Pediatric Dental Society Honors UIC College of Dentistry’s Dr. Indru Punwani, Residents
The Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentists (ISPD) recently honored Dr. Indru Punwani, professor emeritus, pediatric dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, with a certificate of appreciation, and by making a $2,000 contribution to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry’s Dr. Indru C. Punwani Resident and Faculty Development Endowment Fund.
Punwani served as the first executive director of the ISPD from 2000 to 2017. He retired as executive director in 2017. The ISPD honored him “for his tireless devotion to the progress of oral health for the children of Illinois, along with his national and international influence on pediatric dentistry.”
He noted that “it has been my honor and privilege to serve” the ISPD as executive director.
Five years ago, the ISPD named its graduate student research award for Punwani. The award honors two pediatric dental residents from the State of Illinois for their excellence in dental research. This year, each recipient received a certificate along with a $500 prize to help defray their costs to attend a dental meeting to present their research. Applicants for the award each submitted his or her research abstract along with a personal statement about how the research process has enhanced the dental resident’s development as a pediatric dentist.
This year, the ISPD conferred the Punwani Award to Dr. Sarah Duchaj of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a 2016 DMD graduate of the UIC College of Dentistry, and Dr. Risa Hurwich, a pediatric dentistry resident at the UIC College of Dentistry.
Duchaj’s research is focused on the temporal effects of silver diamine fluoride. Hurwich’s research regarded a randomized trial on juice consumption. They presented their posters at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s annual session in Honolulu, HI, in May.
“I am greatly humbled and touched” at the ISPD honors, Punwani said.
To make a contribution to the college’s Punwani Fund, contact Director of Development Bruno Mancari at (312) 413-3554 or bmancari@uic.edu.
Photo: from left to right, Dr. Ashlee Voracheck, '09; Dr. Sarah Duchaj, '16; Dr. Indru Punwani, Dr. Risa Hurwich, and Dr. Generand Algenio at the Punwani Award presentation.