Innovator Awards
Richard W. Valachovic, DMD, MPH, ADEA President (Retired)
Excellence in Academia Award
“In recognition for your successful stewardship of ADEA and your lifelong commitment of strengthening and expanding dental education in the United States and throughout the world.”
Dr. Richard Valachovic is a Visiting Scholar at the New York University College of Dentistry and President Emeritus of the American Dental Education Association.
Dr. Valachovic is widely recognized for his leadership in the dental and health professions education communities. He began his career at the Harvard University in 1982 where he served on the faculty, as Dean for Clinical Affairs at the School of Dental Medicine and as Chief of Dentistry at Harvard University Health Services. He was a pioneer in designing treatment approaches to HIV/AIDS patients and the development of standard precautions in dental practice. He participated in multiple federally-funded research projects focused on quantitative clinical decision analysis.
Dr. Valachovic started the second chapter of his career as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Dental Education Association, serving for more than 20 years in the position. Through his leadership, it became the preeminent advocate for academic dentistry, including predoctoral, allied dental and advanced dental education throughout the United States, Canada and beyond. A mantra he embraced early in his tenure at ADEA, “Relentlessly Pursue Strategic Alliances!” was the foundation for ADEA’s successful relationships throughout the health professions and higher education communities benefiting dentistry and enhancing the prominence of dental education. Known for his presentation skills, he was a commencement or white coat ceremony speaker more than 45 dental schools. Dr. Valachovic is an author of more than 150 articles, book chapters and manuscripts, and a 14 year blog series entitled “Charting Progress”.
Dr. Valachovic received his D.M.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and subsequently completed Harvard-affiliated residency training programs in pediatric dentistry, dental public health, and oral and maxillofacial radiology. He obtained the M.P.H. and M.Sc. degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Robert Ganley, Former CEO, Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc.
Excellence in Industry Award
“In recognition for your outstanding leadership of Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc. and its innovative research and product development programs to help the dental profession improve the quality of care for its patients.”
After graduating from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in Mathematics, he received a Masters of Business Administration degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Mr. Ganley began his career with KPMG. In 1980, he moved to Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc., as Vice President. He was named President of Ivoclar Vivadent North America in 1990. In 2003, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ivoclar Vivadent AG in Schaan, Liechtenstein. He also served as the Chairman of the Corporate Management.
Mr. Ganley is truly a global leader of an international Company, spending half of his time in Europe and half in North America and other global markets. He has a deep understanding of the global dental market and its customers. He led the movement to esthetic dentistry with the launch of the “Esthetic Revolution” and moved the Company and the dental market forward to the new “Digital Esthetic Revolution”. As Chief Executive Officer of Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein, a world leader in innovative material systems for quality Esthetic Dentistry, Mr. Ganley lead the charge for quality, esthetic dentistry, a vision that earned him distinction worldwide and has advanced and expanded the industry.
Mr. Ganley has also remained steadfast in the organization’s global commitment to providing underserved populations with access to oral health care. From product donations to special initiatives—including Give Kids a Smile Day, the Wisdom Tooth Project, and missionary service groups – Ivoclar Vivadent has touched the lives of patients worldwide.
After 39 successful years swith Ivoclar Vivadent Mr. Ganley has moved to the Ivoclar Vivadent Board of Directors.
Eve Cuny, RDA, MS
Excellence in a Nonprofit Organization Award
“In recognition of your lifelong commitment to education of the dental community, and OSAP, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Eve Cuny is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Associate Professor at University of the Pacific, Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. She has lectured and published extensively on the subject of infection control and patient safety, and has worked globally with government agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations to develop best practices in infection control and sustainable oral health programs. Professor Cuny is the Vice Chair and Chair-elect of the board of directors of the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP). She also is a member of the National Occupational Research Agenda Council for the department of Health and Human Services, and a consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice.
Kathy Eklund, RDH, MHP
Excellence in a Nonprofit Organization Award
“In recognition of your lifelong commitment to education of the dental community, and OSAP, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Kathy Eklund is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety, and the Forsyth Research Participant & Patient Safety Advocate at The Forsyth Institute. She is adjunct faculty at Regis College, Dental Hygiene Program where she teaches a senior level course, Evidence-Based Decision Making. Ms. Eklund serves as faculty for the New England AIDS Education and Training Center and HIVdent.org. She was the 2017-2019 Chair of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Board of Directors and has been an active member since 1985. Currently Ms. Eklund is a consultant the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Dental Practice and is a member of the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) Task Force on COVID-19 Interim Guidance on Returning to Work. Over the past 35 years, Ms. Eklund has published papers, contributed to several texts on infection control and safety, and is an author of the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings- 2003. She has lectured nationally and internationally on these topics.
Blake M. Warner, DDS, PhD, MPS, Assistant Clinical Investigator, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research
Shils Innovator Award for Research
“In recognition of your ground-breaking studies in the NIH Clinical Center that is central to the COVID-19 pandemic and its mitigation.”
Dr. Blake M. Warner received his B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Miami in Oxford, OH, his M.P.H., Ph.D., and D.D.S. at The Ohio State University.
Dr. Warner subsequently completed a three-year hospital-based clinical residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and earned his Fellowship in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and his Board Certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in 2017.
Dr. Warner then completed a post-doctoral Clinical Research Fellowship at NIDCR focused on basic and clinical investigations in Sjögren’s Syndrome and radiation-induced xerostomia. In May of 2018, Dr. Warner was appointed acting chief of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic and in August of 2019 was appointed Chief of the Salivary Disorders Unit and the Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic. He leads an integrated multi-specialty clinic and aligned research laboratory focused on deep characterization of disorders affecting the salivary glands including autoimmune diseases and iatrogenic salivary damage by oncologic therapies.
Special Recognition Awards
Timothy L. Ricks, DMD, MPH, FICD, Rear Admiral (RADM), Assistant Surgeon General, Chief Dental Officer, U.S. Public Health Service
“In recognition for your leadership and stewardship of creating an oral health collaborative for the public and private sectors of the oral health community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Your selfless leadership helped facilitate building an innovative network between government agencies and public/private organizations for programs, information, and relationships that improved the oral health community’s ability to provide safe and effective emergency services at the most critical period of the disease’s impact on our country.”
Timothy L. Ricks, D.M.D., M.P.H., F.I.C.D., currently serves as the 19th Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service as well as Assistant Surgeon General. He serves as the Surgeon General’s spokesperson on oral health and interacts with chief dental officers from other countries, with military chief dental officers, with leaders in organized dentistry, with state oral health programs, and much more. He is currently overseeing the development of the second-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health.
In addition to his role as Chief Dental Officer, Rear Adm. Ricks serves concurrently in numerous national roles within the Indian Health Service (IHS) including continuing dental education coordinator, oral health promotion/disease prevention consultant, oral health surveillance coordinator, dental lead for the Government Performance and Results Act, and IHS representative to the Healthy People 2020/2030 oral health workgroup.
Rear Adm. Ricks has served in the U.S. Public Health Service for over 20 years. Prior to this service, he was an associate dentist, independent contractor, and sole proprietor, and he also served as a military police officer in the Army National Guard. He has served in numerous leadership capacities within the U.S. Public Health Service, led multiple national initiatives, and is the recipient of numerous USPHS and IHS national awards.
Dr. Ricks holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Delta State University, a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and received his dental degree from the University of Mississippi. He completed a dental public health residency with the Indian Health Service and is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and a Fellow of the International College of Dentists.
“In recognition for the Philadelphia FIGHT Family Dentistry’s commitment to providing comprehensive primary oral and overall health services to neighborhood community residents in Philadelphia.”
Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers provide culturally competent comprehensive primary care, and state of the art HIV primary care to low-income members of the community, along with research, consumer education, advocacy, social services and outreach to people living with HIV and those who are at high risk, including family members, communities with high rates of HIV, formerly incarcerated persons, and young people at risk; and access to the most advanced clinical research in HIV treatment and prevention.
Cohen-Volpe Award Winner
Dan Perkins, Owner/CEO, Aegis
“In recognition for your championing of the importance of oral health in its own right and as part of its vital role in primary care for the professional teams and the public. In addition, your close association with both Dr. Cohen and Dr. Volpe and your appreciation and publishing of their important contributions, make you an ideal recipient of this special recognition award.”
Daniel W. Perkins is the Chief Executive Officer of AEGIS Publications, LLC; and Dental Learning Systems, LLC. One of the largest oral healthcare multimedia houses in North America, AEGIS publishes Inside Dentistry, Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Inside Dental Hygiene, and Inside Dental Technology, as well as numerous specialty pieces, all dedicated to the dissemination of the most current and relevant oral healthcare information. In addition, the company provides media solutions to create interactive content for practitioner and patient education, sales training, and product marketing. AEGIS’s sister company, Dental Learning Systems, maintains the CDEWorld platform, a popular and trusted source for webinars, online courses, live regional events, and globally recognized continuing education content development.
Mr. Perkins has worked in oral healthcare publishing since 1983. During his tenure in the space, he has successfully built strategic platforms of titles and programs that brought groundbreaking content, new journal launches, and unique editorial partnerships to both the dental and pharmaceutical markets. As President of the Medical Division of Medical World Communications, he built the Dental branch into the largest publishing platform in dentistry, with an unrivaled track record of five successful publication launches and a series of cutting-edge industry initiatives.
In the summer of 2005, Mr. Perkins founded AEGIS Publications, LLC—a company specializing in information transfer via print, digital, and multimedia platforms for the oral healthcare market—and launched the flagship title, Inside Dentistry.
In December 2007, AEGIS acquired the dental assets of Medical World Communications (then known as Ascend Media), including Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry and Dental Learning Systems. Mr. Perkins spearheaded the reinvigoration of Compendium, returning the journal to the forefront of dental education.
In 2009, Mr. Perkins helmed the relaunch of Dental Learning Systems and the development of CDEWorld, adding another platform of delivery for educational content.
In 2010, he forayed into the laboratory market with the successful launch of Inside Dental Technology.
In 2011, Mr. Perkins oversaw the creation of aegisdentalnetwork.com, an umbrella site supporting and enhancing each brand and solidifying AEGIS’ position as a multimedia information resource.
In 2013, he engineered the acquisition of BlueMotion Online Studio and Scientific Graffiti, fusing them into AEGIS Visualization, a design division specializing in oral, medical, and scientific art, which he has since developed into a full-service studio platform.
Today, the AEGIS brands are widely recognized as leaders in all forms of oral healthcare education and marketing, and Mr. Perkins continues to innovate and challenge the status quo.
Mr. Perkins has served in various leadership capacities on many dental-related boards, including: the Dean’s Advisory Board of Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, the International Advisory Board of Hadassah University School of Dental Medicine, Oral Health America, the Dental Trade Alliance (DTA), Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR), the Corporate Councils of the National and Hispanic Dental Associations, Pacific Dental Services, the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP), and the National Museum of Dentistry. He has also chaired the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)’s Corporate Council. In these roles, Mr. Perkins has served as a liaison between corporate groups and academic leaders. He has been instrumental in championing projects, studies, and reports that advance the profession of dentistry and serve the pubic interest.
Shils Meskin Award
Dr. Michael Alfano, Professor, Dean & Executive Vice President Emeritus of NYU
“In recognition for your exceptional leadership and expertise as a researcher, educator, author, business executive, academic leader and international thought leader for over 4 decades. Having known and worked with Dr. Edward Shils and fellow Santa Fe Group co-founder, Dr. Larry Meskin, you are uniquely qualified for this special recognition.”
Dr. Alfano is Professor, Dean and Executive Vice President Emeritus of New York University, and a founder of the Santa Fe Group. During eight years as EVP of NYU he was responsible for the University’s budget, finance, information technology, public safety, facilities, construction, real estate, administrative services, and human resources. He lead the University’s prudent energy program resulting in NYU being repeatedly named one of the greenest universities in the country; he directed the re-engineering program that lead to $70 million in annual savings from the administrative budget; he completed several billion dollars in real estate acquisitions and construction projects; and he orchestrated a new business infrastructure for the University’s 14 global campuses.
As dean of NYU’s College of Dentistry for eight years, Dr. Alfano oversaw a ten-fold annual increase in philanthropy, an eight-fold increase in annual research funding, and a $100 million refurbishment of the College. Prior to NYU, he served for 16 years as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Block Drug Company, now a unit of Glaxo.
He is recognized for his insightful and critical thinking, for innovative approaches to healthcare education and delivery models, and for improved communications among the government, academic and business sectors. He has received numerous awards, and has consulted frequently for government, academe and the private sector. He currently helps to guide the efforts of the Santa Fe Group to expand Medicare to include a dental benefit; coordinates a group of 6 universities that are working to assess point-of-care COVID tests; and serves as a Director of DentsplySirona, Inc.
Additionally, this year we had the special opportunity to recognize Shirley Shils, Dr. Edward B. Shils’ wife for over 70 years, as she celebrates her 100th birthday!