were using. She encouraged us to dig deeper about why or how we do what we do. Dr. Olivera-Haas' passion for dentistry and her students is an example for all of us and will make us better health care providers and people."
"We would like to thank Dr. Ameku for his efforts in shaping our clinical skills. Tough, demanding and serious are words that have been used to describe his classes, but the techniques, theories and thought processes Dr. Ameku has taught us have made us more competent, confident and efficient practitioners. Dr. Ameku is also an indispensable mentor. He challenges us, not only on why we are performing a treatment or the steps and sequences of the treatment, but he makes us think about how we would perform the treatment in a private practice. He understands that dental school is the time and place to challenge us, to help us grow as clinicians and expand our experiences with different ways of thinking about patient care. At future dental school reunions, our class will no doubt reminisce about the difficulty of Dr. Ameku’s classes and how glad we are that he demanded so much of us. We thank Dr. Ameku for his guidance and the high standards he held us to, both of which will make a lasting impact on each of us."
Gregory Bennett, DMD and Bradley J. Krivohlavek, DDS
Nominated by the Dental Class of 2022
"Innovative, master of the digital world and selfless mentor: these are phrases that perfectly describe Dr. Bennett. This past year, Dr. Bennett rose to the challenge to teach the D3s advanced topics in restorative dentistry. It may be an understatement to say this was an unexpected request. Dr. Bennett demonstrated poise and creativity while fostering thoughtful conversations. He thoughtfully listened to our input and presented topics that built upon previously learned key concepts. One key assignment was to answer a burning dental question we have had since day one of dental school. He challenged us to find relevant research articles and evidence-based dentistry. One of our classmates stated, "I really enjoyed researching something I was personally interested in and how it opened up the conversation between Dr. Bennet and me. This validated my own curiosity and made researching dental topics fun." Dr. Bennett tests us to be our best selves and inspires us to be up to date on clinical research. We appreciate his patience and open-mindedness. He is intentional, selfless and a true servant leader. We want to thank him for his efforts towards making our education the best it can be."
"Dr. Krivohlavek: hardest name to pronounce, but easiest individual to talk to. Dr. Krivohlavek has proven himself to be an approachable, collected, patient and supportive ally for our class. His personality fits with our family culture and he prides himself in the work he does. A classmate stated that "the first week Dr. Krivohlavek started working at the clinic, he stopped me in the halls to congratulate me on a personal success. He was genuine and made me feel valued." As a student, clinic can be overwhelming and challenging, but we can always count on Dr. Krivohlavek to brighten our day and make us feel reassured when faced with tough clinical cases. He challenges us with open-ended questions while providing meaningful guidance to efficiently train us to be thoughtful providers. He is undoubtedly dedicated to advancing our education and promoting the integrity of UNMC’s promise to develop clinicians that can provide extraordinary patient care."