School of Dentistry Students Receive Awards from Hinman Dental Society
The Hinman Dental Society awarded scholarships to two students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, Elnaz “Ellie” Gharah-Bash and Ryan T. Gross, both DDS Candidates 2019. The students were recognized at the 106th Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, which brought together more than 20,000 dental professionals from across the country.
“I am so honored to have been selected for this prestigious award,” said Gross. “The Hinman Dental Society represents aspects of dentistry for which I am extremely passionate—lifelong learning, collegial connections, and student support—and I could not be more grateful to represent our school in this way.”
“I am beyond grateful and humbled for receiving this award,” said Gharah-Bash. “I would like to thank the Dean’s office for nominating me for the Hinman’s Award among all other deserving students. I am glad that I chose UNC to pursue my passion for dentistry; UNC has offered nothing but the best I could ever ask for. This award made me even more determined to work hard and help those in need of care.”
This year, the Hinman Dental Society awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships and gifts, a tradition it has upheld since 1986. The awards went to 90 dental, dental hygiene and dental assisting students at 47 southeastern colleges and universities, including students in schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
“Hinman is proud to have supported student programs in the Southeast for more than three decades. Over the past 17 years alone, the Hinman Dental Society has contributed nearly $9 million in scholarships and large gifts in support of dental education,” said Dr. Patrick Yancey III, General Chairman for Hinman 2018. “In addition to providing scholarships and endowments, Hinman invites students to attend the meeting to learn the latest in the profession, network with established dentists and prepare for a successful career in dentistry.”
The Hinman Dental Society has promoted continuing education in the dental profession since 1912. The dean or director of each school’s dentistry, dental hygiene and dental assisting departments selects recipients. As part of their award, Hinman Scholars are invited to attend the Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hinman Dental Society, a non-profit organization, sponsors the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting. The first meeting was held in 1912 by Dr. Thomas P. Hinman and was considered the first clinic strictly for serious-minded educational purposes. The meeting developed a reputation for devotion to detail and hospitality that continued to grow through the years with every meeting. Today, the meeting continues to focus on providing the best possible continuing dental education for the whole dental team. All excess revenue from the meeting is invested and gifted in the form of individual scholarships to dental, hygiene, assisting and lab tech students and contributions to institutions that foster dental education.
