INDIANAPOLIS - From studies of gum diseases to evaluations of tooth bleaching products, students, faculty and staff at the Indiana University School of Dentistry presented their research at the school's annual Research Day held April 1 on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus.

The following awards were presented at the event. Award winners from your area and their projects are listed below:

Staff Awards:
John O. Butler Company's Staff Awards for Research Excellence - These awards, sponsored by the John O. Butler Company of Chicago, Ill., honor staff members for their contributions to research.

• Jeanette Newman, a research technician in the Bioresearch Facility of the Oral Health Research Institute, won first place for a study that tested the ability of an experimental pet food additive to reduce dental plaque in domestic animals.
• Deidra Faust, a research technician in the oral facial genetics division of the Department of Oral Facial Development, received the second place award for her study of a technique that aids in the scientific analysis of structures of the cranium and face.

Faculty Awards:
IU School of Dentistry Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award for Research
Dr. Eric Everett, assistant professor of oral facial genetics at the School of Dentistry and of dermatology at the IU School of Medicine, received the research award. Everett directs the school's Mineralized Tissue and Histology Research Laboratory located in the Department of Oral Facial Development. He studies a variety of topics related to genetics, and currently is the principal investigator on a grant funded by the National Institutes of Health. Everett has served during the past year as president of the Society of Craniofacial Genetics, an international organization. He oversees the research of several IU graduate and undergraduate dentistry students, including a number of award-winning projects. He has been a member of the IU faculty since 1996.

IU School of Dentistry Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching
Dr. Edwin Parks, associate professor of dental diagnostic sciences, received the teaching award. Parks directs three graduate courses at the school and plays a key role in the predoctoral dental curriculum as a tutor and course module director. He also directs the school's Patient Screening Clinic and chairs the curriculum committee. Parks complements his ample teaching schedule with activities in professional organizations, and he is frequently invited to present lectures to various professional groups. He receives excellent student evaluations for a teaching style that incorporates the most up-to-date teaching technologies. Parks served briefly on the IU faculty after completing an advanced dental degree at the university in 1995. He returned to IU as a full-time teacher in 1997.

Student Group Awards:
Best Dental Hygiene Table Clinic
The dental school presented the Best Dental Hygiene Table Clinic Award to two second-year dental hygiene students for their presentation on a nonsurgical method to treat chronic gum disease. They are Sonia Herrington and Amanda Murphy.

Best Dental Assisting Table Clinic Award
The dental school presented the Best Dental Assisting Table Clinic Award to four dental assisting students for their review of electric toothbrushes. They are Jennifer Freeman, Judith Moran, Jennifer Stanley and Michelle Bissonette.

Procter & Gamble Dental Hygiene Award
The Procter & Gamble Dental Hygiene Award was presented to three second-year dental hygiene students for their discussion of the role dental professionals play in educating patients about fluoride use. They are Rachel Bahler, Raquel Smith and Sara Waddell. The award is sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Individual Student Awards:
3M ESPE Clinical Presentation Awards -- The awards are sponsored by the dental manufacturer 3M ESPE, a division of 3M Health Care Markets.

• Fourth-year dental student Gregory Olsen won first place for a study related to the brackets used in orthodontic appliances.
• Fourth-year dental student Swati Singh won second place for a study related to the role trauma plays in the development of temporomandibular disorders (problems associated with the temporal bone and lower jaw).

Cyril S. Carr Dental Student Research Scholarship
Fourth-year dental student Swati Singh received the scholarship, which is awarded to the predoctoral dental student who has best exemplified, through research studies undertaken at the dental school, a long-term commitment to excellence in conducting, presenting and promoting research. The scholarship is named for a 1916 graduate of the Indiana Dental College and lifelong resident of Indianapolis. Dr. Carr died in 1975.

Maynard K. Hine Award for Excellence in Dental Research
Dr. Riyad Al-Qawasmi, a Ph.D. candidate in dental science, received the Maynard K. Hine Award for Excellence in Dental Research. The award is given for the best manuscript submitted for publication by an IU graduate student in dentistry. Al-Qawasmi's manuscript pertains to a study of genetic factors associated with root resorption in patients wearing orthodontic appliances. The award is sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio, and is named in memory of a past dean of the IU dental school and first chancellor of IUPUI.

Jack D. Carr Table Clinic Award
Fourth-year dental student Chad Harrington won the award for his review of a scientific method used to correct defects in bone and other hard tissues by contouring or reshaping the bone. Indianapolis District Dental Society sponsors the award, which is named in memory of an Indianapolis dental practitioner and a 1939 graduate of the IU dental school who also served on the dental faculty. Dr. Carr died in 1986.

American Dental Association/Dentsply International Student Clinician Award
Third-year dental student Jeremy Felt won the award for his study of the effects of in-office tooth bleaching systems on tooth enamel. Felt will enter his project in the national competition at the annual session of the American Dental Association in New Orleans, La., in the fall.

Procter & Gamble Award for Excellence in Preventive Oral Health Care
Fourth-year dental student Leyla Abazari received the award for her study of the reoccurrence of dental decay on teeth that have been treated with fluoride-releasing dental materials. The award is sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Shofu Graduate Student Awards -- Shofu Dental Corporation of Menlo Park, Calif., sponors the awards.

• Dr. Yen Le, a master's degree candidate in orthodontics, won first place for her study of an orthodontic spring device that is used to close spaces where teeth have been extracted.
• Dr. Lorena S'a, a master's degree candidate in operative dentistry, won the second place award for her study of the decay-fighting properties in fluoride-releasing dental materials.

• Dr. Sherie Dowsett, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Host Defense Laboratory in the Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, won first place for her study of the effect of shared genetic and environmental factors on the parameters of periodontitis (gum disease).
• Dr. Piyanuj Permpanich, a Ph.D. degree candidate, won second place for her study of the interaction of a bacterium associated with periodontal (gum) disease and human cells that play a role in controlling that disease.