Hispanic Student Dental Association Wins Chapter of the Year, Two Other Honors
At the 2018 Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM), the College’s Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) was announced as the winner of the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) Chapter of the Year competition.
“We won chapter of the year because the student chapter at UIC was recognized for its excellent participation, as well has for hosting the 2018 Hispanic Dental Association Regional Dental Student Conference in September,” explained Michael Carrera, HSDA Secretary. “We hosted over 100 dental students from across the nation, including students from Puerto Rico.”
The HSDA also won third place in the HDA’s Orgullo competition, sponsored by Procter & Gamble/Crest Oral B. The HSDA won first place in the Orgullo competition last year.
For the Orgullo, “HSDA chapters from across the nation submit two-to-three minute videos about oral hygiene instructions while highlighting Crest products,” Carrera explained. “The submissions are presented at the annual HDA meeting at the GNYDM to representatives from Procter & Gamble/Crest Oral B. They select the first through third place winners, and those chapters are awarded some funding.”
Winning chapters use the funds for club events and activities such as outreach events, and sponsoring students to attend CE courses and national conferences.
To see the College’s HSDA chapter’s video, log on to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbaq-l6kJPQ.
Dr. Adriana Semprum-Clavier, Clinical Associate Professor, Restorative Dentistry, is the College’s HSDA chapter Faculty Advisor, and she received a Colgate/HDA Faculty Recognition Award, which recognizes faculty who are members of the HDA and who have contributed toward enhancing the overall quality of oral health for the Hispanic population.
“In my position as faculty advisor, I feel committed to provide support to our students to meet our mission and assist them on enhancing their knowledge and clinical experiences that will expose them to current techniques and interventions that will help improve the health of the community,” Dr. Semprum explained.
“I feel so proud to work with this exemplary group of students who have a bright future in front of them,” she continued. “This award is a reflection of their commitment. I love working with our dedicated students toward the HDA mission of providing Service, Education, Advocacy, and Leadership—SEAL—to the Hispanic community and our surrounding communities in need.”
At the meeting, “we had the opportunity to network with students from HSDA chapters from across the nation, including New York University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Oregon, and the University of Texas at Houston,” Carrera said.
While in New York, the students decided to sample New York-style and visited “the famous Joe’s Pizza with some other HSDA chapter members from other schools following the meeting,” Carrera said. “We thoroughly enjoyed tasting the quintessential New York slice. However, it’s safe to say that Chicago style pizza is way better.”
In 2016, the College’s HSDA chapter won the HDA’s Nuestros Niños contest, sponsored by Colgate, for developing a program that educates on the importance of dental care, good oral hygiene habits, and good diet.
The College’s HSDA chapter “has been actively working with the underserved communities in Chicago,” Dr. Semprum noted. “Among those activities, students provide Spanish classes to the College community, attend a variety of community service activities providing oral health information, diet counseling, and oral health education to families.”