Staff, faculty, students showcase collaborations at ADEA

Staff, faculty and students showcased the School of Dentistry’s educational initiatives and efforts at this year’s ADEA Annual Session.

The American Dental Education Association’s Annual Session brings together dental students, educators and researchers to share knowledge and expertise in pursuit of educational excellence. The 2025 session, “Be Inspired, Empower Tomorrow,” took place in National Harbor, MD and focused on “game changing moments with leading experts from inside and outside of academic dentistry,” according to the association.

Approximately 30 representatives from the school attended this year’s meeting, presenting ten posters and six oral presentations.

Justin Ho, DDS ’26, thought the conference was “a great way to connect with other students and educators to help improve dental education overall,” and that it “provided me the skills to properly address the educational demands we face in our dental careers and schools.” He shared a poster presentation on “Mini Dental School,” an effort he spearheaded to introduce prospective students to the field of dentistry.

Ho enjoyed sharing his experience and his research with colleagues from across the country. “I hope other institutions can utilize our work to help address dental shortage needs,” he said.

Faculty and staff shared collaborative presentations highlighting a variety of key initiatives. Karin Quick, DDS, PhD, associate professor and director of the Division of Dental Public Health, and Kristin Shingler, PhD, teaching assistant professor of basic sciences and director of assessment and curricular integration, gave short presentations on their work on Generative AI in dental education, including its incorporation into the curriculum and the guidelines and recommendations they provide to learners.

“I’m really passionate about providing literacy for all members of the community on the use of genAI, so our students, faculty and staff feel comfortable and confident using these tools for appropriate applications,” Shingler said. “Sharing these experiences with other dental educators can help build a strong community of practice that supports the goal of genAI literacy for all.”

Quick, who also joined a panel on the ADEA Climate Survey and a workshop on authentic leadership, enjoyed the experience of participating in dynamic and varied presentations. “I like to present in sessions where I can learn from other presenters and those participating,” she explained. “For me, ADEA is about the people and the relationships. It’s a good way to build professional networks around common interests.”

Shannon Gilligan Wehr, MA, assistant director of student and resident affairs, and Susie Wold, MS, assistant director of admissions, shared a presentation on their collaborative onboarding experience for DDS learners as early as January of the matriculation year.

“Through conversations with peers over the years, we have learned that onboarding looks different depending on where a student enrolls in dental school,” GIlligan Wehr explained. The School of Dentistry’s onboarding experience includes unique features such as incoming student webinars and mentor programs. “We wanted to share these opportunities with others who might benefit from learning about them and evaluating how they could make enhancements to their own onboarding processes.”

Gilligan Wehr also completed her three-year term as a member of the ADEA Section on Student Affairs and Financial Aid leadership team at this year’s conference. “I learned quite a lot about how the organization is run and made great connections that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said.

In addition to the onboarding presentation, Wold also had the opportunity to present on Discover Dental School as a pathways program and ADEA GoDental’s Jumpstart pilot. She appreciated the opportunity to highlight the school’s excellence and collaborate with other schools.

“We accomplish more when we work together,” she reflected. “Learning from other schools is helpful in revising our program to be even more effective in our support of prospective and current students.”

Working together was certainly the theme of this year’s conference for School of Dentistry community members, who showcased the school’s efforts and collaborations at every level.