Awards, Dental Hygiene

Oh Wins National Award for Students Pursuing Academic Careers

Yuri Oh, a second-year student in the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene Education (MSDH) program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, has been named as one of two national recipients of the ADEA/Crest Oral-B Scholarship for Dental Hygiene Students Pursuing Academic Careers.

“I am delighted and grateful to have been selected for this award,” said Oh. “I’m so thankful for the support of excellent professors, mentors and students in my academic journey, and I look forward to advancing my career as a dental hygiene educator.”

Oh earned her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from the UNC-CH School of Dentistry in 2013. She has worked as a clinical dental hygienist in pediatric, orthodontic, and general private practice. Her thesis project examined trends and determinants of water drinking practices among children, and also sought to understand Latino community members’ experiences regarding drinking water choices and views on strategies to promote community-water consumption. Her thesis committee chair is Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry; other committee members include Jane Weintraub, DDS, MPH, and Lattice Sams, MS, both of the Department of Dental Ecology.

Oh joins more than a dozen School of Dentistry students who have received this award in the past, including the 2017 winner, Kayla Cunningham, and the 2016 winner, Elizabeth Kornegay.

“In continuing with the tradition of exceptional graduate students, Yuri has shown a remarkable dedication, determination, and an unwavering positive attitude,” said Jennie Brame, RDH, MS. “She is a compassionate and innovative teacher, and a true leader in dental hygiene education. I am thrilled that she has been recognized by receiving this award.”

The ADEA/Crest Oral-B Scholarship for Dental Hygiene Students Pursuing Academic Careers supports dental hygiene students who want to work in academia and are actively enrolled in an education program beyond an associate’s degree. Two students are selected each year to receive $2,000 toward their tuition and fees, $500 to subsidize travel to the ADEA Annual Session and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, and $500 to subsidize travel to visit the Procter & Gamble Research Center in Mason, Ohio.