The Trojan dental community came together on May 18 to celebrate the part-time and volunteer faculty members of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.

“Tonight, we celebrate the unsung heroes of the dental school,” said Dean Avishai Sadan during his speech.

“These men and women come from all across Southern California to give back to the dental profession in some of the most meaningful ways,” he added, citing the mentorship, real-world experience and clinical knowledge the part-time and volunteer faculty members share with Ostrow students.

Ostrow currently employs 277 volunteer and 154 part-time faculty members

Among the night’s honors were Years of Service Awards, celebrating milestone anniversaries, as well as Division Awards, recognizing educational excellence in each of Ostrow’s six dental divisions.

“I think the part-time faculty members are the backbone of the teaching staff,” said Dr. David Stevenson, a volunteer faculty member who took home the 50 Years of Service Award. “They have no ulterior motive except to share their knowledge in an unselfish manner.”

Stevenson joined the faculty in 1966 and has been a clinical professor since 1990. When he’s not at Ostrow, he works as a clinical examining dentist for the Denti-Cal program.

“I do the best I can to make them the kind of graduates and practitioners that USC is known for throughout the world.”

–Frank Enriquez ’69, DDS ’73, PEDO ’75, Clinical Associate Professor

“There is a saying that sharing knowledge is a way to immortality,” Stevenson said. “I wish to be remembered by my students, fellow faculty members and patients as someone who always tried to do the best things, both as a professional and as a human being.”

Part-time faculty member Frank Enriquez ’69, DDS ’73, PEDO ’75 took home the 40 Years of Service Award.

“I tell my students that I am here to protect the investment in my degrees,” said Enriquez, Ostrow clinical associate professor. “I do the best I can to make them the kind of graduates and practitioners that USC is known for throughout the world.”

Enriquez has been in private practice for more than 30 years.

“I stand up here before you tonight, not as a dean, but as a colleague acknowledging the sacrifices and commitment you make to this profession every single day,” Sadan said to the crowd. “It is because of you that we are able to continue our long-held tradition of excellence here at USC.”

Here’s a full list of the Years of Service Awards and Division Awards presented at the Part-Time Faculty Appreciation Dinner and Awards:

YEARS OF SERVICE AWARDS

50-Year Award

David Stevenson

40-Year Award

Frank Enriquez

30-Year Award

Robert Mokbel
Saijai Peng

25-Year Award

Jo Ann Hirose
Kimberly Hiroshige-Okumura
James McAndrews

20-Year Award

Suzanne Coulter
David Hochwald
Peter Suh

15-Year Award

Yossi Bar-Zion
John Chao
Frederick Davidowitz
Ahmad Sadeghein

10-Year Award

Richard Borquez
Eric Cho
Cheryl Goldasich
Tra Le
Charles Tatosian
Hongsheng Tong
Jettie Uyanne
Mark Whalen
Mark Yamamoto

5-Year Award

Joiakim Bakhoum
Raaed Batniji
Donald Chang
Joanna Chao
Melina Grigorian
Jennifer Hendershot
Hideki Ikeda
James H. Kim
Julia Lerch-Edgerton
Stacy Love
Veronica Morales
Brett Nagatani
Amy Nguyen
Shannon Olson
James Pearlstein
Paul Selski
Anita Tomkoria
Fabiana Varjao
Xun Xu

DIVISION AWARDS

Division of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry

Terri DeBord
Melvin Kum

Division of Periodontology and Diagnostic Sciences

Thomas Han
Lisa Oshiro
Michael Padilla
Pamela Hughes

Division of Endodontics, Orthodontics and General Practice Residency

Rebecca Dayanim
David Garrett
Lawrence Michel

Division of Restorative Sciences

Edmond Mgdesyan
Mark Yamamoto
Simon Gamer
Paul Selski
James Pearlstein
Sanaz Shahbandi

Division of Biomedical Sciences

Mainul Ahsan

Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

David Cummings