Newswise — Pittsburgh (June 11, 2016) — More than 2,000 individuals gathered in Pittsburgh, Pa., on June 8-14, 2016, for the 2016 American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) Center for Lifelong Learning at the 93rd Annual Session. The ADHA is proud to announce its various award winners from this year’s event — awardees who epitomize the commitment and professionalism of those involved in the field of dental hygiene, and who are dedicated to improving the public’s oral and overall health.

Below are the 2016 award winners:

ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene (sponsored by Johnson & Johnson). The winners of these awards personify what those in the dental hygiene profession strive to exemplify to their patients, communities, and the world through a career dedicated to improving oral and overall health.

* Winner: Karen Leigh Neiner, RDH, BSDH, MBA; Chicago, Ill.

* Winner: Olga A. C. Ibsen, RDH, MS, FAADH; Bronxville, N.Y.

Esther Wilkins Future Leader Award (sponsored by Hu-Friedy). Awarded to a dental hygienist demonstrating leadership within five years of graduating from a dental hygiene program.

* Winner: Laura A. Smith, RDH, BS; Sykesville, Md.

Irene Newman Award (sponsored by Colgate). Awarded for outstanding advancement of the art and science of dental hygiene.

* Winner: Jacquelyn L. Fried, B.A., RDH, MS; Baltimore, Md.

Alfred C. Fones Award. Awarded for lasting contributions to the dental hygiene profession over the last 25 years.

* Winner: Karen O. Skaff, REDH, Ph.D.; Nicholasville, Ky.

Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award. This award honors components that have implemented significant community outreach programs that focus on preventive oral health care.

* Winner: Joan E Wood, RDH, Founder & Director of Supply A Smile; Canandaigua, N.Y.

Student Member Community Service Award (sponsored by Colgate). This award recognizes a student member chapter that has demonstrated outstanding community service activities.

* Winner: SUNY Broome Community College; Binghamton, N.Y.

Crest Oral-B/ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists. This award acknowledges the contributions dental hygienists make in their patients’ lives, particularly when it comes to the impact of patient education and the critical role oral health plays in total health.

* Winner: Danielle Pietraszewski, RDH; Berkley, Mich.

Crest + Oral-B/ADHA Educator of the Year. Awarded to an educator who demonstrates excellence in teaching, mentoring and helping students achieve their goals.

* Winner: Winnie Furnari, RDH, MS, FAADH; Yonkers, N.Y.

ADHA Sigma Phi Alpha Journalism Award (sponsored by Johnson & Johnson). This award recognizes one student at the baccalaureate level, and another at the master’s level. These students have written a review or original research paper that contributes to dental hygiene’s overall body of knowledge and meets the rigorous quality standards of the ADHA’s Journal of Dental Hygiene.

* Master’s/Doctoral Category: Dina M. Canasi, DHSc, MSDH, RDH; Tampa, Fla.

Hu-Friedy/ADHA Master Clinician. Awarded for the demonstration of expertise in bringing clinical practice and patient education together.

* Winner: Melissa A Obrotka, RDH, BA; Highland Lakes, N.J.

If you would like further information about the awards and awardees, please contact ADHA Director of Communications, Kimberly Campbell at [email protected]. Images of award winners are available upon request.

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About the American Dental Hygienists’ Association The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 185,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about the ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit the ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

About the ADHA’s Institute for Oral Health Founded in 1957, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health is the philanthropic foundation to advance professional excellence in dental hygiene education and research. Working for the dental hygiene community, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides opportunities for academic achievement

through Scholarships and Fellowships, resources to advance the professional field through Research Grants, and support for dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants. For more information, visit http://www.adha.org/institute-for-oral-health.