The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund has announced the recipients of the 2014 Shils Awards.
The awards, which recognize individuals, organizations, and programs that positively influence the dental community and the public oral health arena, were presented at the Shils Fund Dinner, held October 29 at the Union League of Philadelphia. The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovative leadership in healthcare and named after the late Edward B. Shils, JD, PhD.
Bruce Donoff, DMD, MD, dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, received the 2014 Shils-Meskin Award for his leadership on initiatives that incorporated oral health into overall healthcare issues and also for fostering professional education and international relationships, leading to public-private partnerships.
This year's Shils Awards winners, who are presented with a monetary prize, represented academics, clinicians, and private sector organizations.
3M ESPE won an award for its support over the past three years of the Give Kids A Smile program. Another recipient was Linda Niessen, DMD, dean of the Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, who was recognized for her advocacy of the importance of oral health for seniors and her research into geriatric dentistry and oral health public policy. Irvin Silverstein, DDS, a San Diego-based periodontist, also received an award for his mentorship of students in the University of California, San Diego Pre-Dental Society, which exposes undergraduate students to the profession of dentistry, and for helping place predental students, dentists, other professionals, and preprofessional students on U.S. Navy ships performing humanitarian outreach.
Special Recognition Award recipients included Dr. Horst-Wolfgang Haase, publisher of Quintessence Publishing; Marc Rothman, DMD, chairman of the U.S. Alpha Omega Foundation; Jeffrey Parker, CEO of Sarrell Dental Center; and Tracy Garland, program director of the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health.
