Advanced Education, Awards, Faculty and Staff, Periodontology

Faculty and Residents Recognized at the American Academy of Periodontology Annual Meeting 

The UNC-Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry periodontology program was recognized with several awards to faculty and residents during the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).  

Amanda Finger Stadler, DDS, MS, PhD, first-year periodontology resident, and Sing Wai Wong, PhD, second-year periodontology resident, were awarded the AAP Educator Scholarship. The $25,000 scholarship provides financial relief to students who intend to pursue a career as a full-time periodontal educator. 

Wong was also a finalist of the Balint Orban Memorial Program. The program provides a platform for clinical or basic science research to be presented by current periodontal residents or students.  

Kevin Byrd, DDS, PhD, second-year periodontology resident and research instructor, earned the SUNSTAR Innovation Grant. The $30,000 research grant provides support for a researcher whose endeavors show significant potential to advance the science and practice of periodontics.  

Jim Beck, MS, PhD, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor, was recognized with an honorary membership to the AAP for his outstanding contributions to the art and science of periodontology. 

“These awards and honors recognize the outstanding talent and hard work of our faculty and residents,” said Cristiano Susin, DDS, MD, PhD, chair of the Division of Comprehensive Oral Health. “Jim’s well-deserved honorary membership underscores his lifetime commitment to periodontology and his impact on periodontal research.” 

“Being recognized by the American Academy of Periodontology is a tremendous honor, as it highlights future leaders and innovators in the specialty of periodontology,” said Ryan Cook, DDS, MS, director of the graduate periodontology program. “This acknowledgment by the AAP illustrates the hard work and dedication that our periodontology residents put in on day to day basis.” 

The AAP Foundation also awarded three alumni of the Adams School of Dentistry periodontal program.  

The Richard J. Lazzara Fellowship in Advanced Implant Surgery was presented to 2019 Master of Science in periodontology graduate Matthew R. Mason, DDS, MS. The $50,000 fellowship provides a stipend for a 12-month program to provide clinical and educational experiences that reflect the most current techniques in implant dentistry. 

The AAP Foundation recognized two other Master of Science in periodontology alumni – 2015 graduate Acela Martinez Luna, DMD, MS, and 2018 graduate Bruno Herrera, DDS, MS – with the Fellowship for Teaching and Learning in the Health Professions. These $3,500 fellowships cover the full tuition of the Institute’s Program for Dental School Faculty, developed by the Academy for Academic Leadership. The program helps faculty gain competencies in teaching and other academic skills in the context of career planning.