Kristi Hemmer, MEd, founded the Academy for Women's Empowerment (AWE). With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Kristi witnessed women shrinking in classrooms, communities, and worldwide, which prompted her to quit her six-figure job and start her social enterprise. Her passion for empowering women led her to travel the world and start AWE, fulfilling her dream of being an author, starting her own company, and creating a school. Kristi has a Master's degree in counseling and is a certified coach. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's spreading good worldwide with her black The North Face duffle bag, having been to all seven continents and 65 countries.
Arpit Nirkhiwale, BDS, MS, CAGS, FICOI, is the Director of Digital Dentistry at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. He has extensive experience as the Director of the Predoctoral Prosthodontic Clinic and as a prosthodontics expert consultant for dental examinations such as the INBDE, ADAT, and DLOSCE. He also serves as a reviewer for major prosthodontic literature, including the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Dr. Nirkhiwale is nationally and internationally renowned for his contributions to digital dentistry education. He completed his prosthodontic residency and an implant fellowship program at the University of Florida, specializing in full mouth rehabilitation, implant prosthodontics, digital dentistry, and dental photography. Dr. Nirkhiwale has been awarded the Fellowship of the International Congress for Oral Implantologists.
Laurence Gaalaas, DDS, MS, is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial radiologist within the Division of Oral Medicine, Diagnosis and Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. He completed his undergraduate education at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, his dental studies at the University of Minnesota, and a master's program at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is an active member of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and the American Dental Association.
Karen K. Daw, MBA, CECM, is an award-winning national speaker, author of numerous articles and CE courses on safety in dentistry, and a trainer for practices and healthcare systems across the country. She earned her BA from the Ohio State University and her MBA, concentrating on Healthcare Administration and Business Management. After graduating, the Emergency Department recruited her to serve as Assistant Director of Sterilization Monitoring and Health and Safety Director for the OSU College of Dentistry. Karen is a proud Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention member, where she also served as co-chair for their Annual Conference and Infection Control Boot Camp.
Disclosure Summary
It is the policy of the University of Minnesota Office of Continuing Dental Education to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its sponsored educational activities. All participating speakers, course directors, and planning committee members are required to disclose to the program audience any financial relationships related to the subject matter of this program. Relationships of spouse/partner with proprietary entities producing health care goods or services should be disclosed if they are of a nature that may influence the objectivity of the individual in a position to control the content of the CDE activity. Disclosure information is reviewed in advance to manage and resolve any possible conflicts of interest. Specific disclosure information for each speaker, course director, and planning committee member will be shared with the audience prior to the speaker’s presentation.
Continuing Dental Education Staff members have nothing to disclose.
The speakers have nothing to disclose and do not intend to discuss off-label/investigative use of a commercial product/device.
