WesternU CDM at the 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition
ADEA Student Diversity Leadership Program
March 8-9, 2024
The eleventh annual ADEA Student Diversity Leadership Program took place during the 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in New Orleans, LA.
The ADEA Student Diversity Leadership Program (ADEA SDLP) brings together dental and allied students from across the United States and Canada in support of partnerships for action, dialogue and collaboration and assists students in the development of leadership skills so that they can better serve as leaders of inclusive excellence within their dental schools and allied programs, allowing them to fully engage in a culturally competent and complex global society.
Kendall Rollin (DMD 2026) and Valerie Lua (DMD 2026) participated in the 2024 ADEA SDLP.
2024 ADEA GoDental Recruitment Event

March 9, 2024
The 2024 ADEA GoDental Recruitment Event is a free in-person event that offers individuals interested in dentistry the chance to meet admissions officers from U.S. and Canadian dental schools and attend interactive presentations to help them be successful applicants.
This dynamic event is geared toward high school, community college and four-year college students, as well as others interested in dentistry.
Eboney Hinds (DMD 2026) and Justin James Donato (DMD 2026) presented “How ADEA Helped Shape My Dental School Journey” to prospective applicants.
Representing WesternU CDM fielding questions at the Recruitment Fair were Dr. Jeffrey Turchi, Sean Rowan, and Sarah Campos.
Opening Plenary Session at the 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition

March 10, 2024
Dr. Hubert Chan was introduced as a member of the newly formed ADEA Task Force on Envisioning and Transforming the Future of Oral Health and Education (TF-ETFOHE). The task force has been charged with developing “a shared vision for ideal oral health that involves its essential integration with overall health; considers constant expansion of knowledge and expertise; and emphasizes optimized access and public/patient health and wellness as the ultimate priority. Embrace this future and make it the context as you collaboratively design the oral health education model(s) to best support this future.”
Dr. Elizabeth Andrews was awarded the ADEA Chair of the Board of Directors Citation for her exceptional service to the Association and the dental education community.
ADEA Emerging Leaders Program Symposium
March 10, 2024
This session showcased the efforts of participants from the 2023 ADEA Emerging Leaders Program. Each presentation within the symposium represents collaborative research conducted by the participants during their time within the year-long program.
Drs. Mark Mintline and Anne Doan Van presented in this symposium as fellows of the 2023 ADEA Emerging Leaders Program.
Educational Programming and Posters at the 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition

Dr. Steven Friedrichsen was a panel speaker at the ADEA Chair of the Board of Directors Symposium titled “Empowering the Leaders of Tomorrow” on March 10, 2024. In addition to his role as Dean Emeritus of the College of Dental Medicine, Dr. Friedrichsen is the Program Director for the ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship program, a year-long, part-time fellowship aimed at creating a diverse pipeline of future dental education leaders who will assume roles as dental school deans and other senior university leadership positions.
Dr. Paulina Saraza presented a poster titled “HRSA-Funded Dental Faculty Development Center at the Eastman Institute of Oral Health” on March 10, 2024.
Drs. Sandra Farah-Franco, Hubert Chan, Keith Boyer, and Hicret Islamoglu presented an education program titled “We Never Close: Teaching and Learning Oral Health Anytime Anywhere” on March 11, 2024.
Dr. Joseph Flask co-presented an education program titled “Empowering Students to Excel While Minimizing Academic Entitlement” on March 12, 2024.
Dr. Clara Kim co-presented an education program titled “Incorporating AI into Dental Curriculum: A Double-Edged Sword” on March 12, 2024.
Dr. Alexander Lee was a panel speaker for an education program titled “AI, ChatGPT and the Unknown: Cultivating an Ethical Approach and Response” on March 12, 2024.
ADEA 2023-2024 ADCFP Fellows

The ADEA Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program (ADCFP) was founded in 2006 with the goal of discovering and growing tomorrow’s dental faculty and researchers by providing current faculty with tools on how to mentor allied, advanced education and predoctoral dental students and help them develop their plans for pursuing an academic career.
The program provides each academic dental institution a flexible framework that functions as a window for students into the “day-to-day” life and experiences of dental faculty at academic dental institutions through one-on-one mentorship.
The following ADCFP Fellows were honored at a reception on March 10, 2024, and presented posters on March 11, 2024.
Andrew Halverson (DMD 2025) presented a poster titled, “Assessment of Dental Faculty’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of HPV-related Disease and Vaccination Trends.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Andrews)
Justin James Donato (DMD 2026) presented a poster titled, “Nurturing Curiosity: A Dental Student’s Experience in Research Mentorship.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Lewis)
Moura Ghattas (DMD 2026) presented a poster titled, “A Review of the Correlation between Temporomandibular Joint Disease and Cognition.” (Faculty Mentors: Drs. Dalia Seleem and Miou Zhou)
Niki Moghadasi (DMD-IDP 2024) presented a poster titled, “A Predoctoral Peer-to-Peer in Person Teaching Evaluation and Learning Effectiveness.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sahar Mirfarsi)
Sebastian Lucar (DMD 2024) presented a poster titled, “Exploring a View in Academia Dentistry as a Route to Promote Greater Future Dental Care.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Keith Boyer)
Gregory Bai (DMD 2026) presented a poster titled, “A Journey in Dental Education – Reflections on Growth and Insights.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brian Chui)
Closing Plenary Session at the 2024 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition
March 12, 2024

Andrew Halverson (DMD 2025), in his role as Chair for the ADEA Council of Students, Residents, and Fellows (CoSRF), introduced the keynote speaker for the closing plenary, Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman in space.
ADEA Council of Students, Residents, and Fellows (CoSRF)
Andrew Halverson (DMD 2025) completed his term as Chair of CoSRF for 2023-2024 and was elected to the ADEA Board of Directors representing Students, Residents, and Fellows for 2024-2025.
Justin James Donato (DMD 2026) completed his term as Vice-Chair of CoSRF and was appointed Chair of CoSRF for 2024-2025.
ADEA Sections, SIGs, and Affiliate Events

Dr. Steven Gold presented a Short Talk titled “Stone Free: One School’s Journey from Impressions to Scans” at the ADEA Special Interest Group (SIG) on CAD/CAM Technology Members’ Forum on March 9, 2024.
Dr. Sahar Mirfarsi was invited to give a presentation on “What Does Oral Diagnosis Mean to You?” at the Organization of Teachers of Oral Diagnosis (OTOD) Meeting and Educational session on March 10, 2024. She will also serve as Chair-elect for the ADEA Section on Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine for 2024-2025.
Dr. Alexander Lee was elected to serve on the administrative board for the ADEA Section on Dental Informatics during its Members’ Forum on March 10, 2024.
Drs. Elizabeth Andrews and Alexander Lee were panelists for the Overjet Jetsetter Learning Community on March 11, 2024.