AAPD Recognizes Annual Award Recipients at AAPD 2024 in Toronto
CHICAGO – May 20, 2024 — The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the leading authority on children’s oral health, will celebrate the 2024 winners of its prestigious awards during the organization’s Annual Meeting, AAPD 2024, in Toronto from May 24-26.
The 2024 AAPD and AAPD Foundation Award Recipients are:
Distinguished Service Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. John R. Liu
The Distinguished Service Award is the most prestigious award given by the AAPD. Presented only when the AAPD Board of Trustees identifies a truly worthy recipient, the award recognizes individuals who have made a major contribution, on a national or international level, over their entire career to advocacy for children, improvement of children's health or to a health profession related to children. The Miller Foundation supports this award.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Dr. John Liu spent his childhood in Southern California. He graduated from Loma Linda University in La Sierra, California, with a BS degree in Biology. Dr. Liu went on to also receive his DDS degree from Loma Linda University’s School of Dentistry and was accepted into the pediatric dental residency program at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
After 30 years of private practice in Issaquah, WA, Dr. Liu recently returned to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as an assistant professor with a faculty appointment through the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine within the Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at CCHMC. While training future pediatric dentists, a primary focus of his work will be providing support to residents transitioning into the world of private practice and all it entails.
Within AAPD, Dr. Liu has held a range of positions over the past decade, including as Board of Trustees Secretary/Treasurer, President-Elect, and 2010-2011 President. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, served as president of the Washington State Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, chaired the Washington State Oral Health Coalition, and served on the boards of the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Washington Dental Service Foundation. Nominated by his peers, Dr. Liu was inducted into the American College of Dentists in 1999, the Pierre Fauchard Academy in 2007, and the International College of Dentists in 2009. In 2013, Dr. Liu was honored as the AAPD Pediatric Dentist of the Year.
Pediatric Dentist of the Year: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. Charles S. Czerepak
Established in 1998, this annual award honors a pediatric dentist who has made significant contributions to the dental profession and the specialty of pediatric dentistry through clinical practice, academics or policy development over the past year. Recipients will also have devoted extensive volunteer leadership service to the dental profession and the specialty. This award is sponsored by NuSmile.
Dr. Charles S. Czerepak is the founder of Pine Dental Care. He received his BS in Physics from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. While in graduate school at New York University, he realized that he wanted to help people more directly, so he changed professions and entered dental school. Dr. Czerepak graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University Dental School in June of 1977. In June of 1979, he completed his pediatric dentistry specialty training at the Children's Memorial Hospital (CMH) and Northwestern University in Chicago. Upon graduation, he was asked to stay at the hospital as a full-time attending dentist. His primary responsibilities at the hospital were the education of the pediatric dental residents and the supervision of the dental care for the children undergoing dental procedures under general anesthesia at the hospital.
He left his full-time position at the hospital to open Pine Dental Care, a community-based private practice dedicated to the dental and oral health of children. Since leaving the hospital he has served as the president of the Medical/ Dental Staff at the former Children's Memorial Hospital, interim head of the Division of Dentistry at CMH, and a trustee on the AAPD Board of Trustees. He is a tireless advocate for children's health and prides himself on the quality of the dentists he works with. Dr. Czerepak continues to be on staff as an attending and lecturer at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
In his spare time, Dr. Czerepak likes to travel with his family. He is very enthused about his new role as a grandpa.
Jerome B. Miller “For the Kids” Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. Brittaney Hill
This award is presented annually to an up-and-coming clinician, researcher or academician in pediatric dentistry for their outstanding efforts directed to children’s oral health and welfare. The Miller Award was established in May 2007 by AAPD Foundation, to honor former AAPD and Foundation President Dr. Jerome B. Miller for his many years of service to children, philanthropy and giving back to the profession of pediatric dentistry.
Dr. Brittaney Hill earned her BS in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in 2015. She then completed a pediatric dentistry residency at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she earned her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry, an MS in Oral Sciences, and an MPH in Health Policy and Administration. Upon completion of her residency program, Dr. Hill immediately transitioned into a full-time faculty position at the University of Illinois Chicago, teaching and training pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students in the pediatric clinics. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor and serves as Pediatric Dentistry Post-Graduate Residency Program Director at UIC.
Dr. Hill serves on the AAPD Early Career Dentist Committee, is a Fellow for the AAPD Research and Policy Center, and is a past Samuel D. Harris Fellow. Dr. Hill has participated in numerous leadership programs both at the local and national level. She is currently enrolled in the AAPD Leadership Institute and recently completed the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership program. She was a recipient of the American Dental Association Foundation “David Whiston Leadership Award” and the American Dental Association “10 Under 10” Award. At the local level, Dr. Hill has served as President of the Kenwood Hyde-Park branch of the Chicago Dental Society, the New Dentist Director for the Chicago Dental Society, and is a trustee for the Chicago Dental Society Foundation.
Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. Jacob K. Lee
The Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award is presented to an AAPD volunteer who has provided exemplary leadership service in the volunteer structure of the organization over the past year. This award, established in 1998, honors the memory of Merle C. Hunter, AAPD Executive Director from 1968-1986.
Dr. Jacob Lee earned his DDS from the University of Toronto. He completed his dental internship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, earned his diploma in pediatric dentistry at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, and was conferred Fellowship by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.
Dr. Lee is an adjunct associate professor of clinical dentistry in the department of pediatric dentistry at USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. With keen interest in dental materials, he has presented at numerous state, national, and international meetings. Dr. Lee is a Diplomate and volunteers as an examiner for the Oral Clinical Examination of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He is a speaker in the AAPD Speakers Bureau, an AAPD Media spokesperson, and a member of the editorial board of Pediatric Dentistry. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Safety and Quality Improvement Special Interest Group on Little Teeth Chat.
Previously, Dr. Lee was an associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and the director of the graduate program in pediatric dentistry at the University of Minnesota. He also served as Chairperson of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco and as the Dental Director and the Director of the USC Pediatric Dental Residency Program at the Children's Dental Health Clinic at Miller Children’s Hospital, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.
Dr. Lee is a graduate of the AAPD Leadership and the Advanced Leadership Institutes. He has served the AAPD on numerous committees and councils, including as the chair of the Graduate Students Research Awards Committee and as coordinator of the academician meetings at the AAPD Annual Session. In addition, he has spearheaded and moderated the AAPD Practice Management Program. He co-chaired the Local Arrangements Committee of the 2022 AAPD Annual Session in San Diego. Dr. Lee has also served as the president of the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, as a trustee of the Western Society of Pediatric Dentistry, and as the AAPD Western District trustee. He is a Fellow of the AAPD, the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
Dr. Lee is engaged in private practice with his son, a pediatric dentist, in San Clemente and Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif. They are accomplished classical violinists and enjoy performing together.
Manuel M. Album Award: The 2024 award recipient is E. LaRee Johnson
The Manuel M. Album Award is presented annually to the individual or organization that has made the greatest contribution to the oral health of children with special needs. The award, established in 1997, honors Manuel M. Album, who devoted an entire career in pediatric dentistry toward improving the oral health of children with special needs. The Album Society supports this award.
Dr. LaRee Johnson founded Carolina Pediatric Dentistry, a multi-doctor, two-location practice in Raleigh, North Carolina, with approximately 30 percent of the patients having special health care needs (SHCN). She received her doctorate from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Johnson graduated from pediatric dentistry residency and received an MS degree at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Johnson completed the AAPD Leadership Institute Cohort V from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina and East Carolina University. She is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, American College of Dentists, and AAPD. Dr. Johnson served as the president of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and the North Carolina Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is the dental director for Raleigh Children’s Surgery Center, where many patients with SHCN are seen using a multispecialty approach.
When Dr. Johnson’s daughter, Mia, was born with multiple congenital heart defects, she quickly learned the world of heartache, challenges, unknowns, and frequent appointments at large medical centers. She made compassionate access to quality care her mission and relentlessly works to grow this mission by full-time clinical practice, mentoring doctors, residents, and students within her state and beyond by teaching nationally and internationally.
Dr. Johnson’s husband, James, and their children, Mia and Jamie, are her greatest joy. She and her husband have completed three Ironman distance triathlons, the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run, a marathon in each of the 50 US states, and have competed in the CrossFit Open. She says that her patients with SHCN inspire her. During races, she dedicates miles to her non-ambulatory patients to remind her that every step is a gift, and she goes the distance to honor those who cannot.
Dr. Lewis A. Kay Excellence in Education Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. James E. Jones
This award, established in 2011, honors the director of the pediatric dental program determined to best exemplify the dedication and values set forth by Dr. Lewis A. Kay: outstanding leadership; commitment to educating pediatric dental residents to provide children with comprehensive quality oral health care; and contributions to society and the profession of dentistry which bring recognition to their program. This award is sponsored by Pediatric Dental Associates, Ltd.
Dr. James E. Jones received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, his DMD from the University of Louisville, and his pediatric dentistry specialty certificate and MSD from Indiana University (IU). He was a faculty member at IU when he accepted a two-year Robert Wood Johnson Dental Health Services Research Fellowship at Harvard University. He then served as Graduate Program Director and Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, while also receiving the Doctor of Education degree (EdD) from IU.
Following this, he served 12 years as Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Ind., while also serving for as a Congressional Fellow in the 107th Congress with Indiana Senator Richard Lugar for six months, as well as receiving a PhD in Biological Sciences from Empresarial University. Finally, he returned to IU to serve as Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry for 12 years and is currently the Paul Starkey Research Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and Adjunct Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University, School of Medicine. He’s published 137 articles and book chapters, obtained over 5.6 million dollars in educational and research grants and presented over 130 CE courses on four continents.
Suzi Seale Coll Evidence-Based Dentistry Service Award: The 2024 award recipients are the members of the AAPD Evidence-Based Dentistry Work Group, including Dr. Chia-Yu Chen, Dr. Vineet Dhar, Dr. Elizabeth Gosnell, Dr. Jayaraman Jayakumar, Dr. Clarice Law, Dr. Martina Majstorović, Dr. Abdullah Marghalani, Dr. Cameron L. Randall, Dr. Janice Townsend, Ms. Rachel Wedeward and Dr. Martha Wells
The Evidence-Based Dentistry Service Award, established in 2016 by the AAPD’s Evidence-Based Dentistry Committee (EBDC), recognizes pediatric dentist(s) who have made a major contribution, on a national or international level, to the dental profession and the specialty of pediatric dentistry through evidence-based clinical practice, academics or policy development over the past year. Nominees are solicited from the membership and considered by the EBDC, which shall make the final selection.
Paul P. Taylor Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. James A. Coll
The Paul P. Taylor award is given to the lead author of the most prestigious journal article in Pediatric Dentistry from the previous year. This award is determined by the AAPD Editorial Board and the AAPD Awards’ Committee. The Baylor Pediatric Dentistry Alumni Fund graciously supports this award.
Dr. James A. Coll is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and was in private practice for 39 years. He has published numerous articles on primary tooth pulp therapy and is a member of the editorial board and section editor for pulp therapy for Pediatric Dentistry. He was the first author of AAPD's 2017 first-ever evidence-based dentistry systematic review: Systematic review and meta-analysis of vital pulp therapy for children with deep caries in the primary dentition. Dr. Coll was also the first author of the 2020 Systematic review and meta-analysis of non-vital pulp therapy for primary teeth (Pediatr Dent 2020;42(4) and Guideline for non-vital primary teeth (Pediatr Dent 2020;42(5). Presently he is the chair of the AAPD pulp therapy workgroup (WG) that is publishing in 2023-24 a new systematic review and meta-analyses and guideline for primary teeth vital pulp therapy. The Workgroup is also in the process of creating a new guideline with the AAE on permanent tooth vital pulp therapy. He has participated in the Evidence-Based Dentistry Workshop at the AAPD Annual Session since 2017 attempting to help participants know how EBD was used in developing AAPD Guidelines.
Dr. Ann Page Griffin Humanitarian Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. David A. Ciesla
The Ann Page Griffin Humanitarian Award is sponsored by Practicon, Inc. This award, established in May 2010 by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation, honors Ann Page Griffin, AAPD member and president and founder of Practicon. The award honors an AAPD member dentist who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to alleviating suffering and improving the oral health of under-served populations in the United States or abroad.
Dr. David Ciesla serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor within the Department of Developmental Sciences at the University of Oklahoma's College of Dentistry. His faculty position currently holds a number of responsibilities, serving as Program Director for the General Practice Residency at Oklahoma Children's Hospital, as well as the Program Director for the Pediatric Dental Residency. He has been actively working on the development and accreditation of a pediatric dental residency program, which will begin July 2024.
In 2003, Dr. Ciesla graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry and subsequently joined the Army. During his military service, he completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency in Landstuhl, Germany. After a year-long tour in Baghdad, Iraq, he pursued pediatric dental training at Baylor College of Dentistry, earning an MS degree in 2008.
Once his military service concluded, Dr. Ciesla transitioned into private practice, becoming a co-owner of River Valley Pediatric Dentistry in Fort Smith, Ark. Throughout this time, he held several notable positions, including as a Public Policy Advocate for AAPD, board examiner for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a committee member for Arkansas's Medicaid Board.
Dr. Ciesla is committed to research, primarily focused on enhancing access to oral healthcare and developing workforce capacity. His current research is geared towards understanding and improving the accessibility of oral healthcare for underserved populations in Oklahoma, with a particular interest in the effect of social determinants on access to the healthcare system. His commitment to addressing these issues is further evidenced by his recent master’s degree in Global Health Planning and Management from Johns Hopkins University. His studies were primarily concentrated on access to healthcare services and strategies to boost workforce capability. Presently, Dr. Ciesla is actively leading several local and global initiatives to mitigate disparities in oral healthcare.
Dr. Ciesla annually leads teams of dental students from Oklahoma University on missions to the Yucatan Peninsula. These missions aim to provide much-needed dental services to the underserved Spanish and Mayan communities in the region. In addition to his work in the Yucatan, Dr. Ciesla serves as Project Director for Health Volunteers Overseas in Uganda, guiding educational initiatives at the developing dental school at Uganda Christian University. He and his team provide education services and consultation, fostering the growth and educational advancement of the dental school.
Dr. Beverly A. Largent Access to Care Innovator Award: The 2024 award recipient is Dr. Nicole McGrath-Barnes
Established in 2022, this award seeks to shine a light on a selected individual whose efforts are making a difference for children in their community as an outstanding grantee of the AAPD Foundation. This award is sponsored by Elevate Oral Care.
Dr. Nicole McGrath-Barnes is the Founder and CEO of KinderSmile Foundation, which she established in 2007. KinderSmile Foundation was born out of a personal story of a patient in her own community of Montclair N.J., and reaffirmed after the heartbreaking death of Deamonte Driver, a twelve-year-old boy from Prince George’s County, Md., who died from a tooth infection that traveled to his brain. Dr. McGrath-Barnes vowed to not only make a difference in ensuring that all children have access to oral health care, but that a change in policy will be made for future generations. She is a tireless advocate of raising awareness of oral health inequities for racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically disadvantaged children, and is a leading voice in New Jersey for reducing these disparities.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, KinderSmile Foundation’s mission is to provide underserved children and families with access to comprehensive dental care and educate underserved children and their families about the importance of dental hygiene, envisioning a future where every child has access to a dentist and dental diseases are eradicated.
Dr. McGrath-Barnes earned her dental degree from the University of Maryland and completed her residency program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark, N.J. She successfully completed the Leadership Program in 2010 offered by the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership, in partnership with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. In 2017, Dr. McGrath-Barnes became a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. In 2022, she was named Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion in the state of New Jersey by the American Dental Association. Added to her list of awards, in 2024, Dr. McGrath-Barnes became an award-winning producer of KinderSmile Foundation’s film, “Toothache: The Painful Truth About Oral Health Care Inequity,” which was awarded the “Best Home Grown Documentary Feature” at the Garden State Film Festival.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is the recognized authority on children’s oral health. As advocates for children’s oral health, the AAPD promotes evidence-based policies, best practices, and clinical guidelines; educates and informs policymakers, parents and guardians, and other health care professionals; fosters research; and provides continuing professional education for pediatric dentists and general dentists who treat children. Founded in 1947, the AAPD is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Its 11,000 members provide primary care and comprehensive dental specialty treatments for infants, children, adolescents and individuals with special health care needs. For further information, please visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.org or the AAPD’s consumer website at www.mychildrensteeth.org.
Contact
Caitlin Kepple
(773) 938-4133
ckepple@aapd.org