WVU Dentistry student wins research award
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sawan Prabhu, a fourth-year Doctor of Dental Surgery student in the West Virginia University School of Dentistry, was one of eight students from across the country and Canada to win an award at the 20th Hinman Student Research Symposium, which was held Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Memphis, Tenn.
The symposium featured oral and poster presentations of research projects by dental students and graduate students from dental schools across the nation. At this year’s symposium, 88 students represented 47 dental schools in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces.
Eight awards were given for the most outstanding student presentations, four in clinical research and four in basic science research, in addition to an award from the National Students Research Group (NSRG) of the American Association for Dental Research.
Prabhu received one of the awards in clinical research for her project, which focused on the possible association of factors that have a positive or negative impact on oral health and the probability that the affected individual will have sought dental care within the previous year. Her project was directed by Keith Zullig, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the WVU School of Public Health.
“We in the School of Dentistry are all justifiably and incredibly proud of Sawan for receiving such a prestigious award,” Anthony “Tom” Borgia, D.D.S., M.H.A., interim dean of the WVU School of Dentistry, said. “Being an awardee out of more than 90 contestants is truly an honor and a credit to her and our School.”
The symposium was sponsored by the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and co-sponsored by the Hinman Dental Society, which holds one of the nation’s largest continuing dental education meetings each March in Atlanta.
Photo caption: Fourth-year WVU dental student Sawan Prabhu (second from right) receives the award for Most Outstanding Presentation in Clinical Research from (left to right) Franklin García-Godoy, D.D.S., Ph.D., senior executive associate dean for research at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry; Patrick H. Yancey, III, D.M.D., president of the Hinman Dental Society; and Timothy L. Hottel, D.D.S., M.B.A., dean of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, during the 20th Hinman Student Research Symposium.