Ransom Elected National President-elect of the Student National Dental Association 

Reina Ransom, DDS Candidate 2022, was named national president-elect of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) during SNDA’s 48th Annual National Convention, held virtually July 6-11.  

“I am just beaming at the news of student doctor Ransom being voted in as president-elect at the national level,” said Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Equity Initiatives and SNDA faculty advisor, Sylvia Frazier-Bowers, DDS, PhD. “Reina’s successful bid for president-elect is a testament to her command of organizational knowledge and her ability to inspire the trust of her peers.  

“At the school level, it is a tremendous honor to have one of our own UNC SNDA members show up so positively on the proverbial national stage. For Reina and for the national SNDA, because of her – I remain confident that the best is yet to come.” 

Ransom will work in coordination with the incoming SNDA President, Carla Jones, a fourth-year dental student at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, to implement her strategic plan. After her term as president-elect in the 2020-21 school year, Ransom will serve as the 2021-22 president of the national organization.  

Ransom is an active member of the Adams School of Dentistry’s SNDA chapter. During her first two years at the Adams School of Dentistry, she organized post-interview luncheons for potential students to network with current Adams School of Dentistry students, and she provided oral health education for patients as a volunteer at SNDA’s CAARE Clinic in Durham, North Carolina.  

Her pre- and post-treatment oral health literacy evaluations help patients improve their oral health knowledge and supply oral health professionals with valuable insight on the health literacy of their patients, allowing them to provide better patient-centered care.  

Ransom also organized several Lunch and Learn events for SNDA members to learn more about private practice and various career options in dentistry. Last fall, she served as the SNDA regional coordinator, where she worked with SNDA chapters in dental schools in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  

“As a graduate of Hampton University, a historically Black university, I have always taken a special interest in improving the experience of minority students,” said Ransom.  

“Being elected by my peers to serve in this role is truly an honor and I am so excited to work with the National Executive Board members to advocate for the enrollment and matriculation of minority students into dentistry programs across the country.”  

As president-elect of SNDA, Ransom plans to establish a comprehensive plan that continues to foster an environment that holds up the SNDA principles of diversity, outreach, excellence and mentorship.  

“As the president, I am excited to find more ways in which our organization can serve our members directly and be an educational source within dental school communities across the county.  

“Together I believe the executive board and our members will be able to educate their school communities through new signature events highlighting various health disparities in the African American community and how to be an ally to those in marginalized communities.” 

For nearly 50 years, the longstanding goal of the Student National Dental Association has been to promote, aid and support the academic and social environment of minority students. SNDA strives to establish opportunities for its members to develop stronger alliances amongst one another while developing a sense of community, aiding in the advancement of minority students within the field of dentistry.