On Sunday, November 25, 2018, the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) and the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund joined forces for the first time to produce a Dental Student Competition and Social Entrepreneur Experience at the Greater New York Dental Meeting. More than 80 attendees gathered as Shils Fund President Steven W. Kess and HDA President Anna Munné kicked off the event, explaining the passionate dedication to innovation that both organizations share.
Then the dental students competitors from Columbia University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University and University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston presented their projects, vying for $5000 in start-up project funding.
After each presentation our panel of judges, Dr. Teresa A. (Terri) Dolan, Chief Clinical Officer, Dentsply Sirona, Angel Figueroa, CEO, I-LEAD Charter School, Dr. Matilde Hernandez González, Scientific Affairs Manager, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Dr. R. Ivan Lugo, Shils Fund Board Member & Chief Learning Officer, Hispanic Dental Association, Bruce Lieberthal, Chief Innovation Officer, Henry Schein, Inc. and Olivier Schiller, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Septodont, engaged and challenged our participants.
Once the presentations were complete and the judges were deliberating, Alyse Mongalo, CEO and co-founder of Dental Innovators Creators and Entreprenuers (DICE) at Unversity of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine took to the podium to share her story of how a trip abroad completely transformed her chosen career path, followed by Dr. Ana López-Fuentes, Tenured Professor, University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine with an uplifting recounting of her tremendous accomplishsments as a leader in the face of the Hurricane Maria crisis, which included coordinating the critical effort to save the entire dental school.
It was an enjoyable and captivating event for all! Click here to also check out event press coverage [PDF].
The winners of the dental student competition were then announced as follows:
First Place $2000
Juliette Mann & Cole Bender, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Project Title: Modern Mouth
Second Place $1500
George Ross Blum, Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine
Project Title: A Fully Dynamic, and Adjustable, Oral Implant Design
Third Place $1000
Mostafa A. Mohamed, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Project Title: Glove Gauze
Fourth Place $500
Jacqueline Katz, New York University College of Dentistry
Project Title: Dental Hygenie