Dr. George R. Zehak honored with the UIC Alumni Association Humanitarian Award
Introduction
Dr. George Zehak knows how important oral health is for overall health. He knows tooth decay is the number one chronic disease for children in the U.S., and one of the most common diseases in our country as a whole. And he knows what a difference a healthy mouth can make in someone’s life. However, Zehak also recognizes that many people do not have access to proper dental care. The reasons are many — money, distance, time — but the reality is there. So, for more than forty years as a practicing dentist, leader and educator, the UIC alum has set out to change that fact.
Zehak’s call to help those in need crystallized while he was a dental student in UIC College of Dentistry. He was a member of the first graduating class to have access to what was, in 1973, a brand-new building with state-of-the-art facilities. Zehak recalls a program introduced in his third year that encouraged students to provide free dental care in underserved neighborhoods around Chicago.
“I don’t think many schools were doing that back in 1976,” he says. “And it was so rewarding. Helping people and making their lives better…that’s really what life is all about.”
After graduating from UIC, Zehak continued that deep-seated desire to care with his own private practice as well as in his leadership roles with the Chicago Dental Society, the Illinois State Dental Society and the American Dental Association. Every day he advocated for more dentists and more dental clinics at local, state and national levels. As chairman of the Chicago Dental Society Foundation, the UIC alumnus reviewed and approved grants for more community access to quality oral health care. He recalls feeling proud that the foundation helped triple the capacity for a pediatric dental clinic on Chicago’s West Side. The clinic could now provide services to 10,000 children a year.
“We just threw a piece of sand into Lake Michigan, because there’s really like 40,000 children in need in that location,” he admits. “The need is so great here in the U.S. and we have to inspire people to help.”
Zehak addresses that pressing need through his volunteer work with Heal Elgin. The pop-up clinic provides free dental care to disadvantaged communities, and Zehak notes that patients have driven more than six hours to access the care. He recruits dental students to volunteer at the clinic and regularly returns to UIC to share his experiences and inspire students to live a humanitarian life.
“All we can do is help each other and give back, and I definitely try to instill that in the next generation,” he says.
Before the awards ceremony, Zehak visited the College of Dentistry, where he toured the new clinics, revisited old labs and engaged in meaningful discussions with student leaders about their academic goals, challenges in the field and future initiatives.
Learn more about the UIC Alumni Association Awards. Nominations for the 2026 season will open in June.
